The New Nation - Internet Edition

Concerted efforts for national development underscored

BSS, Lalmonirhat

MP-elect from Lalmonirhat-3 constituency Golam Mohammad Kader has asked all to come above party affiliations and work unitedly to ensure developments of the people and greater national interests.

He said this while addressing leaders and workers of the Mohajote including Awami League and Jatiyo Party when they came to welcome him with floral wreaths after his landslide victory at his Lalmonirhat residence on Wednesday.

Over 50 leaders and workers of AL and JP led by member-secretary of the Lalmonirhat pourashava unit of election conducting committee and general secretary of Lalmonirhat pourashaba unit of AL Mofazzal Hossain were present on the occasion.

GM Kader asked the leaders and activists of the Mohajote to show their maximum restraints for maintaining the congenial atmosphere side by side communal and social harmony in the society.

He thanked the people for giving their proper verdict in the December 29 general elections and urged all to work together for fulfilling the huge hopes and aspirations of the people.

Gazipur RO distributes Upazila election symbol

Our correspondent, Gazipur

The returning officer of Gazipur district on Thursday distributed symbol to the chairmen and vice-chairmen candidates of the poll slated for January 22.

In Gazipur Sadar, 13 candidates will run for the post of chairman and 12 for the vice-chairman post, including six women.

In Capasia Upazila nine persons will contest for the post of chairman and 12 for the vice-chairmen, including 4 women, In Sreepur Upazila 8 candidates will run for the post against 25, and 25 for the post of vice-chairman, including eight women, one dozen contestants will fight for the post of chairman in Kaliganj Upazila and 14, including six women for the vice-chairmen.

Thirteen candidates will be in the race for the post chairman of Kaliakoir Upazila and 18 for the post of vice-chairmen, including seven women. After withdrawals, now 122 candidates are on the fight. The returning officer of the district selected 14 symbol for the post of chairman and vice-chairmen post of five Upazilas of the district.

UZ poll: Khulna: 10 Chairman candidates withdraw nomination papers

Our Correspondent, Khulna

Out of 50 aspirant candidates in the post of Chairman, 10 candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal of the nomination papers in Upazila election on Wednesday, according to returning officer's office sources.

Out of 58 in the post of Vice Chairman and candidates and out of 15 in the post of Vice Chairman (woman), 2 candidates have withdrawn the nomination papers.

Total 135 candidates now in the race in 9 upazilas of the district.

29 held on various charges in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Police arrested a total of 29 persons, including suspected criminals, from various places of the district during the last 24 hours ending at 6 am on Thursday.

Police said the arrested persons include absconding warrantees and accused persons in different cases, drug traders, smugglers and peddlers, thieves, suspects and other anti-social elements.

Police also recovered illegal pistol with ammunitions, good quantities of smuggled goods, ganja, phensidyl, locally produced wine and other illegal goods during the drives.

Of them, Kotwali police netted two persons, Gangachara five, Taraganj one, Badarganj two, Mithapukur six, Pirganj nine and Pirgachha police arrested four persons during the period.

The arrested persons were sent to jail hajat when police produced them before different Rangpur courts, the sources said.

Two firearms seized in Rajshahi

BSS, Rajshahi

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized two firearms from two northern districts in the last 24 hours till Thursday afternoon, RAB sources here said that day.

Based on secret information, a team of the elite force conducted a sudden raid in Bidirpurghat area under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district at around 7.45 pm on Wednesday and seized a one-shooter gun. However, none could be arrested in this connection.

In another raid in Banshbari area under Bagatipara upazila of Natore district, the RAB members seized another one-shooter gun in an abandoned condition. The seized firearms were handed over to the concerned police stations.

Newly elected BNP MP injured in Cox’s Bazar road mishap

BSS, Cox’s Bazar

Newly elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP from Cox's Bazar-1 constituency Advocate Hasina Ahmed suffered critical injury in a road accident here on Wednesday morning.

Police and hospital sources said the accident took place at Gayalmara under Chakaria upazila on Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway at 10 AM when the driver of Hasina Ahmed's Pajero jeep lost control over the steering.

The jeep driver Abdur Rahman was killed on the spot and three others received injuries in the accident.

Advocate Hasina Ahmed was coming to Dhaka with her assistant Babul and president of Pekua Press Club Sofwanul Karim.

All of them were admitted to Jam Jam Hospital of Chakaria. Advocate Hasina Ahmed won the Cox's Bazar-1 seat securing 1,56,512 votes in the December 29 parliamentary election. Her nearest rival of Bangladesh Awami League received 1,21,111 votes.

One drug peddler arrested in Rajbari

BSS, Rajbari

Police arrested a woman drug peddler and seized one gram of heroin,10 gram ganja at Dauladia brothel under Goalando upazila of the district on Wednesday.

The arrested was identified as Rani Khatun 23, daughter of Alamgir Hossain, of Dauladia village in Goalando upazila of the district.

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

Training centre for journalism stressed in Barisal

Our Correspondent, Barisal

An opinion exchange meeting between the journalists of electronic and print media and the officials of BRAC University was held at local hotel on Thursday.

Golam Kibria, Manzur Elahi Sibli and Zahid Hossain officials of university briefed the newsmen of Barisal about opening 'centere for Journalism' and replied to queries of reporters. The meeting observed lack of in-depth reporting for various reasons, including limitations.

A world class 'centre for Journalism' can play vital role providing essential training, education, monitoring, researchand supports for working journalists to remove the problems.

The United States Ahency for International Development(UNAID) has taken the initiative to undertake a four-year project dubbed 'Promoting Governance, accountability, Transparency and Integrity(PROGOTI) designed to assist Bangladesh fight against corruption by strengthening public oversight of the government fund.

The selected Institute of Governance Studies(IGS) and BRAC to host the ' Center for Journalism' in Bangladesh under this project based on an assessment of 16 local organizations using clear criteria including reputation, experience and stability, the officials informed.

Investigative reporting in print media and electronic media, reporting and modern technology, community radio were suggested as themes for the planned training.

The center hopes to publish annual media report, carry out research on journalism and media to make environment better and enable journalists to carry out in-depth and investigative reporting and introduce fee-based training, certificate and diploma and credit course for under graduates in the field of mass communication. A non-partisan advisory board to provide long-term guidance to the centre would be formulated through discussion with media managers, senior reporters and academics, they assured.

In response to the present ideas and briefing, local journalists agreed about the need for professional training, academic courses and researches called to assist the media houses in developing professional journalism outside Dhaka by ensuring better and efficient in-house atmosphere and financial conditions.

They also stressed maintaining rules, laws and ethical values in journalism with objectivesness and introduceon-line, open university type basic and advance courses on journalism, information technology, and English language for the journalists outside Dhaka considering their academic, financial and professional limitations.

Bumper wheat production likely in N-region

BSS, Rangpur

The vast tract of growing wheat fields have worn greenish eye-catching looks everywhere in northern districts of the country amid favourable climatic condition predicting a bumper production this season.

The enthusiastic farmers, who got a bumper production and fair price of the crop last season, are now properly irrigating and taking care of the growing tender wheat plants to achieve another bumper production.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 6,21,790 tonnes wheat from 2,39,150 hectares land during this rabi season in the region, officials said here today.

The fixed target is 32 percent higher than that of the previous season when the production target was fixed at 4,69,220 tonnes of wheat from 2,22,962 hectares of land the farmers achieved the target for the first time after a decade in the region.

This year's target has been fixed considering the success of the previous season and growing interest among the farmers for wheat cultivation and to increase production of the major crops for ensuring food security in the country, they added.

The DAE, the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and a number of NGOs have taken special steps to make the programme a success.

The fixed targets for producing the wheat in the region could not be achieved during the previous ten consecutive seasons except the last season due to various reasons, including diversification of crop farming and less interest of farmers.

Farmers are hopeful to achieve the fixed target this season as they are showing more interests in wheat farming after getting its bumper production and fair prices of up to Taka 1,300 per every 40-kg maund last season.

Besides, adequate trainings on the latest wheat farming technologies and high quality and hybrid variety wheat seeds have been provided to the farmers for increasing farming of the crop this season, the DAE officials said.

News briefs

UP Chairman assaulted in Chuadanga

CHUADANGA, Jan 2: A UP chairman and Jubo Dal leader was assaulted allegedly by some Awami League supporters at upazila parishad compound in Damurhuda upazila Wednesday. Witnesses said when Damurhuda sadar Union Parishad chairman and upazila Jubo Dal general secretary Rafiqul Hasan went to upazila parishad for a personal work some AL activists led by union unit AL general secretary Shahidul Islam attacked him and beat him up at about 10am. Police on information rushed in and arrested Shahidul Islam from the spot. AL activists became agitated following arrest of Shahidul and chanted slogans demanding his release. Later, riot police and BDR were deployed to fend off further trouble. Shahidul was later released, reports UNB.

BNP cadres injure two in Jhalakati

JHALAKATI, Jan 2: BNP cadres allegedly attacked and injured two supporters of Awami League at Chechri Rampur village in Sadar upazila on Wednesday. Local people said a group of BNP activists attacked AL polling agents Kabir and Monir Hossain and stabbed them indiscriminately at 9am. They were admitted to a local hospital. Police could not arrest the attackers as they went into hiding soon after the incident. Monir's mother filed a case in this connection, reports UNB.

One held with firearms in N’ganj

NARAYANGANJ, Jan 2: RAB members arrested a man along with a firearm and some bullets from his house in Amlapara area of the district town on Wednesday. Acting on secret information, a team of the elite forces in the guise of buyers went to the house of Nasiruddin Rumy, 35, at RK Gupta road at noon and arrested him along with the firearm and bullets. A case was filed against him under Arms Act. Another report from Jhalakati adds: Police arrested a fugitive criminal and listed drug peddler on Wednesday from West Chandkati area of the district town. The arrestee was identified as Shamim alias Monka. Police said he was wanted in a number of drug smuggling cases, reports UNB.

2 killed in road mishap

BOGRA, Jan 2: A woman and her only minor son were crushed under the wheels of a train at Chamurpara in Sonatala upazila on Tuesday evening. Local people said the Lalmonirhat-bound intercity 'Korotoa Express' ran over Mim, 6, when he went on the rail line. His mother Rina Begum, 32, wife of Nabu Mandal, was also crushed by the train when she tried to save her child, reports UNB.

Beheaded body found in Munshiganj

MUNSHIGANJ, Jan 2: Body of an unidentified youth was found in Dhalaswari river near Noyagaon Chantara mosque in Sadar upazila Wednesday. Police found the beheaded body, packed in a sack, floating in the river. Police suspected he was killed by assailants some day back. A case was filed in this connection, reports UNB.