The New Nation - Internet Edition

BNP organizational programme

Staff Reporter

BNP Khulna Divisional Organising Committee would start its visit to districts of the division from this month to boost mass campaign ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The committee starts visit to Satkhira, Jessore and Bagerhat districts from October 24 to 26. Later it would visit rest of the districts of the division.

To this effect a decision was made at a meeting, which was presided over by Begum Sarwari Rahman, team leader of the committee at the party central office, Naya Paltan in the city.

It was also attended, among others, by Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Kabir Murad, President of ZIA Parishad, former MP's Newaz Arli Halima and Shahana Rahman and Advocate Abdus Salam and Joyantoo Kumar Kundu.

"We formed the 'Khulna Division Organising Committee' to revitalise and rejuvenate the activities of the party in districts level," she told the journalists after the meeting.

"The organisational activities of the districts committees were inactive and it would be reactivated after visit by the committee," she added.

She said that the committee would submit its reports to the Secretary General of the party within one month.

Admission test of SUST to be held on Nov 29-30

UNB, Sylhet

The first semester admission test for the 2008-09 academic session in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) will be held on November 29 and 30.

Varsity sources said admission forms would be distributed from four unit offices during the office hours from November 3 to 22.

The university authorities like previous years have taken steps to expedite the admission test process this year.

According to the schedule, admission test of 'Ka' and 'Ga' units would be held at 9:30am and 2:30pm on November 29 and 'Kha' and 'Gha' units at the same time next day.

Diarrhoea claims 7 lives, affects 50 in B'baria

UNB, Brahmanbaria

Diarrhoea that broke out in an alarming proportion at Dharmondal union in Nasirnagar upazila, claimed seven lives and affected about 50 people in last one month.

The deceased were identified Hosna Begum, 10, Jafi Mia, 8, Maju Begum, 7, Jahir Mia, 18, Raju Begum, 70, Sagir Mia, 75, and Mobarak Mia, 3.

Upazila health officer Dr Sarwar Alam, however, admitted the death of six people from the waterborne disease after visiting the area Thursday. He said a medical team has been working in the affected areas round the clock since Wednesday.

Union parishad chairman Bahar Uddin Chowdhury said acute crisis of oral saline and medicine is hampering the treatment of poor people in the area.

Sub Registrar held for taking bribe in Joypurhat

UNB, Joypurhat

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Sub Registrar and his assistant for taking bribe from a client in Panchbibi upazila Wednesday.

RAB sources said, acting on secret information, they took position around the sub-registry office.

They caught Sub Registrar Shambhunath Karmakar and his assistant (Muhuri) Narayan Kumar Ghosh red handed when they were taking Tk 1840 as land registration cost from a client instead of government rate of Tk 232.

A case was filed.

2 youths crushed under wheels of train in Khulna

UNB, Khulna

Two young men were crushed under the wheels of a train while gossiping on a rail track at Khalishpur Natun road in Khalishpur thana early yesterday.

Two deceased were identified as Faruk, 25, and Belal, 28, both hailed from Khalishpur.

GRP sources said the Khulna bound mail train coming from Parbatipur hit the two young men, killing them on the spot at about 2am.

Railway police recovered the bodies and handed over them to their relatives after autopsy at Khulna Medical College Hospital.

A case was filed with GRP thana.

One shrimp exporting firm closed in Khulna

UNB, Khulna

A shrimp exporting firm was closed and its license cancelled on Thursday on charge of exporting shrimp abroad mixing with injurious chemical for human body.

The license of Modern Sea Food was cancelled and its office shut down following a letter from the DG office of Fisheries and Livestock Department in the capital faxed here on the day.

Managing Director of Modern Sea Food Rezaul Kabir and president of Frozen Food Exporters' Association Kazi Belayet Hossain confirmed it.

Fish inspection and quality control local office said Modern Sea Food had exported one container frozen fish valued at Tk 1.50 crore through Mongla port to Belgium in last August.

The authorities in Belgium after check up found the presence of nitrofuran, a harmful chemical for human body, in the exported fish.

Being informed of the matter by Belgium authorities, a six-member team of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, led by Joint Secretary Parikkhit Datta Chowdhury, arrived here on October 6 for inspection and later submitted a report to the ministry.

An allegation was also raised that the company exported the fish after managing quality control certificate by fraudulent means.

Later, the ministry issued a show cause notice to the company and cancelled its license as its reply was unsatisfactory.

Modern Sea Food was given national award for shrimp export this year.

BNP for removal of roadblocks in next dialogue with CA

UNB, Dhaka

BNP Standing Committee member Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui said yesterday that they were maintaining an informal contact with the caretaker administration, as the party waits a second dialogue with the Chief Adviser before Oct 20, the cut-off date for registration of political parties.

Talking to reporters at a park in Gulshan, Siddiqui said he expected that the government would settle all contentious political issues in the next dialogue to clear ways for the BNP to get registered with the Election Commission.

The BNP on Tuesday sat in the first dialogue with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office and placed a seven-point demand, including withdrawal of the state of emergency ahead of the December 18 polls.

"In our first dialogue, we had been able to make the government understand our points. But the government is still hesitant about some issues," Siddiqui said.

"We hope, good sense will prevail and the government will accept our demands to protect democracy and ensure welfare of the nation in light of reality," he added.

The BNP leader said everything was ready to get the party registered with the Election Commission under the modified electoral law, but the commission has put some unnecessary conditions for the registration.

"We want those unnecessary points to go and we've made our position clear on that. We hope the government will give a decision on the disputed issues in the next dialogue."

Reiterating the party's position on the need for withdrawal of the state of emergency, he said: "I am sure the government will understand that election won't be acceptable at home and abroad if it is held under the state of emergency."

Siddiqui said the BNP is ready to contest the parliamentary election on December 18, but felt the condition is not conducive yet.

"We want a congenial election environment. We are ready to cooperate with the government," he said.

28th BCS preliminary test on Nov 28

UNB, Dhaka

The preliminary (Objective) test of the 28th Bangladesh Civil Service Examination will be held at 10am on November 28 in all centres of Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal simultaneously.

Seat-plans will be informed the candidates through newspapers in time, says a government press release yesterday.

Golden Jubilee of RU Physics Dept ends

RU Correspondent

"Moving ahead with Physics"-with this slogan the Physics Department of Rajshahi University has ended a two-day-long Golden Jubilee celebration on Friday with much enthusiasm and festivity on the Campus.

Prof. Azharul Islam, Convener of golden jubilee celebration and former Vice Chancellor of International Islamic University, Chittagong gave the welcome speech at the inaugural session with Prof. M Wabidul Hakim, Chairman of Physics Department in the chair.

The two-day-long golden jubilee celebration included colourful rally, scientific lecture, photo session, science exhibition, reminiscence and an attractive cultural evening. Over nine hundred present and ex-students from home and abroad, participated in the programme, sources said.

At the celebration the renowned Scientist and former Vice-Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Prof. S.A. Chawdhury attended the programme as the chief guest while Vice-Chancellor of RU Prof. Dr. Mamnunul Keramat was present as special guest.

Prof. Dr. M Aminul Islam, Vice Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, former Registrar of RU Prof. Abdus Salam, Treasurer of RU Prof. Mozammel Haque, Prof.Saidur Rahaman Khan, former Vice Chancellor of RU and other registered 632 former and present students attended the programme, said convener of the programme Prof. A. K. M. Azharul Islam.

Earlier on Thursday morning, as the part of the programme a rally was held and paraded important streets on the campus.

After the inauguration programme they organised an international seminar of "Contemporary Physics" where Prof. S.M. Qaim of Cologne University, Germany, Prof. A.A.Z Ahmed, former chairman of SPAARSO. Dr. Abdulla Sams Bin Tarik, Prof. Dr. AKM Azharul Islam presented their keynote papers in the seminar at the Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium of RU.

Prof. Arun Kumar Basak, former teacher of the department and Gold medallist from science academy in 2003 and Prof. Shamsher Ali were also present as the special speakers at the seminar.

Department professor and joint secretary of organising committee Dr. F Nazrul Islam told the New Nation that the department was launched in 1958 with only 13 students but now the students are more than five hundred.

On the last day of golden jubilee programme on Friday, cultural function and reminiscence were held at the Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium of RU. Present and ex-students of the department performed at the cultural function.