The New Nation - Internet Edition

Expectations of people of southern region to new govt too high

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Expectation of the people of the southern coastal regions to the AL-led Grand Alliance government to be headed by Sheikh Hasina is too high as they want freedom from the decades old poverty.

The people have to take to the street demanding development of the region for changing their lot. The development that has taken place in the region, was the result of streets agitation of the people, still they are not free from poverty.

The three divisions-Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal are the most poverty striken region of the country. The development activities remained confined in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions during the past governments. The southern and southwestern regions of the country are now the homes of the millions of the abject poor of the country, the bmp of which is divided by the river Padma and the region is considered as the curse of the divided map.

These people are unable to live in hands to mouth. The price hike and unemployment are forcing them to end up in the hands of poverty.

A report of the Planning Commission in September last year said the poverty reduction picture of the eastern region of the country was encouraging, while the scene was discouraging in southern and southwestern regions.

The report also said the budget allocation of those three divisions was much higher than that of the three southern regions. Whenever the four-party alliance government was in power, finance and planning minister of the government Saifur Rahman misused his offices because he always sanctioned much higher allocation for Sylhet than any other southern region. Whereas t least number of people live below the poverty line in Sylhet, the report commented.

Sylhet division received the maximum benefit of the government's any social programmes for poor.

The Planning Commission report said 40 percent of the 140 million people of the country live below the poverty line. Least number of poor people below the poverty line live in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

It said 52 percent people of Barisal are poor while figure at Rajshahi is 51.2 percent and 45.7 percent in Khulna division. In Dhaka division, 32 percent people live below the poverty line.

The expectations of the poverty stricken people of the region are much. There are plenty of gas resources in the southern region. The gas reserve invented at Bhola while military dictator was in power while the gas was explored by the Khaleda Zia government during it first tenure.

After that Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina was in power alternatively. But none of the governments explored the gas. Even the head of the caretaker government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed had visited Barisal more than one occasions and committed to explore the gas, but it remained a far cry.

Upazila electioneering reaches peak in Barguna

Our Correspondent, Barguna

A total of 25 candidates are on the race for three posts-chairman, vice-chairman (men) and vice-chairmen (women) in the Sadar Upazila of Barguna district.

Two nominations were withdrawn and they are former Upazila chairman Fazlul Huq Sagir and Union Parishad (UP) chairman Abdul Mazid Mia.

Because of the national election, the electioneering of the upazila poll did not get momentum, the campaign started to pickup after allotment of election symbol and now it is in top gear.

In the Barguna, who will be the candidates of the Grand Alliance, were not yet decided because it is a non-party basis election. For this reason, the candidates of the Grand Alliance are yet to start the campaign, whereas candidates of other parties are passing busy days for electioneering.

It is learnt that the district AL president and former deputy minister Dhirendra Devnath Shambu is now staying in the capital in connection with the oath taking ceremony which is delaying the panel of the Grand Alliance.

In the Sadar Upazila, nine candidates of Awami League and Jatiya Party(JP) are in the race for the post of chairman, BNP district organizing secretary is on the race from the party and Union Parishad chairman Nazrul Islam Mollah. In five upazilas of Barguna district, 29 persons are on the race for the post of chairman, the equal numbers are contesting for the vice-chairman(male) 25 for the post of vice-chairmen(Female).

Normalcy returns as weather improves in N region

BSS, Rangpur

Normalcy returned almost everywhere in the northern region as the weather marked significant improvement with the disappearance of fogs and stronger appearance of the sun on Sunday.

The sunshine brought normalcy in civic life since Sunday morning in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Naogaon and Bogra districts in the sub-Himalayan region.

Local Met Office sources said both the maximum and the minimum temperatures marked little rises in Rangpur and other adjoining northern districts during the last 24 hours till Sunday afternoon.

In Rangpur, Sunday's minimum temperature was recorded at 10.4 degrees Celsius at 6 AM Sunday morning against Sunday's 10 degrees and the highest temperature was recorded around 22 degrees Celsius Sunday noon against Sunday's 20.4 degrees, the sources said. The sources said that the situation might continue improving during the next 24 hours in the region, as the cold wave and fogs with chilly wind are continuously disappearing now.

The sufferings of the low income-group people including thousands of char people in the river basins have been eased Sunday as they went to their works to earn a living amid sunny Sunday morning after two days uneasiness.

Falling trend in rice prices at Kolaroa of Satkhira

Our Correspondent, Kolaroa

Falling trend in prices of rice and paddy suddenly were noticed in the markets of the Kolaroa Upazila of Satkhira districts during the past few days.

The fall of prices ranges between Taka 100 to 80 per maund during the last three or four days in different markets of the upazila.

Traders of paddy and rice in different markets said the hoarders were selling out the rice and paddy fearing that the likely head of the new government Sheikh Hasina after taking office will try to lower the price line of different items. From this fear, the hoarders are selling rice and paddy at lower prices.

News Briefs

Properties gutted in Mithapukur

RANGPUR, Jan 4: Huge properties were gutted in a devastating fire in village Bhaktipur under Mithapukur Upazila here in the small hours on Saturday, police sources and local villagers said. Originated from the kitchen of one Mujibur Rahman of the village, the fire soon engulfed the adjoining houses of Mantu Mian, Sekendar Ali, Belal Hossain and Abdul Wahed and gutted huge properties. The fire fighters rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control, reports BSS.

17 arrested in Joypurhat

JOYPURHAT, Jan 4: Police in separate drives arrested 17 persons including suspected criminals from different places in five upazilas of the district during the last 48 hours till Sunday morning. Police said, the arrested persons were absconding warrantees, cheats, thieves, drug peddlers, accused persons in different cases and other anti-social elements. The arrested were sent to jail hajat before police produced them before different courts of Joypurhat, the sources added, reports BSS.

Faridpur AL leader dies

FARIDPUR, Jan 3 : District Awami League leader and former Commissioner of Faridpur Municipality Abdul Hye Mia died of cardiac arrest on Friday last night. He was 64. He left behind his wife, a daughter and a host of admirers to mourn his Death, family sources said on Friday. Abdul Hye was buried at Alipur graveyard after his first mamaz-e-janaza at Alipur Crossing. The newly-elected Member of Parliament (MP) of Faridpur-3 constituency Khandoker Mosharraf Hossain expressed his deep shock at the death of Abdul Hye. He also extended sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul, reports BSS.

UP Chairman dead

GAIBANDHA, Jan 3 : Abdul Kuddus Sarker, a former Chairman of Kochasahar Union Parishad died of old age complications at his Shaktipur village residence under Gabindaganj Upazila in the district on Friday. He was 90. He is survived by a son and seven daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his dead. He was buried at his family graveyard in the village on Friday afternoon after the namaz-e-janaza, reports BSS.