The New Nation - Internet Edition

City News FBCCI leaders calls on finance Adviser BSS, Dhaka Leaders of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) yesterday made a courtesy call on Finance a

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party called for taking immediate steps for creating food security and sufficiency to prevent famine in near future and also called for united stands of the third world countries against the bio-fuel production policy.

Menon while inaugurating mass-signature collection campaign in favour of 16-point demands of his party at party office in Barisal on Friday morning further said that hunger is just like a high explosive grenade and could be exploded at any time if preventive and safety measures are not taken timely.

Twenty five percent of Boro paddy yet to be harvested from the field and in the mean time price of rice increased Tk.70-80 per quintal.

So hunger-grenade could be exploded at any time if full rationing system for rural and lower income group peoples would not be introduced immediately.

Menon demanding agriculture and food management friendly budget for the upcoming fiscal further said that cause of increase of food price in international market also be properly explained before the mass people as they could understand the policy of Bush government of USA for creating food crisis by producing Bio-Fuel using food-crops

Menon said that this fact also acknowledged by United Nations and Food and Agricultural Organisation (UNO and FAO) and if third world countries failed to take united stands against production of bio-fuel by using food-crops, then they have to suffer famine in near future.

The program was presided over by Bazlur Rahman and among others party leaders and activists including Prof. Nazrul Huq Nilu, Shanti Das, Bishwajit Baroi, Niprendra Nath Baroi, Tipu Sultan, Haruur Rashid.

Minor girl drowned in Meherpur

BSS, Meherpur

A minor girl drowned in the Bhairab river under Mujibnagar Upazila in the district on Sunday.

The dead was identified as Jotsna, 11, daughter of Abdul Jabbar and a student of class three of Ashrafpur Government Primary School.

Family sources said Jotsna and her friends went to the Bhairab river near her house for swimming. When her friends came out of the river after swimming Jotsna was missing.

Local people after a frantic search recovered the body of the ill fated girl and rushed her to upazila health complex where the doctors declared her dead.

Touchstone statue recovered in Jhenidah

BSS, Jhenaidah

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered a touchstone statue worth about Taka 50 lakh from Kaliganj upazila of the district on Sunday.

The statue weighing about 40 kg, was recovered from a brick field beside Kalimondir of the upazila town after conducting a raid by the members of the elite force on the basis of secret information.

The RAB sources said that an organised gang of smugglers were trying to smuggle it out of the country.

Wanted robber leader arrested

BSS, Chittagong

A dacoits' gang leader was arrested with a revolver from city's Khulshi thana area last night.

A team of DB police, led by Sub-Inspector Mohsin, rounded up Yousuf, with a .22 bore revolver while he was taking preparation for committing robbery in Khulshi Thana area at 7 pm last night.

Yousuf, 28, son of Abdur Razzak of Mehendigonj in Barisal district, was wanted by police for a long time, police said.

A total of 11 robbery cases have been pending against Yousuf with different police stations in Chittagong, the source added.

Food procurement drive going on in full swing in Gaibandha

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Food procurement drive of Boro paddy and rice is going on in full swing through 11 centres of seven upazilas in the district under the direct supervision of Bangladesh Army and District Administration.

Office sources said, the government has fixed a target to procure 7454 metric tonnes of paddy and 35,294 metric tonnes of rice during the current season.

To procure paddy and rice Department of Food has made agreement with the 419 millers out of 490 of the district and some 506 metric tonnes of paddy and 4368 metric tonnes rice have already been bought till May 22, 2008 sources said.

To make the procurement drive a success, and to encourage the growers to sell their paddy and rice to the food godowns directly to get fair prices, motivational meetings were also held at different places of the district during the last few days.

The meetings were held with District Controller Food M. Raihanul Kabir in the chair while Deputy Commissioner Abu Mohammad Yousuf addressed it as chief guest. Besides, the members of joint forces led by Gaibandha Army camp incharge Major M. Jahangir Hossain are also supervising and monitoring the drive closely to make it fruitful.

Under this programme, rice is being bought at Tk 28.00 while paddy at Tk 18.00 Per Kg. The procurement drive will continue till August 31, 2008, sources said. Talking to the journalist DC Food M Raihanul Kaibr said we have got a positive response from the millers and the growers of the district. The procurement target would be fulfilled in the district this year, it is expected, he also said.

Call to ensure quality edn for producing worthy citizens

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a discussion here recently asked all concerned for ensuring quality education and said there is no alternative to quality education for producing worthy citizens in building a developed nation.

They said this while addressing a reception accorded to 35 brilliant students, who got primary scholarships this year at Taraganj upazila parishad auditorium. Authorities of the upazila parishad organised the reception with Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Taraganj upazila Mizanur Rahman in the chair while District Primary Education Officer M Abdul Khaleque attended the function as the chief guest.

Upazila Primary Education Officer Shahidul Islam, Secondary Education Officer Shakerina Begum, headmasters of different primary schools Haripada Roy, Abdul Jalil Manik and Abdus Salam were present as special guests. The speakers asked the teachers to fulfil their moral obligation and responsibility with utmost sincerity to make the educational institutions knowledge acquiring centres for producing brilliant citizens and urged the students for studying sincerely to serve the nation in future.

The chief guest and special guests distributed crests and certificates among 35 students who got primary scholarships from different schools in the upazila.

Implementation of Tobacco Control Act stressed

BSS, Gaibandha

A day-long meeting on the Implementation of Tobacco Control Act-2005 was held at the conference room of Sadullapur upazila parishad on Tuesday.

Upazila Task Force and Uddyog, a local NGO, jointly organised it in cooperation with Welcome for Better Bangladesh.

UNO of the upazila Farid Ahmed inaugurated the meeting as the chief guest.

With Dr Haris Uddin Ahmed, upazila health and family planning officer in the chair, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by M. Fazlul Haque Khan, M. Mostafizur Rahman Faruque, M. Mamun Hossain and Abdullah Al-Mamun.

Dr Haris Ahmed said smoking has become a major cause of health hazard. Inhaling one puff of cigarette smoke contains innumerable harmful particles and it impedes the normal flow of blood and oxygen, he added.

He said smoking may cause cancer, heart attack, blood pressure, chronic bronchitis and other diseases and makes similar harmful effects to a non-smoker who comes in touch of a smoker.

Considering the matters, the speakers at the meeting stressed the need for immediate implementation of Tobacco Control Act-2005 to build up a tobacco-free society.

A large number of upazila level officers, NGO workers, local elite, public representatives and journalists attended the meeting.

Military use PWTP to fight Ctg water crisis

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Military engineers under a crash program moved out with portable water treatment plant (PWTP) at a lake called Bhelowar Dighi in Pahartali to fight back the persisting water crisis in the port city.

The lake water is being distributed at the crisis-hit areas after purifying in a three-stage integrated treatment unit. Military sources said that the portable treatment plant would be moving to different surface water sources and treat water for all-purpose consumption.

"We've been supplying treated drinking water at the crisis-hit areas and we've a plan to move to 'Agrabad Dhebar Par' within a week," Captain Abdullah, in-charge of the initiative told the reporters.

He claimed that the water picked from Bheluar Dighi had been made safe for human consumption.

Commissioner of the Ward Shamshul Alam Shamsu told reporters that ongoing water-crisis would be addressed to a large extent by the military initiative. The purified water has been distributed at Panwalapara area in Agrabad on the first day of recent move.

Workshop for Imams held in Lalmonirhat

BSS, Hatibandha

A day-long workshop on 'Role of Imams in Alleviating Abject Poverty' was organised for the imams of Goddimari union on Wednesday.

Held at the hallroom of AHA Dakhil Madrasa under Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat the workshop was organized by Hatibandha unit of BRAC under its advocacy and human rights project.

With Moulana Abdus Sobhan in the chair, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Moulana Abdul Majid, Moulana Mohammad Ali, Moulana Abdul Karim, Javed Ali, local UP chairman and members and teachers.

The speakers underscored the need for more participation by the imams of the upazila in mobilising local resources and creating necessary awareness among all stakeholders for accelerating the poverty alleviation activities in the area.

One killed in Gaibandha road mishap

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

A van-driver was killed in a road accident on Rangpur-Bogra Highway at Fashitala area under Gobindagonj upazila in the district on Thursday.

The victim is identified as Abdul Mannan, 42, son of late Golam Nabi at Masta village under Kamardaha union of the upazila.

Police said, the accident took place when an unknown passenger bus hit a loaded van from the behind causing the van driver died on the spot. Later the police recovered the body and sent it the hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was filed with Gobindagonj thana in this connection.

Boro paddy, rice procurement drive begins in

Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

The Boro paddy and Boro rice procurement drive has been started from May 15 last in Gopalganj district in five upazilas of the Gopalganj district by the government at Gopalganj Food godown premises and per kg Boro paddy price has been fixed at Taka 18 and Boro rice Taka 28.

SM Ashfaque Hussain, Deputy Commissioner Gopalganj inaugurated the Boro paddy and Boro rice procurement drive buying 10 metric tonnes Boro rice from a rice miller Mohammad Fakrul Islam at Gopalganj Food Godown premises on May 15.

Mohammad Faizul Islam Chowdhury, Gopalganj District Food Controller Mohammad Mannan Hossain OCL SDO Gopalganj Food godown, Hafizur Rahman Khan Mukul, Chairman Majigali UP under Gopalganj Sadar Upazila and Hamidul Hoque, OMS dealer were present.

Vitamin A+ campaign observed in Rangpur

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

A total of 37502 children aged between 1 and 5 were administered with vitamin A capsule in all eight upazilas of the district recently under the National Vitamin A plus campaign 2008.

Besides 3,75,102 children aged between 2 and 5 were given anti-helminthes tablet each in the district. Sources said Deputy Commissioner Khandoker Atiar Rahman inaugurated the campaign on the premises of Pourashava Complex on Saturday by administering the children with vitamin A capsule as chief guest, on the other hand civil surgeen Dr. M. Abdur Rahim was also present on the occasion.

In order to make the campaign a success a total of health against and family welfare assistants 3,660 volunteers and 210 supervisions mere engaged in 122 centres through the district.

News Briefs

Statue recovered in Thakurgaon

Thakurgaon, May 25: A statue of god Shiva was recovered from a house at Begunbari Moulvipara village in Sadar upazila Wednesday. Acting on a secret information, police recovered the 13-kg statue from the house of day labourer Shahinur. Shahinur found the statue while digging pond in the land of Saifur Rahman along with other day labourers and took it to his house secretly. The statue was deposited to Sadar thana, , UNB report.

Dwellings damaged in storm

Bhola, May 25: A severe storm that swept over Charfashion upazila of the district Saturday left five people injured and over 500 dwellings damaged. Sources said the storm coupled with hail lashed Char Leulin, Char Monohor, Char Patila, Char Nizam and Char Faruk in the afternoon and damaged over 500 dwellings and uprooted over 1000 trees. They said many trees fell on the main roads of the upazila during the storm disrupting traffic, report UNB.

Fertiliser seized in Sirajganj

SIRAJGANJ, May 25: Police in a drive seized 96 sacks of urea fertilizer from Boruhash Bazar in Tarash upazila on Friday night. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the shop of Amir Hamza at 10:30 pm and arrested him. Later, they seized the fertilizer, which he stored illegally to sell at high prices. A case was filed against him, reports UNB.

4 killed in Manikganj road mishap

MANIKGANJ, May 25: Four people were killed and 30 others injured when a bus dashed a tree at Mulzan on Dhaka-Aricha highway Saturday noon. Locals said the Dhaka-bound passenger bus from Paturia hit the roadside tree as driver lost control over the steering at about noon killing its three passengers on the spot and injuring 31 others. Of the injured, one died on the way to Dhaka. The other injured passengers were admitted to Sadar hospital. Identity of the deceased could not be known immediately, reports UNB.

Extremist killed in shootout with RAB in Naogaon

NAOGAON, May 25: A regional leader of an outlawed party was killed in a shootout between his cohorts and Rapid Action Battalion members at Haripur village in Atrai upazila early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Uzzal, 32, regional commander of Purba Banglar Communist Party (ML-Lal Pataka) and son of Shukbar Chand of Hingalkandi village of the upazila. Sources said some extremists opened fire on the elite force when they were patrolling in Haripur village, forcing them to fire back, triggering a gun battle. At one stage, the outlaws went into hiding sensing danger, reports UNB.

Valuables looted in Narsingdi

NARSINGDI, May 25: Robbers looted valuables from the passengers of a bus at Hazibagan in Shibpur upazila Friday night after injuring five people critically. Sources said a gang of robbers boarded the Dhaka-bound bus in the guise of passengers from Hazibagan and took control over the steering instantly at gunpoint at about 9pm. Later, they looted cash and valuables worth over Tk 2 lakh from the passengers, reports UNB.

One beaten to death, 12 injured in Manikganj

MANIKGANJ, May 25: A man was beaten to death allegedly by his brother-in-law and 12 other people were injured at Joinpur village in Doulatpur upazila on Thursday morning. Police said a quarrel ensued between Khorshed Ali and his wife Asma Begum when she refused to do household works due to her illness. Hearing the angry argument, Asma's mother and sister Minoti while trying to settle the matter locked into an altercation with Khorshed. At one stage, furious Khorshed started beating Minoti with a stick. He also injured Minoti's cousin Akkas Ali and 11 others when they tried to resist him from beating Minoti, reports UNB.