The New Nation - Internet Edition

Collective efforts to ensure healthcare services for all stressed

BSS, Rajshahi

Participants at a tripartite open-dialogue here on Tuesday called for a collective effort of all concerned to ensure healthcare services for all especially the poor and disadvantaged ones.

Getting healthcare service is one of the fundamental rights of all the citizens irrespective of religion, cast, creed, age and sex and there is no compromise in it, said the health-service providers, receivers and mayoral candidates to the forthcoming Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) election.

Action Aid Bangladesh, Poriprekkhit and Health and Environmental Journalists Forum jointly arranged the dialogue styled "Public health rights: Public leaders commitment" at Nanking Darbar Hall ahead of the RCC election.

Director of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital Brigadier General Khademul Insan Muhammad Iqbal, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Johurul Islam, Deputy Director of Family Planning Mazedul Islam and Chief Health Officer of Rajshahi University Medical Centre Dr Wazed Hossain Beg addressed the meeting as health-service Providers. It was moderated by Action Aid Theme Leader Sarder Arif Uddin.

Mayoral contenders AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Rejaunnabi Dudu, Mosaddeque Hossain, Advocate Raihanur Rahman, Masudul Haque Dulu, and Durul Huda spoke on the occasion as public leaders. They underscored the need for enhancing budgetary allocation for poverty alleviation to ensure healthcare services for the poor and marginal people.

"Healthcare services could not be ensured for the distressed people without making themselves free from the vicious cycle of poverty. Apart from increasing the budgetary allocation, state control to the health sector should be intensified to bring transparency and accountability in the public level health service providing institutions", they observed. Referring to various mismanagement and irregularities in the health sector, they urged upon the government to form a long-term healthcare regulatory commission to keep the private level health sector within the reach of the poor people.

On the other hand, some service-receivers from different areas of the district narrated their sufferings during taking the service at different public hospitals.

They underscored the need for taking an effective step to make the government hospitals and clinics pro-poor and low-income groups and said, the existing hospitals should be made functional for the sake of ensuring better health services to the rural people especially the poor and destitute.

"Proper functional hospitals could be the means of best uses of the infrastructures and other facilities and resources of those along with providing emergency and primary healthcare services to the general people", discussants said.

They said, importance should be given on making the jobs of the service providers especially the physicians, surgeons and technicians accountable and transparent so the receivers could get regular services from them smoothly.

RU BCL demands trial of war criminals

Our Correspondent, RU

Central leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Tuesday at an exchange view meeting with journalists demanded punishment to Jamaat-Shibir cadres who assaulted freedom fighter Sheikh Muhammad Aman Ali at the Diploma Engineers Institute in Dhaka on July 11.

They also demanded immediate trial of war criminals by constituting a special tribunal and ban on Jamaat-Shibir politics in the educational institutions. Earlier, BCL of Rajshahi University unit on Tuesday held an opinion sharing meeting with central BCL leaders and RU working journalists at university central cafeteria for discuss central BCL country wide on going movement.

BCL central joint secretary Jashim Uddin Bhuiyan demanded immediate trial of war criminals and ban on the so-called Jamaat freedom fighters organisation 'Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad'.

Bhuiyan urged all progressive political students organisation to socially boycott Jamaat and Shibir.

BCL central assistant secretary Moniruzzman Pintu called upon the government and demanded immediate start the trial of the war criminals by special tribunal.

Pintu also urged all leaders and activists of BCL to unite to fight anti-liberation forces and war criminals.

BCL central leaders also announced their seven-point demand and urged all the BCL leaders and activists to be united and launch a fresh movement for the demands.

Their seven-point demand including immediate unconditional and permanent releases of the Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina, release detained AL leaders including BCL central general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, trial and punishment of war criminals, immediate lifting of the state of emergency, announce national election schedule, reduce education equipment price and immediate remove all corrupt and politically appointed persons from important administrative positions in Rajshahi University and all other public universities.

They also called upon the government and demanded immediate meet their demands otherwise BCL will launch a fresh movement against the government.

BCL RU unit also demanded immediate ban on so-called Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad backed by Jamaat as their leaders made derogatory comments about the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

BCL RU unit demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the Jatiya Muktijoddha Parishad leaders and activists.

BCL RU unit gave an ultimatum to the government for action against the culprits within July 26, otherwise, they threatened that general students would launch a tougher agitation against the government.

They also said if the Jamaat-Shibir cadres will not punish with in July 26 then BCL RU unit will be held protest meeting, submission memorandum to concerned authorities and token hunger strike.

BCL Central assistant secretary Nazmul Hassan Jony, assistant law affairs secretary Zakir Hossain, BCL RU unit president Ibrahim Hossain Moon and join secretary Azim Bin-Kamal, BCL activists Masud and Ila were addressed the meeting.

Warnings issued to three mayoral candidates in Barisal

BSS, Barisal

District Election Officer (DEO) on Wednesday served warning letters to three mayoral candidates for the first time for violating the code of conduct in Barisal City Corporation (BCC) election.

Official sources said the DEO served a notice to Ebadul Huq Chand for setting two election camps in Ward No-1. According to the notice, one the centres will have to be demolished within 24 hours.

A similar notice was served on mayoral candidate Sarder Sarfuddin Ahmed Santu for launching electioneering before the scheduled date.

Besides, warning was also issued to mayoral candidate and former BCC mayor Ahasan Habib Kamal for violating the code of election conduct.

The DEO asked all the mayoral and councilor candidates to strictly abide by the code of conduct, otherwise punitive actions would be taken against them under the initiative of the returning officer.

Tributes paid to Manekshaw

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Speakers at a gathering paid rich tribute to Field Marshal Manek Shaw, Chief of Indian military during the country's liberation war in 1971.

They said that the victory in the liberation war had been achieved earlier than expectation because of his advanced war strategy.

Independence Memorial Trust and Liberation War Research Center jointly hosted the gathering of reminiscence at the local press club on July 19 last.

Vice Chancellor of the Premier University Professor Anupom Sen addressed the function as the chief guest while it was addressed among others by veteran freedom fighters Dr. Mahfujur Rahman, Shah Alam, Fahim Uddin, Nurul Alam Montu, Rakhal Chandra Banik, Nasiruddin Chowdhury and women leader Jesmin Sultana Paru.

Professor Anupom Sen said that the freedom fighters would have been fighting for years together against the Pakistani occupation forces unless Manek Shaw's leadership and war strategy was applied.

Free medical service programme inaugurated in Rajshahi

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Ruposhi Bangla Mohila Sangstha (RBMS), a non-governmental organisation in Rajshahi has inaugurated a free medical service programme for its women members at Ward-14, Terokhadia and west side of Rajshahi divisional stadium on Friday afternoon. The programme covered mainly the members of RBMS, besides it distributed Health Cards among the destitutes and ailing women of the songstha. Moreover, other than members, the ultra and marginal poor women of this area received free medical services.

The members of RBMS will enjoy the free medical facilities through renowned physicians against the health cards one a week.

The free medical service programmes will be held at the field levels through hired doctors and another one is near the head office of RBMS.

In the inaugural session, Dr. Israt Ara, MBBS, (Family Planning Department) provided first aid and treatments for the female members.

The programme was attended, among others, by Dr. Wahida Khatun and initiator and founder of RBMS Abdul Mobin.

Two arrested with ganja in Noakhali

BSS, Noakhali

Police in a drive arrested two persons along with 4 kg of ganja at Charbata village under Subarnachar upazila in the district on Tuesday.

The arrested were identified as Nur Mohammed Bechu,55, of Charbata village and Jamal Uddin,48, of charjublee village.

Police said, on secret information, a team of the police raided the Charbata village and arrested them along with 4 kg of ganja.

A case was filed with concerned thana in this connection.

Training on capacity assessment held in Jamalpur

BSS, Jamalpur

A five-day training programme on Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment has began at the conference room of Jamalpur pourasabha on Monday.

The programme, organised by Red Crescent Society, Jamalpur Unit was inaugurated by Nazmul Azam Khan, director of CBDMP of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS).

A total of 25 trainees from Mesta and Majhipara areas in Jamalpur sadar upazila are taking part in the training.

The inaugural function was presided over by Saidur Rahman Khoka, vice president of BRCS Jamalpur unit.

Fugitive arrested in Rajbari

BSS, Rajbari

Police arrested a fugitive convict at Ahladipur village under Sadar upazila in the district on Tuesday night.

Police said the arrested Shamim Mollah, 25, was sentence to five-year imprisonment in a bus robbery case in 2004. He was sent to Jail.

10 get life for murder in Meherpur

BSS, Meherpur

The district sessions judge Md. Zahangir Alam Mollah awarded life term imprisonment to 10 persons in a murder case here on July 22.

The judge also fined Tk. 5,000 each in default to suffer two years more in jail.

The convicts are Salim 20, Pavel Khan, 25, Rojan, 23, Robiul Islam 24, Abdus Salam 24, Ryhan 25, Zuyel 24, Rana Kana , 26, Shohel and Mamun 23,. Abdus Salam and Mamun were tried inabsentia.

The prosecution story in brief is that on October 4, 2004 the convicts stabbed Arman to death following rivalry over a plot of land in Meharpur pourashaba area. A case was filed in this connection by his mother Mabia Khatun. Police after investigation submitted the charge-sheet against ten persons on 30.08.2005. The judge after examining the records and 16 witnesses handed down the verdict, public prosecutor advocate Shahidullha appeared for the state.

2 kg heroin recovered in Dinajpur

BSS, Dinajpur

Members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) recovered two-kg of heroin worth about Taka two crore from Parbortipur bound Rupsa Express train at Fulbari Railway Station on Monday.

BDR sources said, acting on a tip-off, a team of BDR from Fulbari camp searched a compartment of the train and recovered the heroin from a carton.

None was arrested in this connection.

Reception accorded to brilliant students in Pabna

BSS, Pabna

Distinguished personalities and brilliant students were given reception as part of the Esho Bangladesh Gori road show in the district.

The reception was held at the auditorium of Zila Parishad on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Pabna Khandker Mokhlasur Rahman was present as the chief guest while additional deputy commissioner Manik Lal chaired it.

Among others, Professor Kamruzzaman, Professor Mirza AK Shahidul Islam, Captain Rashedul Alam of Pabna camp, Shada Moner Manush Professor Abul Hossain, district information officer Mohsin Reza and student Hosne Ara also spoke on the occasion.