Govt to work hard to uplift the edn standard : Afsarul

BRAHMANBARIA, Mar 9: Minister for Primary and Mass Minister Education Dr. Afsarul Amin said recently that the government had been working hard to uplift the standard of education in the country. He pledged to do everything possible from his part and the government for the overall improvement of elementary and secondary education in Banchharampur Upazila while attending an accord ceremony he said, organised by the Bashundhara Group that took place at the playground of Bancharampur Girls Pilot High School recently for best performing teachers and brilliant students of different elementary and secondary schools in Brahmanbaria.
Minister for Primary and Informal Education Dr Afsarul Amin joined at the function as the chief guest while State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (Retd.) AB Tajul Islam and Senior Executive Director (A & F) of the Bashundhara Group Moinal Hossain Chowdhury joined it as the special guests. Chairman of Bancharampur Upzilla Sirajul Islam presided over the function.
A total of 51 best performed teachers and 104 brilliant students in the district in 2007 and 2008 were conferred with crest of honor and certificates.
State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (Retd.) AB Tajul Islam lauded the roles of the dedicated teachers in Barhmanbaria district and vowed to work for the welfare of the teachers'' community as a whole apart from the freedom fighters.
Senior Executive Director (A & F) of the Bashundhara Group Moinal Hossain Chowdhury said that Bashundhara Group had long been serving the people of Bancharampur and it would continue to do so in the years ahead.
He also announced ten scholarships in favor of the Bashundhara Group for the brilliant students of grade VII and IX in Bancharampur upazila.
Responding to an urge of setting up a medical college hospital in the area, he said that the Bashundhara Group had been running five Free-Friday-Clinics at Bancharampur and it would love to do so for the ultimate welfare of the local people.
Earlier, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (Retd.) AB Tajul Islam distributed grants among the freedom fighters of Bancharampur Upzilla.
The Senior Executive Director (A & F) of the Bashundhara Group Moinal Hossain Chowdhury declared slump sum grant of Taka 100 thousand for the freedom fighters of the Upzilla.

Potato cultivation gains popularity in Jamalpur

Muhammad Ali
JAMALPUR, Mar 9: Potato cultivation gains popularity in Jamalpur including seven upazilas.
Now a days eleven varieties are commercially cultivated in the country including Jamalpur. Some 5797 hectares of land brought under potato cultivation with a production target of 34155 metric tons in district including all the seven upazilas, says agriculture sources.
At present thirty percent of the total growing areas of the country is covered by indigenous potato variety (IPV). The low yield of these variety is mainly due to degeneration of variety due to use of poor quality seed and sub optional production practices are followed by the growers.
Potato is proved to be a potential and nutrias food not only in Asia, but through out the world.
According to Agriculture Experts the original homeland of the Potato is the Andean plateau of South America.
It was introduced into Europe in the second half of the 16th centaury but it gained identification as inexpensive and nutritive food only during the 18th centaury.
However the Portuguese introduced Potato into the Indian sub continent around the year in 1615 probably.
During the rule of Warren Hastings from 1772 to 1785, the governor of the then British-India, Potato was grown in this region and at the time it was used as one of the valuable food items. Particularly in the dinners of the members of the council and Royal families.
It was cultivated abundantly in Assam and Darjeeling during 1880. Untill 1960 the entire area under potato was covered by indigenous varieties.
The area of potato in this country was 36.6 thousand hectares in 1947 to 1948 which rose about 270 thousand hectares in 2000-2001. The increase in area was mainly due to introduction of modern high yielding variety (HIV) of foreign countries. The average yield per hectares 12000 metric tons and total production 32000 mt of modern varicties have increased compared to the yield of 631 mt per hectares and production of 211 thousand mt in 1947.
Potato research has a long history. The division of horticulture under Agriculture Research Institute Dhaka started research on portatoes during pre independence time and continued till 1977.
A full fledged potato Research Centre (PRC) was established in Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in 1077 since than multi disciplinary research activities are being conducted by PRC.
In recent years a number of non Dutch exotic varieties have also been introduced and tested. In the year 1959 to 1960 experiments on exotic (Dutch) Potato varieties were under taken by the horticulture Division of department of Agriculture.
With the establishment of the PRC the research activities on Potato has gradually expanded. During the period from 1960 to 1961 to 1987 as many as 156 exotic verities were tested in Bangladesh and 18 varieties were recommended cultivation.

Speakers call for combating TB

NOAKHALI, Mar 9: Speakers at a roundtable discussion today urged all to work together in combating tuberculosis, reports BSS.
The roundtable on "prevention and social participation" was jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Planning, Health Directorate, Noakhali Civil Surgeon Office, Noakhali Press Club and BRAC at the conference room of civil surgeon''s office. The speakers also stressed the need for taking integrated efforts for campaigning against AIDS and Malaria across the country.
Dr. Nurul Islam civil surgeon of Noakhali presided over the roundtable while Superintendent of Police, Harunur Rashid Hazari was present as the chief guest.
Among others, Helal Mosharaf Principal Noakhali Govt. Girls College, Principal Kazi Rafiqullah, Dr Moazzem Hossain, President NATAB, Noakhali unit, Nasima Khanam, Vice Chairman of Hatiya upazila Parisahd, Abul Hashem, President Noakhali Press Club. Liakat Ali Khan, President of Greater Noakhali Press Club, Mezbaul Haque Mithu of Channel-1, Abul Hasan Runu of Daily Janapad, Amir Hossain Chowdhury of the Daily Bartaman Bangla, Asaduzzaman and HM Munjurul Azim of BRAC addressed the programme. Dr Karimul Huda Seraji presented a keynote paper at the roundtable while AKM Nurul Afsar, joint secretary of NATAB Noakhali unit conducted the programme.

RCC launches new connecting road construction

RAJSHAHI, Mar 9: The Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has inaugurated construction works of the long-cherished 4.89-kilometer connecting road from Fire Brigade crossing to Naodapara bypass road in the metropolis at an estimated cost of Taka 48.84 crore on Tuoesday, reports BSS.
Addressing the launching ceremony at Naodapara point as the chief guest, Mayor of RCC AHM Khairuzzaman Liton called upon the officials concerned to maintain the highest quality of works and timely completion of the project for the best uses of the public money.
The ultimate goal of the project is to expedite physical and socio- economic development of the metropolis along with its surrounding areas and to improve its socio-economic condition and life style.
The 51-feet wide road will help serving the main commercial areas of the city connecting its old commercial hub-Shaheb Bazar with the Shaheed AHM Quamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium, Mohila Krira Complex and other important places, he added.
"We are committed to ensure transparency and accountability in all sorts of the uplift works in the metropolis," he said asking the officials and staffs concerned to render their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty to attain the goal.
In this regard, he blamed the previous RCC administration for its massive corruption and irregularities that had let the project towards the path of cancellation.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the project considering the socio- economic development of the city along with enhancing its implementation cost to Taka 48 crore from the earlier Taka 25 crore.
On implementation of the project, he said people of the area would be benefited and added that illegal occupation on the adjacent areas of the road were evicted and commercial institutions would be built on the vacant places in future.
"We want to build the city enriched with communication and environmentally sound through implementation of the multipurpose development projects," he said in this regard.
Chaired by RCC Chief Executive Officer Ajahar Ali, the ceremony was addressed, among others, by Panel Mayor Sazzad Hossain, Ward Councilors Rabiul Alam Milu and Shahadat Ali Shahu, Chief Engineer Sirajum Munir, Superintending Engineer Ashraful Haque and Executive Engineer Golam Murshed.
Mayor Liton said the metropolis would be developed, habitable and environmentally-friendly and the present council has been working relentlessly.
For sustainable development of the 12 disadvantaged wards, he mentioned that a Taka 120-crore project has been formulated.

Journalist Zillur passes away

Our Correspondent

MYMENSINGH, Mar 9: Md. Zillur Rahman Khan Bureau Chief of the Daily Sangbad died of cardiac arrest at Mymensingh Medical College hospital in the early hours on Tesday. He was 54.
He left behind his wife, mother, a son, a daughter and a host of relatives, colleagues and well wishers to mourn his death.
The namaj-e-janaja was held at local Jamia Islamia ground after Jhor prayers. Later he was laid to rest at Bhatikashar graveyard in the district town. Earlier the namaj-e-janaja, his body was kept at the premises of Mymensingh Press Club.
Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh A N Shamsuddin Azad Chowdhury, mayor of municipality Ekramul Haque Tiro, chairman of sadar upaziia parishad Fayzur Rahman Fakir, journalise of print and electronic medias, leaders of different political parties socio cultural organizations attended the namaj-e-janaja.
People of all walks of lives including Principal Motiur Rahman, MP and Editor of the Daily Sangbad (In-Charge) Khandaker Moniruzzaman went to the residence of the late journalist at DB "sad in the district town to see him last.
Son of late Abdul Hekim and Zubaida Akhtar Khanam; late Zillur Rahman Khan was bum oil March 14, 1956 in Mohanganj of Netrokona district. Zilluf Rahman was elected as the secretary of Mymensingh Press Club for several times. As a journalist he also received prizes of best reporters. He also obtained Press Club Padak in 2001 for his contribution in this field.
Late Zillur Rahman, a life member of Mymensingh Press Club was also attached with different socio-cultural and religious organizations educational institutions.
State Minister for Health arid Family Welfare Dr. Captain (Retd) Mujibur Rahman Fakir, MP and State Minister for Cultural Affairs advocate Promod Mankm, MP, among others expressed deep shock at the sad demise of Zillur Rahman. They also prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

3 motorcyclists crushed under truck in Dinajpur

DINAJPUR, Mar 8: Three motorcyclists, including a minor boy were killed as a truck smashed their bike at Haidernagar in Ghoraghat upazila Monday night, reports UNB.
The deceased were identified as Babu, 25, son of Roisuddin, Mehedi, 22, son of Saidar Rahman, and Tanjit, 8, son of Siddique, of Shyampur village in Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha district. Police said the speeding truck rammed the motorcycle at about 8:30pm as the motorcyclists fell to the ground after their bike collided with a bicycle, killing Babu and Tanjit on the spot and injuring Mehedi and bicycle-rider Ruhul Amin.
The injured were rushed to Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared Mehedi dead.

Housewife slaughtered in Barguna

BARGUNA, Mar 9: A housewife was found slaughtered at Sobhanpara in Amtoli upazila on Sunday, reports UNB.
The victim was identified as Piara Begum, 27, mother of two children and wife of Faruque Hossain who works for a private company in Chittagong.
Police said Piara was sleeping along with her two kids in their house on Saturday night as her mother-in-law went to her daughter''s house. Local found her slaughtered body near their house in the morning and informed local police.
Police recovered the body and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy.
The reason behind the killing could not be known immediately.
A case was filed.

14 houses gutted by fire in Jamalpur

JAMALPUR, Mar 9: At least 14 houses were gutted in a devastating fire at Purba Munniar Char, a remote area under Islampur upazila in the early hours on Tuesday, reports BSS.
According to Azam Ali, a local ward member, the fire was originated from a cowshed of Umar Ali at around 4 am and soon spread to adjacent houses.
Md Monirul Islam, upazila Nirbahi officer of Islampur said, the place of occurrence is situated at the char of the river Jamuna. Two cows were burnt alive in the fire, he added.

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