The New Nation - Internet Edition

United efforts to prevent human trafficking underscored

BSS, Lalmonirhat

Participants at a daylong meeting held at Diabetic Samity Office premises here on Saturday underscored the need for joint efforts of all to resist human trafficking through the frontier areas.

They also stressed the need for a massive awareness building campaign, particularly among the vulnerable groups in the frontier areas, for proper enforcement of all relevant laws involving common people to stop this crime. Lalmonirhat district unit of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) organised the meeting with its district unit Secretary Moynul Islam in the chair. Assistant Professor of Rajshahi University Abdul Alim as the chief guest attended the meeting titled 'Prevention of Women and Children Trafficking and Roles and Responsibilities of Community Groups in Sustainable Rehabilitation of the Victims'. Senior Investigation Officer of BNWLA Advocate SBB Salah Uddin, General Secretary of district unit of Awami League Advocate Motiar Rahman, Advocate Moyezul Islam, journalist Shafikul Islam Kanu and Abdur Rahman Shujan, female counselor of Lalmonirhat municipality Suzata begum, addressed. Over 150 people including women living in the border areas, UP chairmen and members, teachers, professionals, adolescents, students, women community leaders, socio-cultural and NGO activists and elite took part in the meeting. The speakers blamed lack of proper awareness, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, dowry, child marriage, ignorance, drug- addiction and cross-border trade as the main reasons behind the heinous crimes of human trafficking.

They suggested different ways for resolving these reasons and recommended bringing the educational institutions of the frontier areas under the campaign to make the students aware about human trafficking with a view to stop the same once for all for.

Outlaw leader snatched from law enforcers in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Kabir Kha, a daring outlawed Sarbahara Zia group leader of Barisal region snatched with handcuffs from Rapid Action Battalion injuring an official on Friday afternoon.

RAB authority lodging a case started combing operation in the area to re-arrest Kabir and until this report arrested three including a woman.

It was the second instance of snatching arrestees by the associates from the hands of law enforcers within four days.

RAB and police sources said that on basis of tip plain clothed RAB team cordoned the Hawladar Bari jame mosque area under Brahmm-ankati village of Agorpur union under Babuganj upazila of Barisal district on Friday noon to arrest daring Sarbahara leader Kabir Kha, accused in more than half dozen criminal cases.

After the juma prayer, RAB caught Kabir when he came out from the mosque and after primary interrogation proceed to start journey with handcuffed arrestee by trawler from Ramjankati ghat on the bank of on Sandhaya River to Babuganj at evening.

When the RAB team tried to start the trawler, about 30 associates of Kabir attacking the RAB team at the ghat and injuring RAB Sub Inspector Jahangir Hossain snatched away Kabir. RAB Sub Inspector Molla Tawhidul Islam as complainant lodged a case against 17 accused with Babuganj police station in this connection on Saturday and arresting Yasin Kha,Kamal Hossain Sardar, Mina Begum Nipa in this connection handed over to police, said Abdul Majid, second officer of Babuganj police station.

It may be mentionable that arrested and handcuffed Tapan Haldar alias Christian Tapan, one of the top terror of the city was snatched away by his associates by inuring a police officer on June 02, 2008 night and he yet not re-arrested till this report

Food security can be ensured thru’ increasing production

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a farmers' gathering here have asked them to further increasing production of all varieties of crop to ensure food security in the country without depending on imports of food grains.

The production of rice, wheat, potato, maize, vegetables and high valued crops like fruits and spices can be increased significantly if the farmers were inspired and provided with necessary quality seeds, trainings, technology and inputs, they said. They said this at the gathering organised by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in village Oviram under Sadar upazila here recently with Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Alhaj Delbar Hossain in the chair.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam was present as the chief guest in the gathering that was attended by UNO of Sadar Upazila Mamtaz Uddin and Extension Officer Saiful Islam as the special guests. A total of 130 male and female farmers of the village and local UP chairmen and members took part in the gathering. The experts on the occasion elaborately narrated various latest technologies and techniques for the participating farmers with a view to assisting them in increasing productions of all variety crops. They said the government's efforts for achieving self-reliance in food production to ensure country's food security would be achieved sooner, if every inch of land all around us could be brought under crop farming.

Woman killed by lightning in Rangpur

Our Correspondent, Rangpur

A woman was killed and her son's wife injured by lighting at Atur Lakkipur Talipara village in Echiorhali union in Tarajanja upozila Sunday.

The dead was identified as Fulti Baue, 55. Villagers said thunderbolt struck Fulti Baua and her son's wife Shilpi (22) when they were returning home with paddy during rain. Fulti Baua died on the spot.

Four drug peddlers held in Rangmati

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Police conducting a special drive at Chandraghona area arrested four drug peddlers with 109 liters of local-made liquor in the early hours on Saturday police said. Being informed, police from Chandraghona Thana rushed to the Duluchhari area under Chandraghona union, around 55 kilometers off the district headquarter and arrested the drug peddlers including three women from a passenger shed at 4.40AM, police added.

The arrestees were identified as Abu Taher Dulal, 28, son of late Abul Bashar of Bannapara, Joni Akter, 40, wife of late Mohammed Eunus, Hasina Begum Putli, 38, wife of Mahabub Alam and Fatema Begum, 30, wife of Mohammed Alam of Chomohony, Hazipara under Chittagong town, police said. The alleged drug peddlers were produced before Court for following lawful action and the court sent them to jail, court police added.

A case under Narcotic Control Act was filed against them with Chandraghona Police station under Kaptai upazila in this connection.

House building materials, cash distributed in Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

A discussion meeting was held at Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner's Conference room on the occasion of distributing house building materials and interest-free loan among the Sidr-affected people.

Mosque Imams in Gopalganj district organised the discussion.

The discussion was presided over by the Moulana Anisuzz-aman, Deputy Director, Islamic Foundation Gopalganj district office and SM Ashfaque Hussain, Deputy Commi-ssioner Gopalganj was present as chief guest.

The discussion meeting was addressed among others, by Moulana Abdul Hamid, Principal Alia Madrasha and Moulana Abdul Hye Siddiqui, President National Samity Gopalganj district.

The Islamic Foundation Gopalganj district office has distributed Taka 2,50,000 among the Sidr-affected people.

Two commit suicide in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Two persons including a student and an adolescent allegedly committed suicide in Kurigram and Thakurgaon districts in two separate incidents on Friday, Police sources said.

A second year honours student of the Department of Zoology of Kurigram Government College Ratan, 20, committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his room in Rabbi hostel of Kumarpara in the district town.

Ratan allegedly committed suicide for his bad results in the first year Honours examination and he was the only son of Anil Chandra Roy of village Bolairpar in Barobari UP of Sadar upazila in Lalmonirhat district.

In another incident, adolescent Nur Banu, 13, daughter of Nurul Haque of village Velajan in Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon district allegedly committed suicide by taking poison following her illness for a long time.

News Briefs

Dead bodies recovered

DINAJPUR, June 10: The bodies of two indigenous people were found in a pond at Bhabanipur village in Nababganj upazila on Sunday morning. On information, police recovered the bodies of Sarkar Tudu, 61, and Som Hamza, 60, of Jhimli village from the pond at about 9am. Family sources said Sarkar Tudu and Som Hamza were missing since Thursday, reports UNB.

BNP leader held with arms

KHULNA, June 10: Elite force RAB arrested Rupsha upazila unit BNP vice president Julfikar Ali Julu along with a firearm and seven cocktails from his house at Aichghati village early Sunday. Being tipped off, a team of RAB-6 raided the house of Julfikar, also chairman of Aichghati Union Parishad at about 3am and arrested him. They recovered one pipe gun the cocktails from his possession. He was later handed over to local police in the morning. A case was filed against him under Arms Act, reports UNB.

River re-excavation work begins in Jessore

JESSORE, June 10: Several hundred villagers voluntarily started re-excavation work of Bhairab River here on Saturday. Educationist Prof. Afsar Ali inaugurated the excavation work at Daitala village part of the river organized by the committee of 'Bhairab Nod Sangsker Andolon'. Advocate Rabiul Alam, Zakir Hussain Hobi, Harun Ar Rashid, Jillur Rahman Bhitu and Mustafizur Rahman Kobir, among others, were present on the occasion, reports UNB.

Two killed in separate incidents in Jessore

JESSORE, June 10: Two people were killed in separate incidents in the district on Friday and Saturday. One of the deceased was identified as Shorojit Sen, son of Khagendra Nath Sen of Rajarhat village of Sadar upazila while another could not be identified. Police said when Shorojit, his wife and niece were returning home from a religious function on Friday night a gang of armed terrorists intercepted them near SK Filing Station and tied them up. As the terrorists tried to abuse his niece, Shorojit resisted them. At this they became angry and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him critically injured. He later died on the way to local hospital, reports UNB.