The New Nation - Internet Edition

50 pc mother, children affected with anemia in country

Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

The speakers at a seminar said that some 50 percent mothers and children in the country are affected with anemia while one third women of the country are suffering from long-term malnutrition, creating a sort of threat for a healthy nation.

The malnutrition is our national problem and this problem is acute among the children and the women, said the speakers while addressing the seminar on Development of Mother and Children's Nutrition will bring a Bright Future at the Dhubaura Upazila auditorium here on Wednesday afternoon. Some 150 participants including primary school teachers and officials and employees of Family Planning took part in the day long seminar. Health Project of Dhubaura ADP, World Vision, Bangladesh organised the seminar.

Dr. Shahidul Bashar of Mymensingh Medical College presented the keynote paper at the seminar. Dr Jayanta Kumar Nath, Manager of HIV/AIDS Prevention Project here and Anil Chisim of Dhubaura ADP also spoke on the occasion.

Speakers also told seminar said that the physical and mental nourishment of the children and women are being hampered due to lack of proper nutrition. About 40 percent of the total population live below the poverty line leaving a large section of the total population in malnutrition for the years together, the speakers added.

Boosting nursery brings prosperity to rural economy in N-districts

BSS, Rangpur

Boosting of nurseries in the private sector has brought prosperity to the rural people and it has been contributing positively in alleviating poverty in the northern region in recent years.

The expanding private sector nursery business has now become one of the most profitable ventures with over 50,000 private sector nurseries of different sizes have grown spreading over the entire region, officials said.

The growth of nurseries has been making the government's participatory social afforestation programme successful on the one hand and alleviating poverty and empowering women on the other during the last one and a half decades.

Officials said, the highest ever number of saplings including fruits and medicinal plants and timber grown in the nurseries are expected to be selling this year as the tree plantation drive has been nearing completion with the maximum achievements. According to an estimate, over 40,000 families have changed their lot by achieving self-reliance through nursery business and, in most cases, women of the economically backward families, are involved with the business. Concerned sources said the tree plantation drive has turned into one of the most successful social movements in the region following implementation of various steps by the government, NGOs, and professional bodies in recent years. They said over four crore fruit-bearing and medicinal plants and timber saplings are being planted annually in the region, resulting in faster growth of nurseries in the private sector.

Some 22,000 families, who collected high-valued fruit saplings from the private sector nursery owners, also achieved their complete economic self-reliance during the period and their number has been increasing satisfactorily.

They said an estimated number of about five crore saplings of different variety plants including timber, fruit, medicinal trees are expected to be planted this year in the region under the extensive tree plantation programme this year.

Besides the private sector initiatives, different government departments and NGOs are also planting a huge number of saplings including Neem, coconut, plum and cane.

The Forest Department and the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) have been distributing huge amount of saplings among the people and different institutions every year.

Besides, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Water Development Board (WDB), district and upazila administrations, Police, BDR, different non-government and voluntary organisations are also planting saplings.

ACC sues 7 persons on corruption charges in Feni

BSS, Feni

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today filed a case with the local police station against seven persons including the then Deputy Commissioner of the district Md Mostafa on charges of corruption in leasing out the town's bazaar pond.

Deputy Director of ACC Md Golam Mostafa filed the case. Others accused in the case are: former senior assistant secretary of land ministry and currently member of the Land Port Authority Faizur Rahman, former additional deputy commissioner (Revenue) and currently Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira Md Kefayat Ullah, former assistant commissioner (land) and currently Chief Executive Officer of Narsingdi Municipality AHM Lokman, retired assistant secretary Abul Farah, president of Takia Road small traders association Golam Rasul and secretary Md Sadek Hossain. Md Mostafa is now Director General of the Department of Jute. According to the case, the accused persons with each other's cooperation caused a loss of Taka 2.62 crore to the government by leasing out the pond for Taka only 43.91 lakh.

New UNO of Baraigram

Our Correspondent, Baraigram

Pronob Kumar Roy joined as Baraigram Upazila Nirbahi Officer on September 10 at his new posting place Baraigram.

Formerly he was an Upazila Nirbahi Officer of the Upazila Therokhada under Khulna district. He is an inhabitant of Avoynagar Upazila under Jessore district.

Navy Chief opens school building in Khulna

Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam inaugurated newly built five-storied school building of Bangladesh Navy School and College at Boyra, Khulna on Tuesday, says a ISPR press release.

As a part of Mass Education campaign of the government, Navy Chief emphasised on the spread of educational activities to build up a well educated nation and expected that an enlightened nation would play an important role in building self-sufficient Bangladesh. Mentionable, the school has been constructed under the financial support and supervision of the Ministry of Mass Education and Works.

Among others, Commodore Commanding Khulna, senior Naval Officers, Officers of the Ministry of Mass Education and Works, Teachers and students of the college were present.

Fake manpower recruitment agent held in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Police arrested one ALhaj Mawlana Muhammad Maksudur Rahman, alias Saiful, a fake manpower recruiting agent from Banaripara bus stand of Barisal district on Saturday night.

Sub Inspector Jahirul Alam of Banaripara police station said Maksud was collecting money from various people of the area assuring them about overseas employment, micro credit sanctions, foreign grants and taking loan by giving false cheque.

Local people being suspicious about the activities of Maksud informed police and police detained him from the bus stand at about 10:00 pm Saturday night.

Fake visa, fake bank-cheques, rubber stamps of different Middle East countries, false identity card as staff of Saudi Embassy in Bangladesh and other forged documents were recovered from his possession.

In primary interrogation Maksud identified himself as son of Aftab Hossain of Habibpur village under Uzirpur upazila of Barisal and confessed about his cheating business, five marriages and other criminal activities in different areas of the region.

News briefs

One hacked to death in Gaibandha

Gaibandha, Sept 17 : A middle-aged man was hacked to death by his rivals over a trivial matter at Pratap village in Sadullapur upazila on Tuesday. The victim was identified as Jakirul Islam, 52, of the village. Local people said co-villager Abdul Wahed locked in an altercation with Jakirul as his goat damaged Wahed's bean plants. "At one stage Wahed and his family members attacked Jakirul and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him dead on the spot" said a spot account of the incident, report UNB.

Huge VoIP equipment seized in Bogra

Bogra, Sept 17 : A huge quantity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) equipment were seized from a godown of a food industry at old part of the Bogra town Tuesday noon. Acting on a tip-off, a RAB team, led by Major Naser Mohammad Mostafa, raided the Mahin Food Industry and recovered the VoIP equipment, worth about Tk 10 crore. RAB sources said top businessmen-Jahurul Islam Momin and Nazrul Islam - were involved in trading the VoIP equipment since long, report UNB.

Drug peddlers held in Naogaon

Naogaon, Sept 17: Three drug peddlers were arrested along with 150 bottles of Indian phensidyl syrup from near Sadar police station Monday night. Acting a tip-off, a team of CID police caught them red-handed while they were taking the contraband drugs in a sack. The arrested were identified as Abdul Quddus, 32, son of late Ayezuddin of Jelepara in Badalgachhi upazila and Rafiqul Islam, 30, son of late Nur Sarder and Azizul Islam, 35, son of Abdus Sattar of Bangabaria thanapara in the town, report UNB.

Body recovered

in Benapole

Benapole, Sept 17 : Body of an unidentified young man was recovered from near rail station here Thursday morning. Police said local people found the body early in the morning and informed them. They later rushed to the spot and sent the body to hospital morgue for autopsy. Police suspected the assailants following a previous enmity strangulated him to death and left the body in Bottola area of the rail station at night. A case was filed, reports UNB.