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People and development activists of the coastal region at a seminar in Dhaka on Sunday demanded formation of a coastal management authority and implementation of the coastal development policy to save lives and property from natural calamities.
   They stressed the need for concerted efforts in disaster management along the coast and preventive measures using natural resources such as mangrove forests.
   They said the mangrove forests have been proved as the best safeguard against cyclone or tsunami devastation as it decreases the force of the storm or tidal surge, but such forests are diminishing gradually for improper management of shrimp farming and salt production.
   The Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust organised the seminar on the use of mangrove forests to contain natural calamity at the National Press Club marking the 16th anniversary of the 1991 cyclone along the coast.
   Selim Mahmud read out the keynote paper. The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president, ASM Abdur Rab, Awami League leader AKM Jahangir Hossain, Naim Gawhar Wara, AHM Noman, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Syed Nurul Alalm, and Rafiqul Alam joined discussion.
   Selim Mahmud said the latest tsunami could not affect in a bigger way the regions covered with mangrove forests; and where the coast was empty, there was severe devastation. He suggested for afforestation with mangrove species one kilometre inside the land and demanded budgetary allocation for such drives.
   Abdur Rab stressed the need for concerted efforts involving grassroots people, disaster management agencies, weathermen, and policy makers to lessen devastation on the coast by cyclone or tsunami.
   AHM Nomun of the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor said disaster management is not a seasonal activity; it should rather be carried out round-the-year involving the people. ‘If people were not involved, there will be no outcome.’
   ‘If only the family members of the 1991 cyclone victims are mobilised, there would a workforce of about 4,000,000 people who would protect the embankments and forests and create new forests,’ said Tofail Ahmed, a Chittagong University teacher, who moderated the seminar.
   The people in the coastal regions on Sunday mourned the death of 139,000 people who died in the cyclone in 1991 when property worth more than 1.5 billion dollars were damaged.
   Children and the elderly had been the main victims of cyclones since the one in 1970 and most of the deaths took place along the coasts in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar.
   The cyclone clocked a maximum wind speed of 270km an hour, accompanied by tidal surges of 6 to 20 metres high.

The government and the Red Crescent Society have been running Cyclone Preparedness Programme for long in all the coastal districts, barring Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira, leaving the people of the districts vulnerable to cyclone.
   Discussants at a workshop in the Khulna city on Sunday came heavily down on the government for what they said its nonchalant attitude to the people of the three southwestern districts.
   They also urged the government to implement the CPP to shield the people from the natural calamities like cyclone.
   Oxfam-GB in cooperation with a Khulna-based non-governmental organisation, Rupantar, organised the workshop on ‘Cyclone Preparedness Programme Promotion’ at a hotel in Khulna city.
   Government officials, NGO personnel, journalists and volunteers from coastal belt attended the workshop organised to make the people aware of cyclones.
   Rupantar director Rafiqul Haque Khokon presented
   the keynote paper at the workshop.
   Chaired by Rupantar chief executive Swapan Guha, the workshop was also addressed by Khulna deputy commissioner SM Firoz Alam, Khulna University teacher Dilip Dutta, Khulna Press Club president Mokbul Hossain Mintu, general secretary Md Saheb Ali and Professor Wahidur Rahman.
   The keynote paper said seven lakh people lost their lives in different cyclones and other natural calamities in the country from 1960 to 1997, including five lakh people in the cyclone on November 12, 1970, eleven thousand and sixty nine
   people in hurricane on May 25, 1985, two thousand people in hurricane on November 29, 1988 and 1.38 lakh people in cyclone on April 29, 1991.
   Though Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts are located in the coastal zone vulnerable to cyclone, no cyclone preparedness programme is run by the government, said the paper, adding that the programme is being run in other districts along the 712-kilometre curvilinear coasts.
   Rupantar has formed 27 committees each comprising of 15 members, following the model of CPP committees, at Mongla thana in Bagerhat to warn the people about cyclones, the paper informed, suggesting that the government should take immediate action to run CPP at all the upazilas of Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts.
   The speakers demanded that the government should launch cyclone preparedness programme in the districts and introduce community radio service to guard the people from against natural calamity like cyclone.

The district administration of Barisal has reclaimed over 35 acres of government land worth about Tk 33 crore in the past three months as part of a countrywide drive.
   Also, 598 unauthorised structures have been pulled down and 300 slum dwelling families evicted so far under the drive, launched with the help of the army-led joint forces on January 23.
   A total of 22.76 acres of land worth Tk 27.95 core was reclaimed from 10 upazilas of the district while 8.19 acres worth Tk 4.5 cores from eight government and semi-government organisations, sources in the district administration said.
   The organisations are Barisal District Council, Public Works Department, National Housing Authority, Department of Roads and Highways, Technical School and College, Barisal Polytechnic Institute, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, they said.
   Of the structures, 268 were pulled down from the land of the district council, 36 from the BITWA land, 80 from the road and highways department land, 106 from PWD land, 45 from BSCIC land, 50 from housing authority land and 13 structures were demolished on the Technical College and Polytechnic Institute lands.
   The slum dwelling families were evicted from the cold storage, ice factory, Jhap, Balur Math slums in the city, the sources said.
   But the pace of the drive slowed down after the interim government had directed the concerned authorities not to evict the slum dwellers and to evict only the illegal occupants from public places, who are creating obstacle on the way of public transportation and communications.
   The eviction of the illegal occupants and demolition of unauthorised structure, however, will continue, the deputy commissioner of Barisal said.

Singapore Airlines, National Healthcare Group, Singapore and BRAC Bank Ltd offer a
   special ‘health screening package’ in Singapore for Bangladeshis.
   The health package that involves Tk 66,200 for each Bangladeshi was announced at a press conference held in a city hotel on Sunday.
   The package includes airfare, taxes, hotel accommodation for two nights and three-day stay on twin-share basis, breakfast, airport transfer and whole body screening.
   Under the package, the Bangladeshis will get health screening at the Singapore National Hospital and the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
   Customers will also get complementary 10 kilogram extra baggage facility from the Singapore Airlines at the time of departure from the country.
   Kaiser Tamiz Amin, chief operations officer of the BRAC Bank, Cheang Kok Ming, general manager (Bangladesh) of Singapore Airlines, Steven Mock, manager (international business development unit) of the NHG, Singapore and Dr Niaz Mohammad Sharif, managing director of the NHG, Bangladesh, were present at the press conference.
   The BRAC Bank organised the briefing to promote ‘medical file facility, first of its kind in Bangladesh, for facilitating customers to receive high-quality medical services of Singapore, said Kaiser.

Rajdjhani Unnayan Kartripakkha could not start its scheduled excavation programme on the Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake on Sunday due to the lack of excavator.
   ‘As the excavator of the Dhaka City Corporation is out of order, we could not start our scheduled programme,’ an official of Rajuk said adding ‘We are hopeful about the start of the excavation work by tomorrow as the excavator will be repaired by this time.’
   Rajuk took the initiative to excavate the Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake at 10 points, which was filled up by encroachers at different times, and an excavator and dump tracks will be used in the drive, said the official.
   The points include stretches near Badda Shooting Club Road, at the end of Gulshan Road No 6, Gulshan Road No 1/A, northern side of Tejgaon-Gulshan connecting road, near the BRAC Centre Inn, at the end of Gulshan Road No 31 and both sides of the Kemal Ataturk Avenue Bridge.

The residents of Begunbari and Kunipara under Tajgaon police area in the Dhaka city urged the government not to acquire lands of their houses to construct the Panthapath-Rampura link road.
   Taking into account the plight of the residents living there, the government should construct the road on the lands acquired in 1991-1992, they told a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium on Sunday.
   Around 15 lakh people living in different areas under Begunbari and Kunipara would become homeless if they are evicted for constructing the planned link road, they said.
   Former lawmaker M Alam Khan read out a written statement on behalf of the Begunbari and Kunipara residents. The LGRD and cooperatives ministry adviser early this month announced that the link road will be constructed over Begunbari canal so that water flow of the canal is not hampered and nearby dwellers not affected, he mentioned in the statement.
   The Begunbari-Kunipara dwellers were very happy with the government decision, Alam said.
   But now these people are passing days in anxiety as they come to know that the government is planning to build the link road by acquiring 287 acres land, he said in the statement.
   ‘We urge the government to construct the 120-feet width link road on the Begunbari canal without acquiring land further considering its adverse impact,’ the statement said. He also said the Begunbari dwellers are not against the construction of the link road as the planned road is essential to reduce traffic congestion and establish a better link between east-west communications in Dhaka.
   Siraj Miah, Hedayetul Islam, Siddiqur Rahman, Abdul Haq and Hedayet Ullah on behalf of the Begunbari-Kunipara dwellers also urged the government to consider the matter on humanitarian ground.

Dr Md Tahir joined Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as vice-chancellor and Dr MA Majid as pro vice-chancellor on Sunday.
   Dr Md Tahir earlier had been working as acting vice-chancellor at this university since December last year, said a press release.
   Pro vice-chancellor Dr MA Majid did his MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1969, and did his FRCS from the Royal College of Science, USA in 1979. He also did his FICS degree from International College of Physicians and Science in 1997 and did his FCPS from Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2004. He has been working as professor at the surgery department from 2004.

The Bangladesh Audit and Accounts Cadre Women Forum, is organising an international seminar on ‘women in decision making’ at Sheraton Hotel today.
   The adviser in charge of the ministry of finance and planning, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, is expected to attend the function as chief guest. The auditor general of Brunei Darussalam, Ms Datin Paduka Hajah Salamah Binti Haji Hanafiah will attend the function. The inaugural function of the daylong conference will be held at 10:45am.

The two-day short play festival began at the Dhaka University on Sunday with the aim to establish a new tradition in the country’s theatre arena.
   The Space and Acting Research Centre organised the play festival at Natmandal of the university.
   The first ever such play festival began with staging of a 30-minute play ‘Sanki’ scripted and directed by Ashish Khondker.
   Ashish’s mother Nurzahan Beguma, former teacher of the Gaibandha Government High School inaugurated the festival.
   Speaking on the occasion, Nurzahan said, ‘The language of these plays truly reflects today’s time and life around us. I enjoy it.’
   The short play ‘Sanki’ deals with the struggle of a couple. The couple struggles to have a chaos-free shelter and a hunger-free life. At last, they are separated due to hardship and food crisis created by an invisible king. The actors of the play are Sahria Mukta and Kazi Lucy.
   The SARC will stage Ashish’s two other short plays ‘Jantob’ and ‘Platform’ today.
   Meanwhile, a week-long exhibition of traditional dresses designed by four fine arts students Mithun, Sutama, Sohel and Tonu began at the Zainul Gallery on Dhaka University campus the same day.
   Abul Barq Alvi, a professor of Fine Arts Institute, inaugurated the show organised by the Pindhon, a group of young artists.
   Traditional dresses including sarees, fatua, salwar-kamizs and panjabis have been put on display in the show which will remain open from 10:00am to 9:00pm every day.

Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions during the 24-hour period till 6:00pm today, said a Met Office forecast on Sunday.
   The day temperature may rise slightly over the country, it said.
   The country’s highest temperature on Sunday, 36.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Rajshahi and the lowest, 22.0 degrees Celsius, in Patuakhali.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:26pm and rises tomorrow at 5:25am.

A mobile court against adulteration on Sunday sent 29 persons to jail and filed three cases on various charges.
   The court also realised Tk 31 lakh in fines during the drives conducted in different parts of Dhaka.
   One of the courts, led by magistrate Rokon Ud-Doula, spotted three unauthorised electronic appliance factories in Old Town of Dhaka on Sunday.
   The court raided Alina Engineering and Company at Pashchim Dholaipar at Jatrabari and seized pirated Tongi National fans. The court sent 16 persons to jail and fined them Tk 1 lakh each.
   The same court raided Anwara Engineering at Haji Lal Mian Sarker Road, Muradapur at Jurain and seized pirated Tongi National fans. The court arrested 10 in this connection and fined them Tk 1 lakh each.
   The court also raided the Dhaka Cable Industries at Becharam Dewri in Old Town, arrested 3 and sent them to jail.
   The court seized 40 coils of pirated BRB cables. The court fined the factory owner, Muslim Mia, Tk 3 lakh and two others Tk 1 lakh each.

The second wife of a man was burnt allegedly by her husband and first wife in the city’s Badda area on Sunday.
   The victim, Ranu Begum, 30, was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and her condition was stated to be critical.
   The police arrested the first wife, Rashida, but her husband, Abdul Malek, a grocer, went into hiding.
   The victim told the newsmen that Malek married her more than a year ago and kept her in a rented house in Narayanganj. But she did not know about his previous marital relation with Rashida.
   As Malek was not providing her sustenance for a long time, Ranu on Sunday morning came to his residence on Badda Post Office Lane in Dhaka and happened to know about her husband’s first wife, Rashida.
   After few minutes, both Rashida and Ranu locked in an altercation about the marriage.
   In the meantime, Malek came home and together with Rashida clubbed Ranu severely. At one stage, they set fire to her pouring kerosene in her body, Ranu alleged.
   But local people, responding to the scream of the victim, rescued Ranu from the spot and took her to the hospital. They also caught Rashida and handed her over to the police while Malek managed to flee the scene.

The 10th anniversary of death of dramatist ISM Hayatur Rashid Kallol was observed on Sunday.
   The Faridpur Theatre observed the day with various programmes including placing of wreaths at the memorial of Kallol and holding of a discussion.
   A prayer session was held the by the family members of Kallol in Faridpur town.
   Different other cultural organisations also issued separate massages to mark the occasion. Kollol died in a road accident near Domrakandi under Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur in 1997.
   He was the joint secretary of the Faridpur Theatre.

Three held with revolver at Moghbazar
The detective police arrested three youths, one of them in possession of a revolver, at a restaurant in the city’s Moghbazar area Sunday afternoon. Tipped off, a team of the DB police raided Three Star Hotel at the Moghbazar intersection and arrested Tushar, 23, Jafar, 19, and Shamser, 20, at about 5:45pm. A revolver loaded with a bullet was also recovered from Tushar.
— UNB

Domestic help commits suicide at Manipuripara
A domestic help at the house of an income tax official at Manipuripara in the city’s Tejgaon area allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Parvin, 12, domestic help of at the house of Humayun Hafiz at Amin Tower. Informed, the police recovered the body from the bathroom of the house at about 8:00am and sent it to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Humayun Hafiz said Parveen might have taken her life following an altercation with Papiya, another maid of the house.
— UNB