V-Day programme in Madaripur

MADARIPUR, Dec ll;The district administration has drawn up an elaborate programme to observe the Victory Day on December 16 in a befitting manner, reports BSS.

The day will be heralded by booming 21 gun salutes at one minute past midnight. National flag will be hoisted atop all government and private buildings, police, ansar, VDR, BNCC, scouts, girl guides and other organisations will hold the marcn past in the stadium. Renowned freedom fighters will be accorded reception by the district administration. A meeting was held here at the conference room of the- Deputy Commissioner on December 1. The meeting presided over by the Deputy Commissioner, Farhad Rahman was attended among others, by Police Super, Amzad Hossain. ADC (general) Sahidul Huq Bhuiyan. Civil Surgeon, government and non government officials. Awami League leaders, advocates and local elite.

Number of drug addicts on rise

NAOGAON. Dec 11 :The number of drug addicted people is increasing across the district giving rise to anti-social activities, reports UNB. , ,

People of all walks of life from school going juvenile to the aged are using drugs freely, but the youths outnumbered the other addicted people. A survey conducted by a local social welfare organisation revealed that over 60 per cent of the youths are addicted to drug. These youths, it said, use heroine, pathedrine. hemp, phensidyl syrup rampantly. A number of illegal drug shops are there in different parts of the town to supply the drug. Packets of hemp and cigarette mixed with intoxicants are being sold freely at 25 to 30 general shops in the town. Phensidyl is the easiest available drug for its users and anyone can buy one bottle of it at a cost of Tk 60 to Tk 100. Many shops are selling it before the eyes of police. A number of phensidyl traders, who preferred not to be named, said they are canying the illegal business uninterrupted with the collaboration of police. * . . . . , . , .

Acute crisis of drinking water

NETRAKONA. Dec 1 l:Large number of people in the district has been facing acute crisis of safe drinking waters due to lack of adequate number of tubewells, reports APB.

The District Public Health Engineering Department sources said there are some 21.885 tubewells in 10 thanas of the district. of which 2.000 tubewells were damaged during the recent floods. Of them, only 1,000 have so far been repaired. Steps are underway to repair the remaining ones. Sources said there are some 2,70,957 families in the district. If one tubewell is provided for every 10 families, a total of 27.100 tubewells will be required for the district. The present number of tubewells can meet only 77 per cent of the requirements.

Shortage of college teachers

MADARIPUR. Dec 1 l:As many as 25 positions of teachers of the Government Nazimuddin University College here have fallen vacant, causing inconvenience and sufferings to the students. reports APB.

Sources said that positions of nine Assistant Professors, seven Associate Professors, six lecturers and three demonstrators have been lying vacant for quite some time. The positions have fallen vacant in the departments of Bangla, English. Political Science, History. Philosophy. Economics and Physics. Guardians of students urged the authorities to take immediate steps to fill the vacancies.

Young man allegedly commits suicide

MANIKGANJ, Dec 11: A young man was found dead in a room of a residential hotel here on Tuesday, reports APB.

Police said Tapan Kumar Saha. 25, of village Dakla in Shibalaya thana checked-in at Nabin Residential Boarding of the town the previous night. An employee of the hotel knocked the door of his room the next morning and failing to get any response informed the police of the matter. The hotel owner in presence of police, broke open the door and found Tapan dead inside the room at about 11 am. Police suspect that he committed suicide by taking poison. The reason behind the suicide of Tapan, a garments factory supervisor in Dhaka, could not be known immediately.

Agri-loan distributed

NARSINGDI. Dec 11: Bangladesh Krishi Bank has so far disbursed Tk 930.38 lakh agriculture loan under the Post Flood Agriculture Rehabilitation programmme in six thanas here, reports UNB.

The bank disbursed the loan for cultivation of transplanted "Aman, potato, sweet potato, wheat, winter vegetables and for purchasing bullocks and agricultural-inputs through its 13 branches. Of the amount, Tk 96.2500 was disbursed by Sadar branch. Tk 71.70.000 by Sllamandi, Tk 1.04,20.000 by Raypura. Tk 46.10,000 by Marial. Tk 92,83.000 by Belabo. Tk 58,19.000 by Poradia Bazar. Tk 75,56.000 by Monohardi. Tk 41,49.000 by HaUrdia. Tk 57, 91,000 by Shekher Bazar. Tk 79,19.000 by Shibpur, Tk 51.867.000 by Lakhpur Bazar, Tk 82,31.000 by Po-lash and Tk 72. 78,000 by Pakisha thana branches of the district.

320 pry schools damaged

KURIGRAM, Deci J: As many as 320 government and private primary schools have been fully or partially damaged in the district by the recent floods and river erosion, reports APB

Education of thousands ol students is being hampered owing to delay in repair and reconstruction of these school buildings. Sources said that 15 government primary schools, six registered schools and 140-non-government primary schools were fully damaged by the floods and continued river erosion in the district.

Bridegroom found dead

SIRAJGANJ, Dec 11: A bridegroom was found dead hanging from a tree near his home at Niamatpur in sadar thana on Saturday when the first night of his wedding with a village dame was over, reports UNB.

Villagers said Abdul Wahed, 28. got married to Rahima Khatun. 18. of Moonsumi village and brought his teenager spouse home on Friday night. But. they said, later in the night Wahed committed suicide hanging from a nearby tree. The reasons behind the suicide remained shrouded.

Eye patients thronging Shariatpur hospitals

SHARIATPUR. Dec 11: Eye diseases. Including opthalmic conjunctivitis, have broken out here at an alarming rate over the last three weeks, reports APB.

A large number of opthalmic patients from different parts of the district have begun to throng the local hospitals everyday.

An ophthalmologist told that eye-patients have been crowding the clinics and hospital in the town for treatment.

Gang leader of musclemen arrested

PATUAKHALI. Dec 11:Police here on Sunday nabbed a notorious gang leader of musclemen from Kalaya Bandar area in Baufall thana, reports UNB.

The arrested identified as Sekander Ali Matbar, 50. known as a leader of musclemen, was wanted in connection with paddy looting, arson and rioting cases at the shoal areas of Baufall and Borhanuddin thanas. It was alleged that the gang leader grabbed several hundred acres of lana for long in shoal areas by false documents under the garb of a so-called peasants association. His groups was engaged in looting crops in shoal areas during harvesting season with the connivance of dishonest officials rendering many marginal and poor farmers pauper. Police said three cases with Baufall thana and one in Borhanuddin are pending against him. Meanwhile, the jubilant

.pie of shoal areas offered "Najaf prayers expressing gratitude to Almighty Allah at the arrest of the terror Sekandar Matbar.

Advocacy meeting

NARSINGDI, Dec 11: An advocacy and planning meeting on 5th national immunisation day was held on Nov 24 at the conference room of the Civil Surgeons office with Civil Surgeon of Narsingdi Dr Jotish Chandra Sutradar in the chair, reports BSS.

The immunisation. day will be observed throughout the country Including Narsingdi on December 14 this year and February 2, 1999. The objective of the day is to eradicate polio from Bangladesh by the year 2000. Deputy Commissioner Ralqul Islam and Police Super of Narsingdi Mokhlesur Rahman attended the meeting as the chief and special guests respectively. The meeting was addressed, among others, by Dr Shafi Uddin, Deputy Director. Family Planning. Narsingdi. ASM Sirajul Islam. Deputy Director. Islamic Foundation. Narsingdi and journalist Nurul Islam.

Body recovered

JHALAKATI, Dec 11: Divers recovered the body of a trawler sareng from the Gabjan channel here on Wednesday night after a three-day search, reports APB. 4

Shahid , 25. the master of trawler "Mollah Paribahan," drowned as the vessel laden with construction materials sank at Gabjan ferry ghat early Monday. The overloaded trawler, anchored near the ferry ghat sank due to high waves caused by a fast moving vessel passing through the channel. Shahid, hailing from Charmonai of Barisal district faced a watery grave when piled upgoods of the vessel collapsed on him as It went under water. The body was handed over to the family members of the victim with the approval of the local Deputy Commissioner.