The New Nation - Internet Edition

BMUJ demands implementation of wage board

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Barisal Metropolitan Union of Journalists demanded separate wage board for regional newspapers and journalists and hard action against the violators of wage board decision.

BMUJ observed historic May Day by organizing rally and human chain on city roads and holding meeting at Barisal Reporters Unity pressed these demands. Anisur Rahman Swapan, BMUJ president, presided over the meeting and Swapan Khondokar, Kamal Masudur Rahman, Nazrul Biswas, BMUJ secretary, treasurer and member, addressed the gathering.

The speakers said that government often forms wage boards and declares pay scales on papers without any monitoring and compulsion for practically implementing it by the media owners.

So it never favoured the improvement of standard and livelihood of working journalists in regional level, they observed.

The media often described as mirror and consciousness of the society. Nevertheless, the journalists in regional level outside Dhaka is working almost 24 hours a day without any vacation, bit or any extra allowances. Regional journalists are not only deprived from wage board directed salaries and benefits, but even deprived from getting formal appointment letters, the speakers revealed.

Gano Shilpi Sangstha presented songs of May-Day at the end of the BMUJ programme.

Besides BMUJ, the other organisations like Workers Party, Sami Federation, Trade Union Kendro, Nirman Sramik Union, Gano Shilpi Sangshta, held discussion meeting and cultural functions in the city.

'Kabita’ programme going in full swing in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

Works under the 'Kabita' (Kajer Binemoye Taka) programme is going in full swing in all the seven upazilas of the district.

The government has declared Gaibandha district as poverty prone area and allocated Taka two crore for creating job opportunity for the day labourers and the ultra-poor people.

Under the 'Kabita' programme, a total of 522 projects are being implemented in the district during the current fiscal year.

Of the projects, 119 are in sadar upazila, 115 in Sundarganj upazila, 45 in Shaghata upazila, 65 in Gobindaganj upazila, 68 in Sadullapur upazila, 42 in Fulchhari upazila and 68 projects are in Palashbari upazila.

Hafizur Rahman Bhuyan, divisional commissioner, Rajshahi visited some of the projects at Madenerpara, Hossainpur and Kalirbazar areas under Fulchhari on April 18 and distributed the wages to the labourers.

On the following day, he visited the progress of the projects at Konorpur and Islampur areas of Ballamjhar union under sadar upazila.

Deputy Commissioner Abu Muhammad Yousuf, ADC (general) Abul Bayes Miah, UNO of sadar upazila M. Iftekhar Hossain, PIO M. Abdul Mannan, UP Chairman M. Mozammel Haque Mondal and local elite including journalists were present on the occasion.

Each of the labourers is getting Taka 150 per day as wage, said Nurul Haque, district relief and rehabilitation officer.

2 held with touchstone statues in Manikganj

BSS, Manikganj

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-4) arrested two persons and recovered two statues of touchstone at Basail village under Shibalay upazila of the district on Thursday.

The arrested were identified as Abdul Munnaf Mia, 30, and Alal Uddin, 27. RAB sources said getting secret information a RAB team raided the area on Thursday night and recovered the statues of touchstone from their possession.

They were involved in statue smuggling since long time. The value of two statues will be about Taka 20 lakh, the sources said.

The arrested persons were handed over to Shibalay police station after interrogation.

A case was filed with Shibalay police station in this connection.

May Day observed in Gouripur

Our Correspondent, Gouripur

May Day was celebrated in Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh district in a befitting manner.

The day's programmes include holding discussions, cultural functions and bringing out processions.

In the morning, colourful rallies were brought out by different organisation including trade unions, bus-truck drivers, community and other workers which paraded through the main roads of this town and joined the Harun Park.

On this day all workers were happier and exciting. They urged the Government to ensure food security and to reduce all essential commodities in prices.

Nalchity Newsletter

Our Correspondent, Nalchity (Jhalakati)

Honours student stabbed

A group of miscreants chopped an Honours student as he refused to give loan at Gochra village under Nalchity Upazila in Jhalakati on Tuesday evening. The victim was identified as Ashaduzzaman Doha (24), a fourth year Honours student of Barisal BM College and son of Mowlana Nuruzzaman of village Gochra.

Victim sources said, Ripon, son of Delwar Hossain and his associates of the same asked Doha to give them some money as loan on that evening. But he was unable to give loan and refused them. As he refused them, they became very furious and chopped him mercilessly. Severely wounded Doha was admitted in to Barisal SBMCH immediately.

Minor girl drowns

A minor girl drowned in a pond at Foyra village under Nalchity Upazila on Tuesday at 11 AM. Local said, ill-fated girl Nishi (5) daughter of Shah Alam Howlader of that village fell in to the pond close to her residence, while playing on its bank. The family members conducted a hectic search for her as she went missing. At last they found her floating dead body in the pond and recovered it.

A fall of gloom situation has been prevailing in the area.

Sonali Bank subscribers gathering held

A subscribers gathering on the occasion of Business Development Month of Nalchity Sonali Bank Brand was held on the Bank premises on Wednesday afternoon. Nalchity Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Sekander Hayat Rizvi was present at the function as the chief guest while Assistant General Manger of Sonali Bank Barisal Division, Atikuzzaman was the special guest. The gathering was addressed among others by Chief Cashier of the Branch Abdus Salam, Second Officer Abdul Haque Gazi, Subscriber Halim Khalifa, Ziaul Kabir Mitu and KM Sabuj. The function was presided over by the Branch Manager, Md Ibrahim Khan.

Phensidyl peddler held

Members of Rapid Action Bttation (RAB)-8 Barisal arrested a youth with 20 bottles of Phensidyl from Royapur village in Nalchity Upazila under Jhalakati district on Tuesday night. The arrested person was identified as Lokman Biswas, 35, son of Sadar Ali Biswas of Samta village under Sharsha Upazila in Jessore district. Police sources said, local people found that Lokman was moving to and fro in suspicious way on Barisal-Jhalakati road near Royapur Secondary School. They informed the RAB of the matter. On information, team of the force rushed to the spot and arrested him with contraband drug. Later they handed over him to Nalchity Police station. A case has been lodged in this connection.

News briefs

Truck driver killed

JOYPURHAT, May 4: A truck driver was killed and three helpers were injured in a road accident at the crossing point on Joypurhat-Panchbibi road on Friday. Police said the accident occurred when a truck turned turtle into a road-side ditch when its driver lost control over the steering. The truck driver died on the spot and its three helpers were seriously injured, reports BSS.

16 people held in Joypurhat

JOYPURHAT, May 4: Police and RAB in separate drives, arrested 16 persons on various charges from different areas of five upazilas of the district Friday night, police said. The arrested were absconding convicts and warrantees, accused in different cases, drug-peddlers and traffickers.They also seized 26 bottles of Phensidyl and other illegal items during the raids, police said. RAB also arrested two persons, Mamunur Rashid, 30, son of Majeruddin, village Majena under Panchbibi upazila with 295 drug injections and Boga Sarder, 50, son of late Soleman Ali of village Bashkata, sadar upazila of the district and seized 292 bottles of contraband Indian Phensidyl from his possession, reports BSS.

Amal Sen Mela begins in Narail

NARAIL, May 4: A four-day mela titled 'Amal Sen Mela' began at Auria Primary School ground here on Friday. The main objective of the fair is to remember the memories of historic 'Tevaga Movement' leader Amal Sen, who was also the president of Bangladesh Workers Party, said the organisers.

President of Amal Sen Smrity Rakhya Committee of Jessore and Khulna regions Iqbal Kabir Zahid inaugurated the mela as the chief guest with president of the mela celebration council Munshi Abdul Mannan in the chair, reports BSS.