Salinity increases, Aman uncertain in Sidr-hit dists

Masoom Khan

PATUAKHALI, July 25: Cultivation of Aman has become uncertain due to increased salinity on large areas of agricultural land in Sidr affected coastal districts Patuakhali and Barguna in the recent times.
During the high tide, salty water from the Bay and its adjoining rivers and canals easily enter agricultural lands as about 900 km flood control embankment in the two districts was damaged during cyclone Sidr in October last year.
Aush cultivation has already been hampered due to seed crisis and salinity in land, said agriculture officials and experts.
Growing crops were badly damaged during the Sidr when vast areas in the coastal districts were flooded with 10-12 feet water from the Bay.
Of 1,209-kilometre flood control embankments in Patuakhali district, 83-km was damaged totally and 562-km partially. Besides, 355 of the 412 sluice gates, 612 inlets, 362 irrigation schemes and 24 enclosures were damaged in seven upazilas of the district. Aman paddy on 1.70 lakh hectares of land was damaged, said sources at the district administration.
In Barguna, the Sidr washed away 250-km flood control embankment, sources at Barguna district relief and rehabilitation office said.
"After the Sidr, we conducted survey in many areas of the district to measure salinity on agricultural lands. Using EC Metre [a device for measurement of salinity] we found salinity above 2 points whereas up to 1.5-point salinity is considered acceptable for crops in the coastal areas. If salinity crosses 2 points, the land loses fertility and becomes unable to produce any crop," said Swadesh Samonta, assistant professor of agriculture faculty of Patuakhali Science and Technology University.
The effect of salinity in the land may continue for three to five years, he said, adding, "Heavy rain can reduce salinity by washing the land. Huge irrigation can also help to reduce the salinity. However, it is a gradual process."
He suggested local farmers to grow salinity tolerant varieties of crops like hybrid ones during the period.
Kafil Uddin, deputy director of Agriculture Extension Department, said cultivation is being hampered due to lack of flood control embankment in vast areas that are flooded by salty water from nearby rivers and canals.
Most of the local farmers failed to cultivate Aush as saline water easily enters the lands, he said, adding that agricultural lands in areas near the sea, rivers and canals may remain uncultivated this year.
"We cannot cultivate crops on our land after the cyclone as salty water with tidal surge easily enter our agriculture land following damage of flood control embankments and sluice gates," Abdus Salam, a farmer of Aneepura village under Kalapara upazila, said.
Abdul Mannan of the same village said the concerned authorities should immediately start reconstruction of damaged embankment to enable the farmers to cultivate crops.
"We submitted a Tk 10 crore emergency project proposal to the concerned ministry but the ministry allocated only Tk 7 crore which is not sufficient to rebuild the damaged embankments this year," said Water Development Board Executive Engineer Jahir Uddin.
Shortly after the Sidr last year, Praful Chandra Patel, World Bank vice-president for South Asia, visited Kalapara village and assured that his organisation will provide all possible assistance for reconstruction of the damaged infrastructures including flood control embankments, sluice gates and cyclone shelters in the Sidr affected areas.
However, proper steps to rebuild the flood control embankments are yet to be taken.

Frequent load shedding paralyses normal life

Our Correspondent

NETROKONA, July 25: The normal life has become miserable because of frequent load shedding in the district town including ten upazilas of the district.
The suffering of the electricity consumes including rice mills, residential, commercial and industrial areas of the district know no bound.
It is widely alleged that the power supply of the rural area under Netrokona Palli Bidyut Samity remains 7 to 10 hours out off at a stress. The people of the village Balihy under sadar upazila of the district said to the correspondent that we are paying the electricity bill but we do not get the supply of electricity when we demand. Load shedding starts in the evening and continue till the mid night.
They also added that if we do not get electricity in the evening what will we do it in the late night. It is alleged they added. They have to pay the minimum electricity bill without consuming the electricity. They have to buy fuel/ "Kerosoine" for lighting.
The load shedding at night affect seriously school and college going students because they can not take preparation for their upcoming examination.
The supply of electricity goes off frequently in the district town. The Eatpi, Mukterpara Hospital road, new town area of the district town are facing frequent load shedding causes the immense suffering of dwellers and owner of business establishment. The owner of different business establishment said to the News Today that we do not get electricity in evening, we have been told to close our shop by 8 PM but we do not get electricity in the evening.
The procurement of rice has been affected by frequent load shedding because most of the mills under Palli Bidyut Samity power supply.
When contacted power development board said admitting the problem that National Grid control the frequency setting system to avoid a national grid trip total collapse.
The victims including students, farmers, mills owner and dwellers of the district have urged the authority concerned to mitigate the sufferings for national interest as early as possible considering the intolerable load shedding of the district.

Husband kills wife for dowry in Rangpur

RANGPUR, July 25: A housewife was allegedly beaten to death by her husband for dowry at Dhumerkuti Haragachha village in Kaunia upazila on Tuesday, reports BSS.
The victim was identified as Rozina Khatun, 25, wife of Tanjil Rahman of the village and daughter of Naya Mia of nearby Dhumerekuti Chandnipara village.
Witnesses said Tanjil, son of Abdus Sattar, married Rozina a few years back. Since their marriage he used to torture her demanding Tk 30,000 as dowry.
On the fateful day, following a quarrel over the issue Tanjil along with his family members beat Rozina mercilessly leaving her dead on the spot.
He later hanged the body from a tree to prove that she had committed suicide. The killer husband along with his family members went into hiding.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Rangpur Medical College Hospital morgue for postmortem.
Victim''s father filed a murder case against five persons, including Tanjil and his parents with Kaunia police station.

Fundraiser rally at RU to save Swashwata''s life

RU Correspondent

RAJSHAHI, July 25: Teachers and students of the mass communication and Journalism department of Rajshahi University on Wednesday brought out a rally to raise fund for the treatment of ailing student Swashwata Satya.
Swashwata Satya, a first-year student of the department, has been suffering from spondylitis since 1998.
The rally with a slogan - Swashwata Satya Holo Manusher Jonno Manusher Bhalobasa (Saswota Sotto means love for man) started from Alopotty Mure marching the Saheb bazar that ended in front of Rajshahi College with around 300 participations.
The department also introduced Swashwata Chikitsa Sahayata Fund to collect contribution for Swashwata''s treatment.
The fundraiser programme includes film festival and concert in the Rajshahi city and on the university campus.
Swashwata, only son of a retired schoolteacher, who is quite unable to manage Tk 35 lakh needed for his treatment in India. Contributions can be sent to Swashwata Chikitsa Sahayata, Account No 34260498, Agrani Bank, RU Branch, or Swashwata Chikitsa Sahayata, Account No 135-101-33705, Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd, Dhaka.

BADC to produce 2,570 MT boro seeds

Our Correspondent

JAMALPUR, July 25: Contract growers office, a wing of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has procured 2,570 metric tones of boro seeds this year in the district, reports BSS.
According to the BADC, five varieties of boro seeds were procured that included BR-3, BR-14, BR-26, BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 varieties.

Number of voters decreases in Narsingdi

Our Correspondent

NARSINGDI, July 25: A total of 1188566 voters were enrolled in the present voter list in Narsingdi district, which is much power then the figure in the previous voter list.
District Election Office sources said the number of voters have decreased by 1,83,979 due to introduction of photographs in the voter identity cards in the present voter list.
According to the voter registration list with photographs and finger prints 352783 voters were recorded in the new voter list in sadar upazila which was 395062 in cancelled voter list of 2006. 122159 voters in Palash upazila which was 132528 in previous voter list. 158044 voters in present voter list of Monohardi upazila which were 182392 in previous list 169224 voters in the present voter list of Shibpur upazila which were 192043 in previous voter list. 106723 Belabo upazila which were 123511 in previous voter list 279633 voters in the present voter list of Raipura upazila which was 346969 in previous voter list.
District Election Office sources said the final voter list of Palash and Monohardi upazila and draft voter list of Shibpur upazila have declared recently by the help army personals. Meanwhile, distribution of the national identify cards have completed in Palash and Monohardi upazila source said.

1,200 sacks of fertilizer seized

COMILLA, July 25: Police seized some 1,200 sacks of fertilizer from the godowns of a dealer in Chouddagram upazila here and arrested his one employee on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Police said they received information that dealer Oli Ahmed has recently hoarded huge fertilizer illegally in the godowns of his Fatema Enterprise at Khiranshal and Felna bazars in Munsirhat union of the upazila.
Later, a police team raided the godowns and recovered some 1,200 sacks of urea, TSP, MP, and DAP fertilizers.
During the raid, police arrested Akkas Ali, an employee of Oli''s godown while Oli Ahmed managed to flee the scene.
The fertilizers were illegally stocked to sell at high prices in the black market, sources said.
Meanwhile, UNO Abu Momtaz Sad Uddin Ahmed and thana officer-in-charge (OC) Mostafizur Rahman visited the spot.

BRAC-WASH installs deep tube-wells

Our Correspondent

GOPALGANJ, July 25: BRAC-WASH has taken a programme for save waters supply by installment of deep tube-wells for rural people in the district.
According to BRAC official sources, a total of 100 deep tube-wells will be installment in five upazilas in Gopalganj district.
Besides 16 deep tube-wells already been installment in Gopalganj sadar upazila for this from subscribers, they are taken Taka 10,000 per tube-wells and total spent of cost Tk 45,00 to 50,000 thousand per tube-wells.
It is mentioned that, those unions were not this deep tube-wells earlier.
Taken after programme by BRAC wash it is insure save water supply for rural people in Gopalganj, said Asadul Islam, Managers, BRAC wash, Gopalganj, on Sunday evening.

Fugitive arrested

RAJBARI, July 25: Police arrested a fugitive convict at Ahladipur village under Sadar upazila in the district on Tuesday night, reports BSS.
Police said the arrested Shamim Mollah, 25, was sentence to five-year imprisonment in a bus robbery case in 2004.

COUNTRY NOTES

4 walk to gallows for murder

CHUADANGA, July 25: A special tribunal here on Monday sentenced four members of a family to death in a murder case, reports UNB.
The condemned convicts are : Bablu, his parents Abdus Sattar and Khadiza Begum and brother Bakul, of Joyrampur Mallikpara in Damurhuda upazila.
The tribunal also fined them Tk 20,000 each.
According to the prosecution, Bablu and his family members set fire to his wife Papiya Sultana on June 7, 2006 due to dowry demand.
Papiya was critically admitted to hospital where she died the following day.
Later, the victim''s brother filed a murder case with the respective police station.
After examining the records and witnesses, Judge Motahar Hossain handed down the judgment.

3 sentenced to death for killing business partner

MUNSHIGANJ, July 25: A court here on Wednesday sentenced three people to death for killing their business partner last year, reports UNB.
The condemned convicts were identified as Jahangir Alam Khokan, 40, of Faridpur, Rashidul Islam Sagar, 30, of Munshiganj and Kaiyum, 36, of Rajbari district.
Of them, Kaiyum was tried in absentia while the others were present in the dock when the judge pronounced the verdict.
The court also fined them Tk 20,000 each.
According to the prosecution, Mobarak Sarkar, 30, hailed from Char Syeedpur village of Narayanganj district went missing from Muktarpur ferry ghat on April 11, 2007. His body was found from a pond at Paragaon in Srinagar upazila of the district after two days.
The convicts, also business partners of Mobarak, killed him as he decided to withdraw his money from the business and end his partnership with them, the court said.
After examining 25 witnesses, Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 M Nurul Huq pronounced the judgment in a jam-packed court.
Khokan and Sagar broke into tears after hearing the verdict. Victim''s father, however, expressed his satisfaction over the judgment.

Police seize revolver with bullets in Jessore

JESSORE, July 25: Police today seized a revolver with three rounds of bullets from a house in the town and arrested two young men, reports UNB.
On secret information, police raided the house of Sagar near the rail gate and seized the firearm with bullets. Sagar, 30, and his associate Milon of Baro Achra, Benapole, were arrested from the spot at 2pm.
They were undergoing interrogation.

Young kills father

Our Correspondent
KISHOREGANJ, July 25: A youth allegedly stabbed his father to death at Karmuli village in Sadar upazila on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as M Israil Mia, 60, also a former guard of local Swarani Girls'' High School.
Police said his son Mamun, 18, attacked and indiscriminately stabbed Israil when he was sleeping in his room at about 11pm. He was rushed to the Sadar hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Locals said Mamun, son of Israil''s second wife, became furious and stabbed his father as he gave away his dwelling house to the children of his first wife through a registered deed.