The New Nation - Internet Edition

Introduction of city bus service in Barisal demanded

Tapan Chakraborty, Barisal

Different social, professional and cultural organisations of Barisal have demanded immediate introduction of city bus service in Barisal city. Area of Barisal city presently is about 33 square miles with a population of more than five lakh.

This figure of population however does not include thousands of floating people that come to the city every day and leave after dusk. In 1931, the area of Barisal town was six square miles with a population of about 25,000 only. About ten thosuand rickshaws are plying on streets of Barisal city but the fares are too high and such slow moving vehicles are not also good for long journey.

Patients and females are worst sufferers of the problem. Nasim Kanam, student of B.M. College and a resident of northern part of the city told that it takes at least fifty rupees to go to the college and come back by rickhaw which money her parents can hardly afford, but there is no alternative arrangement. Four hundred autorickshaws ply within and outside the city but they follow only a few routes and remain mostly on routes out of city.

Abdul Mamun Akond and Shahidul Islam, president and secretary of Barisal Bar Association, in a statement on behalf of the Bar Association demanded immediate introduction of the city bus service. All the development works of roads and communication will yield no result without city bus system, they further said, Nasimul Alam, President, Reporters Umty' also demonded immediate introduction of the bus service. Some roads are spacious enough for regular bus service while on other roads minibus can easily ply, he further said. Mintu Bose, Secretary Barisal Nagorik Samaj said that without city bus service, the middle class cannot live in the city.

Meanwhile, rickshaw fare has risen high and going even higher and people are really finding it difficult to arrange conveyance.

Incessant rain paralyses normal life in Ctg

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Incessant monsoon rain coupled with storm-carrying high tides in the Bay put one thirds of the port city dwellers water marooned on Tuesday.

Commencing yesterday afternoon the moderate to heavy downpour did not only disrupt normal life in the port city but also doubled the miseries of the common people.

Local weather office recorded 210.2 millimeters of rainfall in and around the port city over the last 24 hours ended at 6:00 p.m. today. Meteorologists predicted similar wet weather for another couple of days. Maritime port in Chittagong, Cox's Bazaar and Mongla are still under local cautionary signal number 3. The rainwater and downward rush from the hills and uplands inundated many parts of the city including the lowlands. Some of the city's major roads went under waist to chest level water dislocating vehicular traffic until 12:00 in the afternoon.

There were two incidents of wall collapse at Lalkhan Bazaar and Sirson Road. No casualty was reported out of the incidents.

Recently built storm swears in the city also found inefficient against the nonstop heavy downpour. Experts believed that surge from the bay had pushed the draining rainwater backward inundating relatively high lands. Though the clogged water receded a little during the ebb tide, residents of the relatively low-lying areas did not get rid of the confinement till the time of dispatching this report. Dozens of ground-floor schools, offices and commercial establishments at Agrabad commercial area, Khatunganj, Baddarhat, Muradpur Chawak Bazaar suffered inundation. Warehouses of essentials and food grains also went under water at places.

Families, markets and business houses in the city were seen working hard to recover from the sudden flooding. Household articles, shopping goods, office files, important documents and electronic devices mostly from the ground floor were seen removed.

According to a leader of the Motor Workshop Owner's Association here in the port city more than five thousand light motor vehicles suffered total inundation during the flooding.

5 get life imprisonment for killing Ctg Jubo League leader

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Five people have been convicted for first degree murder and subsequently sentenced to life term imprisonment by the District and Sessions court here in the port city on Tuesday.

The court ordered cash penalty of Taka 5000 each of the convicts or to serve three months imprisonment in addition.

Additional District and Session Judge in Chittagong Mohammad Sarifuddin pronounced the verdict in Juba League leader Mohammad Safi murder case nearly after nine years of the incident.

The convicts are Mohammad Helal, Korban Ali, Mohammad Gani, Mohammad Anwar and Mohammad Ellias. Two of the convicts - Helal and Anwar - are now in the custody while the others are absconding.

The convicts led by Korban Ali graved Mohammad Shafi, a Juba League Leader and a trader, after slaughtering at the night of April 24, 1999.

Locals caught Helal after two days of the incident. Body of slain Shaifi was exhumed later from the foot of a hill following his confessional statement.

Elder brother of the victim Mustafizur Rahman filed a murder case with Fatikchari police on April 26, 1999.

Police submitted the charge sheet on July 5, 2000 and charges were framed on March 31, 2003. The court testified 12 of the 16 witnesses apart from other evidences to come to the conclusion.

Weekly tea sale marks upward trend in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

The weekly tea sale held here today marked upward trend particularly towards the second half of the sale where prices appreciated substantially.

According to the market sources, blenders/packeteers operated strongly and there was more interest from Pakistan especially for the fannings. Dusts were a strong feature of the sale.

The details of the market reports are as follows:

CTC Leaf: 17,819 packages and 185 packages of old season again met with a strong demand which strengthened as the sale progressed.

Brokens: Good liquoring brokens were a very strong feature and generally advanced by Taka three to Taka five and these could be quoted between Taka 123 and Taka 129. Plainer varieties also met with a good demand and were generally firm to slightly dearer.

Fannings: All fannings were very strong market particularly the clean, good liquoring varieties which were Taka five to Taka seven dearer than last and these realised between Taka 123 and Taka 129. The plainer varieties were also dearer.

CTC Dust: 2,519 packages and five packages of old season on offer met with an excellent demand. Good liquoring RDs and Dusts were the strongest feature and appreciated substantially in value often by Taka 10 to Taka 12 per kilogram.

Medium were also strongly competed for at dearer levels. Plainer varieties along with the CDs were generally a firm market. Blenders lent strong support.

Loose tea buyers competed quite strongly with fairly good interest emanating from the buyers for Pakistan , the sources added.

RU MST dept beset with manifold problems

RU Correspondent

The students of Material Science and Technology (MST) are facing a lot of problems on the education environment because of only three departmental teachers.

There are a total eight teachers of the department but recently five of them have gone abroad for higher education and research.

University sources said, the department was launched in 2004 with 17 students which is continuing with the same number students in a year.

Because of new department, most of the teachers have no adequate degree with the subject. On the launching year there were only four teachers of the department.

Sources said that, in this year Professor G.M. Shafiur Rahman, Zahanara Nasrin, Saidul Islam, Asadul Haque and Anwarul Kabir Bhuiyan, Sahinur Islam Dulal have gone in abroad . Now there are teaching chairman of the department Professor Azhar Ali and Professor Abdul Matin. Because of no degree on the subject and busy on official purposes chairman can't take any class. Students said Professor Abdul Matin is the only one teacher who can't take classes regularly all the year. So the education process of the students' is hampering greatly day by day.

Students of the department also said that they govt admitted into the department seeing new and desirable .But they are hopeless seeing teachers are going in abroad.

While communicated Professor Azhar Ali, Chairman of the department he ad milled the incident. He also said that, department will recruit part time teachers who have degree on the subject.

Training Centre for police officers completed in Comilla

BSS, Comilla

Construction of an "In-service Training Centre" for police officers was completed at a cost of Taka 32 lakh at Zila Police Line here recently. Sources said, Local Government and Engineering Department has implemented the project.

Shahidul Haque, DIG of Chittagong Range, inaugurated the centre at a 3-day workshop for sub inspectors and assistant sub inspectors level of police department of the district on Sunday. Presided over by Police Super Imtiaz Ahmed, the function was attended by transport owners and leaders of different labour organisations.

Mobile court fines Taka 69,500 in Bandarban

BSS, Bandarban

A mobile court realised about Taka 69,500 as fines from 10 hotels, sweetmeat shops and fruit merchants in the town during an anti-adulteration campaign on Tuesday.

Led by an executive Magistrate Abu Saleh, the mobile Court, comprising the members of police and BSTI officials, conducted the drives in different hotels and shops.

The court fined the businessmen for selling adulterated and rotten foodstuffs in unhygienic environment and date-expired goods and other reasons, District Administration sources said. The Police sources said the court realised Taka 69,500 from 10 hotels, sweetmeat shops and fruit merchants in the town.

Concerted efforts a must to make aboriginal people competent

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a project sharing meeting here on Tuesday stressed the need for undertaking effective steps to make the Aboriginal people competent in all aspects especially literacy and social empowerment so that they could take themselves forward.

In this context, they underlined the need for a concerted effort to bring the Aborigines in the mainstream of society for their substantial welfare. Importance should also be given to protecting the ethnic community people from all sorts of repression and oppression by the surrounding opportunists for their peaceful survival.

Depicting grim pictures of their vulnerable lifestyle and other social context, they also laid stress on undertaking special programme to protect them against massive violation of human rights along with safeguarding against discrimination. Association for Community Development (ACD), a Rajshahi-based NGO, arranged the meeting styled "Promotion of Women's' Access to Community Management Productive Assets and Democratic Process" at its conference hall.

Prominent Social Researcher Dr. Hamida Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Dr. Jahangir Alam, CIDA Representative Nilufer Sultana Shweta, research officer of Aboriginal Cultural Academy Benjamin Tudu and Convener of Bangladesh Adibashi Union Rebeka Soren spoke on the occasion as resource persons.

ACD Executive Director Salima Sarwar presented the keynote paper on the topic with president of the organisation and Professor Dr. Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University in the chair. Stressing the need for protecting the rights of the tribal community people, they also said importance should be given to protecting the underprivileged people from all sorts of deceptions by the surrounding privileged and muscle powers. They said the media have a big role to uphold the self- determination of the indigenous people to protect their cultural diversity.

Taking part in the open discussion, some leaders of different indigenous communities coming from different areas narrated their vulnerable social status and said the minority people should be given opportunities of enjoying fundamental rights for development of their socio-economic condition.

Abducted schoolgirl rescued in Jamalpur

BSS, Jamalpur

A school girl was rescued by police after seven days of her abduction, in Dewanganj upazila yesterday.

Police also arrested the abductor Abdur Rashid and his wife Sultana Begum.

According to Dewanganj Thana police, the couple kidnapped Sima Akhter, 13 a student of class three of Charkalikapur Anonda School on June 10 from Balugram area. She was going to her uncle's house at that time.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided Dewanganj railway area and rescued the girl and send her to Jamalpur General Hospital for medical examination.

A case was registered with Dewanganj thana police by the victim's father Mohammad Ali under Women and Child Repression Act.

Agriculture fair begins in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

A three-day agriculture fair began on the premises of Sadullapur upazila parishad of the district on Tuesday aimed at expanding the latest agri-technology among the farmers for agro-farming.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of the upazila arranged the fair under Greater Rangpur Agriculture and Rural Development Project.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Farid Ahmed formally inaugurated the fair as the chief guest and Principal of Sadullapur Women's College M. Zakaria Khandaker was present as the special guest.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Satya Brata Paul presided over the inaugural function.

ASA to distribute Tk 23.50 crore as micro credit in Narail

BSS, Narail

ASA, a non-government organisation, will distribute Taka 23.50 crore micro credit among its 25,000 members in the district in next six months.

This was disclosed at a views exchange meeting on 'Development and Micro Credit' held at ASA' s local office here on Monday. The meeting, organised by ASA, was addressed by Deputy Commissioner of the district Mohammad Abdul Quyyun Sarder as chief guest.

The meeting was presided over by District Manager of ASA Sheikh Selim Ullah and addressed by police super Rashidul Hasan, general secretary of Narail Press Club Enamul Kabir Tutu and journalist Saiful Islam Tuhin.

The meeting was also informed that about Taka 54 lakh Taka was distributed by ASA among 313 students of the district as an education loan this year.

Young Tableague man drowned in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

Mujibur Rahman alias Jony, 17, who came here from Pallabi area of the capital few days back with a Tableague Jammat team, drowned in a pond at Chandanpura in the city at about 12.30 p.m. today.

Son of Rahmat Ali , Jony has been staying at Choto Masjid in Chandanpura area along with his team since Friday for preaching religious lessons.

Jony went to a local pond to have his bath but drowned as he did not know how to swim.

Locals and his team members recovered his body after an hour long search and rushed him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where doctors confirmed his death, CMCH sources said.