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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Hilsa selling centres of Barisal busy again Traders demand resumption of export weighted 700gm-950gm, at Tk16,000n Anisur Rahman Swapan 18,000 and less than 700gm was being Hilsa selling centres of Barisal district have become busy again with the start of the monsoon season. Fishermen started netting Hilsa after an interval of around three months. Traders demanded that export of Hilsa be resumed soon. Ajit Das Monu, president of Barisal Zila Motsya Arotdar Samiti, said the monsoon was delayed this year due to climatic change, making Hilsa netting in the region scarce. Generally, Hilsa season starts in late May, but last year it started in late July. This year the monsoon was further delayed and started in late August. Monsoon season is important for Hilsa netting as monsoon winds and rains raised the water level in the Bay and rivers, making it easy for Hilsa fish to move towards the coast and rivers, the traders explained. There are at least 11 big Hilsa wholesale centres in the Barisal region – Port Road, Hizla, Patar hut, Alipur, Mohipur, Golachipa, Patharghata, Monpura, Ilisha, Gupter Bazar and Machghat. After visiting the Barisal Hilsa trading centre it was learnt that Hilsa, as big as one kg, was being sold at downward prices of Tk20,000-22,000 per 40kg as export is restricted, while Hilsa,
sold at Tk13,000-14,000. Acknowledging the vast netting of Hilsa this year, different traders of Ilisha and Monpura said if the government did not withdraw restrictions on Hilsa export, the price of Hilsa would fall in local markets. However, they also expressed concerns that investors would incur losses if the price of Hilsa fell in local markets, adding that investors would resort to smuggling in order to cover losses. Moreover, smuggling from trawler to trawler would also increase, they said. Golam Mustafa Chowdhury, president of Barguna district unit Matsya Trawler Sammittee said about 4,000 trawlers were fishing Hilsa round the clock in and near the Bay, including Sonar Char, Rupar Char, Gangamotir Char, Fearway Boyuya, Dubjahaj, Chitagonger Kharri, Char Montaj, Asar Char, Charfession, Patharghata, Dhal char, and Baushiya points. Masum Bepari, President of Mohipur Matsya Aratdar Samity of Kalapara coast of Patuakhali, said a single sea-fishing trawler was able to carry 200-500 maunds of Hilsa, preserved in ice, taking at least 7-10 days to reach the coast and inland Hilsa trading ports. l
Labourers unloading hilsa from boat
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sramik League leader held for extortion n Our Correspondent, Tangail A Sramik League leader of Silimpur ward 3 under Tangail sadar upazila was held on Saturday on allegation of extortion and other illegal activities in the area. The detained was Zahangir Alam, 38, president of Tangail Mistanno Sramik Union and member of secretary panel of Sramik League Tangail Unit. He was caught in a police raid from his Babystand Nimtoli Road residence around 12:30am. “We recovered an Italian 9 mm pistol with six round bullets from his residence,” police said in a press conference arranged on Sunday. They said Zahangir was involved in ultra-left activities in Tangail town and adjacent village areas for long. He and his associates used to collect extortion from the Kandapara brothel and West Shoal areas in the district by intimidation. Sub Inspector Salauddin filed a case with Tangail Model police station in this connection. Mamun Khan, president of Baruha Bazar Committee told that after hearing the news of the arrest, the locals of ward 3 were celebrating by distributing sweets among them, especially the traders and shopkeepers of the area. l
51 rounds of Mahadebpur-Porsha Road ammunition and cries for a fresh lease of life military uniforms tricts, adding that consignments of recovered n UNB rice cannot reach their destinations time due to the road’s decrepit The Mahadebpur-Porsha Road in n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari Naogaon lies in a very dilapidated incondition.
Four cops closed for dereliction of duty in Pirojpur n UNB, Pirojpur
Bhola rental power plant yet to be fixed
Four policemen of Mathbaria Court were closed to the Pirojpur Police Lines on Monday on charges of dereliction of duty. The punitive action was taken against Habildar Mohammad Bazlur Rahman, constables Mohammad Ali, Mofazzal and Johar Ali. Police said drug trader Saddam Hossain, who was arrested along with yaba tablets, fled from a police van at Golchattar in Bhandaria upazila when he along with several other accused was being taken to Pirojpur jail on August 23. The four cops were on duty during the incident. However, police arrested Saddam the following day. Assistant police super (Headquarters) Abbas Uddin was entrusted with the task of looking into the matter and he found the four policemen guilty of negligence of duty. l
Power generation from 34.5-megawatt gas-fired rental power plant in Bhola has become uncertain because of technical glitch. Engineer Hamidur Rahman, director of the power plant, said a ten-member team of Alstom Company of France, which has set up the plant, have been trying to identify the technical snag at the power plant. They will bring all necessary equipment from France to start repair work. Besides, additional eight megawatts of power is being produced from Bhola-Barisal gridline under Kalabadar River since Sunday. Earlier on August 10, the entire district had reeled under a power cut due to technical glitch in the rental power plant. Later, the district started getting 8/9 megawatt electricity after 74-hour long blackout from a national grid as a submarine cable under Tetulia River was replaced and connected to the grid.
Passengers face woes on dilapidated Sonapur-Subarnachar road
Elderly woman slaughtered in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
Members of Bangladesh army recovered 51 rounds of fresh ammunition and two military uniforms from a jeep, locally known as Chander Gari at the Chengi Bridge area under Panchhari upazila in Khagrachari district yesterday afternoon. Officer-in-Charge of Panchhari police station Mohammad Alamgir Hossain said a military team, headed by Captain Anik Raj stopped a suspicious jeep, which came from Taindong under Matinga upazila of the district around 1pm. Both driver and helper of the vehicle ran away abandoning it on the road. Later army personnel recovered the ammunition and uniforms from a sack. Ammunition and uniforms were handed over to Panchhari police station and a case would be filed in this regard, the OC added. l
n Our Correspondent, Noakhali A 35km stretch of the Sonapur- Subarnachar highway, on the way to Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU), remains in a pitiful condition, causing immense suffering to thousands of commuters from six upazilas. On a recent visit, this correspondent found big cracks on the highway, caused by poor construction standards. Reportedly, low quality equipment, along with small amounts of bitumen, cement and sand were used during construction, while lack of repair and maintenance has made the condition worse. As a result, local officials, villagers, traders, and NSTU students – from the
state, hampering the movement of both pedestrians and vehicles. Lack of maintenance work is the main cause for the condition of the 45km road that leads from Mahadebpur to Porsha upazila, turning the road into a virtual death trap. Consequently, heavy vehicles like buses, tractors and trucks laden with goods often cause fatal accidents, resulting in a loss of lives. The road is particularly vulnerable at points – from Shibgighi intersection to Shibpur Bazar, form Mahadebpur to Kalna intersection, from Debipur to Nutunhat and from Shisha Hat to Saraigachi Road. Abdur Rashid Shah, owner of Shah Rice Mills of Porsha upazila, said there were 30 rice mills in the upazila, which supply rice to Naogaon, Dhaka, Chittagong and other dis-
upazilas of Hatiya, Subarnachar, Sadar Kabirhat, Companiganj, Sandip and Maijdee town – face difficulties while traveling on the dilapidated road every day. The past year has seen a rise in the number of buses, trucks, vans, autorickshaws, and rickshaws plying the highway regularly. Villagers claimed that no inspection of the highway has been made following its construction. Immediate steps by the authority to repair the busy road would solve the woes of around 20,000 people who use it regularly, they added. Vehicles use the road to access NSTU, Subarnachar upazila parishad, Char Jabbar police station, several banks, 12 educational institutes
Some businessmen of the upazila travelling on the road said it becomes extremely risky when and after the sun goes down. Residents of the upazila have demanded that the authorities reconstruct the road immediately to reduce accidents and help promote the economy of the region. MM Selim, executive engineer of Naogaon Roads and Highways Department, said work to repair the damaged patches on the road started several days ago and that the road would be fit for vehicular movement within a short time. When asked if the authorities had any plan to reconstruct the road immediately, the engineer said a project proposal for the reconstruction of five roads, including this one, had been sent to higher authorities. l
along with four colleges and madrasas. Teachers and students at Noakhali Science and Technology University said they risk accidents every day. On the other hand, Maijdee residents and students of Noakhali Honours College are also regular users of the highway. People from all walks of life recently formed a human chain in the area, demanding the urgent repair and development of the road. When asked about the highway’s condition, Engineer ABM Najmol Karim, an LGED Executive at Noakhali, told this correspondent that necessary plans would be formulated under the second phase of the rural development project. l
Unidentified miscreants slaughtered an elderly woman at her residence in Chittagong’s Chaktai area on Sunday night. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Laila Begum, 67, wife of Anwar Chowdhury, a resident of Haji Abdus Sobhan Road. Quoting locals, Mohammad Mohsin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bakalia Police Station, told the Dhaka Tribune that Anwar Chowdhury found his wife dead at their residence, when he returned from the mosque after Esha prayers around 9pm. Receiving information, police recovered the body and sent it to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy, added the OC. A case has been lodged in this regard, and the police are now trying to identify the killers, the OC also said. Initial findings suggest that people known to the victim committed the murder after failing to rob valuables from the house, said a senior official of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, seeking anonymity. l
3 held with 1,700 Yaba tablets in Chittagong
n UNB
A huge traffic congestion was created on Tarabo road at Rupganj in Narayanganj yesterday as a truck went out of order in the middle of the road FOCUS BANGLA
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Narcotics Control Department in separate drives arrested three alleged drug peddlers along with 1,700 pieces of Yaba pill from Khulsi and Reazuddin Bazar in Chittagong on Sunday. Rab-7 sources said being tipped off, a joint team of Rab and Narcotics Control Department conducted a drive in Khulsi area around 4:30pm and arrested two men— Ismail Hossain Azad and Al Azad Masum –along with 1000 pieces of Yaba. l
n Tribune Report
The demand of electricity in the district is around 27 megawatt. Tapash Kumar, deputy assistant engineer of West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, said: “Local people are receiving additional eight megawatts of power through Bhola-Barisal gridline since Sunday.” Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) has stayed the suspension order of Executive Engineer of West Zone Power Distribution Company Muhammed Ali who was temporarily suspended by Power Grid Company due to negligence of duty. On Sunday, the vacation bench comprising Justice Md Habibul Gani and Muhammad Khurshid Alam gave the order. Moreover, the HC asked power secretary, chairman of power development board, managing director, executive director and caretaker engineer of WZPDCO to reply within four weeks whether the suspension of Muhammed Ali by Power Grid Company would not be declared illegal. l
NEWS IN BRIEF BSF recovers electrocuted youth’s body in Satkhira
Members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) recovered the body of a Bangladeshi young man, who died from electrocution on Boikari border at Sadar upazila in Satkhira on Sunday. The deceased was Babu Mia, 35. BSF sources said Babu came in contact with a live electric wire while entering India illegally through the border and died on the spot. Later, BSF troops of Koijuri camp of India recovered the body of Babu. Major Mazhar, operation officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion 38, confirmed the incident and said the body will be brought home through a flag meeting between BGB and BSF after a post-mortem examination. But the victim’s family alleged that BSF troops had beat Babu to death and kept the body hung with an electric pole while he was returning home after receiving treatment from an Indian physician. – UNB
Youth commits suicide in beloved’s house in Gazipur
A young man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his beloved’s room at Banmala at Tongi upazila in Gazipur on Saturday failing to marry her. The deceased was Rubel, 18, resident of the area. Mojibur Rahman, sub-inspector of Tongi Model police station, said Rubel hung himself with the ceiling fan of his beloved’s room around 9:30am as her mother, Farida, did not agree to accept their relationship. Farida and her daughter were not present in the house when Rubel committed suicide. Being informed, police went to the spot, and recovered the body while they sent it to Gazipur sadar hospital for post mortem. – UNB
Minor boy drowns in river in Rajshahi A minor boy drowned in the Padma river at Chawk Rajapur village under
Bagha upazila in Rajshahi on Saturday. The deceased was Swadhin, 6, son of Nazrul Islam of the village. Locals said Swadhin drowned while taking bath in the river near his house at noon. Later, local people recovered his floating body around 1pm. – UNB
2 held with pistol, bullets in Gopalganj
Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested two young men along with a pistol and two rounds of bullet in bus stand area of Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj on Sunday evening. The arrestees were Abu Hanif, 35, and Zamilur Rahman, 28. Being tipped off, a team of DB police led by Sub-inspector Shahdat Hossain conducted a drive in the area around 6:30pm. They recovered a pistol and two rounds of bullet searching Jamilur’s body and arrested the duo. Both the arrestees were taken to DB office for interrogation. A case was filed against Jamilur under the Arms Act. – UNB
Two held with heroin in Chittagong
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested two alleged drug dealers along with 660 grams of heroin worth Tk6.6m from Chittagong city’s AK Khan Gate area early Monday. The arrestees were Aminul Islam, 31, and Saddam Hossain, 23, both of them hail from Barura upazila of Comilla district. Major Sabbir, an officer of BGB Battalion-28 of Chittagong, said on secret information that some people along with a consignment of heroin were going to Chittagong from Comilla by a bus, a team of BGB conducted a drive in the area at about 3:15am and intercepted a Cox’s Bazar-bound bus. The BGB team recovered 660 grams of heroin after searching the bus and arrested two men— Aminul and Saddam. Later, the detainees along with the heroin were handed over to the Narcotics Control Department. – UNB