The New Nation - Internet Edition

Homestead gardening becoming popular in Barind area

BSS, Rajshahi

Gardening around homesteads in both summer and winter seasons in the Barind region is becoming increasingly popular with production of different fruits and vegetables.

Marginal farmers and the poor people in the vast region are mostly engaged in this venture by making the best use of spaces around their homes over the last few years.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) have been providing all-out cooperation with necessary training and required inputs to the farmers to grow fruits and vegetables for their own consumption and extra earning by selling those. DAE and BARI officials said that use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been seen as potential means for gradual development in the life of downtrodden in the region.

They said the On-Farm Research Division (OFRD) of BARI has been implementing various types of need-based programmes with a view to bringing the farmers under the programmes, through which they can produce traditional fruits and vegetables round the year. OFRD senior scientific officer Shafiqul Islam told BSS that the interested farmers, particularly the poor and marginal ones, are being given preference to use BARI's Tested Pattern Technology in their gardening projects around homesteads. As part of the programs, OFRD has established crop museums at different areas in the region where high yielding varieties of 21 Rabi crops innovated by BARI remain putting on display during both the seasons.

Shafiqul Islam said that the museums have created a positive impact in the area, encouraging a large number of farmers to grow such fruits and vegetables as well as other crops by using the modern method. Besides arranging regular group discussions and field visits for the beneficiaries, BARI is providing required inputs and quality seeds to the growers, producing mainly papaya, banana, kulboroi, kamranga, dalim, bean, bottle gourd, tomato, radish, red amaranth, spinach, batishak, cabbage, garden pea, bush bean, brinjal, chili, onion and garlic.

Apart from this, the farmers are also planting different fruit- bearing trees like mango, litchi, guava, berry, seedless lemon, pummelo, pear, coconut and betel nut.

According to the farmers and BARI officials, the method of growing these fruits and vegetables has increased resource utilisation side by side with enhancing use of modern varieties of vegetable crops and quality seeds in the farming ground. As a result, they said, women of farmers' families are increasingly getting involved in the respective productive ventures, proving their capabilities as good as the male counterparts. Use of cow dung and other organic fertilisers in producing these fruits and vegetables is the most praiseworthy aspect of the gardening around homesteads in the Barind area.

"This is how the fertility of soil is being maintained and protected for ensuring production of fruits and vegetables in the region," said the OFRD official.

Call to hold parliament elections before local govt polls

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Amir Hossain Amu, central member of Awami League demands immediate parliament election before local government elections refusing the proposal for political alliance with Bangladesh Nationalist Party blaming former BNP led alliance government for creating one-eleven by killing thirty thousand leaders and activists of AL, creating chaos and engulfing the country with corruption.

Amu while speaking as chief guest in the day long extended meeting of the Barisal district and upazila branches of AL at a restaurant in the city on Thursday also faced the demands from the activist for cancelling the date expired old committees forming regular committees according to the constitution making the organisation more active.

Amu without any hesitation clearly declared that any alliance or combined movement with BNP or four party alliance could never be acceptable and possible with those who attempted to kill Sheikh Hasina, murdered leaders and activists of the party, creating reign of terror and corruption disabled the national economy and paralyzed the normal lives of the people.

Amu calling the party leaders and activist to became active by giving up frustrations of political defeats and create active opinion in favor of mass movement for restoration of democracy.

Amu declared that nobody would be leader or member of BCL, the student wins of the party after expiry of his student life and called the government to withdraw emergency power rule and free the party chairperson, leaders and activist immediate to create environment for a level playing field of free fair election.

Demanding trial of the war criminals Amu said the fundamentalist religious militants are not only enemies of ideology, but also against the freedom and sovereignty of the country.

The programme was presided over by Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, district president in charge, conducted by Manirul Hassan Khan, district secretary in charge and among others K M addressed by Jahangir, Habibur Rahman Khan,Majibor Rahman Howladar,Gazi Mintu, Advocate Mushfikur Rahman, central leaders and representatives of district and upazila committees.

Certificate award ceremony of BAF Fighter Conversion Course held

The certificate award ceremony of No.14 Fighter Conversion Course (FCC) of Bangladesh Air Force was held here at BAF Base Zahrul Haque on Thursday.

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal S.M. Ziaur Rahman awarded certificates among 17 trainee Pilots as chief guest, said an ISPR press release. Addressing on the occasion the Air Chief said, "You would be greatly benefited to find the fruits of this standardised training when you will fly in the operational fighter squadron." It would help the pilots to further enhance their concept of fighter operation and overall their ability to handle a demanding situation in the air, he added. Among others, high BAF officials and invited guests were present on the occasion. Later, Chief of Air Staff flew L-39 Aircraft of 25 squadron.

Earlier, on his arrival at the Base the Chief of Air Staff was received by local Base Commander Group Captain Abul Bashar.

Shrimp cultivators incur loss in Satkhira

UNB, Satkhira

Shrimp cultivators of the district incurred huge loss this year for low price of shrimp and virus attack in their enclosures.

In 2007, about 31,000 mts shrimp were produced in the district and Tk 1,400 crore was earned by exporting 23,000 mts, sources said.

The big portion of the export earnings came from 'Bagda' and 'Golda' shrimps export, district Fisheries Department sources said adding that the shrimp growers are not getting the fair price of their produced shrimp this year.

Cultivators said per kg shrimp of grade 20 to 24 is now selling at Tk 500 against Tk 700 of the pervious year while grade 30 to 40 at Tk 325 against Tk 500 of the pervious year. Besides, widespread virus attack in the shrimp enclosures caused huge loss to the shrimp cultivators.

District Shrimp Cultivators Association president Dr Aftabuzzaman said Shrimp cultivators are losing interest in cultivation as they are facing multifarious problems, including low price and virus attack, posing a threat to the second largest export earning sector of the country.

The association leaders held a press conference here Tuesday where they raised the problems of shrimp cultivators.

They also said that the shrimp cultivators are not getting the fair price in exporting shrimp due to the presence middlemen.

They sought government help so that the cultivators could export shrimp directly without the interference of the middlemen.

3 get 17-yr RI for keeping illegal arms in Ctg

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

A sessions court here in the port city on Tuesday convicted three people for possessing unauthorized firearms and ordered them to serve 17 years rigorous imprisonment.

The convicts are Abu Tayub, Selim Driver and Mohammad Sohel. All the convicts are under police custody. Judge of Chittagong District and Sessions Court Mojnul Ahsan delivered the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom.

Public Prosecutor (PP) Enamul Haque told reporters that the charge of possessing firearms and chopper and their use in a robbery had been proved beyond doubt. The court testified eight eyewitnesses and evidences to deliver the verdict. Police and some local people caught the convicts red-handed from Chowdhury Hat area at Hathazari on October 18 last year. Police recovered a Light Gun (LG) and a chopper along with two rounds of live ammunition from their possession. Hathazari police on the same day filed a case with the respective police station. It later submitted charge sheet in the case on November 1 last year and the court framed charge on December 3 of the same year.

RDRS continues cattle vaccination in northern districts

BSS, Rangpur

Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) completed vaccination of over 12,000 heads of cattle, goats and poultry birds during the last one fortnight in the remote areas of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts.

The reputed NGO, working since after the Independence for socio- economic uplifts of the poor, has been conducting the vaccination programme in the remote areas of all eight districts of greater Rangpur as a part of its annual programme, RDRS officials said.

The local Federation leaders of the NGO with the help of the RDRS and concerned Upazila Livestocks Departments have been conducting a cattle, goat and poultry bird vaccination programme in the areas.

The NGO has so far vaccinated over 12,000 cows, goats and huge number of poultry birds with the assistance of the Upazila Livestocks Officers to save lives of the cattle heads and chicks from various diseases including 'Torka', 'Badla' and 'Khurarog' and chick diseases.

Talking to BSS, the beneficiary distressed women of Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari, Tentulia, Atoari, Boda, Ulipur, Chilmari, Nageswari and Fulbari upazilas in Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh and Kurigram districts said that the vaccination has been saving thousands of their cattle heads and chicks.

Hatibandha Upazila Lives-tock Officer Dr Shachindra Nath, RDRS experts (Livestocks) Sharifa Pasha and RDRS Federation leader Afsar Uddin in Lalmonirhat, while vaccinating the cows and goats recently, asked the people to avail the facilities in saving lives of their cattle heads.

Veterinary Surgeon of Tentulia Upazila Livestock Office M Shahidullah, Upazila Agriculture Officer Kamal Kumar Sarker and RDRS expert Naznin Sultana in Panchagarh district also narrated the positive impacts of the vaccination being conducted by RDRS in the region. The programme will continue during the upcoming months also in all eight districts of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur, RDRS officials at the field levels in the region told BSS.

One kidnapped minor school girl rescued in Benapole

Our Correspondent, Jessore

Benapole Port thana police rescued one kidnapped student from Kolaroa bordering point on June 18 but police could not arrest the child trafficker till writing of this report.

According to police, Mukta (6) daughter of Sahadat Hossain of village Chots Achra under Benapole Port thana in the district and a student of Benapole primary school. Police said that after end of his class Mukta went out of his school and walking in front of her school, suddenly a gang of child trafficker kidnapped her by giving assurance to give her good food, water the trafficker group brought her to a bordering area of Kolaroa. When they tried to cross the border suddenly Mukta cried out loudly and suddenly local people came forward and rescued her from there and later they handed over her to nearly police camp. Police informed it to Benapole Port thana police. Police rushed to the spot and brought her to Benapole Port thana and filed a case with the thana in this connection.

News Briefs

Student feared

drowned in Cox’s

Bazar sea-beach

COX'S BAZAR, June 22: A student was feared drowned while taking bath at the sea-beach here on Friday morning. The victim was identified as Redwan, 17, son of late Azahar Hossain of Khilgaon Chowdhurypara in the capital and an 'A' level student. Sources said Redwan was washed away at about 6am while he along with two friends was taking bath at the beach. However, two other friends of Redwan managed to swim ashore, reports UNB.

Opinion sharing meet on AIDS held

THAKURGAON, June 22: A view exchange meeting to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among the drug addicts was held at the conference room of district civil surgeon on Thursday. Organised by CARE Bangladesh, the meeting was addressed, among others, by acting civil surgeon and senior consultant Alhaj Dr MA Mannan, Deputy Commissioner Miah Abdullah Mamun, District Family Planning deputy director Dr Mizanur Rahman, consultant (surgery) Ruhul Quddus and Thakurgaon thana OC Mahbubul Islam. Munir Ahmed of CARE Bangladesh presented a report on how to check the deadly disease, reports UNB.

3 dacoits held

in Comilla

COMILLA, June 22: Police arrested three inter-district robbers from Chandina upazila headquarters on Wednesday night. Tipped off, police arrested Golam Mostafa, Manik and Arab Ali when they were preparing for committing robbery in the area. All the arrested robbers were wanted in 18 cases including of murder and robbery. A case was filed, reports UNB.