The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tk 3.39 lakh stipend distributed among disabled students in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

Department of Social Welfare has distributed stipend among disabled students of different institutions in the district during the last fiscal year. The aim of distribution of stipend was to help disabled students continue their studies for achieving self-reliance.

Under the progamme a total of Taka 3.39 lakh were distributed among 168 students from Primary to University level. Of the amount Taka 2,37,600 were distributed among the primary students, Taka 91,800 among secondary students while Taka 3,600 was given to a college student and Taka 6,000 was given to a university student.

Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Welfare M. Afzal Hossain said the welfare programme for the disabled students was taken by the present government to ensure welfare to the disabled.

The disabled students will get stipend at a rate of Taka 300 per month at primary level, Taka 450 at secondary level, Taka 600 at higher secondary level and Taka 1,000 at university level.

Manpower crisis hampering family planning services in Barisal

UNB, Barisal

Some 193 out of 900 posts in family planning and welfare department in the district have been lying vacant since long, hampering population control and health care and other services.

The department sources said four out of 10 posts of upazila family planning officers, 10 out of 19 medical officers, 5 out of 10 assistant family planning officers, 24 out of 30 family planning assistants, 31 out of 87 inspectors, 11 out of 35 pharmacists, 35 out of 487 field assistants, 13 out of 47 security guards, 6 out of 19 Class IV employees and 13 out of 86 posts of clinic assistants remained vacant.

The posts of two assistant surgeons, five assistant nurses, four midwives, five nursing attendants, four drivers, 13 sweepers, four security guards, four ward boys and ward servants in the clinical and maternity service units of the district family planning office also are lying vacant for long, the sources added.

'Radio can help minimise disaster losses in char areas’

BSS, Rangpur

The on time transmission of warnings during and before natural calamities including floods from radio stations can minimise disaster losses in remote chars of the region.

The observation came at a programme organised to distribute radio sets among the poor people of disaster-prone char areas of the greater district at the Rangpur Collectorate on Wednesday.

Rangpur Kendra of Bangladesh Betar, and two NGOs-POPI and SEED-distributed radio sets free of costs among 190 poorer families of different char areas of Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts under the assistance of Oxfam GB. Regional Director of Bangladesh Betar, Rangpur Kendra, Khurshid Alam Chowdhury chaired the function, while Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Alhaj Khondker Atiar Rahman attended as the chief guest.

Executive Director of SEED, Sarothi Rani Saha, project coordinator of POPI Rostam Ali, and Suman Das of Oxfam GB, among others, also spoke.

They said radio is the only medium for entertainment of the people living in the char areas in river basins, where access to television is a far cry due to non-availability of electricity. Radio, still a popular medium, can make people aware in advance about any natural calamities.

They urged for transmission of additional programmes on disaster management to enabling char dwellers in getting access to forecasts about floods, erosion and nor'westers.

Sewing machines distributed in Hatibandha

BSS, Hatibandha

ESDO, an NGO, distributed sewing machines among the distressed women of Goddimari Union under Hat-ibandha Upazila in Lalmonirhat district on Wednesday.

The NGO distributed the sewing machines free of costs under the assistances of the ongoing Souhardo Programme of CARE-Bangladesh to make the distressed women self-reliant through income-generating activities.

Earlier, the NGO provided two-month trainings on sewing to the beneficiary women and on completion of the training course, the sewing machines were distributed among seven trained women.

A simple ceremony was organised on the occasion at the hall room of Goddimari UP with local UP chairman Bahar Uddin in the chair.

ESDO executives Saidur Rahman and Jotsna Begum, local UP members, elite and local civil society members were present on the occasion.

German delegation keen to invest in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

The leaders of visiting German business delegation at a discussion with the leaders of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) here on Wednesday expressed their eagerness to invest in Chittagong.

"We are considering to invest here to establish industry in automotive and electrical sector lonely by German company in Chittagong" said Eric Reiter, Executive Director of German industrial institution Draksaul Meyar.

He said that they want to do outsource as spare parts producing company of world brand BMW and Mercedes Benz. We also want to promote business between Bangladesh and Germany, said Eric Reiter while responding local business leaders request in this regard.

The 4-member trade delegation comprising Draksaul Meyar high officials Mr Willhem Hehn, Felix Mattes and Grzegorz Ciupka held talks with the leaders of the CCCI.

Members of the CCCI and visiting trade delegation held discussion on how to promote business and investment between the two countries specially for increasing export to German market from Bangladesh.

President of the CCCI Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, CCCI Directors Mahbub Ali were among others CCCI leaders attended the function.

President of CCCI Saifuzzaman, conveyed the overall business facilities and environment for foreign investment in the country and urged the German entrepreneurs to invest in this country.

9 held, Phensidyl, heroin recovered in Jessore

BSS, Jessore

Members of police, RAB and BDR arrested nine persons and seized 740 bottles of Phensidyl and 190 gram heroin from different places of the district during an anti- narcotics drive on Wednesday.

Jhikorgachha Thana police seized 72 bottles of Phensidyl from Thanar Par Bazar in abandoned condition.

Benapole Port Thana police seized 70 bottles of Phensidyl and arrested four persons in this connection from local bus stand.

Members of BDR at Benapole seized 303 bottles of Phensidyl from Kharibhanga area in the early hours of Wednesday in an abandoned condition.

Kotwali police seized 50 gram of heroin and arrested a person from Chanchra Raipara area of Jessore town. In a separate drive police seized 50 bottles of Phensidyl from Khajura bus stand in abandoned condition.

Besides, Kotwali police seized 80 gram seroin and arrested two persons from Chanchra Raipara and also seized 60 gram heroin and arrested drug peddler identified as Pagli, 30, from Shankarpur Bablatala area of the town.

Members of RAB seized 158 bottles of Phensidyl from the roof of one Azizul's house at Karbala in the town and arrested Azizul.

Besides, the RAB members seized 87 bottles of Phensidyl from a compartment of a train at Jessore railway station on Wednesday.

Workers go wild after colleague’s death in AEPZ

BSS, Narayanganj

Over 500 workers of Adamjee Export Processing Zone (AEPZ) went on rampage and staged demonstration on Narayanganj-Demra road, halting movement of traffic for two hours last night.

The angry workers took to the street at around 9 as part of their protests against the death of a co-worker killed in a road accident near Siddhirganj Silo here last night.

Police and eyewitness said the victim, identified as Rafiqul Islam (30), son of Sikdar Ali village Kalkini district Madaripur, was a worker of Highland Sweater Factory located in AEPZ.

Rafiq was crushed under the wheels of a factory staff bus while he was trying to get off from the bus on his way home at around 10 at night.

The workers of the factory got agitated as soon as they were informed about the death of their colleague. They came out of the factory and staged demonstration.

RAB and the joint force brought the situation under control by dispersing the crowd from the road. The management closed down the factory for two days.

Police sent the body for autopsy at Narayanganj General Hospital in early Thursday.

Victim's elder brother Kanchan Mia has filed a case at Siddhirganj police station, but police could not arrest anybody in this connection.

Absconding life-term convict of Thakurgaon arrested in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Thakurgaon police with the help of Kotwali police here arrested an absconding life-term convict after two years of the judgment from the town in the small hours of Sunday.

Police said the arrested absconding convict was identified as Anwar Hossain, son of Din Mohammad of village Gheedob under Pirganj upazila in Thakurgaon.

On August 30, 2006, District and Sessions Judge and Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Special Tribunal Court of Thakurgaon Gias Uddin Ahmmed sentenced him to life-term rigorous imprisonment (RI) and fined him Taka 50,000 or to suffer more seven years RI, in default.

The arrested convict was taken to Thakurgaon and sent to jail hajat when police produced him before a Thakurgaon court on Sunday, the sources said.

10 injured in Narail clash

BSS, Narail

At least 10 persons were seriously injured in a clash between two rival groups at Amada village under Lohagora upazila of the district on Tuesday.

Police and local sources said the clash took place over establishing supremacy in the village. One group led by Rinto Mondol and the other by Kashem Khan attacked each other with lethal weapons.

One of the villagers Johur Sheikh, 46, suffered critical injury in the attack and was immediately shifted to Khulna Medical college Hospital. The others injured Asraful Alam, 36, Mano Mollik, Somir Hossain, 32, Mohiuddin, 30, were admitted to Lohagora Upazila Health Complex.

The rest of five injured were admitted to local clinics, the sources said.

Separate cases were filed with Lohagora police station in this connection.

Tree fair ends in Panchagarh

Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

A 7-day tree fair ended at Panchagarh & Government Auditorium on June 23 which was jointly organised by District Forest Department, District Agriculture Extension Department and District Commission. Deputy Commis-sioner of Panchagarh Md Hafizuddin was present as the chief guest at the opening ceremony. While Captain, Army Camp of Panchagarh Lt. Col. Abu Monsur, Md Asraf Khan PSC 17, Superintendent of Police Panchagarh Md Harun-or-Rashid and Divisional Forest Officer of Dinajpur, Rayhana Siddiki as special guests on the occasion.

One killed in Rupganj road mishap

A Correspondent, Rupganj

A road accident occurred at Barpa bus station under Rupgonj Upazila in Narayangonj on the 9th July last. A Dhaka-bound overloaded truck hit a person who was waiting for a bus.

Locals rushed him to the nearby hospital where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. The dead body was identified as Shaheen Kadir (36), son of Kafil Uddin of the Tagoregawn upazila of the same district who was a store- keeper of Onteem Nit Composite Ltd., Rupgonj, Narayangonj. A case has been filed with the Rupgonj Thana and dead body has been sent to the morgue for autopsy.

Founding anniversary of Police Nari Kalyan held in Gopalganj

Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

The 1st Founding Anniversary of the Gopalganj district Police Nari Kalyan (PNK) was observed in Gopalganj in a befitting manner on July 7.

The programme of its founding anniversary of the Gopalganj police Nari Kalyan (PNK) includes inaugural programme rally, sports and cultural competition, discussion meeting and prize distributing function.

A colourful rally was brough out from Gopalganj Police Line auditorium premises and paraded main roads of the Gopalganj police line campus.

Mrs. Begum Selina Hussain through wife of the Deputy Commissioner, Gopalganj and president, Gopalganj District Sports Association inaugurated the day-long programme of the 1st founding anniversary and was also present at discussion meeting, cultural function and prize distributing ceremony as the chief guest and Mrs Rahela Mahamud Bithi, wife of the Superintendent of Police Gopalganj and president, Gopalganj district Police, Nari Kalyan (PNK).

Mrs Runu Day, wife of the ASP (Circle) and Provashak, Satpar Kazi Nazrul Islam Government College, Gopalganj, Mrs. Hasina Parvin, wife the o/c Gopalganj Sadar thana and Shireen Sultana, wife of the o/c, Tungipara thana, Mrs Rahela Mahamud Bithi were present at the prize distribution programme.

Muhammad Mahamudur Rahman, SP, Probir Kumar Roy, ASP (Circle), were present as chief and special guest.

News Briefs

17-km alternative flood control embankment being constructed in Sirajganj

SIRAJGANJ, July 12: A 17-km alternative flood control embankment is being constructed here involving Tk 14 crore to save the district from erosion by the Jamuna river. Water Development Board sources said90% work of the project has already been completed in Maijbari and Subhagaccha and 80% at Shailabari in sadar upazila. Besides, work on a permanent embankment will start in the next dry season. Government took a project to construct a permanent embankment here involving Tk 149.66 crore WDB executive engineer Nijamul Haq said the work of the alternative embankment will be completed soon reports UNB.

5 sentenced to life for violating adolescent girl in Bhola

BHOLA, July 12: A court here on Monday awarded five people life term imprisonment for violating an adolescent girl. The condemned convicts are : Abdul Qader, Babul, Bellal, Jamal and Iqbal. The Additional District and Sessions Judge Court, in another section, sentenced Qader to serve 14 years more in prison. The court fined him Tk 20,000, in default, to suffer six months more imprisonment. The court, however, fined the four other convicts Tk 20,000 each, in default, to serve one year more in jail. According to the prosecution, the convict persons abducted and raped a 12-year girl of Musakandi village in Sadar upazila on July 22, 2005, reports UNB.

SI robbed off motorbike in Sharsha

Benapole, July 12: Unidentified miscreants attacked a Sub Inspector of Sharsha upazila police station and took away his motorbike, leaving him seriously injured at Harikhali Monday night. Police said the miscreants attacked SI Shahiduzzaman when he was returning to his thana from Bagachara area. He was admitted to the upazila health complex. Sharsha thana Officer-in-Charge Badrul Alam confirmed the incident adding that they have started massive hunt to arrest the muggers recover the motorbike, reports UNB.

Phensidyl seized

DINAJPUR, July 12: RAB and BDR members in separate raids recovered 1,600 bottles of phensidyl syrup, Indian sari and others clothes and spices and arrested a young man here early Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, BDR jawans raided different places in Fulbari upazila and seized 1,000 bottles of phensidyl syrup, 150 pieces of sari, 50 three-piece and 60 kgs of spices. In another drive, RAB personnel raided Sekendar Ali's house at Boaldar village in Hakimpur upazila and arrested Ruhul Amin, 25, son of Shahed Ali of Naopara village. On Ruhul's confessional statement, they later seized 600 bottles of phensidyl syrup from the courtyard of his house, reports UNB.