The New Nation - Internet Edition

Concerted efforts to fight HIV/AIDS underscored

BSS, Patgram

Speakers at an advocacy meeting here on Saturday stressed the need for joint efforts of all stakeholders, including government officials and teachers for preventing HIV/AIDS.

In this respect, they suggested massive awareness at all levels helping the people in both urban and rural areas work against this silent killer diseases. They also called for social awareness-building campaign, particularly among the young generation and vulnerable groups, in the frontier areas to check spreading of the deadly disease and also trafficking of women and children.

Padokhkhep Manobik Unnayan Kendra (PMUK) organised the meeting titled "HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme and the Youth Community" at Patgram Upazila Parishad auditorium in Lalmonirhat for creating mass awareness among the youths.

Chaired by Resident Medical Officer of Patgram Upazila Health Complex Dr Hafizur Rahman, the meeting was attended by Patgram UNO Kazi Abu Taher as the chief guest while Patgram Pourasabha chairman Shomsher Ali and Upazila Family Planning Officer Abul Kalam Azad were present as the special guests.

Divisional Coordinator of PMUK Abul Hayat and its Monitoring Officer Mostafa Mahmud Rana conducted the advocacy meeting as resource persons. Over 100 participants, including officials, youth community members, teachers, students, women community leaders, UP chairmen and members, NGO officials, socio-cultural workers, journalists, lawyers, community leaders and human rights activists took part.

Call to open two outlets of sluice gate of Netrakona WDB

Our Correspondent, Netrakona

Standing Boro crops on more than 500 acres of lands in Balurghat area of Purbadhala upazila under Netrakona district might be washed away by stagnant rain water following rainfall anytime due to closing of two large out lets of Water Development Board (WDB) Netrakona by some influential local man.

Meanwhile, the incidents of closing the WDB's out-lets of a sluice gate around the aforesaid area brought to the notice of Agriculture and water resources Adviser DR CS Karim during his official visit to Netrakona district on April 22 last by local farmers.

Being informed about the incident, the agriculture Adviser Karim instructed the Director General of the WDB to take emergency steps for opening the out lets to save the standing Boro crops from inundation. Local farmer Anisul Haque informed the local newsmen here that any action has yet been taken by the Netrakona WDB officials to solve the problem despite the order of agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim. Talking to the newsmen, many local farmers including the farmer Anis feared that if the two cutlets are not opened immediately, standing Boro crops on about 500 acres of lands would be submerged and damaged by the stagnant rain water owing to rainfall anytime. When contacted, the executive engineer of Netrakona WDB Didarul Alam told the correspondent that an official notice has already been issued to take necessary action to solve this problem as soon as possible.

Sacrificial meat distributed in Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

The Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited Gopalganj branch has distributed 5000 kgs (Five Metric ton) of sacrificial meat of Qurbani (Muhammedam) among the 500 (Five hundred) Madrasha and orphanage.

The sacrificial meat of Qurbani was presented by Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the cooperation of the Islami Development Bank and distribution of the Islami Bank foundation.

The distribution was held at Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited Gopalganj branch premises on Wednesday morning. Mohammad Zahangir Alam Manager Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited Gopalganj branch presided over the Royal Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia's gift sacrificial meat of the Qurbani for the distress people. Mohammad Belayet Hossain former principal Gopalganj Government Bangabandhu University College and Member of Islami Bank foundation Gopalganj also present as chief guest.

436 students get primary scholarship in Rajbari

BSS, Rajbari

This year 218 students in four upazilas of the district got primary scholarship both in the talent pool and general grade.

A total of 436 students sat in the examination held in 2007, official sources said.

In Pangsha upazila, 61 student obtained scholarship in talent pool and 104 in general grade. In Baliakandi upazila, 33 students secured scholarship in talent pool and 28 in general grade.

In Goalondo upazila, 16 students got scholarship in talent pool and 41 in general grade. Maktab government primary school of Rajbari sadar secured first position with obtaining scholarship by 36 students in talent pool and 12 in general grade.

Chandu murder: Victims family feels insecurity

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Family members of slain Chandu in a press conference held at City Press club of Rajshahi Sunday have complained, they are passing their days in insecurity as police of Charghat thana was reluctant to arrest the killers. They further alleged, the killers were threatening them over telephone to withdraw the case filed against them or to face dire consequences like Chandu.

Arifa Begum, wife of slain Shahadat Hossain Chandu read out the written statement in the press conference. Among others, the press conference was attended by, Sabbir Ahmed and Sharmin Akhter Rumpa, two minor children of the victim and Yearul Islam, younger brother of Chandu.

Arifa Begum alleged, some terrorists headed by Tuhin son of Ahsan Ali of village Ramchandrapur of Charghat thana called Shahadat Hossain Chandu(40)of Purba Chalksinga village of Bagha thana and killed him and threw his dead body in the river Baral on 12 April night.

Being informed, family members of Chandu rushed to the spot and recovered his dead body from the spot and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

The next morning, Arifa Begum filed a case with Charghat thana accusing Tuhin, his sister Azmira Khatun and a number of unidentified terrorists in this connection.

Arifa Begum in her statement mentioned, the police was not showing interest to arrest the killers of her husband, rather, she complained, Tuhin and Rezaul Haq, brother-in-law of Azmira, has been putting pressure on Arifa and her family members to withdraw the case. Rezaul, who is the son of influential Mofiz Shah of village Malanchi Panchuria of Bagatipara upazila, was seen to visit Charghat thana for 'tadbir' and even he put pressure through the mobile phone of Arifa to withdraw case or to meet the same fate as of her husband. Moreover, one Abdus Salam of Ramchandrapur village also threatened her to withdraw the case. As a result, she has been living under utter insecurity.

Arifa Begum has filed a general diary in this connection apprehending further action by the terrorists. Through the press conference, she has demanded her security of her life and of her children and immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the terrorists.#

Sweet gourd fair held in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

A day-long sweet gourd fair was held at the multipurpose refugee shelter at Ujantaura village under Horipur union of Sundarganj upazila in the district on April 24.

Ekota, a non-government organisation (NGO), of the district organised the fair in cooperation with River Erosion Project (REP), Practical Action, Bangladesh, a UK-based international NGO, sources said. The aim of the fair was to demonstrate the produces of high quality sweet gourds to the farmers of the river basin areas of the district, said the organisers. Agriculture specialist Alauddin Sarder formally inaugurated the fair as chief guest.

With Nirmal Chandra Bepary in the chair, it was addressed, among others, by M Barkat Ullah, Kamrul Islam Jilani and Bablu Miah.

A total of five stalls were set up in the fair. As many as 300 sweet gourds were demonstrated in the fair.

Open house-day held in Chuadanga

BSS, Chuadanga

The open house-day was held at Jibannagar Police Station of the district on Saturday.

Nurul Amin, officer in-charge, of the thana, presided over the function.

Acting Chairman of Jibannagar Pourashava Moshiur Rahman, former upazila chairman Moshraf Hossain Mia, union parisad (UP) chairmen Golam Mortuza and Shahjahan Ali, spoke on the occasion, among others.

News Briefs

10 hurt in boiler blast

KERANIGANJ, Apr 29: least 10 people were injured in a boiler explosion at a dyeing & washing factory in Kaliganj area of Dakkhin Keraniganj early on Friday. Local people said the heavy boiler of Sonali Dyeing and Washing Factory exploded with a big bang at about 3:30am injuring 10 people and damaging four nearby houses partially. Of the injured, Sajib, 16, Shahabuddin, 12, and Sharif, 13, were taken to Mitford Hospital in critical condition while another to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police later rushed to the spot and sealed off the factory, reports UNB.

Youth killed in Keraniganj

KERANIGANJ, Apr 29: The slaughtered body of a young man was recovered from Islamabad Balurmath area here this (Friday) morning. The victim was identified as Liakat, 22, son of local Ansar-VDP commander Abdul Majid of Dakkhin Keraniganj thana. Family sources said Liakat was called out from his residence at about 7pm Thursday by his friends but he did not return home throughout the night. Local people found his slaughtered body at about 8am today and informed the police, reports UNB.

Phensidyl seized

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, Apr 29: Police in a raid recovered 340 bottles of Indian phensidyl syrup from a house at Rohanpur Sheikhpara village in Gomostapur upazila early Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the house of Jewel at abut 1:00 am and seized the contraband drug. Jewel was not present in the house during the raid. But Jewel's wife claimed that her husband's friend Shafiqul Islam kept the phensidyl in three sacks in their residence. Another report from Noakhali adds: Police recovered 100 bottles of phensidyl syrup from a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Sonaimuri here and arrested four young men on Wednesday, reports UNB.