The New Nation - Internet Edition

Concerted efforts for protection Hilsha fries underscored

Our Correspondent, Barisal

The coordinated efforts of Bangaladesh Navy, Coast Guard and Fishing Directorate in greater Barisal division able to create sensations among the mass people and fishermen in protection of the fish fries of Hilsha(Jatka) and other varieties of fishes.

Abdul Aziz, deputy director of Barisal divisional fishing directorate said inspired by the success of the programmes of last fiscal, more activities would be expanded in current fiscal to save the fish-wealth of the region and the country.

Barisal divisional office of fish directorate said that under this sensation and awareness creating programmes one boat rally, 248 awareness creating meetings, 94 days propagations through loud speakers, hanging 6 sign boards in main fishing ports, distributing 6 thousand leaflets and attaching 3 thousand posters in Barisal district in last fiscal of 2007-08.

In Jhalakati district these programme included holding 51 awareness creating meeting,39 days micking, hanging on signboard, distributing 10 thousand leaflets, attaching 2 thousand posters, hoisting 23 banners and arranging 4 documentary film shows. Two boat rallies, 114 awareness meeting, 95 days mic announcements, hanging 11 signboards, distributing 7 thousand leaflets and attaching 2 thousand posters, hosting four banners and arranging one function of Jari songs, were done in Pirojpur district. In Patuakhali district 2 boat rallies, 113 awareness meetings, 69 days mic announcements, hanging 3 signboards, distributing 2 thousand leaflets and attaching 1 thousand posters were under this Jatka protection campaign.

Four boat rallies and 191 awareness meetings were held in Bhola district where 137 days mic announcements were made, 51 signboards and 70 banners hoisted, 25 thousands leaflets distributed and 2 thousand posters attached.

In Barguna district 1 boat rally and 85 awareness meetings were held in connection of Jatka protection programs. Besides 63 days loud speaker announcements, hosting 13 banners, and distributing one thousand posters and one thousand leaflets were done here.

Catching and marketing of Jatka decreased remarkably than past years due to this activities and created awareness among the mass people and fishermen.

As well as strong vigilances of the law enforcing agencies and government projects and helps for affected fishermen and businessmen also made positive results in prevention of Jatka catching and marketing, the fishing directorate officials opined.

Landless people must be ensured khas land

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a workshop at Kawnia have said that the landless people must have their rights and access to have khas land for accelerating the government's poverty alleviating programme.

They also asked for ensuring proper managements, recovering the grabbed lands and distributing the same among the landless people for eradicating poverty.

They said this in the workshop titled 'Rights of the Landless to the Khas Land', organized by Bangladesh Rural Improvement Foundation (BRIF), a NGO being run with technical assistance of the Souhardo Programme of CARE-Bangladesh.

Chaired by Campaign Manager of BRIF Souhardo Programme Habibur Rahman, the workshop, held at Kawnia Upazila Parishad auditorium, was attended by UNO of the upazila M Anwar Hossain as the chief guest.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Feroz Ahmed was present as the special guest while journalist Sarwar Alam, BRIF officials Abdur Razzaque, Sanjoy Kumar Das and Sayedul Islam, addressed, among others.

The workshop was organised with a view to chalking out a proper and excellent Khas land management process to ensure the rights of the landless people for having khas land for attaining their self-reliance.

The speakers expressed their strong belief that such workshops will help in building mutual confidence and trusts, enhance cooperation among the stakeholder organisations to ensure proper managements in these sectors.

The ongoing Souhardo Programme in 492 UPs of the 18 districts in the country for attaining self-reliance by four lakh poor families by the year 2009 will also be helped by and large, if the khas land and water bodies were properly distributed among them, they added.

Participants including Government and NGO officials, journalists, elite, local people representatives, landless and river-eroded people and members and leaders of the landless peoples' organisations took part in the workshop.

53 persons nabbed on various charges in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Police in separate anti-crime drives arrested 53 persons including suspected criminals from different parts of the district during the past 48 hours till this morning.

Police source said the arrested persons include thieves, absconding accused in different cases, warrantees, drug peddlers and traffickers, suspected criminals and anti-social elements.

Police also seized good quantities of contraband ganja, Phensidyl, locally produced wine, illegal things and recovered stolen goods and sharp weapons during the drives. Mithapukur police arrested notorious drug trafficker Kalam, 35, of Mulatol area in Rangpur city from Mithapukur Upazila and seized 20 bottles Phensidyl from his possession.

Kotwali police arrested 22 persons, Gangachara five, Taraganj two, Badarganj three, Mithapukur four, Pirganj one, Pirgacha 10, Kawnia four and DB police arrested two persons during the raids. Later, the arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police produced them before different Rangpur courts, the sources said.

Theft committed at Judge's residence in Narail

Our Correspondent, Narail

A daring theft has been committed in a Judges' house in Narail town.

Amit Kumar Dey, Joint District Judge, lives in a two-storied well protected building in the heart of the town near the Shishu Academy.

On Friday night the thieves entered the building cutting the grills and stole cash money, mobile phone sets, gold ornaments and other valuables.

A case was filed with Narail Sadar Thana and police rushed to the spot for investigation.

50 held on various charges in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Police, in different anti-crime drives, rounded up 50 people including a drug-peddler on various charges from different areas in city and nine upazilas of the district in the last 24 hours till Thursday evening.

Of them, 20 were nabbed from different areas in the metropolis while 30 others from nine upazilas. Police arrested drug-trader Rabiul Islam, 45, with five bottles of Phensidyl during a raid at his residence at Haragram bazar under Rajpara police station in the city. In another raid at Borobaria area under Charghat upazila, police arrested three smugglers and seized a truck loaded with 52 sacs of smuggled Indian fertiliser. The arrested were Emdadul, 28, Entajul Haque, 30, and Habul, 30. Traffic police lodged 21 cases under motor Vehicles Ordinance during the drives against non-registered motor vehicles and other documents related malpractices in different parts of the city at that time.

Teenage boy killed in house collapse in Natore

UNB, Natore

A teenage boy was killed when their mud-made house collapsed on him during a heavy rainfall at Guti Mohishmari village in Singra upazila on Saturday morning. The dead was identified as Rashedul, 16, son of Golam Rasul. In another incident, a young man named Apple was crushed under the wheels of a local train at Belgharia in the town on Friday night.

2 get life-term in Natore

UNB, Natore

Two people were sentenced to life term imprisonment in absentia by a court here on Wednesday for keeping phensidyl syrup.

The convicts are Raju and Biplab hailed from Rajshahi district.

According to the prosecution, a team of Narcotics Control Department raided a passenger bus in Hugal Baria area of the district town on April 9, last year and recovered 50 bottles of phensidyl syrup from their possession.

Later, a case was filed against them under Narcotics Control Act.

After examining the records and witnesses District and Sessions Judge Abdus Samad found them guilty handed down the verdict.

News Briefs

4 drug peddlers held in Jamalpur

Jamalpur, Aug 6 : RAB members held four drug peddlers along with 80 bottles of phensidyl syrup from an intercity train at Bahadurabad Ghat here Tuesday. The arrested drug peddlers were identified as Nazrul Islam, Biplob, Sona Mia and Sikder Ali. They hailed from Gaibandha district. A team of the elite force acting on secret information raided the Dhaka bound intercity Tista Express and recovered the phensidyl syrup at about 2:30pm. The arrested were later handed over to the local police stationreport UNB.

Govt distributes among farmers in Pirojpur

Pirojpur, Aug 9: Agriculture Ministry has distributed seeds and fertilizers among 57,360 Sidr-affected farmers of the district at a cost of Tk 7.34 crore. Under the programme, farmers have received 23,000 packets of seeds of different vegetables, 93,750 kgs of local variety boro seeds, 44,000 kgs of hybrid boro seeds and 800 mts of urea, 336 mts of TSP and 388 mts of MOP fertilizer for cultivating boro and vegetables and 1.25 lakh kgs of seed of transplanted aman free of cost. Besides, the ministry has also distributed 187 mts of TSP and 214 mts of MOP fertilizer for cultivating aus and transplanted aman. The farmers will be able to bring 2,256 hectares of land under cultivation due to the disbursement of the seeds and fertilisers report UNB.

One killed in road mishap

Habiganj, Aug 9: An old man was killed in a road accident at Nij Agna village in Nabiganj upazila on Friday. The deceased was identified as Lal Mia, 60, hailed from Kazirgaon village of the upazila. Witnesses said the victim while crossing the road was crushed under the wheels of a minibus in the afternoon. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy, report UNB.

Housewife hacked to death in Sylhet

Sylhet, Aug 9 : A housewife was hacked to death by miscreants at Fenaikana village in Goainghat upazila early Thursday. Local people said Moni Begun, 26, wife of Yakub Ali, had been staying at her parents' house for four months following a quarrel with her husband. Family sources said some 7/8 miscreants stormed into her room at 2:30 am while she was asleep and hacked her to death. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Her father Anwar Hossain filed a murder case against eight people with the police. Police later arrested Abdul Haque, son of Abdul Monaf, from the village in this connection, report UNB.

One killed by rivals in Jamalpur

Jamalpur, Aug 9 : A man was killed by his rivals over a land dispute at Ranrampur village in Sadar upazila on Thursday. Police said rivals intercepted Nurul Islam Pata, 50, when he was returning home after appearing before a court in a case filed over a land dispute. They tied Pata up and killed him by hitting with lethal weapons at about 5 pm. Police rushed to the spot three hours after the killing and sent the body to the General Hospital morgue for autopsy. A murder case was filed against 20 people. Police arrested Khalilur Rahman Tara, Rafiqul Islam Bulbul, Hatem Ali and Hashem Ali in this connection on the same night, report UNB.