United efforts for saving villages from river erosion
 
RANGPUR : People of four remote villages have set up a unique example through united efforts by constructing 1-km long bamboo-made 'Sanko' and piling works on the river Sonavori to save their villages from erosion of the river.
Hundreds of people of these extremely erosion-prone riversides villages of Paschim Rajibpur, Korati Para, Member Para and Munshipara completed the construction works at their own resources without government assistances in only 10 days recently.
Stronger current and huge flow of hilly waters from the upstream through the river Sonavori had been eroding dozens of houses, arable lands and properties every year during the rainy seasons causing colossal losses to the local people.
Initiator of the efforts Zaher Ali Mandal told BSS that the local villagers had been demanding construction of necessary structures on the Sonavori for a long time getting no results so far.
"We organised dozens of protests processions, rallies, human chains, press conference and submitted memorandums to the local administrations and authorities in the pasts for saving us from erosions and got frustrated," he said.
Villagers Shahidul Islam, Abdus Sattar, Mozammel Haque and Ekabbar Ali said they had no other alternative rather than to construct a bamboo-made 'Sanko' and piling works at their own resources and efforts.
Finally, they have completed the construction works before the upcoming rainy season to save the villages through mobilizing resources, bamboos and other materials, they said and urged the government for taking steps to permanently resolve their problems.
"Now, our houses, arable lands, roads and infrastructures, educational and religious institutions and overall existence are safe for the time being," the successful villagers said.
Education of the children, marketing of local agro-products and overall developments have still been remaining severely affected in these villages for lack of necessary structures for preventing erosion and a bridge on the river, they said. BSS

  Female Vice Chairmen’s role vital for strengthening democracy

RANGPUR : Speakers at a ceremony in Rangpur on tuesday stressed for proper empowerment, skill development and leadership of female upazila vice chairmen for strengthening democracy and good governance at the grassroots levels.
They were addressing the concluding ceremony of two-day training workshop of the female upazila vice chairmen and meeting for committee formation of Rangpur divisional unit of Female Upazila Vice Chairmen's Association of Bangladesh.
The USAID-assisted Strengthening Democratic Local Governance (SDLG) Project organised the workshop at Begum Rokeya auditorium of Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) Bangladesh in the city.
Deputy Chief of SDLG Dr Zerina Rahman Khan attended the workshop as the chief guest while Joint Secretary General of Upazila Chairmen-Vice Chairmen Association (UCVCA) of Bangladesh Mohammad Hossain Faku in the chair.
Team Leader of SDLG Kajol Chatterjee, Rangpur Divisional unit President of UCVCA of Bangladesh Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, its Organising Secretary Masud Nabi Munna, Executive President of its central women committee Nasima Zaman Bobby, its General Secretary Kamrunnahar Luna and Organising Secretary Maria Biste Khan addressed, among others.
The speakers narrated importance of skill development and empowerment for all local government organisations and public representatives including upazila female vice chairmen for effectively providing services to the people with accountability.
Later, a 15-member Rangpur divisional unit executive committee of Female Upazila Vice Chairmen's Association of Bangladesh was formed with female vice chairman of Mithapukur
upazila Moududa Akhter Dina and Hakimpur upazila female vice chairman Parul Begum as its President and General Secretaryrespectively. BSS

   Promoting bed-planting technology needed to boost crop production

RAJSHAHI : Promoting bed-planting technology among the grassroots farmers has become indispensable for boosting crop production to ensure food security of the nation.
Speakers made this observation while addressing the closing session of a two- day long practical training for the operators on bed-planter operation and maintenance hosted by Regional Wheat Research Station (RWRS) at its seminar hall on Tuesday.
Cornell University of USA supported the training programme aims at promoting the modern technology among the users in the region for elevating their living and livelihood condition side by side with enhancing farm production.
Main thrust of the training was to make the bed planting system popular and develop service provider with bed planter agri business.
RWRS Principal Scientific Officer Dr Israil Hossain addressed the training as chief guest while Aktaruzzaman, Zahidul Islam and Iasmin Abida conducted the training as resources persons.
Dr Israil Hossain told the training session that around 1600 hectares of wheat farming fields, 200 hectares of maize and 125 hectares of mugbeans were brought under the bed- plantation method in the region.
He said main advantages of the modern system are: 30 percent water saving, 50 percent cost saving, 60 percent time saving and yield advantages of around 10 to 15 percent higher than that of the conventional method.
Dr Hossain said bed planting improves water distribution and irrigation efficiency, better results out of fertilisers and pesticides and reduces weed infestation and crop lodging. It saves crops from disturbance from rats.
The pattern helps farmers save 30 per cent irrigation water and 30 to 40 per cent of seeds and fertilisers.
In addition, he said raised beds facilitates sowing without waste of time allowing crop growth to better match water availability side by side with less tillage cost, pest attack and weed nuisance.
In the training, the participants were taught on how to use bed planter attaching with power tiller, calibrate different seeds and agronomic use, field operations with maize, wheat, mungbean and rice seeding, practical operation in the fields and bed formation, possible trouble occurs during operations and their remedy, safety measure and self confidence build up about machinery operations.
Some 20 bed-planter operators from Rajshahi, Natore, Chapai, Pabna and Bogra districts took part in the training. BSS

   Chhatra Moitree activist killed by assailants

Jhenidah : An activist of Chhatra Moitree was shot and slaughtered by unidentified assailants at Dulalpur in Kushtia Islamic University (KIU) area under Shailakupa upazila on Tuesday night.
The victim was identified as Billal Hossain, 20, alias Bipul, an HSC examinee of Shailakupa DM Degree College and son of Fazlul Haque of village Char Shantidanga in KIU police station.
Family sources said Bipul went out of his house at about 6pm on Tuesday and did not return home at night.
Police recovered the body of Bipul from a field in Dulalpur at about 7am Wednesday.
Police suspected that unidentified miscreants following a previous enmity shot and slaughtered Bipul and dumped the body in the field late at night. UNB

   Project for sustainable food production

DHAKA: The government has taken a project for sustainable food production in the country, as climate change has started having adverse impact on agriculture sector.
To implement the project, the government would develop and expand the infrastructure of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), said an official of the Planning Ministry.
He said BARI would implement the four-year project by June 2016 involving Taka 160 crore in 33 upazilas of 27 districts across the country. The project would be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval soon, as the Project Evaluation committee has already sent it to the ECNEC division, he added.
The project mainly aims to preserve granular genetic materials of different kinds of crops and distribute those to the breeder and stakeholder for using in breeding programme in next four years. Besides, disease preventing and adverse weather tolerant seeds of different varieties would also be invented.
In addition, new strategies including crop processing, preserving, marketing, disease control, water reserving for cultivating different hill varieties and GIS map developing would be formulated.
Sources said BARI has so far invented a huge number of high yielding varieties such as rice, pulses, vegetables, oilseed, fruits, spices and flower in the country.
At present, the BARI is working to develop high yielding drought, rain, salinity and high temperature tolerant varieties considering the impact of climate change. It has been carrying out research on 153 different varieties to develop their generic. BSS