The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mass awareness to boost food production emphasised

BSS, Gaibandha

An opinion exchange meeting on "rising food production and electing honest and competent candidates" was held at the auditorium of Gobindaganj Upazila Parishad of the district on August 21 aimed at creating much awareness among the people on the issues.

District information office organized it as a part of countrywide special motivational campaign of the directorate of mass communication under the Ministry of Information, sources said.

UNO Kabir Al-Asad addressed the meeting as the chief guest and district information officer Sabiha Akter Lucky delivered welcome speech.

Presided over by Principal Abul Kalam Azad, Mayor of Gobindaganj Pourashava, it was addressed, among others, by upazila agriculture officer Mir Abdur Razzak, assistant Commissioner (Land) M. Anwar Hossain Akand, President of Upazila Imam Samity Syed Ahmed and Zahidul Haque Manu. The speakers said the quantity of cultivated and arable land is decreasing day by day due to various reasons like river erosion and building the residential houses including other establishments.

They urged all to enhance production of different kinds of high valued crops including paddy by utilizing all arable land and laid emphasis on the making honest and competent and acceptable candidates in coming elections for over all development of the country.

They also stressed the need for stopping terrorism and corruption at all spheres of national life. A good number of people including upazila level officials, local elite, NGO activists, public representatives and the journalists attended the meeting.

Developers urged not to cheat customers

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Acting Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Alhaj M Manjur Alam said here on Saturday that real estate developers had been playing significant role in addressing housing problem in the country.

He called upon the real estate developers to go by the terms and conditions of the contracts apart from its quality.

"Chittagong is relatively vulnerable to natural calamities like earthquake and cyclone, so, developers should concentrate on ensuring maximum protection against natural disasters," Mayor Monju said.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the four-day BD-RED Housing Fair-08 on Saturday afternoon that held at the auditorium of Engineers Institution Bangladesh (IEB), Chittagong as chief guest.

Bangladesh Real Estate Directory (BD-RED), a database for real estate developers, hosted the event for the six consecutive times.

Chairman of BD-RED Golam Mostafa presided over the function while Zone Chairperson of Lions Clubs International; Bangladesh MN Karim addressed it as special guest.

Vice Chairman Dr. Captain Masudur Rahman Prince and Chief Executive of BD-RED Mohammad Yeasin Khan among others addressed it.

Lion MN Karim proposed the government to launch Upazila-based housing project with public-private collaboration so that croplands and wetlands can be preserved apart from averting lands' misuse. Chairman of BD-RED Golam Mostafa categorized the event as a bridge between buyers and developers.

Captain Masudur Rahman said that private sector had been playing key role in easing housing crisis across the country and sought government's cooperation for further expansion of housing industry so that limited land can be utilized perfectly.

While delivering welcome speech in the function, chief executive of BD-RED Yeasin Khan said that the fair had been aimed to bring country's leading real estate firms and supplying organizations of building construction materials under single roof so that people can find all, at a time, which is necessary for a desired housing.

Nearly 50 stalls of 37 participating organizations have so far been set in the fair venue, he said.

Later, CCC Acting Mayor formally inaugurated the fair by cutting ribbon and visited different stalls of including Amin Mohammad Group, ANZ Properties, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, Impulse Properties, BSRM, Mishmak, Prime Bank and RAK Ceramics, Elegance Development.

Theft committed, statue vandalised at Agoiljhara Kali Mandir

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Some tensions have been created after an incident of theft occured in Kalu Para Daser Bari Kali Mandir at Goila union of Agoiljhara upazila under Barisal district on Sunday, the Janmastami birthday of Lord Krishna.

Md. Ali Biswas, officer in charge and Abdul Latif Molla, upazila nirbahi officer of Agoiljhara and local Hindu community leaders said unknown miscreants breaking the locked collapsible gate of the temple entered and broke a left hand of Goddess Kali, stole gold plated eye balls and eye brews and a brass-cooper metal made 4 inch height statue of Radha-Krishna in darkness of Sunday early hours.

Perhaps the miscreant thought that the statute as made by precious touch stone and later finding it as normal stone left the place by breaking a hand of the deity and stealing other item, police suspected.

Shyamol Krishna Das, Sebayet (caretaker) of this Kali Mandir, Dulal Das Gupta, member secretary of historical Manosha Mandir of Goila and other local leaders of Hindu community, said that the incident was a simple matter of theft and without any communal intension.

Toufiq Mahbub Chowdhury, district Police Super along with Basudev Acharaya Vashai,Manik Mukherjee Kudu,Narayan Chandra Naru,Shamayal Acharaya, Vishnupada Mukherjee, leaders of Barisal Ramakrishna Mission, Puja Udjapon Parishad and Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad visited the spot on Sunday afternoon and talked with the local people.

They all opined the matter as non-communal attempt of theft the statue and ornaments.

SP ordered local police to find out the miscreants and recover the stolen items as early as possible with the help of local people after lodging a case in this connection.

700 bottles Phensidyl seized in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Barisal Kotwali Model Police station seized 700 bottles of Phensidyl and arrested one women in this connection at Palashpur cluster village area of Barisal city on Sunday early hours..

Hayatul Islam, assistant commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police said on tip-off, a police team led by Sub Inspector Swapan Kumar, Assistant Sub Inspectors Delwar, Helaluzaman and Ashutosh raided the Palashpur cluster village area at about 11:00 pm Saturday night.

After random searching police recovered seven hundred bottles Phensidyl packed inside seven sacks from the house of Ibrahim Mia of cluster village no.8 on early Sunday night.

Police seizing the recovered Phensidyl arrested Munira Begum, wife of absconded Ibrahim and sent her to jail on Sunday after lodging a case in this connection with Kotwali PS by ASI Delwar as complainant.

In primary interrogation, arrested Munira said Md. Selim Molla, former member of adjacent Charbaria union parishad, Kalam alias Chora Kalam and Kulsum Begum, wife of Kalam, regularly smuggle Phensidyl from India and by giving death threats forced the poor residents of Palashpur cluster village to preserve their stocks.

OMS programme starts in Netrakona

BSS, Netrakona

The selling of rice under Open Market Sale (OMS) program of the government began in the district on Wednesday last.

Official source said, the government restarted the OMS program to reduce the market prices of rice. Under the OMS programme, a total of 113 OMS dealers have been appointed by the district food department in ten upazilas of the district for selling rice at Taka 28 per kilogram.

Deputy Commissioner Aiyatullah Majumder formally inaugurated the OMS programme by selling rice at fair prices from an OMS shop in the district town yesterday.

General people thanked the government for reintroduction of the OMS programme especially in the ahead of holly month of Ramadan.

Two held with forged notes in Jamalpur

BSS, Jamalpur

Dewanganj thana police arrested two persons and recovered five forged notes denomination of Taka one hundred from Beltali bus stand in Dewanganj upazila on Saturday.

The arrested were Shahidul, 42, of Mymensingh district and Ismail, 39, of Melandah upazila of Jamalpur district.

Police said the arrested persons went to the bus stand to purchase tickets with the counterfeit notes.

A case was registered with concerned police station in this connection.

One slaughtered in Birampur

BSS, Birampur

A gold-ornaments maker was allegedly slaughtered to death by his colleague following a minor issue in Birampur upazila town of Dinajpur on Saturday morning, police sources said.

The sources said ornaments-maker Zahedul Islam, 28, son of Bhulu Mian of village Shimla under Sadar upazila in Naogaon had been working for a long time with his colleague Mehedi Hassan, 29, of the same area at New Das Jewelers in Birampur town.

They had been living in a rented mess along their other colleague ornaments-maker in the upazila town.

Recently, Zahedul had an exchange of hot words with his colleague and roommate Mehedi on the issue of electricity bills and their employer Tarapado Das and other colleagues settled that. Suddenly, at the shout of Zahedul, another messmate Mitu Sarker rushed to his room and found Zahedul fighting with life with severe injuries at his neck in the small hours.

Zahedul was rushed to Birampur Upazila Health Complex where doctor declared him dead.

A murder case was filed in this connection with Birampur police station, senior police officials from Dinajpur visited the spot and police was searching for the absconding killer Mehedi Hassan, the sources said.

Motivational musical function held in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

A musical function was held at Shaheed minar in the town here on Thursday aimed at creating awareness among the people about different issues. District Information Office organised the function as part of special motivational activities of Directorate of Mass Communication.

A group of singers led by Assistant Director of Music M Zakirul Haque performed various motivational songs including increase of food production, electing honest, competent and acceptable candidates in upazila and general elections and building terrorism and drug-free society.

A large number of people from all walks of life enjoyed the function.

Call to resist violence against women

Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

A project launching ceremony of Alokito Manush, an initiative of reducing violence against women, was held at Mymensingh Press Club on 21st August. It was organised by Concerned Women for Family Development, supported by Manusher Janno Foundation.

Dr Ratan Kumar Pandit, ADC (Education) was present as chief guest. Jahur Fatema, C.W.F.D, Advocate Mozammel Haque, Press Club Secretary, ASP apel Mahmud were present as special guests. The speakers stressed on reducing violence against women.

Child Marriage, dowery, Acid violence were the topics in the discussion.

BARI invents 281 high yielding varieties of crop last year

BSS, Gazipur

Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) has invented 281 high yielding varieties of crop last year.

This was disclosed at a workshop held at BARI seminar room here yesterday with its director general M Haroon-ur-Rasheed in the chair.

Central research activities of the institute also came up for discussion during the workshop. BARI sources said that the it also invented 300 various methods of technology for cultivation and management of those crops for boosting production in the country.

About 100 experts and scientists of BARI and other research organisations of the country attended the concluding ceremony of the five-day workshop.

The scientists hoped that the farmers would be able to boost crop production by utilising BARI invented technology and seeds of high yielding varieties of crop. Scientist Dr Kazi M.Badrudozza, Dr Mohammad Hossain Mondal, Dr Mohammad Shahidul Islam and Mohammad Azizur Rahman were present in the workshop as chief and special guests.

Workshop on 'Situation of Armed Violence held

BSS, Rajendrapur

A daylong workshop on 'Situation of Armed Violence and Emerging Challenges-the Role and Responsibilities of Media' was held at BRAC Centre for Development and Management here on Friday.

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) arranged the workshop with a view to providing insight into new developments and challenges to international humanitarian law and an understanding of the present challenges in situations of armed violence for participants.

Eminent journalist and columnist ABM Musa, Communication Coordinator of ICRC Phillippe Stoll, Communication Officers of ICRC Surinder Singh Oberoi and Rumana Binte Masud and journalist Anis Alamgir were the resource persons of the workshop which was divided into four sessions.

Thirty journalists from the print and electronic media of the country took part in the workshop.

BIWTC suspends sea truck service in Barisal

BSS, Barisal

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has suspended the plying of sea trucks between Barisal and Majuchowdhurir Hat via Bhola for an indefinite period from today.

Sources said hundreds of passengers of the southern region used to go to Dhaka and Chittagong via Bhola and Majuchowdhurir Hat, but with the suspension of the sea truck services they will have to face serious difficulties.

Training on increasing paddy production held in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a training course on 'Increasing Paddy Production Utilising Latest the Technologies" was held at Sadar Upazila parishad auditorium here yesterday.

Organised by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Alhaj Delbar Hossain chaired the course that was attended by Deputy Director of the DAE, Rangpur Kamal Shariful Alam as the chief guest.

Agriculture Extension Officer SM Saiful Islam and Field Officer of the DAE Moniruzzaman addressed as the resource persons in the course that was organised under the ongoing government's Action Plan for increasing paddy productions.

One hundred male and female farmers and the Sub-assistant Agriculture Officers from different UPs and Blocks in Sadar upazila took part in the training course.

Fisheries development campaign begins in Rajbari

BSS, Rajbari

A weeklong 'Fisheries resource development campaign program' organized by the district administration and fishery department began on Saturday across the district.

Prodep Ranjan Chakraborti, Additional Deputy Commissioner (general), was present at the inaugural function at Rajbari Shilpakala Academy as the chief guest.

Mokhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, district fisheries officer, presided over it. It was addressed, among others, by Principal Mizanur Rahman of Rajbari Technical School and College and Shaila Ferzana, Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Later, fish fires were released at Rajbari Shishu Pariber's pond.

Earlier, a colourful rally was brought out that paraded main streets of the town.

School teacher killed in Ctg road accident

BSS, Chittagong

A school teacher was killed when a speedy bus hit him at Tannery Bottali area of Kulgaon under Bayazid thana in the city on Saturday morning.

The dead was identified as Khairunnessa, 48, assistant head teacher of J Bottali Government Primary School.

Witnesses said the bus hit Khairunnesa when she was crossing the road on her way to school. The driver of the bus managed to escape the scene with the vehicle soon after the accident. Following the accident, agitated people of the locality damaged about five vehicles and put up barricade on Chittagong- Rangamati road for about an hour.

Girl drowned in Jamalpur

BSS, Jamalpur

A minor girl was drowned into a pond at Fakirpara village in Maderganj upazila in the district on Satruday.

The victim was identified as Jui Perveen, 8, daughter of Ziaul Haq and a student of class three. Sources said, Jui went there to take bath and drowned.