The New Nation - Internet Edition

'Govt. implements basic edn programme for urban working children’

BSS, Rajshahi

The government has been implementing a special education programme for the urban working children to making them self-reliant in respective fields.

The main objective of the five-year programme titled "Basic Education for the Urban Working Children" is to ensure their access to various nation-building activities in all key areas by the year 2011.

A non-government organisation, Assistance for Slum Dwellers (ASD), has been implementing the programme at the grassroots level on behalf of the Non Formal Education Bureau (NFEB) under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. UNICEF, Swedish SIDA and Canadian CIDA are jointly extending financial supports for implementing the Taka 206-crore project in the country's six divisional cities including Rajshahi.

It is being executed through four major components like basic quality education; livelihood skilled education; advocacy, social mobilisation, programme communication and skill enhancement and experience sharing. Talking to BSS here on Sunday, Project Coordinator of ASD Hasibul Hassan said 200,000 of 10-14 age group working children, 60 percent of them girls, would be given quality and vocational education in 8,000 learning centres under the project.

Of them, 20,000 children aged 13-plus years would enjoy the education facilities of livelihood skill development like photography, tailoring, handicrafts, leather industry, job searching, marketing and business. The learners are being selected on the basis of base-line survey and mapping methods.

The project has a provision for arranging advocacy at local and national levels aimed at protecting the children from health hazardous working atmosphere along with formulating education, social and economic policy in favour of the working children and their families.

Apart from this, Hasibul Hassan said, awareness would be created at all levels to child labour, particularly from the risky sectors, in phases under the project.

IRRI-Boro procurement drive achieves target in Dinajpur

UNB, Dinajpur

The government-launched IRRI-Boro rice and paddy procurement drive achieved its target in the district this year after extension of two months time.

The drive began in May with a target to procure 1.27 lakh mts of rice and 10,500 mts of paddy till August 31. The price of per kg rice was fixed at Tk 28 while per kg paddy at Tk 15.

But the target was not achieved by August 31 due to unwillingness of the mill owners. District Food Control Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said the target of only paddy procurement was achieved by the stipulated time. Rice mill owners, who earlier signed contract with the government, did not supply rice to the procurement centre due to higher price in the open market.

In this situation, Food Department cancelled license of 300 rice mills for not supplying rice. The government extended the time limit of supplying rice to October 31 from August 31 on request by the businessmen.

Later, owners of 200 rice mills, out of 300, renewed their license and supplied rice to government godowns. The Food Control Officer said the Ministry has given directives to collect additional 12,559 mts from the district and it is expected that target would be achieved by October 31.

Youth dies from drinking alcoholic liquor

Narsingdi Correspondent

A youth died in Narsingdi on Friday from drinking alcoholic liquor mixing with Tiger Beverage, a locally produced soft drink.

The incident occurred at Shantanpara village under Palash upazila in Narsingdi district. According to eyewitness, Utpal Datta (29), son of Anil Datta of the village, drank liquor along with his two friends, Bappy and Anajn after mixing tiger beverage and felt sick.

The friends of Utpal sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and he died on the way.

Abdur Rahim, a Sub-Inspector of Palash Police Station, when contacted said he was not aware of such an incident.

Seminar on dev of Zamdani Industry held in Rupganj

Our Correspondent, Rupganj

A seminar on saving and development of traditional Zamdani Industry of Rupganj in Narayanganj was held at the auditorium of the Upazila on the 18th October with Nahid Sultana Mollick, Upazila Nirbahi Officer in the chair.

Aminul Islam, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment was the chief guest. Abu Ali Sazzad Hossain, Assistant Commissioner Land of the same upazila was present as special guest. Among others, labours, owners and concerning authorities of the said industry attended in the seminar. In this meeting the Deputy Secretary and chief guest gave a patient hearing to the problems including financial limitation of the industry.

The chief guest in his address gave assurance to extend the helping hand to save and develop the industry. Later, he along with TNO and AC land visited the Zamdani Pallies of different areas. The chief guest requested the owners of the industry not to engage children in this sector as child labour is strictly prohibited.

Discussion on Sanitation Month held in Moulvibazar

Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar

A colourful rally and a discussion meeting were held in observance of "National Sanitation Month October-2008 Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila on October 12.

The rally was brought out from the upazila parishad campus. It paraded the important roads of town and ended at the same place of upazila parishad. Upazila Nirbahi Officer, several departmental officers, journalists, Union Parishad (UP) chairmen, students of different schools, local elite, officials of non-government organisation BRAC took part in this rally.

A discussion meeting was held at the Upazila Parishad hall. Sub- Assistant Engineer (Public Health) Md Atikur Rahman presided over the meeting while Acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (AC Land) Faruque Ahmed was present as chief guest.

The meeting was conducted by Upazila BRAC (WASH) Manager Sultana Aktar. It was also addressed, among others, by Upazila Education Officer Md Zia Uddin, Upazila statictis Officer Abu Tahar. The chief guest said, "To keep sound health and sound mind, we should not use unhygienic open latrine. It spreads disease and pollutes environment, specially water and air.

Touchstone seized, one held in Ctg

BSS, Chittagong

Rapid Action Battalion arrested a person and recovered a touchstone and 285 bottles of Phensidyl in separate raids in the city and the district on Friday and Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, a RAB squad arrested touchstone trader Mohammad Aliur Rahman, 40, son of Surath Meah, with a touchstone weighing 900 grammes from East Gomdandi area under Boalkhali Upazila of the district on Friday.

In another drive, the elite force recovered 285 bottles of Phensidyl from Narikeltala area under Patenga thana of the city on Saturday, RAB sources said.

Separate cases were filed with respective police stations in these connections.

GPA-5 students accorded reception in Mymensingh

Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

G. Kibrias Co, Chartered Accountants accorded a reception to GPA-5 holders of the Sadar Upazila, Mymensingh at District Silpakala Auditorium on 16th October.

Jafar Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Planning was present as chief guest and distributed the certificates. Md. Ziaur Rahman Khan, D.C, Mym. was present as special guest.

A.K. Golam Kibria, F.C.A., G. Kibrias Co, presided over the function. A cultural function was held on the occasion.

News briefs

Dacoits with booties arrested in Dinajpur

DINAJPUR, Oct 22: Police arrested eight inter-district robbers along with some booties from Bochaganj and Begumganj upazilas on Sunday. Police said armed robbers swooped on the house of Firoj, Faruk and Babu and looted valuables worth Tk 4.42 lakh on October 4. Later, a robbery case was filed against 8/10 persons in this connection. Police conducted drives in different arreas of the two upazilas from 10am to midnight on Sunday and arrested the bandits and recovered two mobile phone sets and some gold ornaments form their possess. The arrested are Dobirul Islam, Kamal Uddin, Mostafa Kamal, Farajul, Amira, Radhacharan Das, Bijan Kumar Mohanta and Sawpon Chandra Mohanta, reports UNB.

Smuggled goods seized in Joypurhat

JOYPURHAT, Oct 22: Bangladesh Rifles, in separate raids, seized huge smuggled Indian goods, worth about Tk 25 lakh, from Joypurhat and Panchbibi border areas on Monday. Acting on secret information, BDR jawans of 29 rifle battalion raided Joypurhat and Panchbibi border areas and Joypurhat-Hili and Joypurhat-Bogra road and seized the contraband goods from different vehicles. The seized goods included 865 bottles and 20 litres of phensidyl, 10 tons of fake fertilizer, 30,000 tablets, 150 pieces of saree, 150 kg cumin seed, fruits, spices and spare parts, reports UNB.

Housewife strangled for dowry in B'baria

BRAHMANBARIA, Oct 22: A woman was strangulated to death allegedly by her in-laws at village Pukurpar in Kasba upazila Sunday night due to dowry demand. The dead was identified as Champa Begum, 23, wife of Abul Kalam. Abul Kalam now is staying abroad. Police said Campa's in-laws used to torture her as she failed to bring Tk 1 lakh from her parents although her father, earlier, gave Tk two lakh to Kalam for going abroad, police said. On the fateful night, the in-laws strangulated Champa, mother of a three-year old girl, to death. Police recovered the body and sent it to morgue for autopsy. A case has been filed with Sadar thana accusing victim's father in-law, mother in-law and brother in-law, reports UNB.