The New Nation - Internet Edition

Supplying of arsenic free safe drinking water demanded

BSS, Rangpur

A programme under the Watsan project was launched to achieve complete environmental sanitation and supply of arsenic free safe drinking water to the distressed people in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram district yesterday.

Bangladesh field office of Muslim Aid of United Kingdom (UK) under the programme distributed sanitation materials and tubewells among the people of the upazila at a function held at its upazila office premises.

With Ramna Model UP chairman Principal Abul Quasem in the chair, Programme Officer Abdul Mannan of Muslim Aid-Bangladesh, its Audit Officer Badrul Islam Munir, Chilmari Office In-charge Motahar Hossaine, General Secretary of the Chilmari Press Club SM Nurul Amin Sarker, addressed the function.

A total of 38 tubewells each costing Taka 1,000 along with other necessary equipment were distributed among the distressed and poor families of the upazila today and the process will continue to attain 100 percent sanitation and arsenic free safe drinking water facilities there.

Motahar Hossaine of the organisation told BSS that the people of the upazila responded spontaneously to make the sanitation programme a total success within the government-declared period of the year 2010 to attain these goals in the country.

Feeding programme for school-goers continues in Gaibandha

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Feeding programme for the school-going children is going on in full swing in three poverty-prone upazilas in the district. The aim of the programme is to increase the enrollment of the students, improve their attendance and reduce their dropout rates. To remove the malnutrition problem of the school-going children and make the compulsory primary education a success are also the objectives of the programme.

Directorate of Primary Education and Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (R.D.R.S.), an N.G.O are jointly implementing the programme with the support of the UNO World Food Programme.

The programme has been started on November and it would continue till December 31, 2010, sources said.

A total of 710 government, community, non-registered and NGO- run primary schools under Sundergonj, Shaghatta and Gobindagonj upazilas of the district were brought under this programme. As many as 1,13,573 boys and girls of the schools were fed biscuits in 2006 and 1,28,987 students in 2008. In the current year 1,34,871 students have been enrolled under this programme.

Each child of the school is getting snack of 75 gram of high energy biscuits fortified with vitamins and minerals for each school day of attendance for a whole year, said Rafiqul Islam, project manager of R.D.R.S.

With the introduction of this project here the enrolment rate of the students has increased by 7.5% this year and the attendance rate has also increased 84% from 67% in 2006, he also said.

Besides, different issues like advocacy meeting for the teachers, members of school managing committee and local guardians, feeding doworming tablets to the school student, school vegetable gardening and giving ideas on cleanliness to the students are also being implemented under this programme, sources said.

Two agriculture officials suspended in Narail

A Correspondent, Narail

Two officers of Agriculture Extension Department of Kalia upazila have been suspended for their alleged involvement in misappropriation of subsidy and negligence of duty.

According to the District Agriculture Office, Narail, suspension order of Mossaddek Hossain, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of Hamidpur union and Rafikul Islam, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of Peroli union under Kalia upazila have been received by the office over fax on Sunday.

It may be mentioned that they had misappropriated subsidies on diesel from the farmers of the said areas on April 22 last.

One killed in Jamalpur road accident

BSS, Jamalpur

A businessman was killed in a road accident at Bazrapur area in the town on Friday.

The victim was identified as Nekbar Hossain, 55, of Santinagar Zigarkanda village of Mymensingh district.

Police said a truck knocked him down, leaving dead on the spot.

A case was filed with Sadar thana in this connection.

RAB nabs police agent in Rajshahi

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Members of RAB-5, Rajshahi has arrested a toll collector who worked as an agent of police from Masterpara area of the city Sunday noon.

The police-agent has been identified as Esarul Haque Tutul of Alimganj village under Paba upazila. He used to live at his father-in-law's house at Rajpara area of the city.

It is learnt, on Sunday police toll collector agent Esarul Haque Tutul and Ansar Ali, driver of police van were realising toll from the traders of wholesale market at Shaheb bazaar. RAB members arrested Tutul red handed when police driver Ansar Ali managed to escape in a motor bike.

News briefs

3 brothers get life for murder in Naogaon

NAOGAON, Apr 30: A court here today (Sunday) sentenced three siblings to life term imprisonment in a murder case. The Additional District and Sessions Judge Court also fined the convicted Tk 5,000 each, in default, to serve one month more in jail. The lifers are : Mofizuddin, Khairul Islam and Makbul Hossain, sons of late Abdul Gafur Mondol, of Madyachandpur village in Dhamoirhat upazila. Ten people, however, were acquitted from the charge as their guilt was not proved, reports UNB.

Trawler driver slaughtered in N'ganj

NARAYANGANJ, Apr 30: A trawler driver was slaughtered by assailants in Roopganj upazila of the district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Abul Kashem, 47, of Yakub Ali of Shikolbaha village in Karnaphuli upazila of Chittagong district. Local people found his body in Mangalkhali Char area on the bank of Sitalakkhya River. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy. Police also arrested nine trawler workers suspecting their involvement with the killing, reports UNB.

Two bodies recovered

SYLHET, Apr 30: Police recovered slaughtered body of an unidentified young woman from the bank of Dhalai River in Companiganj upazila on Saturday. Local people found the body of the victim, aged around 24, in the morning and informed the police. Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was filed. Another report from Kishoreganj adds: Police recovered the body of a young housewife from a pond at Bongram Bhitipara village in Kotiadi upazila Thursday morning, reports UNB.