14-10-2021

THURSDAY, OCTOBeR 14, 2021 6
‘Roles of union parishads vital to
turn villages into towns’
RANGPUR: Union parishads (UP) are
playing vital roles in reaching urban
services to rural people to turn every
village into town to attain the sustainable
development goals (SDGs) by 2030 and
build a developed Bangladesh by 2041,
reports BSS.
High officials and public
representatives expressed the view at a
mass public hearing on 'Activities of
Union Parishad and its Services' held at
Chandanpat union parishad premises
under Sadar upazila in the district on
Tuesday.
The event was arranged under the
auspices of the Efficient and Accountable
Local Governance (EALG) Project of the
Local Government Division.
The UNDP, Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation and
Danish International Development
Agency extended support in arranging
the occasion.
National Project Director of the EALG
Project and Additional Secretary of the
Local Government Division Mustakim
Billah Faruqui attended the event as the
chief guest.
With Chandanpat union Chairman Md
Amenur Rahman in the chair, Deputy
Director (Local Government) for
Rangpur Syed Farhad Hossain and Sadar
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Most Nur Nahar
Begum attended the occasion as special
guests.
Members, Secretary and entrepreneur
of the Union Digital Centre, heads of
educational institutions, civil society
members, service recipient citizens,
women, students, youths and common
people of Chandanpat union were
present.
Syed Farhad Hossain narrated the
activities being conducted by the upazila
and union parishads with the EALG
project assistance in two upazilas and 30
unions of six upazilas in Rangpur to
strengthen the local government systems.
"Along with enhancing the capacity of
local government institutions in planning
and implementing development projects,
public awareness is also being created to
change heath practice to tackle the Covid-
19 pandemic," he said.
In observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction a rally was brought out in
Islampur upazila on Wednesday.
Photo: Osman Harunee
International Day
for Disaster Risk
Reduction observed
in Islampur
OSMAN HARUNEE, ISLAMPUR
CORRESPONDENT
International Day for Disaster
Risk Reduction has been
celebrated in Islampur upazila
Jamalpur on Wednesday.
A rally was organized by the
upazila administration to mark
the International Day for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2021 and the 50th
anniversary of the CPP. The rally
paraded the main streets of the
city and ended at the Upazila
Parishad premises.
Later a discussion meeting was
held in the Upazila Parishad hall.
Newly appointed Upazila Nirbahi
Officer Zahidur Rahman presided
over the meeting while Upazila
Parishad Chairman SM Jamal
Abdun Naser Babul was the chief
guest at the occasion. Among
others, Upazila Assistant
Commissioner (Land)
Roknuzzaman Khan, Upazila
Parishad Women Vice Chairman
Rozina Akter China, Islampur
Thana Officer-in-Charge Majedur
Rahman Majed, Fire Service
Station Officer Khairul were
among others also present at the
occasion.
Tube wells have been distributed among 33 helpless people in Nangla Union of Melandaha Upazila
on Wednesday.
Photo: Rohulamin Razu
CHAPAINAWABGANJ: One more person was
tested positive for Covid-19 during the last 24
hours raising the total number to 5,905 in
Chapainawabganj district, reports BSS.
During the last 24 hours, 13 samples were
tested. Of them, one person detected as positive
for COVID-19 showing the infection rate 7.69
percent, Civil Surgeon Office sources
confirmed.
The newly detected patient is from sadar
upazila.
A total of 99 patients are undergoing
treatment in the district. Of them, 14 patients
are getting treatment in dedicated Covid
hospital and others at home.
Meanwhile, 157 patients have died of
COVID-19 and 5,649 patients have recovered
from the disease here, the sources added.
Covid-19 cases reach 55,163 in Rangpur
division
RANGPUR: The number of Covid-19 cases
reached 55,163 with the diagnosis of 12 new
patients on Tuesday in Rangpur division where
the pandemic situation continues improving
during the last two months, reports BSS
"The 12 new Covid-19 cases were reported
after testing 327 samples at the positivity rate
of 3.67 percent on Tuesday in the division,"
Rangpur Divisional Deputy Director (Health)
Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam told BSS yesterday.
RAKUB disburses Tk 572.57cr
agri-loan in NW region
RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan
Bank (RAKUB) has disbursed
agricultural loans of TK 572.57 crore
during the first three months of the
current 2021-2022 fiscal year, reports
BSS.
The loans were disbursed through 383
branches in all 16 districts under
Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions aimed at
increasing crop production and boosting
rural economy through recouping the
losses being caused by the Covid-19
pandemic.
Besides, the specialised commercial
bank also recovered loans of Taka 603.91
crore including classified loans of Taka
40.55 crore. It has collected deposits of
Taka 139.10 crore during the same
period.
Headquartered in Rajshahi, the bank
has set a target of disbursing agricultural
loans of TK 3,000 crore during the
current fiscal year, said Ismail Hossain,
Managing Director of RAKUB.
Target has also been set to recover
loans of TK 2,800 crore, including
classified loans with TK 450 crore, and
raise deposit collection to TK 500 crore,
he said.
As the largest development partner in
the two divisions, RAKUB has been
One more test positive for
Covid-19 in C'nawabganj
Earlier, the daily Covid-19 positivity rates
were 2.16 percent on Monday, 2.87 percent on
Sunday, 3.48 percent on Saturday, 2.47 percent
on Friday, 6.11 percent on Thursday and 6.85
percent on Wednesday last in the division.
"The district-wise break up of total 55,163
patients include 12,434 of Rangpur, 3,792
Panchagarh, 4,430 of Nilphamari, 2,736 of
Lalmonirhat, 4,633 of Kurigram, 7,581 of
Thakurgaon, 14,704 of Dinajpur and 4,853 of
Gaibandha in the division," he added.
"Meanwhile, no more Covid-19 infected
patient died during the last 24 hours ending at
8 am today in Rangpur division where the total
number of casualties remained steady at
1,238," he said.
The average casualty rate currently stands at
2.24 percent in the division.
The district-wise break up of the 1,238
fatalities currently stands at 293 in Rangpur,
80 in Panchagarh, 88 in Nilphamari, 68 each
in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, 252 in
Thakurgaon, 326 in Dinajpur and 63 in
Gaibandha of the division.
"Since the beginning of the Covid-19
pandemic, a total of 2,87,653 collected samples
were tested till Tuesday, and of them, 55,163
were found Covid-19 positive with an average
positivity rate of 19.18 percent in the division,"
Dr Zakirul added.
operating its banking activities targeting
its agricultural sector and all its subsectors,
including small and medium
enterprises.
The bank has attained around hundred
percent targets in all parameters under
the Prime Minister's stimulus package.
Its training institute has set an
unprecedented instance in terms of
competent human resource development
through operating online training amid
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Around 7,000 officers and employees
were imparted training on various
banking issues, including online and
green banking, for successful operation of
the branch level banking activities during
the last 14 months since July 2020.
Subrata Kumar Sarker, Principal of the
training Institute, told BSS that RAKUB
has been operating online banking in all
its 383 branches, including 333 in rural
areas, for the last couple of years.
Various modern banking services are
being reached among the rural people
through the competent workforces for
successful implementation of the
government's agendas, including
achievement of sustainable development
goals and innovation in civic services.
Tube wells distributed
among helpless people
in Nangla Union
ROHULAMIN RAZU, MELANDA-
HA CORRESPONDENT
Tube wells have been
distributed among the
helpless people in Nangla
Union of Melandaha Upazila
through the grant of Sheikh
Ibrahim of Kuwait through
expatriate Abul Kalam Azad
Kalu under the overall
supervision of Alhaj Kismat
Pasha, valiant freedom
fighter and chairman of
Nangla Union on Wednesday.
Tube wells were distributed
among 33 helpless families in
premises of Pasha family.
During the President of
Melandaha Upazila Jatiya
Sramik League, former
chairman of Nangla Union
Bir Muktijoddha Alhaj
Kismat Pasha, expatriate
Abul Kalam Azad Kalu's
eldest son Russell, former UP
member Faruk Lal Mia,
president of Nangla Union
Jatiya Sramik League Md
Kamruzzaman were among
others also present at the
occasion.
New UNO holds view
exchange meeting with
journalists in Nakla
SHAHAJADA SWAPAN, NAKLA
CORRESPONDENT
Newly-appointed Upazila
Nirbahi Officer Mostafizur
Rahman held a view
exchange meeting with
journalists at Nakla in
Sherpur.
UNO Mostafizur Rahman
presided over the meeting
held at the Upazila Parishad
hallroom on Tuesday
afternoon. During the time
he sought the cooperation of
the journalists for the overall
development of the upazila.
Among others, Upazila
Parishad Chairman Shah.
Borhan Uddin, Harunur
Rashid, Muhammad Hazrat
Ali, Shah Mohammad
Fawad Hossain, Shahajada
Swapan, Shafiul Alam Lavlu,
Shafiuzzaman Rana, Yusuf
Ali Mandal and other
journalists spoke.
Mariam Khatun
joins as UNO im
Baraigram
SHEIKH TOFAZZAL HOSSAIN,
NATORE CORRESPONDENT
Mst Mariam Khatun joins as
an Upazila Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) at Baraigram.
According to the service rule,
she joined at the office of
Natore Deputy Commissioner
on last Tuesday and it was her
first work day in Baraigram
upazila.
Before joining, she was an
Executive Magistrate at the
office of Tangail District
Administration. She is an
officer of the 33th cadre of
Bangladesh Civil Service
(BCS). She was an inhabitant
of Roygang Upazila under
Sirajgang district. Additional
Deputy Commissioner,
Natore confirmed her joining
at a new work place
Baraigram on Tuesday.
Newly-appointed Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mostafizur Rahman held a view exchange
meeting with journalists at Nakla Upazila on Tuesday. Photo: Shahajada Swapan
Mechanizing cultivation
process stressed to face
Barind agri challenges
RAJSHAHI: Scientists and
researchers yesterday
underlined the need for
mechanizing farming process in
larger scale to decay agriculture
related challenges and boost
production in the droughtprone
Barind area in the
division, reports BSS.
They put the importance
while focusing on challenges in
the region including climate
change, labour shortage,
irrigation water scarcity and
increasing cost in crop
cultivation.
They were addressing the
closing session of the two-day
long training for farmers and
mechanics here.
Farm Machinery and
Postharvest Process
Engineering Division (FMPED)
of Bangladesh Agriculture
Research Institute (BARI)
organized the training at On
Farm Research Division
(OFRD) in association with the
'More Profitable through
Innovation of Agricultural
Machinery and Appropriate
Technology' project.
FMPED Senior Scientific
Officer Dr Arshadul Hoque,
OFRD Principal Scientific
Officers Dr Majharul Anwar
and Dr Jagadish Chandra
Barman, Senior Scientific
Officer Dr Shakhawat Hossain
and Scientific Officer Dr
Jahidul Islam conducted the
training sessions as resource
persons.
The trainees were told that
the cropping intensity can
increase to 250 percent even
400 percent from the existing
200 percent after the best uses
of the farm mechanization.
They were given practical
knowledge and ideas on
handling, repairing and
maintaining agricultural
machinery, particularly bed
planter, seeder, maize sheller,
power thresher, potato
harvester, solar pump based
solar home system and reaper.
Dr Arshadul Hoque said forty
percent labourers are involved
innagricultural activity at
present which is decreasing day
by day. Serious labour crises are
being found during the planting
and harvesting season in the
region, he added.
Importance of mechanization
in agricultural is being
perceived by all policy makers
and stakeholders to overcome
the labour crisis, reduce the
production cost and improve
productivity through timely
planting, he said.
So, the government is trying
to popularize agri machinery
among the farmers and has
been giving subsidies to the
farmers for farm
mechanization.
BARI has developed 50
different agricultural machines
which are suitable for the small
scale farming community of
Bangladesh.
Simultaneously, FMPED has
been implementing a project to
meet the national demand for
increasing mechanization level
in agriculture.
"We are focusing on
development of entrepreneurs
of agricultural machinery
besides increasing the number
of manufacturers and adoption
level of agricultural machinery,"
he added.
Ctg records ever
lowest 0.63pc
Covid-19
positivity rate
CHATTOGRAM:
The district recorded
the lowest Covid- 19
positivity rate of 0.63
percent while only 10
fresh cases were
reported after testing
1,526 samples during
the last 24 hours till
Wednesday
morning, reports
BSS.
The Covid-19
situation is
improving
consistently during
the last few weeks,
Civil Surgeon Dr Ilias
Chowdhury told BSS.
With the newly
infected cases, the
number of
coronavirus (COVID-
19) patients stands at
102,062 in the
district.
"The number of
cured patients from
the lethal virus stood
at 87,183 in the
district with the
recovery of 43 more
patients in the last 24
hours," Dr Ilias said,
adding that the
percentage of
recovery rate is
85.39.
With one more new
death in the last 24
hours, the death toll
stood at 1,313 in the
district.
A total of 1,987
infected patients are
now undergoing
treatment at
designated hospitals
here.
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2021 and 50th anniversary of CPP have been celebrated
in Mirzaganj on Wednesday. Marking the occasion, a rally was brought out by the Upazila
Administration and Disaster Management Committee. During the time, Upazila Parishad Chairman
Khan Md. Abu Bakar Siddiqui, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mst Tania Ferdous, Vice Chairman
Zahirul Islam Jewel were among others also present at the occasion.
Photo: Uttam Golder