The New Nation - Internet Edition

Low over Bay persists

BSS, Dhaka

The low pressure area which developed yesterday in the north-west Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay continued to roost there and it may move onshore and make room for the Monsoon system to advance further ahead towards Bangladesh, Met sources said.

But, under its influence deep convection is taking place over the north Bay, which may affect the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla, which had been advised to keep hoisted the local cautionary signal number three, Met Office said.

All fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay have been warned by the met office to hug close to the coast and negotiate the rough sea cautiously until further notice.

The coastal areas are having strong winds. The river ports in the south have been asked to raise riverine signal number two, the Met sources said.

The sources said, the low pressure area has kept the south-west Monsoon system, the harbinger of the rainy season in Bangladesh from further movement towards the coast.

The Monsoon has moved to the east central Bay and adjoining north-east Bay on Monday. It was lying off the Yangon coast of Myanmar since last week.

But, a strong system of westerly and the low pressure area which developed early yesterday has kept it away from the Bangladesh coast.

The low is likely to move onshore and leave room for the Monsoon winds to explore the south eastern tip of Bangladesh, its usual entry route by this week. Its advance elements may reach the Teknaf coast by June 1, the sources said.

But, the Monsoon is likely to maintain its routine schedule to spread over the country by June 10, the sources added.

DESCO system loss decreases to 15 pc

BSS, Dhaka

The Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) system loss has come down to 15 per cent from 47 per cent due to various measures taken by the power.

The officials of Baridhara Sales and Distribution Division said this during an exchange of opinion with company customers on Sunday evening on Kuril Holy Ideal School premises at Badda.

The meeting was arranged as part of DESCO's campaign to raise customer services, ending their harassment and providing them with better services.

The meeting was addressed, among others, by Baridhara region deputy general manager (DGM) of DESCO, Alhaj Golam Mostafa, local commissioner Kazi Hajrat Ali.

It was chaired by a local social worker Mohammad Kamaluddin Mollah. Engineer Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman conducted the meeting.

On behalf of the DESCO customers Mohammad Nurul Islam, Mohammad Kafiluddin, Mohammad Zahir and Shamsul Huq Mollah spoke at the meeting with specific recommendations for ending different irregularities and mismanagement with the company.

Replying to their allegations, DGM Mostafa Kamal said there are 50 thousand customers of DESCO in its Baridhara sales and distribution region. He elaborated on different measures the company has taken to provide better services to this customers. These are timely meter reading, sending the bills on time and other steps for easy payment of bills.

The DESCO DGM said the final disconnection notices would be sent 10 days before the payment date of bills, no steps would be taken to harass the customers.

Urgent steps would be taken to provide new connections to customers. He urged the customers to pay their bills on time to help the development programme of DESCO.

Two killed by terrorists in Pabna

BSS, Pabna

Armed terrorists, in two separate incidents, killed two persons at Ataikula and Bangura of the district on Sunday night.

Officer-in-charge of Ataikula Thana Sirajul Islam told BSS that Bakul Kha, 30, son of Ibrahim Kha of Bulbaria village, was shot dead by unknown armed assailants on the premises of his residence at about 1:30AM.

A known youth aged about, 26, of Masterpara Laboratory Hostel was beaten to death on Sunday night.

Two separate cases were filed in Ataikula and Bangura thanas. Both the bodies were sent to Pabna General Hospital for postmortem.

Plan to eliminate pandemic influenza underscored

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at the inaugural of a 4- day international workshop here on Monday underscored the need for preparing an emergency response plan to stamp out the pandemic influenza both from birds and human beings.

The global spread of H5N1 virus poses a grave health security threat to Bangladesh since the fear of possible mutating the virus on its own or re-assort with a human influenza strain to acquire the capacity to infect human beings, they said.

They were speaking at the workshop on 'CDC/WHO RRT Pandemic Influenza' being held to prepare recommendations based on World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols on how to mitigate spread of H5N1 virus and epidemic in poultry birds and to minimise the risk of human pandemic influenza.

Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance of the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) and Armed Forces Division (AFD) and Armed Forces Medical Institute (AFMI) jointly organised the workshop at a city hotel.

AFMI principal Major General Muhammed Maswood inaugurated the workshop while director of medical services (Army) Brigadier General Md Zillur Rahman gave the opening remarks.

It was revealed in the workshop that in the last few month avian influenza has rapidly spread westwards from China to Central Asia, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Greece. Migratory birds are considered to be one of the major biological vectors by which the disease travels across and between continents.

About 244 species of migratory birds use to visit Bangladesh during the winter season, of which approximately 21 species may carry the H5N1 virus, it was said.

Speaking on the occasion Major General Muhammed Maswood underscored the need for taking coordinated efforts of the government, the NGOs and the development partners to help get rid of possible spread of the virus.

About 50 participants from India, Nepal, Thailand and host Bangladesh are participating in the workshop.

HC rejects Mojaheed bail plea

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The High Court rejected a bail plea yesterday of Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed in the Barapukuria coal mine graft case.

The HC bench of justices Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and Ataur Rahman Khan returned the anticiaptory bail petition by the Jamaat leader.

The Anticorruption Commission filed the case on Feb 26 with Shahbagh Police Station against 16 people.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia, former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former industry minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain were among the accused.

Barrister Abdur Razzak submitted the bail petition on behalf of the Jamaat leader.