The New Nation - Internet Edition

Barisal River Port on verge of closure due to poor navigability

Our Correspondent, Barisal

The Barisal river port, the second largest in the country, is on the verge of closure as the Kirtonkhola River is rapidly loosing navigability.

Water transports after failing to anchor at the port jetties stranded on mid river for hours or failing to depart the port remained anchored at the jetty with hundreds of passengers on board, according to port sources.

Rafikul Islam, deputy director in charge of the Barisal river port, said after monitoring the situation and consulting the water transport owners and experts authority decided to shift Barisal launch station on urgent basis.

Accordingly it would shifted from present premises to BIWTA marine workshop jetty, about 500 yards south downstream within next 48 hours and start dredging to restore navigability and immediate dredging also planned. Costing of shifting and dredging would be funded by BIWTA.

'Already one dredger left Narayanganj for Barisal port on Tuesday morning and it will reach Barisal within Thursday. We would start emergency-basis dredging on next week to increase the depth of the water level of the river surrounding the jetty area for smooth anchoring of the river vessels,' the port officer said.

Port officials and launch company sources said the decision of shifting Barisal launch station was taken after water level of the Kirtonkhola River at the port side fell to less than four feet forcing water vessels to anchor about 10 to 15 meter away from the jetty.

MV Sundabon-7 and MV Tipu reached Barisal at early morning of Tuesday from Dhaka and succeeded to anchor at Barisal launch station jetty after about four hours of hard toil and high tide flow and loosing weight unloading huge number of passengers and goods by alternative ways.

MV Parabat-11 and MV Suravi-6 two Dhaka bound launches carrying about 3000 passengers on board failed to depart Barisal launch station due lack of navigability surrounding launch jetty on Monday night.

Most of the passengers later leaving the launch went to their destination by alternative way.

These two launch to maintain schedule of Dhaka end at last able to depart Barisal port jetty for Dhaka with a few number of passengers after tagged by other vessels and using high tide flows on Tuesday morning.

On other hand huge numbers of water transports have got stranded at Bamnir Char channel for hours for the last three days.

Sources at the Bangladesh Water Transport Authority said the water vessels plying on the Dhaka-Barisal-Khulna, Chittagong-Barisal-Khulna and other routes lie stranded for hours every day for poor navigability due to emergence of shoals in the different points of the river route and siltation adjacent port areas.

Project works of test relief begin in Gaibandha

BSS, Gaibandha

Project works of test relief started in all seven upazilas of the district from September 19 with an allocation of 2,981 metric tonnes of rice. District Relief and Rehabilitation Department has been implementing the projects under rural infrastructure maintenance and renovation programme during the current year.

The project works include construction and renovation of roads, culverts and bridges, earth filling of different religious and educational institutions and development of play grounds.

Works on the projects are expected to be completed in a month.

Under this programme 404 metric tonnes of rice have been allocated for Sadullapur Upazila, 467 metric tons for Sadar Upazila, 580 metric tons of rice for Gobindaganj Upazila, 523 metric tons of rice for Sundarganj Upazila, 382 metric tons of rice for Shaghata Upazila, 369 metric tons of rice for Palashbari Upazila and 266 metric tons of rice for Fulchhari Upazila.

Deputy Commissioner Abu Muhamad Yousuf inaugurated the programme by cutting earth at Altafpur village under Faridpur Union of Sadullapur Upazila in the district on Friday as the chief guest.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Wahed, Upazila project implementation officer Kamrul Ahsan, UP chairman Khademul Islam Khudi, public representatives, elite and journalists were present on the occasion.

Farmers lay siege to road demanding fertiliser in Narail

Our Correspondent, Narail

About one thousand farmers laid siege to the Jessore-Narail-Dhaka highway on Tuesday at Tularampur bazar area under Narail Sadar upazila for about four hours demanding expected amount of fertiliser.

Local sources said, a large number of farmers had been waiting in a long queue in front of the dealer Morshed Khan and Sons' shop at Tularampur bazar under Narail Sadar upazila since early morning.

But they were not given any fertiliser, even the dealer did not open his shop. Being agitated the farmers brought out a procession carrying empty sacks and blocked the road near Talarampur bazar from 7 AM to 11 AM. They gathered on the road by putting logs there leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road.

Jahanara Begum, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Narail Sadar, District Agriculture officials and Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. They gave an assurance to supply fertilisers on the next day and the farmers withdrew their blockade after having assurance of getting available amount of fertiliser.

When contacted, the manager of the dealer Rabin Biswas said, they had only 130 sacks of fertiliser in their stock, but the queue of the farmers was very long. Seeing the long queue we got afraid of distributing fertiliser among all the farmers standing there and decided not to open the shop. We re not at all responsible for this unwanted situation, he added.

One killed in Rangpur road accident

BSS, Rangpur

One person was killed in a road accident at CO Bazar point on Dhaka-Dinajpur Highway under Kotwali thana in the city here today.

Police sources said the accident took place when a Dinajpur-bound undefined microbus hit a bicycle at the point at about 11 AM today and seriously injured cycle rider Abdul Matin, 45, son of Akbar Ali of village Kursha Balrampur under Sadar Upazila of Rangpur.

The local people rushed the injured to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A case was filed in this connection with Kotwali police station, the sources said.

Open House Day held in Mymensingh

Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

Open House Day was held in Kotawali Model Thana on September 21. Md. Rafiqul Islam, S.P, Mymensingh was present as chief guest. A.S.P, Kotwali Model Thana, Apel Mohamed presided over the meeting. O/C Kotwali Shah Alam and Journalist Shemsul Alam Khan were also present.

The chief guest said people and police relation should be closer People want better facility from police. So that G.G. and Fir should be taken properly. All sections of people were present in the meeting.

School teacher injured in Rupganj road mishap

Our Correspondent, Rupganj

An assistant teacher Babul Bhuiyan 35 of Hazi Nur Uddin Ahmed High School under Rupganj Upazila in Narayanganj was run over by a bus No Dhaka-2607 on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway near the school on the 21st September at 7 AM. Students and locals seized the bus and put barricade on the highway disrupting vehicles moving for about 30 minutes.

Locals and students sent him to the Barpa General Hospital where on duty doctor sent him to the Trauma Medical Centre Dhaka giving him initial treatment. On information Robiul Azam Sub-Inspector of Bhulta Police Camp rushed the spot with police force and brought the situation under control.

24 held on various charges in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Police arrested 24 persons including two suspected drug-peddlers from different areas of the city and nine upazilas of the district on Monday, police said.

Of them, 12 were arrested from different areas in the metropolis while 12 others from nine upazilas. Police picked up the drug peddlers-Sujan, 26, son of Abdur Rashid, and Tajimul Haque, 40, son of Entajul Haque and seized 500 grams of ganja, 10 grams of heroin and 100 liters of country-made liquor from their possessions during three separate raids in the city.

Traffic police lodged 32 cases under the Motor Vehicles Ordinance during drives against the non-registered motor vehicles and other document-related malpractices in different parts of the city during the time.

379 bottles phensidyl recovered in Barisal

BSS, Barisal

Kotwali Thana police recovered 379 bottles of Phensidyl from East Bagura Road in the city on Tuesday, police said.

They said, acting on a tip-off, a team of the police raided the area and recovered the phensidyl in an abandoned condition. None was arrested in this connection.

A general diary was filed with Kotwali Thana in this connection.

Netrakona DC holds opinion sharing meet with elite

Our Correspondent, Netrakona

The newly joined Deputy Commissioner Netrakona Mohammad Mufazzel Hussain had a opinion-sharing meeting with local civil society members, heads of different educational institutions, NGOs and newspersons at the conference room of Netrakona DC office here recently.

The meeting was followed by an hour-long discussion on the matters relating to local problems and methods of solution of the problems, progress of on-going development programmes, food procurement drive, fertiliser distribution network and overall law and order situation in the district.

The discussion was participated, among others, by Additional Deputy Commissioner (general) Netrakona Mohammad Mizanur Rahaman, Mayor of Netrakona Pourashava Nazrul Islam Khan, president of district corruption prevention committee Dr M A Hamid, Headmaster of Netrakona high school Saidur Rahaman, war-wounded freedom fighter Osman Gani Talukder and Editor of daily Jananetra Pathrika Muklesur Rahaman Khan. Mentionable that Mohammad Mufazzel Hussain took over as deputy commissioner of Netrakona district on August 31 last.

Businessman killed in Gazipur road accident

BSS, Gazipur

A businessman was killed in a road accident at BIDC road near Gazipur bus stand of the district on Sunday. Police said the dead was identified as Nazmul Shahadat,28 of Kaliganj upazila.

The accident occurred when a Dhaka-bound passenger bus Balaka Paribhan hit a businessman while he was crossing the road leaving him seriously injured.

Local people rushed him to Gazipur Sadar Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to medical collage hospital.

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

Firearms seized in Madaripur

BSS, Madaripur

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized two firearms in a raid at Duttakendua Kalabagan area under Shibchar upazila on Monday. Sources said, acting on a tip-off, the elite force seized a revolver and a pipe-gun in abandoned state. A case was filed with Shibchar police station in this connection.

Two shops gutted in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

Two shops were gutted in a fire at Sheikh Farid Market under Panchlaish thana in the city on Tuesday, Fire Service source said.

The sources said goods and valuables of the shops worth about Taka three lakh were burnt to ashes in the fire that broke out at 4.10 PM.

The fire had originated from an electric short circuit from a shop.

Fire fighters with two vehicles in cooperation with local people extinguished the fire at 5 PM.

Kalidas Debnath obtains Ph.D.Degree

BAU Correspondent, Mymensingh

Kalidas Debnath, Chief Instructor, Sherpur Agricultural Training Institute, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh obtained Ph.D. degree from the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. The title of his dissertation was "Increasing Rice Yield through Adaptation of System of Rice Intensification". His research Supervisor was Prof Dr. Najrul Islam, Head of the Department of Agronomy, BAD, Mymensingh.

He conducted 9 experiments during 4 Aman and Boro Seasons of 2004-2006 on different factors of System of Rice Intensification which was developed in Madagascar and introduced in many countries so far.

Dr. Kalidas Debnath wasbom on 1 February 1953 at Aditmari in Lalmanirhat district. He is the 2nd son among 6 Children of Late Dr. Suresh Chandra Debnath and Late Saraju Debnath. He passed his B.Sc. Ag. (Hons.) degree in 1974. He got his M.S. in Agronomy degree with a Government scholarship in 1999. He worked with the project "Investigations into the factors of System of Rice Intensification" funded by the Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology with a fellowship. Some scientific papers and popular scientific articles were published in journals and newspapers.