The New Nation - Internet Edition

Drug addicts rising alarmingly at RU

M Sohel Rana from RU

Phensidyl, a highly addictive drug, is gaining massive popularity among the drug addicts on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus where the number of drug users is increasing at a horrifying scale.

Phensidyl is as available as water on the campus and its adjacent areas. A bottle of phensidyl costs Tk 240 to 280. Demand for phensidyl is growing not only among the male students but also female students and a section of junior teacher also. The other drugs now on alluring demand include yaaba, wine, morphine, sedative tablet, opium, cocaine, cannabis herbs and pathedrine injection.

A source said most of the students have been familiarized with drugs by their classmates, fellow students or friends, who initially offered them drug on complementary basis. Thus, most of the addicts became addicted. A large number of drug addicts are suffering from various chronic diseases, the sources added.

Campus sources said a strong network is active in the drug business in and around the campus. Some spots surrounding the campus area are considered as dens for selling the drugs, especially ganja, phensidyl. The spots are Fine Arts Institute area, kazla, Binodpur, Meherchandhi, university railway station, Buthpara, Majar near university and Vadra residential bazar adjacent to RUET, Rajshahi.

Most of the addicted students collect drugs from any of these spots and use it at different places on the campus. Floating drug retailers and a section of canteen boys are involved in supplying the drugs to the students and young outsider on the campus, the sources added.

Moreover, phensidyl consumption is also going on unabated in the residential halls, classrooms and even in the Central Library of the varsity. Every day, a large number of empty bottles of phensidyl are removed from the toilers of halls, classrooms and Central Library. Before one week, a large number of bottles have recovered from a ladies hall roof by the hall employees. It is alleged that the drug addicts are getting involved in various anti-social activities inside and sometimes outside the campus.

Recently conducted a raid at slum of Fine Arts Institute and adjacent railway shops, RAB arrested two-person Rafikul Islam and an identified with huge bottles of Phensidyl and Ganga . Source said Joshna Khatun of that slum house is the don of drug business. She deals in by support of local power and leaders of different various parties.

Dr. Nazib Wadud, the Physician of the Rajshahi University Medical Centre (RUMC) said, "Rajshahi University will face a catastrophe in the not-too-distant future if the alarming drug abuse is not effectively checked through extensive motivation."

SSC results: Top ten schools in Barisal Board

Our Correspondent, Barisal

The ten schools scored highest ten positions in merit list according to obtaining highest numbers of GPA-5 in SSC exam of this year under Barisal Board were: Barisal Govt. Zilla school with 145 GPA-5 out of 284 appeared examinees with total 99.30% pass rate, Barisal Govt.Girls High School with 119 GPA-5 out of 346 appeared examinees with 97.98% pass rate, Barisal Cadet College with 48 out of 49 examinees with 100% pass rate, Patuakhali Govt. Jubilee School with 39 out of 129 appeared examinees with 96.12% pass rate, Barisal Udayan School with 39 out of 179 appeared examinees with 96.09% pass rate, Patuakhali Government Girl High School with 33 out of 157 appeared examinees with 92.99% pass rate, Bhola Govt. Girls High School with 33 out of 108 appeared examinees with 99.07% pass rate, Pirojpur Government Secondary School with 27 out of 84 appeared examinees with 98.81% pass rate, Bhola Govt. secondary School with 22 out of 75 appeared examinees with 100% pass rate, Amtali AK High School of Barguna with 20 out of 95 appeared examinees with 94.74% pass rate, Mathbaria KM Latif Institution of Pirojpur with 19 out of 169 appeared examinees with 85.21 pass rate, Jhalakati Harchardra Govt. Girls School with 19 out of 90 appeared examinees with 98.89% pass rate, Mirzaganj Subidkhali R E Pilot School with 18 out of 111 appeared examinees with 90.99% pass rate.

'Dissemination of agro-technologies can increase productions’

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a farmers' gathering on Integrated Pests Managements (IPM) Field School day here on Wednesday said that proper disseminations of knowledge about the latest agro-technologies to the farmers would increase agriculture production.

At the same time, the production costs of all variety crops will be reduced, the soil fertility will be improved through proper usage of the IPM methods of pests management by the educated farmers at the field levels, they said.

Department of Agriculture extension (DAE) organized the gathering on "Pests Management on Brinjal through IPM" at village Mahiganj under Sadar upazila here for the farmers with a view to educate them about the positive impacts of the IPM methods.

A total of 300 male and female farmers of the area took part in the gathering to get practical knowledge on the IPM methods of pests' managements from the experts of the DAE. Chaired by Deputy Director of DAE, Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam, the gathering was attended and addressed by Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur Agriculture Zone M Abdur Rouf as the chief guest.

Deputy director of the DAE from Additional Director's Office Nur Mohammad, senior Horticulturists of the DAE Harun Ur Rashid, Plant Protection Specialist of the DAE Rabban Ali, Sadar Upazila Agriculture officer Alhaj Delbar Hossain, agriculture officers, were present.

The DAE experts narrated the latest technologies and IPM methods of pests' managements in the vegetables fields to educate the farmers on the issues with a view to disseminating the technology at the grass roots level.

Animators training camp held in Panchagarh

Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

The 875 Animators 4 day long training camp was held at Nazrul Pathagar Panchagarh which was organised by SUJON, Panchagarh and directed by the Hunger Project Bangladesh. ex-Upazila Chairman Md. Asraful Islam was present as the chief guest of opening ceremony. While former Teacher, Hasim Akhter Md. Karim dad, Md. Moklesur Rahman Mintu, Faruk Ahmed Miazee, Md. Abdus Sattar and A.K.M. Fazle Nur Bachchu were present a guests of honour.

A total of 110 trainee were participated this programme Rajes De, Pervin Akhter, Piarul Islam, Md. Tuhin Alam, Naheed Akhtar Ratna and Md. Faruk Ahmed Miazee the trainers of the Hunger project Bangladesh was trained up this programme.

At the ending ceremony Upozila executive officer Md. Tahmidul Islam was present as the chief guest and distributed certificate. Whiledistrict child affair officer Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Coordinator of Santa Mariam University Md. Faruk Ahmed Miazee, and SUJON's secretary advocate Arsad Alam were present.

News Briefs

Indigenous youth shot dead in Bandarban

Bandarban, June 27: An indigenous youth was shot dead at Kanaiupara in Sadar upazila here Thursday midnight. The deceased was identified as Priya Tongchanga. Local people said a gang of some 16/17 terrorists led by terrorist Rajan Chakma encircled the house of Tongchanga and shot him dead at about 12:30am while he was asleep. Previous enmity might be the reason behind the killing, they said. Another source said Tongchanga used to inform law-enforcers about the criminal activities of the terrorists in the area and that might be the reason behind the killing. Police and army officials visited the spot, report UNB.

3 housewives killed in Jamalpur

Jamalpur, June 27: Two housewives were killed in separate incidents allegedly by their husbands in Dewanganj upazila here on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Alpana Khatun, 22, of Paschhim Amkhawa village, and Selina Begum, 20, of Pullakandi Madaner Char village. Police quoting local people said Alpana was strangulated to death by her husband Abdus Salam over a family feud early Thursday. Later, he hanged the body from a tree to prove that she had committed suicide. In another incident, housewife Selina was choked to death allegedly by her husband Abdul Majid at Pullakandi Madaner Char village on the same day, report UNB.

Liquor seized in Sylhet

Sylhet, June 27 : Some 300 bottles of liquor were seized by police from a boat in Lamanidighir haor under Goainghat upazila Wednesday afternoon. Acting on a tip-off, a police team of Goyainghat thana raided the water body and found the Indian liquor in an abandoned boat. A case was filed in this connection. In another drive, police recovered 135 bottles of Indian phensidyl syrup from near Barozan Bridge on Sylhet-Jakiganj road on the same day, report UNB.

Suspected smuggler killed in Dinajpur

Dinajpur, June 27 : A suspected statue smuggler was stabbed to death by his associates near Zia bridge in Khansama upazila here Thursday. The dead was identified as Hamidur Rahman, 22, hailed from Nokhapara village of the upazila. Sources said some miscreants stabbed Hamidur to death following a brawl in broad daylight. Local people chased the killers and caught one of them identified as Majnu. He was handed over to police. Police said the gang was engaged in statue smuggling and Hamidur might have been killed following brawl over sharing the money they got from statue selling, report UNB.

School teacher killed in Dinajpur road mishap

Dinajpur, June 27: A school teacher was killed as a three-wheeler tempo hit her rickshaw near a cinema hall in Birganj upazila Thursday. The deceased was identified as Jesmin Ara, a teacher of Talithakur High School of the upazila. Sources said the speeding tempo hit the rickshaw of Jesmin when she was going to her school in the morning, leaving her seriously injured. She succumbed on way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. A case was filed, report UNB.

One gets 9-yr imprisonment for hoarding fertiliser

Barisal, June 27: A court here on Tuesday convicted a man and awarded him nine years imprisonment for hoarding fertilizer illegally. The court also fined Niranjan Sarkar, a fertilizer dealer of Batajore Bazar of Gournadi upazila, Tk 1000, in default, to suffer two months more RI. According to the prosecution, a police team raided a pulse crushing mill of Batajore Bazar used as a godown of Niranjan Sarkar on January 20, 2007. Police recovered 350 sacks of fertilizer from the godown and arrested him after he failed to show necessary documents in favour of hoarding the fertilizer. A case was filed, report UNB.