Archive for January 2008
Process on to modernise BDR, raise its strength
A ‘quick reaction force’ is being raised in every BDR sector to face emergencies while each battalion will be equipped with an anti-tank platoon, he said. Armored Personal Carriers (a kind of vehicle) were already sent to some sectors to raise the special force, he said.
Maj Gen Shakil was addressing 10 BDR Battalion’s prestigious colour-flag awarding ceremony at Rajshahi BDR compound.
The BDR chief also called upon the troops to dedicate themselves for the cause of the country with utmost honesty.
He lauded the success of BDR-run ‘Dal-Bhat Operation’ and ‘Fair Price Shops’ in controlling prices of essentials.
“You have done this beyond your duty of patrolling borders amid limitations including shortage of vehicles and other engagements in domestic affairs”, he said.
Among others, Brig Gen Mahfuzur Rahman, Commander of Armored Brigade in Bogra; Brig Gen Nazmul Islam, Commandant, Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Center; Rajshahi Sector Commander Col M Iqbal; Battalion Commander Lt Col Lutful Kabir; Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner M Shafiul Alam; DIG Mokhlesur Rahman; vice- chancellors of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology also attended the ceremony.
Maj Shams, second-in-command of 10 BDR Battalion led a colourful parade during the ceremony.
10 BDR Battalion was awarded the colour-flag for its outstanding performance both before and after the Liberation War, said BDR a spokesman.
The battalion set a record in BDR’s history by becoming champion for the third consecutive term in 2006 since 2004 in checking smuggling.
The 49-year old BDR battalion was honoured for its role during natural calamities in 1968 and 1970 in southern region of the country, during the Liberation War (six national heroes — three Bir Uttam, two Bir Bikrom and one Bir Protik were chosen from the batallion), and for anti-terrorism role in Chittagong Hill Tracts and service to Sidr victims and operation Dal-Bhat, he said.
The newly raised battalion No. 46 at Bahubolpur in Patnitala of Naogaon was also inaugurated at the ceremony.
With this, Rajshahi BDR sector that patrols 342 kilometer border with India consists of four battalions — two in Naogaon, and one each in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj.
Homage to Selim Al Deen
Speakers at the meeting said the death of Al Deen brings to an end the illustrious career of a man who made significant contributions to literature and theatre of Bangladesh.
They said he is the only playwright in Bangla literature who developed a ‘new drama form’ based on the narratives of traditional indigenous theatre.
Shakuntala, Kittonkhola, Keramat Mongol, Hat Hadai, Chaka, Joiboti Koinnar Mon, Horgoj, Bonopangshul, Nimojjon and many other plays by Al Deen are remarkable examples of the narrative style he popularised, they added.
Presided over by Hasan Azizul Haque, a well-known litterateur, the meeting was attended by Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu, a noted drama director, as the main speaker.
Nasiruddin, who directed most of Al Deen’s plays, said, “For last three decades, we worked together establishing a new trend in theatre. In his death I have lost my best friend.”
Hasan said, “Al Deen’s death is an irreparable loss. He successfully highlighted typical Bengali cultural identity through his plays.”
Rajshahi University teacher Moloy Kumar Bhowmik, General Secretary of Rajshahi Muktijuddho Library Dr Shafikul Alam, drama artistes Humayun Kabir Himu, Sayeed Hossain Dulal, Tawfik Hossain, Kamarullah Sarker and Mamunur Rashid also spoke on the occasion.
Rajshahi Natya Manchayan Parishad organised the meeting.
Selim Al Deen passed away on January 14.
Bird flu spreads in 9 more districts
At a news briefing in Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital yesterday Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar, who is in charge of the fisheries and livestock ministry, said there are 11 points in the border areas where disinfectant is being sprayed regularly to contain the spread of the H5N1virus.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was directed to check illegal entry of poultry and eggs from India as in West Bengal the outbreak is currently at a severe level, he added.
The already infected farms in the country are under continuous monitoring and the city corporations were directed to improve their waste management to contain the spread of the virus, Manik Lal said.
Some 3,26,844 chickens were culled since March 2007 while the country has around 21 crore poultry. A total of 93 farms were infected in 84 upazilas and six metropolitan cities, government sources confirmed.
Asking the people not to panic, government officials said they should be more aware of the disease and should take cautionary measures like refraining from buying sick chickens or other sick fowls, washing their hands properly with detergent after touching fowls and eggs, and putting a stop to mixed fowls farming as ducks are sometimes the carriers of the virus, spreading it to other fowls.
Although no human being has been infected with bird flu virus yet, the government is nonetheless prepared to face any such infection, said the officials.
Samples from 803 patients in 12 hospitals across the country were tested recently, but no H5N1virus was found in them, they said.
Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Mahmudur Rahman said a bird flu ward has been set up in the National Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (NIDC&H). A laboratory has also been set up to diagnose infected persons.
“Sequestration facilities have been prepared in 64 districts to treat infected persons in isolation. Civil surgeons also have been trained in treatment of bird flu and the government has already procured adequate amount of antiviral, masks, and gloves as part of its beefed up security measures,” he said.
Last year avian influenza (AI) had been confirmed in 68 poultry farms in 20 districts, following which some 2,85,224 poultry including free range poultry like ducks, pigeons and other domestic birds were culled.
This year the first outbreak of bird flu was recorded at Kurigram on January 3. Later the outbreak was recorded at Savar, Bonosree, Moulvibazar, Barisal, Barguna, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Natore, Narayanganj and in some other districts.
A presentation on bird flu was made at a cabinet meeting yesterday informing it the situation is not very alarming. The meeting was also informed about government measures to check the spread of avian influenza.
The chief adviser asked the authorities concerned to follow the measures that had been adopted by preceding governments to check such outbreaks. He also asked the authorities to take further steps to raise awareness among the people about the pestilence.
Our Rajshahi correspondent reported that the authorities concerned were put on highest alert in the entire division following an outbreak of bird flu there affecting 13 out of 16 districts in the northern region so far, posing threats to some 10,000 farms.
The district administration and border security forces were asked to strictly prevent entry of Indian poultry, a practice that is reportedly quite rampant despite a ban on poultry import, said officials adding that out of 124 upazilas in 11 districts, 35 are near the border.
The authorities were also directed to stop transportation of poultry from the affected districts after veterinarians and scientists had claimed that infected birds could have been smuggled out of the districts.
The steps were taken after Manik Lal Samaddar, special assistant to the chief adviser on livestock affairs, had rushed to the north following the outbreak on a two-day visit to the affected farms in Natore and Rajshahi, where he talked to farm owners and officials till Saturday.
All poultry within a kilometre radius of the 18 infected farms in Rajshahi were culled.
Owners of poultry farms there who had already been hit hard by high prices of poultry feeds, are feeling distressed following the outbreak of bird flu.
“Prices of farm chickens already fell on the market due to shoppers’ reluctance to buy poultry following the outbreak of bird flu. Now I am looking at a loss, because I had to spend Tk 2,000 more than usual to feed the chickens,” said Mofizur Rahman Swapan, owner of Bird Corner Farm in Rajshahi.
Our Correspondent from Netrakona reported that the district livestock officer (DLO) and the district administration admitted that there has been an outbreak of bird flu.
After a confirmed report of the outbreak in Ananda Bazar area, the DLO and district administration culled 2,500 ducks and chickens of a farm and of different households in the town on Saturday night.
In Dinajpur, at least 1,304 free range fowls including 109 ducks were culled, and 377 eggs were destroyed on Saturday night in Biral upazila.
Some 17,381 fowls were culled in Dinajpur since bird flu had been first detected there in March last year, according to district livestock officials.
Our Nilphamari correspondent reported that around 4,000 poultry were culled in Jaldhaka upazila there.
Sector commanders for probe commission with int’l jurists
Sector commanders for probe commission with int’l jurists
Sector commanders for probe commission with int’l jurists
Sector commanders for probe commission with int’l jurists
Sector commanders for probe commission with int’l jurists
RU teachers for complete solution; Family of killed rickshawpuller seeks justice
Afzal’s wife Asma Begum along with her three minor daughters and mother-in-law are surviving on a meal, or less, a day as they wait for justice for their loss.
The police had initially claimed that students have beaten Afzal to death. Later when his autopsy report showed that he died from shot wounds, police dropped the issue of Afzal’s death from the cases filed against students for lack of witnesses or evidence of who killed him.
Afzal’s family now lives in a tiny straw hut at Jalmunda village of Jaldhaka upazila in Nilphamari district in dire poverty.
Choking on her tears, his 25 year old wife Asma said, “I heard many teachers were punished (for violating emergency rules) and later released from jail, what about the murder of my poor husband? He was a good man.”
Afzal’s 60-year old mother Siratunnesa demanded justice for her son’s death. She said that they were living on next to nothing since Afzal’s death. Asma had to send two of her children to live with her mother, as she is too poor to keep them herself.
Afzal used to ply rickshaw no.15 of Rabi’s Garage at Hadi Crossing in Rajshahi city.
On the day of the incident, at around 11am, Afzal was waiting outside RU Medical Centre after carrying an injured student there on his rickshaw.
Eyewitnesses and newspaper reports say he received bullets when riot-gear police entered the campus firing shots and moved towards the gymnasium attacked by angry students.
Afzal was rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in an ambulance but succumbed to his injuries on the way. He was refused admission and his returned to RU medical centre.
Later students paraded his body in protest of the police atrocity.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police in a press release that evening claimed that Afzal died of beating by unruly students.
The same night, sub inspector SM Faruk Hossain of Motihar police station lodged a case against some 2500 unnamed students for the murder and violent activities on RU campus.
However, Afzal’s autopsy report said his death was caused by shock and haemorrhage following the shot on his head. Following the report, the investigation officer (IO) of the case sub inspector Rajab Ali on October 20 pressed charges against 10 students for violent activities but dropped all reference of Afzal’s killing from the case.
In the final report, the IO said no witness or evidence was found to identify Afzal’s killers to press charge against. He added that if any witnesses were found regarding Afzal’s death, police would take up the matter.
Police and prosecution witnesses during trial of a case over RU unrest told courts that students used brick-bats and wooden weapons during violence and none of them were seen using any firearms.
In total four cases filed over RU campus unrest, eight teachers were arrested, taken on remand. The court later acquitted four teachers.
Meanwhile the government on Monday has asked local authorities in Rajshahi to drop the case filed by SI SM Faruk Hossain against students.
“A complete and just solution to the crisis is yet to be done as some of the teachers and students were branded as criminals through conviction”, said former RU vice-chancellor Saidur Rahman Khan.
He was reading out a paper at a press conference at the Deans’ Complex of the university.
Expressing resentment over the conviction against the teachers and students, he said the convicts are still aggrieved.
Association convener Abdus Sobhan, Moloy Kumar Bhowmik, Mizan Uddin, Jalal Uddin, SM Abu Bakkar, Shamsuddin Ilias, Fayekuzzman, Muhammad Naser, Sujit Kumar Sarker, Muhammad Nurullah, Hasibul Alam Prodhan, Dr Anisur Rahman and Dr Ahsan Kabir, among others, were present.
The teachers and students were convicted for protesting injustice. Although they were relieved of punishment through clemency, they had been branded as criminals, he said.
“We think the conviction against the university teachers and students will not solve the crisis, rather it will intensify if they are not acquitted from the charges” they said adding that the conviction will create scopes for harassment.
The teachers said they fear the convicted students might face difficulties in getting government jobs and other facilities in future.
Govt must ensure welfare of indigenous people
They said the achievements of different NGOs in development of neglected indigenous ethnic societies are small in comparison to their huge population. So, government should undertake an initiative to follow the examples of Gono Gobeshak (researchers among rural poor) programme.
Eminent litterateur Prof Hasan Azizul Haque attended the conference as the chief guest while Rabindranath Saren, general secretary, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad, Rina Roy, director (Rights), Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), and Tanore Upazila Nirbahi Officer Majedur Rahman Khan were present as special guests.
Sharmin Murshid, team leader, Setu Bandhan project of Brotee, chaired the event. Brotee organised the conference in association with MJF at Tanore to mark the third anniversary of Gono Gobeshak programme.
Several hundreds of indigenous and common people from 18 villages at Tanore in Rajshahi and Manda and Mahadevpur in Naogaon districts joined the daylong programme.
Prof Hasan said indigenous people will continue to lose their lands, culture and heritage until a truly pro-people government takes measures to protect them.
The government must take responsibility to ensure primary education for all. Because, all attempts for establishing human rights will be foiled without it, said Prof Hasan, adding that it is shameful to identify human beings as marginal ones.
Rabindranath Saren said no development can sustain without state-protection for the indigenous people.
Miseries of the indigenous people are countless since they fall victim to the land grabbers and influential quarters.
The daylong programme began in the morning with a colourful rally.
Gono Gobeshak team members shared their experiences in self-motivated activities of eradicating poverty, protecting human rights and social reforms.
They revealed how 60-year old Majeda of Sikarpur in Naogaon is now receiving primary education.
They added the common people now respect them while the authorities were forced to provide proper healthcare opportunities.
They also detailed their anti-dowry, anti-child marriage, sanitation and infrastructural development activities.
Cultural presentations by different ethnic groups like Santals, oraons, traditional tribal dances and Bangla and indigenous songs were performed following the discussion.
Eighteen stalls were built at the conference venue for demonstrating elements of traditional Bangalee and indigenous cultures by Gono Gobeshak teams.
Brotee formed Gono Gobeshak teams with 10 young male and female members from both indigenous and Bangalee families in a village. The teams are guided by an advisory committee consisting elderly villagers.
She met the business leaders and women entrepreneurs at Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI) Bhaban before ending her three-day tour to Rajshahi.
She said there is a bright prospect for establishing agriculture-based and textile industries in the region.
She also hoped the possibility of Swiss businessmen’s investment in Rajshahi.
At that time, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) deputy country director Corinne Huser, RCCI vice president Khondoker Mainul Hossain, directors Hafizur Rahman, Abul Hossain, M Shahidullah and Kabirur Rahman were present.
Later, the business leaders briefed the newsmen about the outcome of her visit. ‘When we described the local trading situation, she said the possibility of Swiss businessmen’s investment in Rajshahi,’ said RCCI leaders.
Earlier, the Swiss envoy met the district administration officials.
The arrestees are Rajshahi eastern region Jamaat amir (chief) Moksed Ali, also teacher of Puthia Degree College and chairman of Puthia Islamia Women’s College governing body and Bagha upazila Jamaat amir Abdul Mannaf, also principal of Puthia Islamia Women’s College, police said.
After arrest, they were produced before a court here. The court sent them to jail custody.
Police said the two were arrested from Puthia Bazaar.
Kamal Uddin, a dismissed teacher of Puthia Islamia Women’s College lodged the Tk 2 lakh extortion case against them. He alleged that he was suspended on June 1 last year. The two demanded Tk 2 lakh promising reinstatement in job on August 25.
