The New Nation - Internet Edition

Durga Puja in 426 Mandops of Barisal end with immersion of idols

Our Correspondent, Barisal

A five-day celebration of Sharodiya Durga Utsob, the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu Community, has been ended in festive mood on Thursday night in 426 Puja Mandops of the district.

It was ended by immersion of the idols and images of the deities in different rivers, canals, ponds with solemnities and religious rituals and exchanging greetings of 'Bijoya Dshami'.

Rakhal Chandra Dey and Manik Mukharjee Kudu, president and secretary of Barisal District Puja Udajapon Porishad, on behalf of the community thanked the peoples and administration on this occasion for peaceful ending of the festival.

The Puja Mandops in the district included 21 mass (Sarbojonin) and 7 personal (Bektigato) Mandops of Barisal city, 12 mass and 1 personal Mandops of Sadar, 120 Mandops of Agoiljhara, 60 Mandops of Gournadi, 84 Mandops of Uzirpur, 44 Mandops of Bakerganj, 34 Mandops of Banaripara, 14 Mandops of Mehendiganj, 13 Mandops of Bauganj,09 Mandops of Muladi and 07 Mandops of Hizla upazilas .

District administration allotted special financial grants and made special security, undisrupted electricity and water supply, traffic control arrangements for the worshipers and visitors of the each Puja Mandop.

Mandops were colorfully and beautifully decorated with gates, electric lights and cultural functions, Aroti competitions, arranged in almost every Puja Mandop.

Religious discussions and other programs also held on this occasion at Dharma Rakkkhini and Ramakrishna Mission Math Mandops of the city. Leaders of the different community called to maintain peaceful coexistences, religious and communal harmony during the Sharodiya Durga Puja Utsob and visited the mandops.

Sher-e-Bangla Medical College opens tomorrow

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, the largest public institution in heath sector of southern region, will open tomorrow after 50 days following lynching a plumber on the campus by the students.

Academic council of the SBMC approved this decision and campus would be under police protection, Dr. Zahid Hossain, principal of the college said this on Tuesday.

The academic council also expressed their deep condolence about lynching of plumber Murad by the students on August 24 and decided to deploy police forces on the campus from October 10 and open the 3 male and 2 female student hostels from today before resuming classes on tomorrow.

Barisal SBMC declared closure of the institution sine die from August 25 following the highly tensed situation created after killing of plumber Murad on August 24 and 25.

Clashes between the students and local people and handing over memorandum demanding arrest and punishment of the killers to administration by holding procession with dead body of the victim breaking emergency power rule were happened on those two days. College authority also formed a separate investigation committee in this connection, which report yet not submitted.

A murder case was lodged by Kamal Mistri, father of killed Murad Hossain, as complainant accusing Badrul, 35th batch, Mehdi and Nobel, 36th batch, Ashik and Shuva, 37th batch, five students of SBMC for the killing and investigation of the case still going on without any arrest in last 50 days.

Hayatul Islam, Assistant Commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police, said that college authority assured to give all necessary assistances needed for punishment of the killers under legal procedure, maintaining proper educational atmosphere and controlling law and order situation in the campus.

Boat race held in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

A colorful boat race, popularly known as 'Nouka Baaich', the traditional game of the riverine rural Bengal, held at Nibaron Kobirajer Dighi of Dashmina upazila under Patuakhali district on Thursday noon.

The race was sponsored by mobile phone giant Grameen Phone and conducted by Dashmina Nouka Baaich Udjapon Committee on the occasion of Bijoya Dashami, the idol emersion ceremony of great Sharodiya Durgotsayab festival of Hindu community to patronize the eternal traditional village cultures and express solidarities with the local and regional customs.

The competition was participated by six teams and the boat teams led by Hashem Kamar, Gouranga Shil and Haripada succeeded to get first, second and third places in the race. Two 21 inches and one 14 inches color televisions as first, second and third prizes and other prizes were distributed among the winners by Muuhammad Riaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner, as chief guest of the program.

Mehdi Hassan, upazila nirbahi officer of the Dashmina presided over the function attended by Farhad Hossain, general manager of GP Barisal region as special guest. Thousands of spectators enjoyed the race and encouraged the participant teams.

BSTI realises Tk 1.83 lakh as fine in Barisal divn

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution Barisal divisional office conducting 12 drives including operating 9 mobile courts and 3 BSTI squads collected Tk.1,83,400 as fine and lodged 36 cases in September 2008.

Shawkat Osman, deputy director of Barisal BSTI office said the drives were operated in city and Sadar upazila of Barisal, Baufal upazila of Patuakhali, Bhadraria and Kawkhali upazilas of Pirojpur districts.

Out of 36 cases, 8 were lodged by BSTI and 28 were lodged by mobile courts under different sections of penal codes and pure food ordinance.

The actions were taken for selling adulterated and sub-standard food items, cheating customers by using tricks and unapproved equipments in measuring weight and length of different commodities.

In August BSTI conducting 4 mobile courts collected Tk. 19 thousand as fine and lodged 7 cases for same causes and drives of BSTI often faces crisis of required magistrates and law enforcing agency personals, the DD of Barisal BSTI told.

BDR arrests two smugglers on Sapahar border in Naogaon

BSS, Sapahar, Naogaon

Members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) arrested two Indian smugglers and seized smuggled goods from frontier village Madhoil under Sapahar Upazila in Naogaon on Sunday afternoon, official sources said.

Acting on secret information, BDR jawans of Bamonpara outpost raided the house of smuggler Shafi Uddin in the village and arrested two Indian smugglers and seized six pieces of Indian radio and two dish antennas from their possession. The arrested Indian smugglers were identified as Aziz Mollah, 20, son of Sohrab Molla and Tariqul, 26, son of Saidul Mahalat of village Gopal Nagar under Tapan Thana in Dakkhin Dinajpur district of West Bengal.

Smuggler Shafi Uddin, however, managed to escape the scene sensing BDR presence.

The BDR handed over the arrested smugglers to Sapahar police station after filing a case against three smugglers, including two Indians, last night, the sources said.

6 gamblers held in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested six professional gamblers and seized money, cards and equipment for gambling from a house in Gangachara upazila town in the small hours of today.

Police sources said, a team of DB police raided the house of Iman Ali and arrested the gamblers red-handed while they were gambling and seized Taka 1,440, cards and other things from their possessions.

The arrested gamblers were identified as Iman Ali, 50, Nazrul Islam, 45, Abul Kalam, 38, Abdul Wares, 44, Nazrul Islam, 46, and Lutfar Rahman, 46, of different villages in the same upazila.

The DB police handed over them and seized goods to Gangachara police station after filing a case in this connection on Monday.

One killed in Mymensingh

BSS, Mymensingh

One person was killed at Panihori village under Phulpur upazila on Monday. The victim was identified as Monjurul Islam Khan, 32, son of Phulpur upazila Ameer of Jamaat-i-Islami Abdur Rashid Khan. Police said, Monjurul Islam Khan served as the caretaker of a house owned by one Ali Ahmed Khan of the same village. Manjurul had a quarrel with Shoel Ahmed, nephew of Ali Ahmed some time back.

Following the quarrel, Shoel called out Monjrul from the local mosque on Sunday afternoon and chopped him indiscriminately with sharp weapon.

Monjurul was rushed to Phulpur Upazila Health Complex and later he was shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries on his way to Dhaka in the early hours of Monday.

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

News briefs

100-kg touchstone statue recovered in Naogaon

NAOGAON, Oct 10: BDR personnel recovered a 100-kg touchstone made statue of lord Bishnu worth about Tk one crore from Patna village in Sadar upazila Monday night. Acting on secret information that a touchstone made statue would be sold, deputy commander of 43-Rifle battalion Major Aftabuddin contacted with the smugglers in the guise of buyers and fixed its price. When Aftab along with BDR troops came to the village at night by an ambulance the smugglers fled the scene abandoning the statue. BDR personnel later handed over the statue to the district administration, reports UNB.

UP chairman killed in Satkhira

SATKHIRA, Oct 10: A Union Parishad (UP) Chairman was killed by unidentified assailants at his house at Dhandia in Tala upazila early Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Dhandia UP chairman Arifuzzaman Chanchal, 35. Police said the assailants stormed into his house late at night and strangulated him to death. Later, they threw the body into a nearby pond and fled the scene. Being informed by villagers, police recovered his body in the morning, reports UNB.

Freedom fighter dies in Jamalpur

JAMALPUR, Oct 10: Valiant freedom fighter Mafizal Haque died of heart attack at his home at Bahadaurpur village in Islampur upazila Tuesday morning. He was 55. He left behind two wives, three sons, three daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. Mafizal Haque was buried with state honour at his family graveyard after namaz-e-janaza held at Bahadurpur School field at noon, reports UNB.