19-05-2022

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022
6
Training on communication skills development has been completed in BRDB auditorium on Tuesday
in Banaripara. Non-Governmental Organization `Rupantor' organized the training under 'Aparajita'
Project.
Photo : TBT
Leading systematic life
stressed to reduce
hypertension risks
RANGPUR : Experts at a
discussion here have stressed
leading a systematic life to
reduce the risk of the silent
killer disease hypertension or
high blood pressure.
They viewed this at the
post-rally discussion
organised by Hypertension
and Research Centre,
Rangpur (HRCR) at its
auditorium on Tuesday in
observance of the World
Hypertension Day-2022.
Earlier, a rally was brought
out to make people aware of
severe consequences of
hypertension
and
uncontrolled high blood
pressure to reduce risks of
heart attacks, brain
hemorrhage, damages of
kidney, eyesight and many
other organs.
Divisional Director (Health)
Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam
with Executive Member of
RHRC Dr. Mofizul Islam
Mantu inaugurated the rally
that paraded the main streets
in the city.
The RHRC, a sister
organisation of 'Wasim-
Waleda Bahumukhi Kallyan
Foundation' and a Member of
the World Hypertension
League, has been observing
the day since 2009.
HRCR is a non-profitable
organization providing health
services and treatments to
28,066 registered HBP
patients of Rangpur division
and other adjoining northern
districts now at a symbolic
cost of Taka 40.
Besides, the organization is
providing completely costfree
health services to heroic
freedom fighters, physically
challenged, distressed, poor
and helpless people.
Marking observance of the
day, founding President of
HRCR and former Principal
of Rangpur Medical College
(RpMC) Professor Dr. Md.
Zakir Hossain sent a message
to the HRCR authority.
In his message, Dr. Zakir
said one person in every five is
suffering from hypertension
in Bangladesh and stressed
bringing the situation under
control right now.
"Anyone can suffer from
hypertension, especially after
45, when problems may occur
in the blood circulation
process creating high blood
pressure, discomfort and
sickness and suggested to
check up blood pressure
regularly," he said.
He urged people to quit
smoking, take required
medicines, proper foods and
walk alongside physical
exercise to keep high blood
pressure within safe range to
avoid heart attacks, stroke,
kidney ailments, diabetes and
other deadly diseases and lead
a safer life.
Presided over by General
Secretary of HRCR and
Professor of the Department
of Medicine at RpMC Dr.
Shah Md. Sarwar Jahan,
Advisor of HRCR and Viceprincipal
of RpMC Professor
Dr. Md. Mahfuzer Rahman
attended the discussion as the
chief guest.
Mango special train on Rajshahi-
Dhaka route from May 22
RAJSHAHI : The West Zone of Bangladesh
Railway is likely to launch a 'special mango
train' on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route via
Rajshahi from May 22 next for the third
consecutive time.
"We have taken the decision of
transporting mango to Dhaka from this
mango producing area for the benefit of the
growers and traders," said Asim Kumar
Talukder, General Manager of the zone,
illustrating aspects of the decision.
He said the initiative has also been taken to
transport mangoes at a lower cost for the
welfare of the mango traders and farmers.
The train will depart from Chapainawabganj
at 4.30 pm, while from Rajshahi station at
5.50 pm and will reach Dhaka at 2am. The
cargo train will carry a maximum 150 tonnes
of mangoes in five wagons every day. So,
farmers and traders can transport goods at
their will. It will cost Tk 1.17 to carry a
kilogram of mango to Dhaka from Rajshahi.
And it is Tk 1.30 from Chapainawabganj to
Dhaka. Asim Talukder clarified that
transport of mangoes in the special train
would cost Tk 1,117 per ton whereas courier
services cost Tk 20,000 per tonne and
private trucks cost around Tk 2,000 a ton.
The train will make a stoppage for loading
mangoes at 14 stations on the
Chapainawabgonj-Dhaka railway route via
A press conference was held at Ghatail upazila yesterday protesting relocation
of 'Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center'. Photo : Nasir Uddin
RAJSHAHI : Engineer Abdur Rashid is
happy witnessing that the Annual
Performance Agreement (APA) started
strengthening the institutional
competence with ensuring transparency
and accountability in the fields of public
service deliveries.
APA is also contributing a lot to
consolidation of good governance in the
service deliveries, benefitting the
grassroots people.
Engineer Rashid, Executive Director of
Barind Multipurpose Development
Authority (BMDA), said the main vision
of their APA was to promote an
improved agriculture and environment
in the country's northwest region,
including its vast Barind tract.
Since signing the deal with the ministry
of agriculture, they are working with the
mission of expanding irrigated area and
farming field, development of irrigation
infrastructure, production and
marketing of quality seed and tree
plantation for environmental
development, he said.
In the last three years, 229 irrigation
pumps, including 79 low lift pumps
driven by solar power, were installed
coupled with re-functioning of 69 deeptube-wells
and new power connection to
150 irrigation pumps were made, he
added.
Around 7,500 hectares of land were
Rajshahi. The parcel train may have
stoppages at other stations based on parcel
booking and unloading.
In addition to mango, there is provision of
carrying all kinds of vegetables, seasonal
fruits, eggs and other agricultural products in
less cost in the special train, he added. The
railway porters will conduct all sorts of the
loading and unloading works of the goods.
To this end, the porters were imparted
need-based training on how to handle the
goods from booking to loading as well to
unloading properly. In 2020 last, the Mango
Special Train was launched for the first time
in the wake of growers' transportation
problems.
"We have earned Tk 9.30 lakh revenue by
transporting 857 tons of mango, lychee and
other agricultural products," Talukder
added. Officials said mango was cultivated
on 26,150 hectares of areas in Rajshahi and
Chapainawabganj districts where it's
expected to yield 2,44,000 tonnes of
mangoes this year.
Mango groves were also nurtured on
12,671 hectares of land in Naogaon district
where the target was fixed to produce
1,61,242 tons of mangoes while in Natore
district is expected to produce 56,021 tons of
mangoes on 4,823 hectares of land.
brought under controlled irrigation
through construction and extension of
903-kilometer underground irrigation
canals, the BMDA official said.
Apart from this, 8,500 hectares of land
have been brought under supplementary
irrigation through using surface water as
a result of re-excavation of 170.5-
kilometer canals and 38 derelict ponds,
construction of 385 dug-wells and 23
cross-dams.
Rashid said the tool has opened up a
new door in implementing any project
timely and properly as it has compulsion
of submitting project completion reports
within the stipulated time.
Under the APA in the last three years,
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has
constructed 280.45-kilometer new
roads, elevated fit roads to 380.86
kilometers contributing to the fields of
communication.
In addition to construction and
renovation of 350.60-meter
infrastructure related to bridge, culvert
and road, the city corporation has
constructed and reconstructed 60.11-
kilometer footpaths and walkways,
uplifting 90.46 kilometers, making sure
the public movement safe.
Dr Sharif Uddin, Chief Executive
Officer of RCC, said the APA has started
ensuring transparency and
accountability in their service deliveries
Shishu Mela
held in
Panchagarh
PANCHAGARH : A Shishu
Mela was held on the
premises of Boda Upazila
Parishad (UP) in the district
yesterday.
The Mela was inaugurated
by releasing balloons this
morning. District
Information Office
organised the Mela with
Upazila Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) Md Soleman Ali in
the chair.
The programme was
addressed, among others, by
UP Chairman Faruk Alam,
Vice-Chairman Moklesur
Rahman, municipality
Mayor
Advocate
Wahiduzzaman Suza,
district Children Affairs
Officer Md Akhteruzzaman,
Mohila Vice-Chairman
Laxmi Rani Burman.
13,733 more doses
Covid-19 jabs
administered in
Rangpur
RANGPUR, May 18, 2022
(BSS) - More 13,733 doses of
Covid-19 jabs were
administered on Tuesday
raising the number of
inoculated vaccines to 2
crore 79 lakh 17 thousand
and 412 doses in Rangpur
division.
Health officials said,
among the 13,733 doses of
the jabs inoculated on
Saturday, 330 were
administered as the first
doses, 1,805 as the second
doses and 11,598 as the
booster doses.
"Till Tuesday, a total of
1,35,28,950 people got the
first doses of Covid-19 jabs,
and of them, 1,28,06,960
got the second doses and
15,81,502 got the booster
doses," Divisional Director
(Health) Dr. Abu Md.
Zakirul Islam told BSS.
Meanwhile, the number of
Covid-19 infected patients
remained steady at 64,142 in
the division as no fresh
positive cases were
diagnosed after testing 201
new samples on Tuesday.
The number of healed
Covid-19 patients remained
steady at 62,785 in the
division where no new
patients recovered during
the last 24 hours ending at 8
am on Wednesday.
"Besides, the number of
casualties remained steady
at 1,284 in the division as no
new deaths were reported
during the last 24 hours in
the division," Dr. Islam
added.
APA ensures institutional transparency
in public service delivery
besides implementation of the projects.
Most of the public offices and other line
departments have kept APA apps along
with four other good-governance tools in
their respective official web portals to
reach their services to the public in
general and the service recipients as a
whole.
Parvez Raihan, Deputy Director of
Regional Public Administration Training
Centre (RPATC), said they have provided
necessary training to around 55 APArelated
officers and staff so that they can
play pioneering role in achieving the goal
in their respective working fields in
public offices.
Prof Iliash Hossain, Dean of Social
Science Faculty in Rajshahi University,
mentioned that the APA tool is being
detected as an epoch-making initiative of
the government as it has created spaces
of ensuring accountability and
transparency in the public service
deliveries.
APA has been introduced under the
government performance management
system to increase transparency and
accountability in government activities,
ensure proper use of resources and
improve institutional capacity, he said.
He thanked the prime minister for
launching such a program to ensure
accountability in the democratic state
system.
Women volunteerism
removes disparities
against women
RAJSHAHI : Strengthened participation of
women through volunteerism can be the
best way of substantial and sustainable
women empowerment through removing
disparities against them.
Apart from this, development of the society
and the nation as a whole is dependent on
the overall contribution of women along with
their participation.
However, women participation is
gradually being strengthened through
various volunteer activities besides removing
their disparities at present.
Administrative officials and development
activists came up with the observation while
addressing the campaign of 'Inspiring
Women Volunteer Award 2022' at Nanking
Darbar Hall to acknowledge the laudable
contribution of women volunteers in the city
yesterday.
Various non-government volunteer
organizations, including Plan International
Bangladesh and ActionAid Bangladesh,
jointly organized the campaign.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdul Jalil
addressed the ceremony as chief guest, while
Deputy Director of Local Government
Division Shahana Akhter Jahan, Principal of
Rajshahi Government Women Degree
College Dr Jubaida Ayesha Siddiqua and
Prof Sultana Mustofa Khanom from the
Department of Sociology in Rajshahi
University spoke as special guests.
DC Abdul Jalil said the women volunteers
are playing pioneering roles as frontline
fighters against the Covid-19 pandemic since
its very beginning in the district as well as
other parts of the country and their
contribution has created positive impacts in
the society.
Despite their physical, mental, social and
economical barriers they are contributing to
the society constantly and their laudable
contribution needs to be acknowledged
obviously.
Jalil said the Public Private Partnership
attached to the Prime Minister's Office is
committed to take the innovative powers
of women volunteers forward so that they
can play vital roles in national and global
development as per the national
volunteers policy.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nilufa Akter inaugurated the Boro paddy procurement
process formally on Wednesday.
Photo : Ramesh Sarker
'No alternative to quality education
for building prosperous country'
RANGPUR : Rangpur
Metropolitan Police
(RpMP) Commissioner
Mohammad Abdul Alim
Mahmud has said there is
no alternative to quality
education for building a
prosperous country and an
educated nation.
"It is very important to
provide motivation and
encouragement to students
to properly flourish their
latent talents," he said, and
quoted a proverb that says
'Virtue is not born where
virtue is not valued.'
Alim was addressing a
function held at the
Rangpur Metropolitan
Police Lines Hall Room on
Tuesday as the chief guest,
a press release said.
RpMP organised the
function for distribution of
merit scholarships among
28 talented students, who
are children of the RpMP
families and got GPA-5
Plus in the Secondary
School Certificate (SSC)
and Higher Secondary
Certificate (HSC)
Examinations- 2021.
Deputy Commissioner
(DC) of Police
(Headquarters and Admin)
of RpMP Md. Mahidul
Islam, its DC (City Special
Branch) Md. Abu Bakar
Siddique, DC (Detective
Branch) Kazi Muttaki Ibnu
Minan, DC (Crime) Md.
Abu Maruf Hossain, DC
(Traffic) Md. Menhazul
Alam and senior officials
were present.
The RpMP Chief said,
"As our children are our
future, so our children are
the future citizens of
Bangladesh."
He said most of the police
personnel cannot afford to
give time to their family
members as they are
engaged in a busy and risky
profession like police.
"In spite of limitations,
children of police
members, as always, have
left their mark of
achievement in the SSC
and HSC examinations
overcoming all these
obstacles," he said.
Later, he distributed
certificates, medals and
scholarship money among
28 brilliant students of
RpMP families for their
brilliant results in the last
SSC and HSC
examinations.
He wished the merit
scholarship recipient
brilliant students for their
continuous success and
brighter future.
On behalf of the
scholarship recipient
students, Tahiya Tasnim
(SSC) and Polash Roy
(HSC) expressed their
feelings after getting
certificates, medals and
scholarship money.
The halls of Barisal University were visited by the Vice Chancellor of the
University Prof. Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin on Wednesday. He visited
Bangabandhu Hall, Sher-e-Bangla Hall, Sheikh Hasina Hall and Bangamata
Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall of the University. During the visit, the Vice-
Chancellor checked the quality of food in the dining hall and inquired about
the overall condition of the students in the hall.
Photo : Courtesy