The New Nation - Internet Edition

Disaster management ailing itself due to shortage of equipment

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Disaster management program itself facing disaster due to shortage of ninety percent equipment and long vacancy in key post.

Especially vacancy in post of director administration and acute shortage of emergency equipments created stagnancy in cyclone preparedness programme and seriously hampering disaster management.

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) and Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) sources said there were 42,675 CPP volunteers divided into 2845 units of 15 members including 5 female and a team leader in 274 unions of 32 upazilas under 11 districts marked as most risky cyclone and seasonal storm-prone areas of coastal region.

Sources said after the devastating cyclones of sixties International League of Red Cross Societies (ILRCS) in collaboration with Swedish Red Cross Society started cyclone preparedness program in 1966 in cyclone-prone coastal regions of the then East Pakistan as a part of pre and post disaster management preparations.

ILRCS funded the CPP in Bangladesh until 1973 and then Bangladesh government took responsibilities for continuation of CPP under a joint agreement between the CPP and Bangladesh Red Cross/Crescent Society (BRCS)

As a program of BRCS, two bodies named policy committee for making policy and collecting fund and implementation board for implementing and supervising execution of the program formed to run CPP smoothly.

Later ministry of disaster management, relief and rehabilitation authorized for over all control of the both organs.

However, the vital post of director administration of implementation board became vacant and in 2002, the 38th meeting of the implementation board suggested to fill the vacant posts including director by giving promotion. Then the ministry formed a five member standing sub-committee to review the and execute the suggestion and suggested to fill the post of director administration of implementation board by promoting deputy director Sohel Amin Sikdar to that post.

This suggestion was placed in 39th meeting of the ministry held on January 22, 2004, the chairman of BRCS alleged lack of coordination between BRCS and CPP and demanding direct control over CPP, he claimed that separate existence of CPP created problems in fund collection.

The meeting ended without any final decision about the organogram, salary, benifits and filling vacancies of the officials and the vital post of director administration of CPP remained vacant.

Swapan Kumar Mitra, deputy director of Barisal regional CPP said that CPP volunteers of Bangladesh achieved worldwide appreciations in successful disaster management.

Ctg farmers impressed with production of HYV 'Hira’

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

The bumper harvest of experimental farming of the 'Hira', a high yielding variety (HYV) of rice, ended on Tuesday here at village Purbo Bairag in Anwara with jubilation.

Hundreds of enthusiastic farmers and onlookers from different villages watched the harvesting session ignoring the ugly summer heat.

A private seed distributor - Supreme Seed Company Limited - brought the HYV rice seed Hira in Bangladesh and hosted experimental farming of the variety on 900 hectors of land in Chittagong.

A harvest of 11.32 metric tonnes has so far been made from the experimental farming of the variety, which is nearly double than the production of ordinary variety of rice in the region.

Shahidul Khair, a farmer at the city suburb Anwara, and the partner of the experimental farming said that he did not even expect such a bumper production.

"I'm really impressed with the production size and I'll ask fellow farmers to try it next time," he said while giving his feeling on the outcome of the experiment.

Officials of the company are optimistic of increased production of rice using the HYV Hira seed. They hoped that at least 2000 hectors of land would be brought under the Hira farming next season.

Deputy Director of Agricultural Department Anisur Rahman presided over the harvesting session while Additional Director AK Azad joined it as chief guest.

Former joint Director of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Jamal Ahmed, Managing Director of Supreme Seed Company Limited Mokfur Uddin Akon, Agricultur Advisor Ibrahim Khalil among others joined the session.

Tk 3 crore subsidy on diesel being distributed in Thakurgaon

BSS, Thakurgaon

The government has started disbursement of taka three crore forty eight thousand two hundred as subsidy on diesel among farmers of Boro cultivators in Thakurgaon district.

The money will be distributed among 78,177 farmers of 5 upazilas of the district at the rate of Tk 545 per acre.

Officials of the Directorate of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the farmers who have cultivated 'Boro' paddy on 0.1 to 2.5 acres of lands by the diesel operated shallow tube wells are entitled to get the subsidy.

The disbursement of subsidy has started on April 20 which will continue till May 15.

Participation of defence forces in political dialogue opposed

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Rashed Khan Menon, former lawmaker and president of Workers Party opposed participation of defense forces in political dialogues.

Menon while addressing in a gathering of the freedom fighters at Khanpura of Babuganj upazila under Barisal district on Tuesday said that there was no role of defence forces in formation and operation of caretaker government as stated in constitution.

Defense force does not represent the government and so there participation in political dialogue is not only unconstitutional, but also illegal and unreasonable.

Defence force also claimed that they are not part or controlling authority of government and only assisting the government in implementing programs.

However, is not clear that why some vested interested corners trying to place the assistant behind the control of driving wheel, he explained.

Dialogue with the political parties must be direct without any via media and representatives of deferent profession and classes may give their suggestions. Nevertheless, either than political parties there is no need for participation of other classes and professionals in political dialogue, Menon added.

Menon with confident said that trial of war criminals would be a must in this country and only the need is to be unity among the all forces of pro-liberation front.

The program was arranged to inform the freedom fighters about the presentation of trial of war criminals issue by Menon in the world peace conference recently held in Karakas, capital of Venezuela and approval of decision in that that meeting in favor of trial of war criminal of Bangladesh.

The gathering was presided over by Shahahan Sikder and among others addressed by Prof. Abdus Sattar, Azizur Rahman, Nur Islam Khan, Mosharraf Hossain, Harunur Rashid, Abdul Khalek, Shahidul Huq, and Aziz Munshi.

Memorial arch inaugurated in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

A memorial arch in the name of Abu Hossain Sarker, Chief Minister of erstwhile East Pakistan, was constructed at Gaibandha-Sadullapur road at Shaharbazar area under Bongram union of Sadullapur upazila in the district recently.

The arch was constructed at the cost of Taka 2.50 lakh. Sadullapur Upazila Sports Association and Bongram Union Parishad (UP) jointly provided the fund, sources said.

Advertisement exhibition held

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

An "Advertisement Exhibition" organised by BBA (Marketing) 9th batch of Asian University Bangladesh (AUB) was held at AUB, Rajshahi campus on Wednesday. Prof Sanat Kumar Saha of the department of Marketing of Rajshahi University inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest on Wednesday morning. Deputy Registrar of AUB Monjur Elahi and P:rof Azam Shantanu of RU were present at the exhibition as special guests. Among others, the exhibition as special guests. Among others, the exhibition was attended by Associate Prof of AUB Ruhul Amin, Lecturers Sherajul Islam, Aminuzzaman Talukder, Shahriar and Enamul Haque. A total of 46 advertisement were exhibited in the day long programme.

Career conselling held at RU

RU Correspondent

The Rajshahi University Rotaract club (RUCC) organised career counseling and a seminar on "English language learning system" at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium of Rajshahi University (RU) on Sunday.

Former Lecturer of Dhaka University (DU), Institute of Business Administration and Managing Director of Saifur's M Saifur Rahman Khan attended the p;rogramme as keynote speaker on English language learning system while Deputy Managing Director of Saifur's Dr. Jahidur Rahman attended as career counselor.

RU students' adviser Prof. M. Faridul Islam, Proctor M. Enamul Haque also addressed on the seminar.

About 1000 students of Rajshahi University attended the programme. The programme was co-ordinated by Rotaract Minhaz-Ul-Islam.

One killed, 4 hurt in Bagmara nor’wester

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

One woman was killed, four injured when nor'wester hit various villages of Bagmara thana Monday night. The storm also caused a huge damage of houses, standing paddy and mangoes of estimated taka ten crore.

It is learnt, the nor'wester started Monday and continued till 11-00 pm uprooting several hundred trees, damaging mangoes and standing IRRI-boro paddy of some 15,000 hectares of land. The mighty storm also damaged more than fifty houses of the upazila completely and nearly 200 partially of Bagmara sadar, Jugipara, Ramrama, Goalkandi and other villages.

Rahima Begum(32) wife of Akkas Ali died when a branch of a mango tree fell upon her during plucking mango on Monday. Four other persons Saju (18), Masud(14), Rabiul (12) and Masuma(7) were injured during storm by wall collapse and broken branches of trees. They have been admitted to local clinic.