The New Nation - Internet Edition

Nursery business gaining popularity in Panchagarh

BSS, Panchagarh

The number of nursery has been increasing in the district following achievement made by the rural people in recent years.

The business has already gained popularity as running such business has been proved to be very profitable. About 1,500 private owned nurseries have been set up and about 5,000 skilled and non-skilled workers are working in these nurseries.

To preserve ecological balance, the government has also taken up massive tree plantation programme. Under the programme, different species of trees are being planted besides of highways and on the premises of government offices and educational institutions. The government nurseries were established in every upazila headquarters under the supervision of Department of Agricultural Extension Department (DAE). Saplings of various species of trees are being supplied to the interested persons from the upazila level government nurseries.

Plantation of fruit-bearing and medicinal plants including mango, jack-fruit, segun, mehagani, shal, babla, bay, leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, guava, grapes, leechi, black berry, jamrul, pomegranate, eucalyptus, shilkrai, shishu and other trees has created huge responses among the people of the district.

The small traders collect saplings from the private nurseries at a cheaper price and sell those in the hats and bazars of the rural areas. The wholesale price of a sapling is ranging from Tk 5 to 15 according to demand and quality.

Grapes are also being cultivated in the private nurseries at Satkhamar and Kamatpara and different species of flower and rabid trees saplings are available in these private nurseries.

The owners of the nurseries urged the government to provide interest free loan for patronization of the private nurseries.

Akhbar Ali, 45, has set up an example as a means of survival by maintaining a nursery at Satkhamar in Atowari upazila.

Akhbar established the nursery at his own initiative in 1988 on five decimals of land with 40 to 50 varieties of different plants. Now his nursery has been expanded and there are about 150 varieties of different types of saplings, including fruit- bearing trees and medicinal plants.

There are three lakhs saplings in his nursery including mango, Jack-fruit, segun, mehagani, shal, babla, bay, leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, guave, grapes, leechi, black berry, jamrul, pomegranate, eucalyptus, shilkrai, shishu, tejpata, daruchini, elachi, neem, segun etc.

His yearly net income is about Taka 75,000 from the nursery. As many as 1,500 other enthusiastic individuals took up the profession of nursery in the district.

RU bans dhumketu Natya Sangsad

RU Correspondent

The Rajshahi University (RU) authorities on Wednesday evening banned Dhumketu Natya Sangsad, a campus based drama group on the campus by pressure of Islami Chhatra Shibir.

They also imposed restriction for holding drama 'Mandar' on the campus.

Earlier, Dhumketu Natya Sangsad of RU staged a drama 'Mandar' on the campus on November 3 protesting the removal of Lalon's sculpture near Zia International Airport in the capital.

Udichi activists performed the drama and Mohammad Rosul Mia is a home-aide's character of Mandar. Following the drama, the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) and its aiding organisations in RU claimed defamatory to Prophet (SM).

Earlier, Shibir observed a strike on the campus demanding punishment of cultural activists and threatened to postpone on going admission test if the Udichi and Dhumketu are not ban from the campus.

Sources said, on Wednesday at around 5.30pm, RU registrar Prof Muhammad Shafi issued a press release and said that Dhumketu is a none-registered organisation on the campus. University has rules that every cultural organisation took registration from Teachers Students Culture Centre (TSCC) authorities for their programme and activities, they mentioned.

The press release mentioned that Dhum-ketu is a none-registered organisation and also asked to refrain themselves from holding any programme and activities on the campus.

The press release also asked all registered organization to refrain themselves from presenting any types of activities which will attack any person, groups and religious sentimental.

Van-puller killed in Puthia

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Muggers at a Puthia village killed a van-puller and decamped with the van on Saturday night. The victim was identified as Taslim (40) of village Gondogohali under Puthia thana.

Sources said when rickshaw van puller Taslim was returning home on Saturday night with his van muggers waylaid and killed him by stabbing and escaped with the van. In the early morning passerby near Palashbari sugarcane purchase centre saw the dead body of rick-shaw vanpuller Taslim lying beside the road and informed police.

Police recovered the deadbody and sent it to the morgue of RMCH for autopsy. No one has so far bee arrested in this connection till writing this report.

Language veteran Shamsul Alam laid to rest

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Advocate Shamsul Alam, former deputy attorney general and a veteran of the historical language movement of 1952, laid to rest on Friday night at Barisal Muslim Goros-than after holding second Namaje Janaja in front of Barisal Aswani Kumar Hall.

Representatives of different socio-cultural-political and professional organization and mass people giving condolence massages paid tributes on his coffin and grave attending the burial function.

Advocate Shamsul Alam was 85 and died of liver cancer and elderly diseases on Thursday night at Dhaka Square Hospital and his first Namaje Janaja was held at High Court Majar Masjid after Juma prayer on Friday noon.

He left his wife, 2 sons, 2 daughters and huge well wishers.

Fish fry trader robbed in Monirampur

Our Correspondent, Monirampur (Jessore)

Road dacoits snatched cash and valuables worth Tk. 1 lakh 80 thousand from a fish fry trader on November 19 at evening. The occurrence happened near at Chalkidanga bazar 3km off from Minorampur police station.

According to the police and locals, Abdul Halim (35), s/o Abdul Latif of village Kadarpur under Keshabpur upazila when was passing through the Jessore-Satkhira road from Jessore by motorecycle, a private car hindered him from back and hit repeatedly with weapons. At one stage the miscreants snatched Tk. 35 thousand and he was his motorcycle. The miscreants were 5 to 6 in number, the locals said.

After receiving information Fire Brigade ambulance rushed to the spot and took Abdul Halim to the Monirampur hospital. Later he was taken to the 250 bed hospital in Khulna as his condition was critical. A case has been registered with the Monirampur Police.

Ctg Mahila AL leader Halen buried

BSS, Chittagong

Shahnaz Malik Halen, former ward commissioner of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and organizing secretary of Chittagong district unit Mahila Awami League, was laid to rest at Garibullah Shah Mazar graveyard here on Saturday afternoon.

Helen, who had been suffering from SLE and Nephropathy, died on November 19 at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital in Dhaka.

The deceased was the wife of businessman Khizir Malik, sister of Prof. Khaleda Khanam, a former Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad and Rasheda Amin, a news editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

Her namaj-e-janaza was held at Sardar Bahadur Nagar Eidgah in the city after Zohr prayers on Saturday. CCC Mayor Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, city Awami League joint secretary Dr Afsarul Amin and organizing secretary Badiul Alam, acting CCC Mayor Alhaj Manjurul Alam Manju, leaders of different political and professional organizations, CCC ward councilors attended the janaza.

Adulterated fertilisers seized at Patgram

BSS, Lalmonirhat

The local administration seized 13 sacks of adulterated fertilizers, fined a trader Taka 10,000 and sealed off his shop at Patgram upazila town of the district on Wednesday.

Officials said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Patgram upazila Kazi Abu Taher while conducting an anti-adulteration drive, seized the fertilizer mixed with brick dusts and sands from the shop of one Shahidul Islam at Patgram Bazaar.

The mobile court also fined Shahidul Islam Taka 10,000 for selling the impure agri-input, the officials added.

JS Election ’08: Gaibandha-2: Shafiqur Rahman seeks nomination from BNP

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Commodor Shafiqur Rahman (Retd) seeks the nomination from BNP under the banner of 4-party alliance for his own constituency of Gaibandha-2 (Sadar upazila) in coming ninth parliamentary election.

The name of Shafiqur Rahman is being sounded in the all 13 unions and Gaibandha Pourashava of the upazila as probable MP candidate from 4 party alliance for Gaibandha-2 constituency.

Always smiling Shafiqur Rahman, who has a good image in his own area; has been continuing his massive contact in his electoral zone to convince the voters.

He is also well known to all as a social worker of his own constituency.

He is the founder and chief adviser of Grassroots Women Organisation which is working for the elected women members of the union parishad to ensure the rights.

He is also the chief adviser of Practon Shainik Sangstha, district unit which is functioning for the welfare of the ex-soldiers. He has also established "Fazlar Miah Foundation" in the name of his father in native village at Shimultari under Badiakhali union of Sadar upazila in the district and money beneficial and welfare activities including agro based training for the farmers are being conducted through the foundation to encourage them to boost production of agri-crops.

He also stood beside the affected poor people at the time of flood, cold wive and other natural calamities and distributed relief materials to them aimed at mitigating their suffering.

If he gets nomination from 4-party alliance he will engage himself in the welfare of the party and over all development of the Sadar upazila.

The people including the voters expect that the nomination giving authority will prove their accuracy and correctness by giving the nomination to Shafiqur Rahman for this constituency.

16 arrested, drugs seized in Joypurhat

BSS, Joypurhat

Police in separate drives arrested 16 persons including four drug-peddlers on various charges from different places of five upazilas in the district during the last 24 hours till on Friday afternoon.

Police said, the arrested persons were absconding warrantees, thieves, cheats, drug-peddlers and accused persons in different cases and other anti-social elements during the drives.

Joypurhat Thana police conducted a raid at bus terminal area and arrested Altaf Hossain, 40, and Aslam Ali, 30, with 44 pieces of contraband Indian drug Buprinorphine injection. Panchbibi Thana police arrested Najemoddin Alom, 26, with 77 bottles and Seuly Parvin, 30, with 12 bottles of contraband Indian phensidyl.

The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat before police produced them different courts of Joypurhat.

News Briefs

Rice Procurement

THAKURGAON, Nov 22: Government rice and paddy procurement drive may be hampered in the district this season due to lack of space in its 12 food centres. Food officials said they are going to face serious problem during the next procurement drive, scheduled to begin on November 25, as some 44,140 mts of rice, paddy and wheat that procured during the previous boro season, have already been stored in the centres against the capacity of 28,000 mts. Of the total, 43,821 mts are rice, 314 mts wheat and six mts paddy. The officials said that it would be difficult to procure new food grains if the stored rice, wheat and paddy are not removed from the centres immediately, reports UNB.

Auto-rickshaw drive killed in Sylhet

SYLHET, Nov 22: An auto-rickshaw driver was killed by robbers at Angura Mohammadpur in Bianibazar upazila on Wednesday night. Local people said the bandits looted valuables worth Tk 2 lakh from the passengers of four auto-rickshaws putting barricade near the bridge no-3 at about 9 pm. They hacked auto-rickshaw driver Kalimuddin, 22, to death when he tried to resist them. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, reports UNB.

Substandard fertilizer factory unearthed in Narayanganj

NARAYANGANJ, Nov 22: Police unearthed a factory of substandard fertilizer at Aliganj in Fatulla thana on Thursday night. They detained its four workers for interrogation and also seized low quality TSP worth Tk 22 lakh from the factory. The factory was sealed off on Friday morning in presence of local UNO Motahar Hossain. The arrested were identified as Pasha, 45, Dulal, 30, Alamgir, 34, and Yakub, 46. Police said Harishankar and Adinath Babu, owner of Moitri Trading and Sons of the district town, rented the godown of Nizam Iodized Salt Industry at Aliganj. They used to package the date-expired and low quality TSP in a new packet and sell those at high prices, reports UNB.

Fishing boats hijacked in Laxmipur

LAXMIPUR, Nov 22: Pirates injuring 17 fishermen took away their three engine boats along with nets and other valuables worth Tk 10 lakh in Meghna river near Char Abdullah in Ramgati upazila on Thursday night. Local people said the gang swooped on the three engine boats when the fishermen were fishing in the river at dead of night. They said some 17 fishermen were injured when the muggers beat them up on the boats and took away the boats throwing them into the river. Villagers later caught one of the pirates and handed him over to the police. A case was filed, reports UNB.