04-01-2018

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NEWS FRiDAY, JANUARY 4, 2019 2 BU VC congratulates Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Vice-Chancellor of Barishal University and former Chairman of BCSIR, Prof Dr SM Imamul Huq congratulated mother of humanity and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's daughter Sheikh Hasina for being elected as the Prime Minister for the fourth time and for achieving absolute majority in the 11th parliamentary elections, says a press release. In a congratulatory message, the Vice-Chancellor said that Sheikh Hasina's achievement for being the Prime Minister for the third consecutive time is the outline of her strong attitude, visionary leadership and achieving people's full confidence through sustainable development activities. There is no alternative to Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina for the country's ongoing development and progress. Vice-Chancellor expressed hope that Bangladesh will soon become a developed country and a role model in front of the world by converting the dream of Father of the Nation of making Sonar Bangla under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. At the same time, he hoped that Bangladesh will become a non-communal, militancy, terrorism free, corruption free and drug-free state under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Vice-Chancellor also wished Prime Minister's and her family's well-being and good health. Boro paddy seedlings production in Gaibandha GAIBANDHA: Boro paddy seedlings have been produced on over 7500 hectares of land in all the seven upazilas of the district during the current season, reports BSS. Sources with Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said over 1, 25,000 hectares of land would be brought under Boro paddy cultivation this year with a production target of at least 5,06,000 tonnes of rice. To cultivate the paddy, the seedbeds were prepared on over 7500 hectares where over 300 tonnes of quality seed of various varieties were sown. And finally, healthy seedlings grew there. Wheat farming continues in Rangpur agriculture region RANGPUR: The tender wheat plants are growing superbly amid favorable climatic conditions predicting better production despite shortfall in the farming target this season in Rangpur agriculture region, reports BSS. Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said, the farmers have brought 19,810 hectares of land under wheat cultivation against the fixed target of bringing 23,763 hectares of land under its farming in the region. Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam Horticulture Specialist of DAE at its regional office here said a target of producing 78,478 tonnes of wheat from 23,763 hectares of land has been fixed for all five districts of the region during the current Rabi season. "The fixed wheat farming target marked a shortfall by only 4,953 hectares of land this season following cultivation of maize and potato on more land by the farmers in the region," he said. However, the overall wheat production might be excellent as the farmers have mostly sowed high quality, disease resistant and stress tolerant varieties of wheat seed timely using the latest technologies after harvesting short duration Aman rice. Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman also predicted a better wheat production following use of the high yielding variety seed and conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies this season. Earlier, wheat production was being affected in the past due to adverse impacts of high temperature on its farming from flowering to ripening stages for late sowing of seed after harvesting late variety Aman, use of low quality local seed and other reasons. "However, the farmers are getting bumper wheat production in recent years following expanded cultivation of the high yielding, stress-tolerant and high temperature- tolerant wheat varieties adopting the latest conservation technologies," he added. The farmers have mostly cultivated high yielding wheat varieties like 'Bijoy', 'Pradip', 'Sotabdhi', BARI Gom25, BARI Gom26, BARI Gom27, BARI Gom28, BARI Gom29 and BARI Gom29 this time to get yield rates between 3 and 3.7 tonnes per hectare. Farmers Alif Uddin, Lokman Hossain and Bhola Nath of different villages in Rangpur said tender wheat plants are growing excellent on their farmlands amid favourable climate conditions predicting a bumper production of the crop this season. 15,000 hectares of land brought under wheat cultivation in Panchagarh PANCHAGARH: A total of 15,000 hectares of land have been brought under wheat cultivation this season in the district with a production target of 62,000 metric tons of wheat, reports BSS. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) is expecting to achieve the bumper wheat production in the district during the current season because of favorable climate. Last year, wheat cultivation target was five thousand of land, DAE sources said. Of the total land, 7,000 hectares of land have been cultivation Prodip variety, 4,000 hectares of land under Bijoy, 2,500 hectares of land under Sotapdi and 6,500 hectares of land under Bari- 1,2,3 variety. Prominent journalist Khaled Muhiuddin visits BU Prominent journalist, popular news presenter and executive editor of Independent Television Khaled Muhiuddin visited Barishal University on Thursday. During the time Muhiuddin was accompanied by his wife, daughter and senior journalist and Barishal Bureau chief of Independent Television Murad Ahmed, says a press release. He visited various parts of the campus and paid a courtesy call on Registrar of the University and Dean of Biology Faculty Dr Md Hasinur Rahman. During the time, General Secretary of BU Teachers' Association and Chairman of Department of Geology and Mining Md. Abu Jafar Mia, Provost of Hasina Hall Dil Afroz Afroz Khanam Tania, Lecturer of Department of Social Sciences Wahidur Zaman, Lecturer of Coastal Studies Department Alamgir Hossain, Deputy Director of Public Relation Office Faisal Mahmud, Personal Secretary of VC (Assistant Registrar) A FM Borhan Uddin, Assistant Registrar Didar Hossain Khan and PA of Vice-Chancellor (Administrative Officer) Ruhul Amin were among others present at the occasion. Registrar Dr. Md. Hasinur Rahman and others presented a souvenir on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor. RDA implements Tk 1,077.59-cr uplift projects RAJSHAHI: The Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) is implementing 11 development projects involving around Taka 1,077.59 crore for elevating living and livelihood condition of the city dwellers, reports BSS. Abdullah al Tarique, executive engineer of RDA, said a project of roadwidening from Court to Bypass road is being implemented involving around Taka 106.58 crore. The project has the provision of constructing 2.25 km bituminous road carpeting, 3,010-meter RCC drain with common duct, eight RCC culverts, 4,500- meter water, electricity and gas supply lines each and 2,250 meter T&T line along the four-lane road. The RDA is also constructing another 5-km four-lane road from near RUET campus to Bypass road at a cost of around Taka 159.29 crore. The road will have 9,000 meter RCC drain and eight culverts, a four-lane overpass along with installations of 5,000 meter water, power, gas and telephone lines each. It will also implement another project to make Rajshahi Metropolitan Development Plan sensible to disaster risks through updating the Effective Mega and Detailed Area Plans at a cost of around Taka 18.36 Obituary Director of Directorate of Staff Development under Bangladesh Water Development Board Md Human chain formed to protest businessman's death in Gopalganj S M Nazrul Islam, Gopalganj Correspondent: A human chain was formed protesting against the killing of businessman Shafiqul Islam Fayjar and demanding punishment of the culprits in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj on Thursday. Residents of the South Hiran Bazar area of the upazila formed the human chain. At the human chain, the activists displayed placards in different types of writings demanding punishment of the culprits. Social worker Nahid Sheikh, Sumon Sheikh, UP member Mehedi Hasan and Ali's wife Meena Begum spoke at the human chain. The speakers said that on Monday evening, there was a clash between two groups of villagers about the volleyball game. At that time, businessman Shafiqul Islam was beaten to death. They demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits. The wife filed a murder case in Kotalipara thana in this connection. Zerin from Naogaon gets full marks in PSC examinations M R Rocky, Naogaon Correspondent: Sarah Zerin of Naogoan has got full 600 marks in recently published PSC examination results and become the best of the country. The people of the area are overjoyed by the success of Sarah Zerin who is a resident of Koloni para of Mahadevpur upazila of Naogaon. Sara Zerin participated in this PSC exam from Malancha Kindergarten in Mahadevpur upazila. She expected good results after the giving the examination. But she surprised everyone by getting full 100 marks in all the 6 subjects. Sarah Zerin's father Sarwar Hossain is a government servant and her mother is a housewife. Sarah Zerin has an elder brother and a sister. The main reason for Zerin's success was to comply with family supervision and following the direction of teachers. Sarah Zerin's father Sarwar Hossain said that I would follow up with the lessons at night with Zerin after she returns from school. But I never had to pressurize her for studies. She used to utilize her strong will power. Tawfiqul Islam, headmaster of the local Malancha Kindergarten said that we all saw a different talent within Zerin. According to that we gave her directions. Beautiful handwriting in the exam was one of the most important aspects of Sarah Zerin. Along with studies, Sarah Zerin used to joke, sing and recite poems. However, she did not give importance to coaching or private, Zerin's father Sarwar Hossain said. In response to a question that how much Sarah Zerin of Naogoan got full 600 marks in recently published PSC examination results. Photo: M R Rocky expectation was there to get full marks in the PSC exam, Zerin said that after the examination I had a strong hope that I will get talent pool. Zerin further said that she wants to become a doctor for human services in the future. Naogaon District Secondary Education Officer Aminul Islam said that we are proud of all Zerin. Aktharuzzaman died on Wednesday (Inna…Rajiun). He was only 55. Hel left his wife, a son and many wellwishers. On behalf of all staff of Water Development Board, peace sought for his GD-21/19 (8 x 4) departed soul, a press release said. GD-22/19 (8 x 3)
INTERNATIONAL FRIDAy, JANUARy 4, 2019 3 Fishing boats are seen docked at a port as tropical storm Pabuk approaches the southern province of Pattani, Thailand, Thursday. Photo: Internet Thailand braces for powerful storm at southern beach towns Thai authorities suspended ferry services and began evacuations Thursday ahead of a powerful tropical storm that is expected to pound the Southeast Asian nation's famed southern beach resorts during a peak tourism season. Rain was already falling around the Gulf of Thailand and officials warned that torrential downpours, strong winds and rough seas were expected in 16 provinces when Tropical Storm Pabuk makes its expected landfall on Friday. There are fears that the storm will be the worst to hit Thailand since 1989, when Typhoon Gay left more than 400 dead. A tropical storm in 1962 killed more than 900 people in the south. In what was possibly related to the storm, a Russian tourist in Koh Samui drowned Wednesday as he tried to rescue his daughter, who was struggling in strong surf. Thai PBS television reported that the daughter survived but her father lost consciousness after being tossed against some rocks and couldn't be revived by rescuers. "There will be heavy rainfall and we have to prepared for flooding or an impact on transportation," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said. "We are ready ourselves, but if the rainfall is high we will need some time to resolve problems." He later held a video conference with the governors of the 16 provinces to discuss preparations for the emergency, including digging canals to run off floodwaters, mobilizing rescue vehicles, ordering all boats to be docked, and readying medical facilities. Thailand's Meteorological Department said the storm will lash southern Thailand's east coast from Thursday to Saturday, with the two provinces of Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat expected to be hardest hit. Surat Thani is home to the popular tourist islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. The department said the storm was moving west into the Gulf of Thailand with maximum winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour. It said waves 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) high were possible in the Gulf of Thailand and 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) high in the Andaman Sea on the west coast. It warned of strong winds and storm surges on the gulf side and said all ships should stay berthed on land through Saturday. Southern Thailand's tourist industry is a huge moneymaker, and authorities have become particularly sensitive to visitors' safety since last July, when 47 Chinese tourists drowned when the boat they were on sank in rough seas near the popular resort of Phuket in the Andaman Sea. Fishing is another major industry in the south, and small boat owners were heeding the warning. Many dragged their vessels ashore, attaching ropes to the boats and having friends help tug them on to beaches. Two natural gas production platforms in the Gulf of Thailand directly in the path of the storm suspended operations and had their personnel evacuated to shore, said the exploration and production arm of the That state oil company PTT. It said drilling rigs and vessels had been moved to unaffected areas, and gas production at a third platform remained operating to help meet energy needs. The storm was passing about 300 kilometers (180 miles) south-southwest of Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City at midday Thursday, and was expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the Mekong Delta, the country's major area for rice and aquaculture production. According to Vietnamese state television VTV, authorities ordered people to take precautions and sent radio alerts to thousands of fishing boats to take shelter or return to shore. They had forbidden new boat departures in five southern coastal provinces since Tuesday. Hindu hard-liners paralyze Indian state over women at shrine Hindu hard-liners shut shops and businesses and clashed with police in a southern state Thursday to protest the entry of two women in one of India's largest Hindu pilgrimage sites. Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party held protest marches in Kerala state as part of a strike call by Sabarimala Karma Samithi, an umbrella organization of Hindu groups. Women of menstruating age were forbidden to pray at the temple until the Supreme Court lifted the ban in September. The ban was informal for many years, but became law in 1972. Some devotees have filed a petition saying the court decision revoking the ban was an affront to celibate deity Ayyappa. The two women entered the temple to pray early Wednesday. They were escorted by police because it is "the government's constitutional responsibility to give protection to women," said Pinarayi Vijayan, the state's top elected official. He accused the BJP of triggering violence when police fired tear gas at several places to disperse stonethrowing mobs protesting the women's entry. Vijayan told reporters on Thursday that 39 police officers were injured while trying to control the protesters, who also damaged 79 staterun buses in the state. Sudan under al-Bashir Long history of turmoil, conflicts Street protests against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir show no sign of abating. A growing number of his former allies are clamoring for his departure. None of his friends in the region are stepping up to help. One of the Mideast's longest autocrats may be on the way out. But if al-Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 military coup, seeks to cling to power, it could mean greater violence and economic paralysis for Sudan and a new stage in a dark history of strife, military dictatorships and political polarization. Once Africa's largest nation, Sudan under al- Bashir was prominent on the world stage in the 1990s and 2000s for all the wrong reasons. It was the scene of a long civil war between the mostly Christian and animist south and the Muslim and Arabized north. It hosted Osama bin Laden in the early years of his jihadi movement that led to the creation of al-Qaida, landing Sudan a spot on the U.S. list of countries backing terrorism. In the 2000s, it was most known for the brutal repression of an uprising in its western Darfur region, when the pro-government militias known as the Janjaweed became notorious for atrocities and al-Bashir himself was indicted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and genocide. After the south gained independence in 2011 in a referendum that al-Bashir agreed to in a peace treaty, Sudan lost a third of its territory and fell out of the international spotlight. In the years since, it languished in increasing economic misery. That misery erupted several times into protests, each time put down by al-Bashir. He has tried to do the same in the latest unrest, sparked on Dec. 19, initially over steep price rises and shortages. Dozens have been reported killed, and al-Bashir has arrested opposition leaders, imposed emergency rule and curfews in multiple cities and suspended classes in schools and universities. Here is a look at Sudan's modern history and how recent events may shape its future: Since independence in 1956, Sudan has bounced between tumultuous party politics and military rule, while trying to hold together a north and south joined under British colonialism. Southern rebels took up arms the year before independence, starting the first civil war. In 1958, the military seized power, ruling for six years until a wave of riots and strikes in 1964. Elections were held, and a series of governments took office, all of which failed to end the war or agree on a permanent constitution. Army officer Jaafar al-Nimeiri led another military coup in 1969. He dissolved parliament and outlawed political parties, starting 16 years of authoritarian rule. He fended off several coup attempts, including one by Communists in 1971 and another by followers of Imam al-Mahdi, a messianic religious figure from the late 1800s. In 1972, he reached a peace deal ending the war in the south. The south relaunched its insurgency 11 years later and the guerillas' ranks swelled when al- Nimeiri introduced Islamic Shariah law. After a popular uprising, the military removed al- Nimeiri in 1985 and - in a rare move for the region - quickly handed power to an elected government. The dysfunctional administration lasted only a few years until al-Bashir - a career army officer - allied with Islamist hard-liners and toppled it in a coup. Bashir's 29 years in power will likely be remembered as the most oppressive in Sudan's modern history. He began by trying to militarily crush the southern rebellion. Predictably, it did not work. From Khartoum, his rule was based on his Islamist-military alliance, presenting himself as a leader of the 1990s wave of "political Islam" while building ties with violent jihadis. Using Islamist ideology as a rallying cry, al-Bashir created loyalist militias to protect his rule and built a political machine of businessmen and politicians that held a lock on power and amassed massive wealth in the impoverished nation. His renewed imposition of Islamic law alienated many and tore apart the social fabric of a country with a rich religious and ethnic composition. His use of Islamic militias in Darfur made him an international pariah. Partly trying to salvage his standing, he signed the peace deal with the south. Jury selection set in trial over 6 killings in Michigan Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of a man charged with killing six strangers in southwestern Michigan nearly three years ago. Jason Dalton is charged with murder and attempted murder. He's accused of shooting eight people in three locations in the Kalamazoo area in February 2016 while he was picking up riders for Uber. Police quoted Dalton as saying a "devil figure" on Uber's app was controlling him. Prospective jurors are reporting to court Thursday to begin the selection process. Trial testimony could start Monday. The trial was delayed while Dalton's attorney tried to suppress some statements made to police. The Michigan appeals court agreed that some cannot be used. Serbia arrests bus driver as death toll in crash rises to 7 Authorities in Serbia have arrested the driver of the bus that was hit by a train last month as the number of dead in the crash has risen to seven. Serbia's state TV said Thursday that prosecutors have ordered a 30-day detention for the driver as soon as he is well enough to leave the hospital. He's suspected of gravely endangering safety. The bus was carrying mostly high school students to school when a train slammed into it near the southern city of Nis, practically cutting the bus in half. Five people were immediately killed in the Dec. 21 crash and scores were injured. Naming names : A reckoning is underway in US Catholic Church Over the past four months, Roman Catholic dioceses across the U.S. have released the names of more than 1,000 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children in an unprecedented public reckoning spurred at least in part by a shocking grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has found. Nearly 50 dioceses and religious orders have publicly identified child-molesting priests in the wake of the Pennsylvania report issued in mid-August, and 55 more have announced plans to do the same over the next few months, the AP found. Together they account for more than half of the nation's 187 dioceses. The review also found that nearly 20 local, state or federal investigations, either criminal or civil, have been launched since the release of the grand jury findings. Those investigations could lead to more names and more damning accusations, as well as fines against dioceses and court-ordered safety measures. "People saw what happened in these parishes in Pennsylvania and said, 'That happened in my parish too.' They could see the immediate connection, and they are demanding the same accounting," said Tim Lennon, national president of the board of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. The recently disclosed accusations date back six or seven decades in some cases, with the oldest from the 1910s in Louisiana. Most of the priests were long ago removed from ministry. An AP examination found that more than 60 percent are dead. In most cases, the statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges or suing has run out. Nevertheless, advocates say exposing molesters nearly two decades after the scandal first erupted in Boston in 2002 is an encouraging step, in part because it gives some victims a sense of vindication after decades of official silence or denials. Also, it could increase pressure on dioceses to set up victims' compensation funds, as the church has done in Pennsylvania already. And it could result in the removal of molesters from positions outside the church that give them access to children. "This is a milestone. We are getting closer and closer to what this ought to be, the true coming to terms that would have to be at a national level," said Joe McLean, who filed a lawsuit with other victims seeking to compel the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to release files on alleged abusers nationwide. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, conducts Mass at St. Mathews Cathedral in Washington. Photo: Internet Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, center, stands between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the annual Arab League summit on the Dead Sea in Jordan. Photo: Internet Saudi Arabia says 5 face death penalty in Khashoggi killing Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday it will seek the death penalty against five suspects in the slaying of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a killing that has seen members of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage implicated in the writer's assassination. Prosecutors announced that 11 suspects in the slaying attended their first court hearing with lawyers, but the statement did not name those in court. It also did not explain why seven other suspects arrested over the Oct. 2 killing at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul did not immediately face formal charges. The kingdom previously announced 18 people had been arrested. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The killing of Khashoggi, who wrote columns critical of Prince Mohammed, has strained the decades-long ties the kingdom enjoys with the United States. It also has added to a renewed international push to end the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state television gave few details about the hearing. "The Public Prosecutor demanded imposing proper punishments against the defendants and is seeking capital punishment for five of the defendants for their direct involvement in the murder," a statement from prosecutors said, without elaborating. The suspects requested copies of the indictments they faced, as well as asked for more time to prepare for their case, prosecutors said. While vague on details about the case, prosecutors made a point to express concerns about Turkey. They alleged that Turkish officials did not answer two formal requests made for evidence in the case. "To date, the Saudi Public Prosecutor has not received any response, and the Public Prosecution is still awaiting their response," the statement said. Officials in Ankara could not be immediately reached for comment. Turkish officials have previously said they shared evidence with Saudi Arabia and other nations over Khashoggi's killing. Turkey also has demanded Saudi Arabia extradite those 18 suspects to be tried there for Khashoggi's killing. Turkish security officials have kept up a slow leak of videos, photographs and morbid details surrounding Khashoggi's slaying to pressure the kingdom, as the two U.S.-allied countries vie for influence over the wider Mideast. Turkish media have published photographs of members of the crown prince's entourage at the consulate in Istanbul ahead of the slaying. Khashoggi's body, believed to have been dismembered after his killing, has yet to be found. Khashoggi, 59, entered the consulate Oct. 2 as his fiancée waited outside. But unbeknownst to him, a team of Saudi officials had flown in before his arrival and laid in wait for him. Saudi Arabia denied for weeks that Khashoggi had been killed but later changed its story and ultimately acknowledged the brutal slaying. King Salman ordered the restructuring of the country's intelligence service, but has so far shielded Prince Mohammed, his 33-year-old son who is next in line to the throne in the oil giant kingdom. All that has not has not stopped widespread international criticism against the kingdom. Under Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia has seen the arrest of business leaders, royals and activists while also recently granting women the right to drive. U.S. senators in December passed the measure that blamed the prince for Khashoggi's killing and called on Riyadh to "ensure appropriate accountability." Senators also passed a separate measure calling for the end of U.S. aid to the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Both measures drew angry responses from the kingdom, but a renewed international effort has begun to end the Yemen war. It is no surprise that the kingdom would seek to execute those accused in Khashoggi's slaying. Saudi Arabia was the world's third top executioner in 2017, behind China and Iran, according to Amnesty International's most recent figures available. The killing of Khashoggi, who wrote columns critical of Prince Mohammed, has strained the decades-long ties the kingdom enjoys with the United States. It also has added to a renewed international push to end the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The kingdom executed at least 146 people, according to the group. It regularly beheads those condemned to death and last year said it "crucified" a Myanmar man, an execution in which the condemned is usually beheaded and then the body put on display, arms outstretched as if crucified.
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