Call for inspiring children with spirit of Bangalee nationalism

BSS, Dhaka

Industries Minister Dilip Barua Friday said the children and adolescents would have to be inspired with the spirit of Bangalee nationalism to build a non-communal and terrorism-free Bangladesh.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a painting completion organised by Joybangla Sangskritik Oikya Jote at the Fine Arts Institute in the city. State Minister for Home Shamsul Haq Tuku, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Ministry Obaidul Quader, MP, Dhaka City Awami League General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Sandhani Life Insurance Company Chairman Alhaj Makbul Hossain and AL Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif also spoke on the occasion.
Joybangla Sangskritik Oikya Jote President Salahuddin Badal presided over the function. The industries minister said the real respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would have to be shown by building an industrial Bangladesh for the future generation.
For this, a meritorious generation capable of leading the country by facing the challenges of globalization would have to be groomed up, he added. Dilip Barua said the creative thoughts of the children would be hampered, if the victory of the pro-liberation force cannot be sustained in future. It should be made clear to the future generation that Bangabandhu was the pioneer of Bangalee nationhood and he was the proclaimer of independence, he added.
The minister called for presenting the real history of the Liberation War to the new generation and inspiring them with the spirit of non-communalism and Bangalee nationalism. More than 100 children took part in the art competition organised marking the 90th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu.
The subjects of the art competition were struggle for independence, Liberation War, trial of war criminals, dear motherland and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu.
After the competition, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haq Tuku distributed prizes among the winners.
Speaking at the prize giving ceremony, the state minister called upon the cultural organisations to unite the nation to eliminate terrorism and extremism from the country.

  Massive programmes to observe Independence and National Day

BSS, Rajshahi

Different government, non- government, socio- cultural and volunteer organizations and political parties including Awami League and divisional and district administrations have chalked out an elaborate programme to celebrate the Independence and National Day- 2010 here in a befitting manner.
The programmes include 31-gun salute, placing of wreaths at the monument and Shaheed Minars of the martyred freedom fighters, hoisting of the national flag atop all public and private buildings, decoration of city streets with miniature national flag and coloured posters, screening of documentary films and illumination of roads and roadsides in the evening.
The programmes were finalized at a meeting held in the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) with DC Shefaul Karim in the chair early in the month.
Political leaders, officials of different government, non- government and voluntary organizations, freedom fighters, educationists, heads of the educational institutions, professionals, socio-cultural activists, business community leaders, elite and lawyers took part in the meeting. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has also taken programme to celebrate the day. RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton will open the day's programme by placing wreaths at Bhuban Mohan Park Shaheed Minar at zero hour, officials said.
Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan will inaugurate the day's programme by placing wreaths at the Collectorate Building Shaheed Minar at zero hours on the day.
March past along with physical displays by police, Ansar- VDP, fire service, BNCC, scouts, children and students on the local stadium, screening of documentary films on the War of Liberation, friendly football match and sports competitions and cultural functions are other programmes of the day.
Freedom fighters and family members of the martyred freedom fighters will be accorded a reception on the occasion.

 Sanitation becomes a successful social movement in N’region

BSS, Rangpur

The ongoing government's sanitation programme for bringing the country under total sanitation coverage has already turned into a successful social movement everywhere in the country, including remote and char areas in the northern region.
Though the exact official achievement statistics of the programme was not available, concerned experts said most of the people have already been using sanitary latrines and only a very fewer number of them are yet to avail the same. They said most of the villagers including people living in the hardly reachable char areas on the river basins initially sanitized them with the help of dozens of NGOs to create a social movement that continues now everywhere.
However, the economically backward people living in the remote char villages said they had no knowledge about the government activities on sanitation so far and knew the initiative first from the NGOs and voluntary organisations.
The sanitation programme has already become such an irreversible social movement that it will become a complete success even before the government fixed scheduled time frame of 2013, experts and the rural people said. Side by side with achieving tremendous successes in sanitation, the rural people have also arranged pure drinking waters simultaneously and become more aware about their hygiene that brought incidents of water borne diseases to the minimum everywhere. Besides, the economically backward people, living in the remote and char areas amid enormous social superstitions, have also become highly motivated through the sanitation programmes and are now advancing with their firm social commitments.

 Inadequate transport facility hits JnU academic works
A correspondent

Most of the students, teachers and staffs of Jagannath University have to face transport problem to attend classes and offices due to absence of adequate transport facilities.
Sources said, the university has only 10 buses for 359 teachers, 29,633 students including 14,000 girl students and 237 employees. The students both female and male residing outside the hostels and far away from the campus have to face difficulties to attend their classes in due time. Very often the girl students have to face eave teasing and different unexpected situation while going to the university by local bus services and tempos at different parts in the capital.
It is learnt that the sufferings, particularly during the rainy season, of the students residing outside the capital know no bounds. "Very often we have to wait for hours on the road due to traffic congestion," a female student residing at Uttara Model Town said. In this circumstance, Jagannath University students, teachers and staffs urged the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to provide adequate transport facility as early as possible.

 3rd reunion of DU philosophy deptt held
BSS, Dhaka

The 3rd reunion of the Dhaka University Philosophy Department Alumni Association was held Friday at the Teacher Student Centre (TSC), bringing together former students who met each other after a long period.
The reunion was joined by eminent scholars, intellectuals and other personalities who looked back to their student days finding their old friends.
Differences of opinion and ideology of the friends, including politicians, intellectuals and bureaucrats, did not stand in their way to sit together and create a cordial atmosphere to share their old-day stories.
Former Chief Justice Md Tafazzul Islam attended the function as the chief guest while DU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Harun-Or-Rashid as special guest.

  Maize farming gets popularity in Joypurhat
BSS, Joypurhat

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken up a massive plan to cultivate maize in all five upazilas of the district during the current 2009-2010 season.
DAE sources said, a total of 1,042 hectares of land would be brought under maize cultivation this year with the production target of 6,773 tonnes of maize.
Of the total land, 350 hectares would be brought under maize in Sadar upazila, 392 hectares in Panchbibi upazila, 250 hectares in Akkelpur upazila, 25 hectares in Khetlal and 25 hectares in Kalai upazila. Bangladesh Agriculture Development corporation (BADC) is supplying quality seeds among the farmers through their sale centers and dealers at fair prices. DAE have taken necessary steps to supply fertilizers and other agriculture inputs among the farmers to boost production of maize during the current season.