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Prospects of becoming a tourist hot-spot: The origin of mass Durga Puja celebration
Anwar Ali, Rajshahi
This old temple has now become a breeding ground for weeds and has been reportedly encroached by Taherpur College authorities(left); The peak of the Shiv Temple in Taherpur (right) Photo: STAR
The tourism prospect of Taherpur was focused on while observing the greatest Bengali Hindu festival Durga Puja at the remote town under Bagmara upazila where the festivities were introduced 528 years ago.Durga Puja in this region was initiated by Raja Kangsa Narayan Roy Bahadur in 1480 (Bengali year 887). Folklore researchers believe that the Durga Puja celebration started widely in this sub-continent since its observance by Raja Kangsa Narayan.“Durga Puja used to be celebrated within the family parameters before the Taherpur dynasty started observing it as a universal celebration,” said folklore researcher Dr. Saifuddin Chowdhury of Rajshahi University.In the old days, Durga Puja was celebrated with fitting grandeur in the area. People of all religions used to enjoy local operas, dramas and fairs on the occasion, said Kartik Chandra Saha, president of the local ‘Puja Udjapon Committee’. “Though now the celebration is on a much lower scale, the enthusiasm is nevertheless sincere,” he said, adding that devotional songs including kirtan were performed everyday during the puja.“Pegged as ‘the venue where ceremonious Durga worship began,’ Taherpur holds an appealing prospect of becoming a tourist hot-spot,” said Shyamol Kumara Saha, general secretary of the Puja Udjapon Committee.According to Hindu mythology, Ram, elder son of King Dashrath, was the first to perform Durga Puja to save people from the tyranny Raban, King of Lanka. Ram destroyed Raban’s kingdom and rescued his wife Sita from imprisonment. Since then, Durga Puja was observed privately at homes until its “Sharbojonin (for all) celebration was introduced by Raja Kangsa Narayan.Locals allege that Taherpur College authority is using the palace of Raja Kangsa Narayan. Moreover, the authority has recently encroached a part of the temple where the main Durga Puja was observed, according to sources. “The encroached part is used during Saraswati Puja and left uncared for throughout the rest of the year,” said Kartik.”Since it is the site of origin of the holiest occasion observed by Bengali Hindus, Taherpur can be turned into a pilgrimage that can draw millions of visitors, especially during the autumn festival,” said Kartik.He suggested that a well-furnished festival auditorium and low-cost resorts for the visitors were needed.”India makes good economic use of its famous Muslim heritage sites like Ajmer Sharif by maintaining the sites as religious tourist spots. Why can’t we benefit from one of the most important sites according to Hindu myths?” he questioned.
Cop goes into hiding after being charged with rape
ASI Abdul Hamid and his cohort Faruk who were named in the first information report (FIR) have gone into hiding after filing of the case, said Sub Inspector Abdus Sattar.
The victim was admitted to One-stop Crisis Centre (OCC) of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Wednesday night.
According to the FIR, Faruk used to irritate the victim over phone and he took Hamid to the house of the victim in the afternoon on the day. The victim used to stay with her mother.
The rapist threatened the victim saying that he is a policeman and raped her.
Later, the victim narrated the incident before her mother who with the help of one Alam admitted her to OCC.
“The case was filed after the policeman working with OCC found ground for it in primary investigation,” said Dr Mozaher Hossain Bulbul, coordinator of OCC.
AL polls aspirant gets death threat in Rajshahi
Former lawmaker and Charghat Awami League (AL) general secretary Raihanul Haque who got the threat said the caller threatened him to kill if he seeks party nomination to run in JS election. Later, he lodged a general diary (GD) in this connection with local police station. When contacted, Charghat Police Station officer-in-charge SM Bazlur Rashid confirmed the incident saying police have started an investigation.
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One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka’s drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR –>
Electioneering starts in Rajshahi
Some of the candidates have started campaigning at villages while some are holding press conferences to express their willingness to join the political fray and others are greeting people pasting posters on the city walls.
Most of the possible candidates started campaigning during Ramadan and they intensified their daily activities of meeting people taking opportunity of the two major festivals — Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja.
The electioneering shows that Awami League-led 14-party combine is in the lead position though it has been facing intra-party rivalry to some extent while BNP-led four-party alliance is yet to be prepared without any leader or office to guide them.
Workers’ Party politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha has started meeting people expressing his desire to participate in the polls from Rajshahi-2 (Paba upazila and Rajshahi City). Party men here signalled that his nomination from the alliance is almost confirmed.
Rajshahi Nagorik Committee that played a vital role in electioneering in favour of AHM Khairuzzaman Liton in the August 4 RCC election had promised to work for Badsha to get a ticket for the parliamentary election if he resigns from the RCC fray.
Four-party men said Badsha may fight the fray with former BNP lawmaker (Rajshahi-5) Kabir Hossain, although any formal announcement is yet to come from Kabir.
Former Rajshahi mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu who was also the former BNP lawmaker from Rajshahi-2 used to control the party politics here.
As he is still in the jail and have little hopes for his release before the elections following conviction in an extortion case, the local BNP could not decide the candidature for the polls.
Kabir’s desire for contesting from this seat might create division in the party, they added.
District AL General Secretary Omar Faruk Chowdhury is campaigning for Rajshahi-1 constituency (Tanore and Godagari upazilas). Former post and telecommunications minister barrister Aminul Haque who won the seat in the last polls is now evading arrest as he was convicted in a militancy-abetting case.
Former lawmaker and Jamaat-e-Islam’s central Assistant Secretary General Mujibur Rahman is likely to join the fray, said party insiders.
Former minister Sardar Amjad Hossain is passing busy hours holding press conferences and meetings as a 14-party nominee in Rajshahi-3 (Bagmara and Mohonpur upazilas).
But he is witnessing desires of businessman Enamul Haque and central Vice President of Sechchhasebak League Dr PM Shafiqul Islam, also associate professor of Bangla department at Rajshahi University.
Enamul exchanged greetings with people pasting posters and attending social gatherings while Shafiqul in a press conference yesterday announced that he would stand in the election.
Jatiya Party’s Abu Taleb is also campaigning for the same seat.
BNP’s Abu Hena is still absent in the areas and the party men believe Hena would join the election.
District AL President Tajul Islam M Faruk is likely to vie for Rajshahi-4 (Puthia and Durgapur upazilas) constituency and is enjoying an advance position gathering maximum number of AL leaders and activists at his meetings.
Nadim Mostafa, former BNP lawmaker from the same seat, is evading arrest following his conviction in a terrorism case, but his family members are electioneering for him.
Local people said new faces like Nazrul Islam and Mollah Abdul Wahed would come up in absence of Nadim.
Maximum number of probable candidates is electioneering in Rajshahi-5 constituency (Bagha and Charghat upazilas). Charghat AL General Secretary Raihanul Haque, Bagha AL General Secretary Akkas Ali, AL leaders Layeb Uddin Lavlu and Abdus Samad and industrialists Shahrier Alam and Bazlur Rahman are also hopeful to get a ticket.
District BNP President Azizur Rahman told newsmen that he would vie for the parliamentary seat while former Charghat BNP president Abu Sayeed Chand and former Bagha BNP president Zahangir Hossain, among several BNP leaders, expressed their desires for the fray.
Khaleda, Nizami asked to appear in court Oct 12
A Dhaka court today asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, former ministers Motiur Rahman Nizami, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam and MK Anwar to appear before it on October 12 in connection with the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court after accepting the charge sheet in the case also issued arrest warrants against nine people including former ministers M Saifur Rahman, Barrister Aminul Haque, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid.
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FF beaten to death over distribution of fitra money
The victim identified as Sajjad Hossain, 60, was a freedom fighter and village matbor (arbitrator).
Local people said some of the attackers were the activists of Shibir, a student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. They wanted the money to be donated to the madrasa and not to be distributed among the have-nots.
Police arrested three people — Wasim, Roky and Monirul — after a case was lodged with Godagari Police Station, accusing over 50 people, including Mojibor, Mizan, Shakhawat and Shahid in this connection.
According to police and villagers, a number of people, who were associated with the local Hafizia madrasa, swooped on Sajjad near his house around at noon and locked into a bitter dispute.
At one stage, Sajjad fell on the ground after receiving wounds by the madrasa men and was beaten unto his death, sources added.
Officer-in-Charge Mohiuddin Ahmed of Godagari Police Station said Sajjad developed enmity with Jamaat worker Mojibor Rahman few months ago over the latter’s removal from the post of Imam of the village mosque over irregularities.
As Sajjad was a leader of the village, local people gave him their fitra money for distributing among the poor of the village before the Eid.
Mojibor, who is engaged with the madrasa, demanded the fitra money for the madrasa. But Sajjad denied Mojibor and wanted to distribute those among the poor.
Sajjad had a dispute with the madrasa people led by the imam several times over the fitra-related matter before the Eid, police said, adding that on the day, Sajjad lodged a general diary (GD) with the police station sensing a threat on his life.
Acting on the GD, local police called both the groups to the police station in order to settle the matter, but a large number of madrasa men did not turn up that foiled the attempt.
When the freedom fighter was returning home from the police station at noon, the madrasa people attacked him.
Mosarraf Hossain, Sajjad’s brother, told newsmen that the attackers were Jamaat-Shibir men.
PBCP chief operative arrested in Rajshahi
The arrestee was identified as Motiar Rahman alias Mantu, 53.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by circle ASP Sohel Reza raided Turupbaria School field in the early hours and succeeded arresting him when he was holding a secret meeting with cohorts.
Other operatives, however, managed to escape from the spot.
Naogaon Police Super Mofazzel Hossain at a press conference at his office said Motiar is now undergoing interrogation.
Motiar took over the post of PBCP chief after July 27 when the former chief Dr Mizanur Rahman alias Tutul was killed in a crossfire, he added.
Motiar was evading arrest since he was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging in the UP Chairman Golam Rabbani murder case of Baghmara upazila in Rajshahi three years ago on July 25, 2005.
Police had announced a bounty of Tk 1.0 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Motiar back in 2006.
Motiar, son of Abdul Quayyum Uddin of Krisnanagar village under Raninagar upazila in Naogaon, is also accused in three other under-trial murder cases, including the killings of Manda upazila BNP leader Mansur Mridha and Atrai JCD leader Salamat Hossain.
“The arrest signals that the activities of underground operatives are now under the control of police We are now beating the menace,” said the SP seeking cooperation from common people.
He further said Naogaon and its adjoining districts are heavily infested by cadres of various factions of the underground operatives who, in the name of class struggle, are engaged in hired killings and extortion.
Puja Mandap: 100 Ansar, VDP men protest irregularities in Rajshahi
They alleged that the authorities cancelled their appointments at Puja Mandaps only a day before the Puja without any reasonable grounds and recruited people in exchange for bribes of Tk 50 to Tk 100.
The Ansar and VDP members came from Paba and Boalia upazila to join their duty but laid a siege to the district office when they learnt that their appointments were cancelled.
They said some 265 Ansar and VDP members were appointed on September 25 for 319 Puja Mandaps in the city.
The demonstrators, however, withdrew their agitation programme after senior officials assured them of assigning duty to them in future.
When contacted, Ansar VDP District Adjutant Hira Miah said he will look into the matter. “Action will be taken if anyone was found involved in such irregularities,” he added.
Rajshahi Hizb ut-Tahrir men denied bail
The Court of Rajshahi Metropolitan Magistrate BM Tarikul Kabir denied the bail prayers after police claimed that investigation was still going on against the accused.
The arrestees were not produced before the court and only their prayers were sent to the court. They are detained under section 54 of the CrPC.
“We also said verification of their previous criminal records, if any, is yet to be completed in police stations concerned,” said Court Inspector Mahbubul Kuddus Siddiki.
Hizb ut-Tahrir Coordinator and Dhaka University teacher Syed Golam Mowla and Ahmed Jamal Iqbal, teacher of South East University and a senior member of the Islamist group, were arrested along with eight others on September 18 in Rajshahi.
However, police did not lodge any case against them, as of filing of this report last night, as they reportedly did not receive the go-ahead from government high-ups.
Officials of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) said they are yet to get any signal from the government high-ups about bringing sedition charge against the arrestees.
They said the arrestees were engaged in anti-state activities and provoking people against the country and the government through leaflets which called for toppling the government and establishing Khelafat in the country.
Ramjan Ali, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, told The Daily Star, “The investigation is on. We will submit remand prayers against the arrestees when the investigation demands.”
