Jail Killing Day observed

MYMEN'SJNGH. Nov 10: Jail Killing Day was observed here on Noven.' kt 3. reports BSS.

Syed Nazrul Islam Smriti Parishad arranged elaborate programmes here in observance of the day. The programme began with a mourning procession, which was brought out from "Krishnachura Chattar" at Mymensingh Rail Station in the morning. The procession paraded the main streets of the town and ended at the college road residence of Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam. The SmriU Parisahd also organised a milad mahfil' in the premises of Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam College In the morning. Political leaders, principal, professors and students of the college attended the 'milad mahfil.'

Wheat sanctioned for 100 schemes

CHUADANGA. Nov 10: The government has sanctioned 386 tons of wheat under test relief programmes for implementing over 100 schemes in all the four thanas and four pourasabhas of the district in the current financial year, reports BSS.

According to an official source. 85 tons of wheat have been sanctioned for Sadar thana. 104 tons for Alamdanga thana. 92 tons for Damurhuda thana. 69 tons for Jibannagar thana. 18 tons for Chuadanga Pourasabha. 07 ton for Alamdanga Pourasabhas. 08 ton for Darshana Pourasabha and 03 ton for Jibannagar Pourasbha. The implementation work of the schemes has begun.

Road development progressing

MANIKGANJ. Nov 10: The local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been developing the Jhitka-Machain road at cost of Taka 1.88 crore in the current fiscal year, reports BSS.

Official sources said the implementation of the development work taken under the second road and market development and maintenance project is progressing satisfactorily. Under the project 9 kilometres road is being developed with bitumin-car-peting. More than 15 per cent of the work has already been completed and the rest will be implemented by January. 2000.

Two brothers robbed

PATUAKHALI. Nov 10: Two brothers were robbed of Tk 19.500 and a gold chain at Uttar Dharandi launch ghat in Sadar thana on Sunday, reports UNB.

Police said a group of extortionists swooped on the two brothers — Farooque Hossain and Noor Hossain — as they did not comply with their earlier demand for toll. They were admitted to sadar hospital. The muggers demanded a large chunk of money from Farooque as he returned from Malaysia a few days back.

Series of robberies

NARAIL. Nov 10: In a string of robberies, bandits looted valuables from 20 houses at three villages in Sadar thana on Sunday night, reports UNB.

Police said’the robbers stormed the houses at Pachuria, Chanditala and Srifaltala villages at the dead of night and looted valuables, including gold ornaments. The houses looted at Chanditala village belong to Rabin Pal, Polin Pal. Gohlnda Pal. Bhakta Pal. Niranjan Pal. Arbinda Pal and Bimol Shaha while those at Srifaltala village belong to Atiar Sheikh and Motlar Molla. Two people were critically injured as the bandits beat them up during the robberies. Villagers alleged that the ponce of Agadia-Richali outpost, close to the villages, could not . each the spot in time.

Immunisation Day observed

COMILLA. Nov 10: More than eight lakh and forty thousand children in the age group of one to five were Immunised here on the sixth National Immunisation Day last week, reports BSS.

According to official sources. 22 thousand health personnel including some volunteers administered the polio vaccine. As part of the Immunisation programme all the children will be served Vitamln-A capsules during the second round of immunisation drive on December 2. Civil Surgeon Dr. Mukhlesur Rahman administered polio vaccine in different centres.

Training of Ansars, VDP

TANGAIL. Nov 10: A 14-day training course for Ansars and VDP members concluded on Saturday in the district Ansar and VDP office premises, reports BSS.

A total of 100 Ansars and VDP members took part in the course. The course included physical exercise, public security, child and mothers' health care,’ social discipline, maintenance of security in election centres and disaster management. Nirmalendu Biswas. District Adjutant of Ansars and VDP. presided over the concluding function.

Smuggled sarees seized

BAGERHAT. Nov 10: Coast guards seized a huge quantity of smuggled sarees from two engine boats and arrested three boatmen >.< this connection from the Pashur river on Sunday, reports UNB.

On suspicion, a patrol team of Mongla Coast Guard halted the two boats near Chalna Bazaar in Dacop thana of Khulna district on Saturday morning and recovered 17 bundles of Indian sarees worth about Tk 20 lakh. The arrested were identified as Selim. Nur Alam and Halder. They were handed over to police along with the seized boats and sarees.

Five robbers arrested

BAGERHAT. Nov 10: Five armed dacoits were rounded up from a house in village Zarla Kahartanga under Fakirhat thana on Sunday night, reports UNB.

Those arrested are Ruhul Quddus 30. Inam 28. Saurav Haoladar. 25. Humayun Kabir 30. and Abul Kalam. 30. Some others managed to flee. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the bouse of Ruhul Quddus at 10.30 pm when the gang was preparing for committing a dacoity. Sensing the arrival of police, the dacoits fired four blank snots. Police returned the fire but none was injured.

Shortage of judges

CHITTAGONG. Nov 10: Due to acute shortage of Judges, the number of pending cases has been increasing clay by day in the port city hampering the judicial process, reports UNB.

There are only five judges for some 35 lakh people of the metropolitan city and nearly 25.000 cases were pending in the courts for long.

The sanctioned posts of metropolitan magistrate for the port city are six as against 22 metropolitan magistrates in capital Dhaka for almost the same number of cases.

Court sources said the number of pending cases in six thanas of the port city was 17.000 in 1998. which Increased to 25.000 thisyear.

The area of the metropolitan city has been Increased to 120 square miles from 60 square miles. The government also decided to increase the number of thanas to 12.

Valuables looted

PATUAKHALI. Nov 10: Bandits stormed a house at Muradia village in Dumki thana Sunday night and looted valuables worth about Tk one lakh, reports UNB.

Witnesses said a group of 10-12 robbers broke into the house of one person named Nazrul Islam at dead of night and looted the valuables. Villagers, however, surrounded the robbers while they were decamping with the booty but the armed miscreants fled the scene exploding bombs, injuring two people — Kamal. 30. and Mannan. 28. They were admitted to sadar hospital in critical condition.

Drug smuggling on rise

MANIKGANJ, Nov 10: Drug smuggling has become a huge criminal business, giving an alarming rise to drug addicts, reports UNB.

According to competent sources, there are at least 500 spots of illegal drug trading in seven thanas of the district and most of these are located in the town. They said various kinds of hemp, drugs and wine, spirit and heroin are smuggled here from India and Nepal. Smugglers supply the contraband to various parts of the country by buses, trucks, trains and river vessels but police can hardly take action against them.

50 lakh deprived of medicare

NETRAKONA. Nov 10: While the government is carrying out a campaign to ensure ‘Health for All by 2000'. some 50 lakh uing dePrived of medicare service, reports UNB.

The 50-bed sadar hospital is grappled with numerous problems like mismanagement, shortage of beds, medicine, physicians and medical appliances. On average 600 patients rush to the hospital everyday for admission, but the authorities ran admit only a few of them and those who are admitted have to huddle together on floors for lack of beds. The laboratory' of the hospital remained inoperative for a long time, forcing poor patients to get their laboratory tests done at private pathological centres. More alarming is that the hospital even has no life-saving drugs, which it regularly gets from the government. 6