The New Nation - Internet Edition

Trial of war criminals to establish rule of law emphasized

RU Correspondent

Speakers at a reception accorded to 28 members of freedom fighters demanded trial of war criminals to establish rule of law in the country and fulfil the dreams of martyrs.

Muktijodha Sontan Command (a platform of the children of freedom fighters) of Rajshahi University (RU) unit accorded the reception and awarded 'Freedom Fighter Award-2008' to the 28 freedom fighters in Rajshahi city and RU campus at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium on Monday.

Brig Gen (retd) Giass Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram) was present as the chief guest while Prof Shamsul Alam (Bir Bikram), department of geography and environment science of RU, captain (retd) AB Tajul Islam, convener of Muktijodha Projonmo, Rezaun Nabi Dudu, action Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation, Nazrul Islam Khoka, district commander of Muktijodha Sangsad, Nur Hamim Rezvi, (Bir Pratik) Rajshahi city commander of Muktijodha Sangsad and Abul Kalam Azad, RU unit member were present as the special guest.

Mehedi Hassan, convener of Muktijodha Projonmo was present as the main speaker while Masud Rana, convener of Muktijodha Sontan RU Command presided over the reception programme.

Speakers also urged the chief adviser to ensure and preserve freedom fighter quota in all job sectors, including government service and higher educational institutes.

They also demanded barring the war criminals from the general polls and to bring them to punishment for their crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971.

They urged the government to take necessary steps for rehabilitation of freedom fighter and ensure their respect.

After reception, a fresher reception and cultural programme was also held at the same venue.

The recipients are RU teachers Prof Abbas Ali, Prof Moloy Kumar, RU staff Ershed Ali, Rafiqul Islam, Azizul Haque, Golam Nabi, Motiar Rahman, Shahidullah Chali, Golam Kibria, Ilias Hossain, Moslem Uddin, Inal Ali, Sham Mohammad, Fazlul Haque, Azhar Ali, Jahangir Alam, Bodrul Alam, Abdus Samad, Shahidul Islam, Abdul Hannan, Shahabuddin Sarker, Shahidulla, Tajemul Haque, Golam Mostofa, Lutfor Rahman, Abul Kalam Azad, former district commander Shafiqur Rahman Raja and divisional Muktijodha coordinator Abdul Malek Chowdhury.Brig Gen (retd) Giass Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram) handed over crests to the valiant freedom fighters.

Farmers urged to use 'guti’ urea in paddy field

BSS, Gaibandha

A day-long workshop on using less urea by popularising the leaf colour chart (LCC) organised by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) was held at the auditorium of Zila Parishad in the town on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Gaibandha Abu Muhammad Yousuf addressed the workshop as the chief guest while Gaibandha army camp in-charge Major M. Jahangir Hossain was present as special guest.

The keynote paper on the subject was presented by Dr M. Abdul Majid, principal scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), regional office at Rangpur.

With ANM Mizanur Rahman Amin, deputy Director of DAE in the chair, the workshop was also addressed, among others, by Shamsul Alam Md. Saiful Islam, district training officer of DAE, M. Shajahan Kabir, senior scientific officer of BRRI, M. Mozaffar Rahman, Sadar upazila agriculture officer and M. Kamrul Islam, a farmer.

Dr M. Abdul Majid said LCC chart offers a simple and quick way to get the idea of the need for nitrogen in the crop fields. The production of transplanted Aman and Boro paddy could be increased by six to seven percent by using the LCC, he added.

He urged all concerned to motivate the farmers for using guti urea in their paddy field in order to minimise the use of common urea.

Students, bus workers clash: 45 hurt in Sirajganj

Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

At least 45 persons were injured in a serious clash between students and bus workers at Polytechnic morh in Sirajganj Sadar upazila on Monday. The students burnt a bus and vandalised six more buses during the clash.

Of the injured, 30 persons were admitted to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital and local clinics in the town.

According to Police and local sources, that the clash ensued at around 10.00 AM, when a bus worker misbehaved with a teacher of Sirajganj Polytechnic Institution over bus fare. The students and bus workers engaged in the clash with lethal weapons for two hours.

They made attack and counter-attack on each other and threw brickbats, injuring 45 persons of both groups. The agitating students also set fire to a bus and vandalised sixsbuses during the clash.

On being informed, Sirajganj Sadar Thana police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) forces rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after charging batons on the parties, Police sources said.

Students reunion turns campus into festive place at RCUC

BSS, Rangpur

A two-day reunion of the present and former students of Rangpur Carmichael University College (RCUC) turned the campus here into a festive place.

The celebrations ended on May 3 last through different colourful programmes including discussions and cultural functions. Hundreds of the present and former students of the reputed educational institution in the country's northern region took part in the RCUC reunion progrmme lively in so many ways.

Many of them came with their spouses as well as children, grandchildren and friends to share the happy occasion that took them down the memory lane of the sweet past and it was a reunion with a difference for all of them.

The celebration gave the whole city a festive mood on the first day on Friday morning, when a huge colourful rally participated by the present and former students of the RCUC paraded the streets of the city to instill a renewed zeal for education. The highlights of the two-day programmes were colourful processions in the city. Added attraction was participation of bullock-driven carts, buffalo-driven carts and horse-driven carts rally. Speeches by the former students recalling their golden days in RCUC, drew many people to see or hear the proceedings of the past and the present.

Among the former students were former President Alhaj Hussein Muhammad Ershad and many prominent Bangladeshis, based in Bangladesh as well as abroad.

"Unite Us with All and Make Our Friends Free," the motto of the reunion gave a fresh boost to the awareness for education in this part of the country where pioneer of women renaissance in the sub-continent Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain was born.

Former popular teacher of RCUC, renowned educationist and Sada Moner Manush Polan Sarker attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest and formally inaugurated the programme by hoisting the National Flag with former Principal of the institution Prof Mozammel Haque.

A number of living valiant freedom fighters and language movement veterans, former MPs, senior government officials and renowned businessmen, all former students of the RCUC also took part in the reunion programme.

Hussain Muhammad Ershad, former MP Golam Mohammad Kader (JP), former MP of Jamaat-e-Islami from Sundarganj constituency Abdul Aziz, former MP Abdur Razzaque (AL), former VP of RCUC Alauddin Mian, Principal of RCUC Deep Kendra Nath Das, Secretary of district unit of Jamaat Mahbubur Rahman Belal, DC, SP, addressed.

Meanwhile, another group of former RCUC students led by veteran Freedom Fighter, language movement veteran and Presidium Member of Ganotantri Party Mohammad Afzal, BSD leader Abdul Kuddus, Biplob Prasad, boycotted the reunion and organised a press conference here today protesting presence of the Razakars and Soirachars in the reunion ceremony.

2 killed in Mymensingh road mishap

BSS, Mymensingh

Two persons were killed and one was injured in a road accident at Charpara area in the town on Tuesday night.

The victims were identified as Soharab Uddin, 50, of village Channe Khola under Ishargonj upazila and Nurul Islam, 30 of Kana Para under Sadar upazila of the district. Police said, the accident occurred when a Sherpur-bound Dream Land bus while coming from Dhaka hit a rickshaw from behind. Rickshaw Puller Nurul Islam and its passenger Shorab died on the spot.

Kulsum, wife of Shorab was injured and admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The bus driver managed to escape.

A case was filed with Kotwali Police Station in this connection.

UZ Community police meet held in Kawkhali

Pirojpur Correspondent

A meeting of Upazila community police was held at Pirojpur on May 5 Md Aminul Islam, DIG of Barisal Range, was present as chief guest at the gathering function which Md Tajul Islam, District Commissioner, Md Kamrul Ahsan, Police Super, Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, among others, were present on the occasion. Md Monwar Hossain, President of Community Policing, chaired the function.

Speakers at the gathering stressed on the role of community police for the development of the law and order situation.

Advocate Abdus Shahid, member of community policing, presented a crest to Md Mozammel Haque, acting officer of the Kawkhali police station. Thousands of people attended the meeting.

Relief materials distributed in Jamalpur

BSS, Jamalpur

District Administration distributed relief materials among the storm-hit people in Bakshiganj and Dewanganj upazila in the district.

District Relief and Rehabilitation office sources said five metric tonnes rice in Dewanganj and 15 metric tonnes rice and Taka 20,000 in Bakshiganj upazila were sanctioned for distribution after a Nor'wester lashed on May 2.

In the storm, over 10 thousand families were affected in the two upazilas.

News Briefs

Drug peddler stabbed to death in Narsingdi

Narsingdi, May 8: A drug peddler was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Luchanpur village in Raipura upazila Monday night. The deceased was identified as Jamal, 30, son of Ekabbar Ali of Rajnagar village. Police, quoting the victim's family members, said two men called Jamal out of his house at about 9pm and hit him on his head with sharp weapons taking to a nearby field, leaving him dead on the spot. Being informed by local people, police recovered his body Tuesday morning and sent it to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Victim's mother Aleya told police that Jamal was involved in drug trading for long, reports UNB.

Heroin seized in Patuakhali

Patuakhali, May 8: RAB, in a drive, recovered two kgs of heroin and held three people in this connection from South Rabipur village in Barisal district on Monday night. Acting on a tip-off, RAB-8 men from Patuakhali district raided Khalisakhali Khalpar area in the village at about 11:30 pm and recovered the heroin, kept under the earth. Later, the elite forces held two siblings-Nisir Hawladar and Johir Hawladar and one Phul Banu in this connection. They along with the heroin were handed over to police. In another drive, RAB-8 men held two robbers and recovered one firearm and six bullets from their possession from Gazipur village in Barguna district on Monday night, reports UNB.