15-09-2021

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
6
With the financial support of Joypurhat Zila Samity (Dhaka resident), sewing machines were
distributed among the poor and helpless women in the conference room of the Superintendent
of Police in Joypurhat on Saturday. Joypurhat Police Super Masum Ahmed Bhuiyan PPM was
the chief guest at the distribution program. Additional Superintendent of Police
(Administration) Tariqul Islam, Acting President of the Samity and also owner of Hafisons
Laboratory Dr. Mahbub Hafiz, General Secretary Iftekhar Arefin Rupam, President of SAARC
Human Rights Foundation Joypurhat Nur-e-Alam, General Secretary Rafiqul Islam, Treasurer
of Joypurhat Press Club Masrakul Alom and others were present at that time. These sewing
machines were distributed at the event to create self-employment among the helpless destitute
women of different backward districts.
Photo : Masrakul Alom
Manikganj
records 6.36pc
Covid-19
positivity rate
MANIKGANJ : The district
recorded 6.36 percent
Covid-19 positivity rate as
seven fresh cases were
reported after testing 110
new samples at the Colonel
Maleque Medical College
PCR Lab during the last 24
hours till yesterday
morning, reports BSS.
With the new infection,
the number of coronavirus
(COVID-19) cases reached
8,120 after testing 43,820
samples in the district, said
Medical Officer of
Manikganj Civil Surgeon
Office Dr. Rafiqun Nahar
Banna.
Besides, the number of
cured patients from the
lethal virus stood at 7,450 in
the district, the medical
officer said. The death toll
from the virus reaches 125 in
the district.
RU gains a
vast campus
with green
canopy
RAJSHAHI The Rajshahi
University (RU) campus has
gained one of the greenest
campuses in the country
with over 10,000 trees of
about 600 species and
unique land topography.
The youthful and fresh
atmosphere on the campus
filled with hope and dreams
surrounds its students and
visitors years after years.
RU Vice-chancellor Prof
Golam Sabbir Sattar
revealed this while
transplanting a tree sapling
at the campus on Tuesday.
RU Science Club initiated
the tree plantation
programme.
Among others, Pro-vicechancellors
Prof Chowdhury
Jakaria and Prof Sultan-ul-
Islam and Students Adviser
Prof Tereque Nur were
present on the occasion. VC
Prof Golam Sattar also said a
massive tree plantation can
help reduce carbon emission
to a substantial level and
that is very important to face
the adverse impact of
climate change in the region
including its vast Barind
tract.
There is no alternative to
create more forest area
which needs adequate
financial support from both
national and international
donor agencies. An
optimum afforestation could
help stop degradation of
environment and
biodiversity making the
country a safe habitat for all.
No Covid death recorded in
Rangpur for 2nd consecutive day
RANGPUR : No fresh Covid-19 death was
reported in Rangpur division during the last
24 hours for the second consecutive day on
Monday, keeping the number of casualties
steady at 1,218.
Health officials said the Covid-19 situation
has improved consistently during the last
five consecutive weeks in the division.
"Earlier Rangpur division witnessed the
last Covid-19 casualty free day on May 16 last
and again no deaths were reported on
Sunday and Monday (yesterday)," Focal
Person of the Covid-19 and Assistant
Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr
ZA Siddiqui said.
The district-wise breakup of the 1,218
fatalities stands at 290 in Rangpur, 79 in
Panchagarh, 87 in Nilphamari, 65 in
Lalmonirhat, 66 in Kurigram, 246 in
Thakurgaon, 322 in Dinajpur and 63 in
Gaibandha districts of the division.
The average casualty rate currently stands
at 2.25 percent in the division.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases
reached 54,251 in Rangpur division as 45
new patients were diagnosed after testing
874 samples at the daily positivity rate of
5.50 percent on Monday.
Earlier, the daily positivity rates were 5.43
percent on Sunday, 8.59 percent on
Saturday, 8.18 percent on Friday, 10.37
percent on Thursday, 7.07 percent on
Wednesday and 8.46 percent on Tuesday
last in the division.
"The district-wise break up of total 54,251
patients include 12,272 from Rangpur, 3,661
from Panchagarh, 4,358 from Nilphamari,
2,715 from Lalmonirhat, 4,589 from
Kurigram, 7,380 from Thakurgaon, 14,457
from Dinajpur and 4,819 from Gaibandha in
the division," he added.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Director
(Health) Dr Md Motaharul Islam said a total
of 2,67,845 collected samples were tested till
Monday, and of them, 54,251 were found
Covid-19 positive with an average positivity
rate of 20.254 percent in the division.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the
total number of people who have
recuperated from the disease surged to
50,491 with recovery of 227 more infected
patients on Monday in the division where the
average recovery rate currently stands at
93.07 percent.
Producing, preserving quality seed
in farmers' level underscored
GAIBANDHA : Speakers at a function on
Tuesday underscored the need for producing
and preserving quality seed of valuable agri
crops in farmers' level to get desired output.
They said these while addressing a daylong
farmers' training on 'Seed Production
and Preservation' at the hall room of
Bhatgram Federation of Sadullapur upazila
in the district, reports BSS.
RDRS Bangladesh, a non-government
organization, arranged the training under
Accelerated Genetics Gains in RICE
(AGGRI) Project in cooperation with
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
District seed certification officer of
Seed Certification Agency agriculturist
Showkat Osman addressed the function
as the chief guest and sub assistant
agriculture officer M Nazmul Hossain
was present as the special guest while
chairman of Bhatgram Federation Md.
Reza Miah presided over it.
RDRS Bangladesh briefed the farmers
about the importance and significance of
seed production and preservation in farmers'
level elaborately.
Agriculturist Showkat Osman narrated
the positive impacts and technologies of
seed production and preservation at
farmers' level.
Sirajdikhan Press Club Press Club formed a human chain protesting false
and fabricated case against the former president of the club journalist
Shamsuzzaman Ponir. Photo : Nazmul Molla
Covid-19 cases
reach 97,340 with
97 afresh in
Rajshahi division
RAJSHAHI : Ninety-seven
more people were tested for
Covid-19 positive in seven
districts of the division on
Monday, taking the number
of detection to 97,340 since
the pandemic began in
March last year.
However, the new daily
infection figure is one of the
lowest in the last couple of
weeks since the second wave
hit the country around six
months back. The previous
day's positive cases were 96
here.
Meanwhile, a total of 155
more people were cured
from Covid-19 in the
division on the same day,
taking the recovery cases to
92,847 so far.
The death toll reached
1,641, including 677 in
Bogura, 306 in Rajshahi
with 182 in its city, and 171 in
Natore, as four fresh cases of
fatality were reported during
the period, Dr Talukder
added.
Besides, all the positive
cases for Covid-19 have, so
far, been brought under
treatment while 22,327 were
kept in isolation units of
different dedicated hospitals
for institutional supervision.
Of them, 18,634 have by
now been released.
Meanwhile, 160 more
people have been sent to
home and institutional
quarantine afresh while 151
others were released from
isolation during the same
time. Of the total new
positive cases, the highest 33
were detected in Bogura,
followed by 27 in Pabna, 21
in Rajshahi, including 16 in
its city, six in Joypurhat, four
in Natore and three each in
Naogaon and Sirajganj
districts.
With the newly detected
patients, the district-wise
break-up of the total cases
now stands at 27,609 in
Rajshahi, including 22,250
in city, 5,559 in
Chapainawabganj, 6,340 in
Naogaon, 8,242 in Natore,
4,562 in Joypurhat, 21,315 in
Bogura, 11,180 in Sirajganj
and 12,533 in Pabna.
Saudi date
being cultivated
commercially
in Narsingdi
NARSINGDI : Farmers
specially unemployed
youths are now
commercially farming the
date of Saudi Arabia due to
its economic prospect in
Belabo upazila of the district,
reports BSS
Tajul Islam, of Char
Kasim Nagar village at
Binnabaid union of Belabo
upazila, first started
cultivating date trees in his
homestead garden
collecting saplings and
seeds from Saudi Arabia in
2014.
He said when he used to
work in a date tree garden in
Saudi Arabia, he thought to
set up a same garden in his
homestead in Narsingdi.
In 2014, Tajul returned
home with three saplings
and huge seeds of date trees.
He planted the three
saplings in his homestead
garden. Of those, one tree
bears fruits and he began
harvesting since August this
year. Tajul has so far plucked
10kg date from one tree and
hope to get more 20kg this
season.
He, by this time, grows
more date saplings by
sowing seeds brought from
Saudi and changed his lot by
selling the saplings at Tk
1000 to 1200 each.
He also planted over 200
saplings on his homestead
garden and other lands.
Deputy Director at
Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) Narsingdi,
Shovan Kumar Dhar told
BSS that the cultivation of
date tree in Narsingdi is
expected to be profitable.
On the inauguration day of UCB Bank in Khagrachhari, loans Tk 2 crores
were distributed among 71 farmers.
Photo : Muhammad Sazu
RMCH counts six more
deaths in its Covid-19 unit
RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi Medical College
Hospital (RMCH) counted six more fatalities
at the Covid-19 unit in the last 24 hours till
6am on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 92
so far this month.
The previous day's death figure was also six
while on Wednesday; it was just two, which
was the ever-lowest since the second
coronavirus wave hit the region around six
months back. Earlier, the number of
casualties was 340 in August, 566 in July and
405 in June, health officials said.
RMCH Director Brigadier General Dr
Shamim Yazdani told newsmen that three of
the deceased were the residents of Rajshahi,
while one each from Chapainawabganj,
Pabna and Kustia districts.
"Of the fresh fatalities, three tested positive
for Covid-19 and three had covid-19
symptoms," he said. Twenty-two more
Manoranjan Sheel Gopal MP inaugurated the tree plantation and
sapling distribution program organized by Kaharole Upazila
Administration and World Vision Bangladesh AP at the Upazila
Parishad premises.
Photo : Roshidul Islam
GD-1330/21 (4x3)
patients were admitted to the designated
Covid-19 wards of the hospital in the last 24
hours, raising the total number of admitted
patients to 133, including 43 positive cases.
Fifteen patients returned home from the
RMCH Covid-19 unit after being cured
during the time. Yazdani said the infection
rate has decreased by 0.62 percent in
Rajshahi compared to the previous day.
A total of 10 people were diagnosed with
Covid-19 after testing 187 samples in
Rajshahi's laboratory on Monday, showing
7.47 percent positivity rate against 8.09
percent on Sunday, while Friday's positivity
rate was the ever-lowest in the last six
months. Yazdani said the number of
admitted patients has declined during the
last couple of weeks. So, the number of
designated wards and beds in the hospital
was reduced, he added.
Modern street lighting system
launched in Rangpur city
RANGPUR : Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar
Rahman Mostafa launched modern street
lighting programme replacing the older
bulbs with energy saving light emitting diode
(LED) bulbs in Satmatha area in the city on
Monday night.
Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) has
been replacing all old street lighting systems
with modern ones through implementing
the Modern Streets Lighting Project in all 33
wards across the metropolis spending Taka
49 crore.
Under the project, the main street from
Satmatha to Parker Mour came under the
modern street lighting system as Mayor
Mostafa switched on the button in a function
held at Satmatha as the chief guest.
Manager of the project implementing
organisation Adex Group Engineer
Taufikuzzman, Panel mayor of RpCC
Mahmudur Rahman Titu, City Councilors
Mahbubur Rahman Manju, Malek Niaz
Arzoo, Moktar Hossain, among others,
attended the function.
Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Mostafa
said that massive infrastructural
development programmes are being
implemented to turn Rangpur into an ecofriendly
modern city with all civic amenities
including modern streets, lighting systems.