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Crowd at the Ekushey book fair suddenly thinned on Monday mainly for the traffic congestions across the city, following a devastating fire at Karwanbazar but the visitors who came to the fair seemed to have already selected the titles of their choice.
   Most unlike the past 25 days of the fair, there was no queue of people at the fair entrance at 3:15pm.
   Now the visitors do not ask for a genre of books; they rather straight ask for a title, said a salesman at the Oitijjhya stall.
   ‘Most of them already visited the fair and are now buying books to their choice,’ he said.
   The visitors coming out of the fair testify to the comment as most of them have books in their hands.
   Though the crowd was thin, the sales were good on Monday. A number of publishers have completed their slot of bringing out new titles, but many publishers still continue publishing books though the fair has only two days to end.
   Arrival of books at the fair was much higher in the past week comparing with the previous fairs. The fair information centre reported the arrival of more than 1800 titles till February 25.
   Novels are topping the chart of sales, the publishers said. Volumes of pomes by some noted poets also sold good, but the collections of short stories are yet to attract the readers, the salesmen said.
   Most of the mainstream publishers are not interested to publish volumes of short stories as they think it would not return their investment, said writer Nasrin Jahan. ‘Noted publishers refused to publish my first collection of stories. Then, a publisher reprinted the title, Nasrin added.
   So many new titles are attracting the book lovers, but many of them are annoyed at the fair as they consider most of the titles are not worth buying.
   Asked about a single title, other than his own, publisher Rajib Noor mentioned Sati O Satantara edited by Shahin Akhtar and published by Dibya Prakash. He said so many books by young writers came to the fair but he did not find a single one worth mentioning.
   Television journalist Nazrul Kabir’s interview with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti president, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, was brought out by Pathsutra on Monday.
   The Bangla Academy seems to have set a record in the sale during Ekushey book fair. The academy sales centre sold books worth more than Tk 1 lakh everyday on an average. The sales centre sold books worth Tk 37,91,960 till Sunday.
   The academy organised a cultural function in the evening that drew a number of visitors.

Adulterated and substandard fertilisers have flooded the country’s market, causing damage to the fertility of the soil and the environment, said a survey conducted by the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh.
   Sixteen samples of fertiliser out of 17 were found either adulterated or substandard, according to the survey released at a views-exchange meeting on Monday.
   The association collected the 17 samples from a market under Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj on January 28 and sent to the Bangladesh-Australia Centre for Environmental Research for test.
   CAB leaders blamed poor implementation of the Fertiliser Management Act 2006 which preserves fertiliser’s proper production, import, distribution and marketing.
   The CAB treasurer, Khalilur Rahman Sajal, at the views-exchange with journalists said use of fertiliser increases to 41.75 lakh tonnes in the fiscal year 2005-2006 from 8.75 lakh tonnes in the fiscal year 1980-81.
   The CAB in its survey found that the fertiliser which is widely used by the farmers is adulterated and substandard.
   The samples of the fertilisers collected are zinc, magnesium sulphate, boron, micronutrient, muriate of potash, NPKS (mixed fertiliser), triple super phosphate (TSP) and gypsum.
   Zinc fertilisers were found substandard. According to the specification, zinc sulphate should contain 36 per cent zinc and 17.5 per cent sulphur, but zingsal (mono) imported from China contains only 20.02 per cent zinc and 12.4 per cent sulphur.
   On the other hand, zinc sulphate (Hepta) should contain at least 21 per cent zinc, 10.5 per cent sulphur, 1 per cent magnesium and 95 per cent moisture, but the Sufala Agrochemical Industries Ltd produces zinc sulphate with only 0.003 per cent zinc, 2.17 per cent sulphur, 0.76 per cent magnesium and 9 per cent moisture.
   Dollar zinc (Hepta) imported by Bismillah Corporation Ltd from China contains only 10.12 per cent zinc, 15.66 sulphur and 95 moisture while petrol zinc (Hepta) imported by Petrocom Bangladesh Ltd contains only 8.54 zinc, 16.9 sulphur and white granular zinc (Hepta) of Wata Chemicals Ltd contains 8.93 zinc and 11.47 sulphur.
   The findings showed that TSP, zinc and magnesium sulphate fertilisers contain arsenic, lead and cadmium polluting the environment. Muriate of potash was, however, found with standard quality, according to the government specification.
   The CAB adviser Borhan Ahmad chaired the meeting held at its conference centre. The director of BACER, Professor SM Imamul Huq, also chairman of soil, water and environment department, and CAB general secretary Quazi Faruque also spoke.

A mobile court unearthed two unauthorised electrical equipment factories at Abdullah Market in Nawabpur Road area of the Dhaka city on Monday.
   The court, led by Magistrate Rokon Ud-Doula, arrested five employees of Semel Electrical Industries on the 8th floor of the market and seized socket, switch board and other electrical equipments produced in the factory without BSTI approval.
   The court also filed a case under BSTI Ordinance and the five accused of the case were fined Tk 1 lakh each, in default, they have to suffer one year rigorous imprisonment.
   Semel Electrical Industries produces electrical equipments inscribing with ‘made in Japan, Korea, Italy, Singapore or China’ and market those illegally.
   The court issued arrest warrant against the factory owner, Montu Kumar Ray.
   Later, the court also raided a warehouse of Electric Home on the 6th floor, seized many labels and sockets and arrested its manager Niaz.
   The court also and issued arrest warrant against its owner Abul Kalam Azad. The accused have to pay Tk 10,000, in default, he has suffer one month of imprisonment.
   In a warehouse of Faisal Industry, the court found many used electric meters, which had been stored for reuse. The court summoned its owner Abdus Sattar.
   It also issued arrest warrant against Nurul Islam, owner of Elina Metal Industries at Kaptanbazar for marketing Sharp and Cidy brand ceiling fans without BSTI licence.
   Another mobile court led by Magistrate ABM Abdul Fattah conducted drive at Narinda Road and adjacent areas. It filed four cases under pure food act and fined two ice cream factories and two bakeries Tk 1.35 lakh.
   The court fined Ananda Ice Cream Factory Tk 30,000 and Trishna Ice Cream Factory Tk 25,000 for using artificial colour and for unhygienic environment.
   The same court also fined Gawsia Bakery and Khawja Bakery Tk 40,000 each for dirty atmosphere, substandard breads and biscuits and for running the bakeries without trade and BSTI licences.
   Another mobile court led by Magistrate Nani Gopal Biswas fined Liven Consume Chinese Restaurant at Kafrul Tk 30,000, Paradise Food Products Ltd at Mirpur-1 Tk one lakh and Yang Pai Chinese Restaurant at Mirpur Road Tk 50,000.

The Rajshahi Development Authority did not go for any ‘effective’ drive against unauthorised buildings since its inception 30 years ago, prompting construction of buildings without approval.
   Many of the city dwellers, cashing in on the absence of demolition drives or punitive actions, have constructed over 10,000 buildings without approval of the building layouts from the authorities concerned, sources in RDA said.
   The RDA was established in 1976 aimed at building a planned and well-decorated town and it had started operation in 1977, they said adding that the RDA had made mandatory the approval of layouts of both commercial and residential buildings.
   But in most cases, the building owners either construct or extend buildings without RDA approval. Allegations are there that some building owners took RDA approval for one-storey buildings, but constructed three-storey one’s, but the RDA did not take any action against the building owners.
   A source in the RDA said in 2005, they spotted 8,500 buildings constructed without approval.
   The figure has meanwhile crossed 10,000 in recent days, sources in RDA said adding that they had started registering complaints since 1988 and around 2,900 complaints had been recorded so far.
   The RDA also issued notices to the rule violators and called them for hearing apart from starting investigation into the complaints.
   An official at RDA said although they had filed 40 cases against the rule violators in six years period till 2002, none of the unauthorised structures other than part of a building near the PN Government Girl’s School had been dismantled.
   The RDA recently served a notice to one Mokbul Hossain of Sagarpara area and decided to demolish the building on February 15, but the building was not pulled down till February 25.
   According to the sources, the unauthorised buildings have been sprouting mainly in the city’s Seroil, Mothpukur, Sagarpara, Tikapara, Bhadra, Kadisganj, Court areas, Noadapara areas, Baliapukur areas and Upashahor areas but RDA rarely takes action against those building owners.
   Talking to newsmen an RDA authorised officer Abul Kalam Azad said they could not launch drive due to the shortage of manpower.
   Only three inspectors are employed for a 364-square-kilometre area to look after the building construction process, he said adding it was quite impossible for the three to look after irregularities in such a big area.
   The RDA chairman, Tapan Chandra Majumder, said they had a plan to launch drive against illegal establishments soon.

The 42-year-old bridge over the River Mayur at Gallamari in the Khulna city is in bad shape, putting the life of passengers at risk.
   Sources in the Roads and Highways Department said the bridge was built to facilitate the traffic and link the city with the other parts of Khulna, Satkhira and Jessore.
   The bridge, built in the fiscal year 1964-65 considering the pressure of the small number of vehicles in the region, may collapse anytime under the pressure of vehicles, they added.
   At present, the number of vehicles using the bridge has increased by many times. Earlier, some 150 buses to and from Khulna would use the bridge for crossing the River Mayur. A number of trucks and microbuses would also cross the bridge, carrying goods and passengers.
   But now most vehicles that pass Khanjahan Ali Bridge use the Khulna-Batiaghata Road and Khanjahan Ali Bridge-Krishnanagar link road, mounting pressure on the Gallamari Bridge.
   RHD officials said they had already submitted a project worth Tk 37 lakh to make a bailey bridge by the side of Gallamari bridge, the RHD official sources said.
   The local people said when more than one vehicle cross the bridge they feel the bridge vibrating most of the time of the day.
   Even, especially during office hours, traffic congestion continues at the bridge and the adjacent areas, they added.
   They also feel anxiety that the bridge may break down at any time,
   causing huge loss of life and property.
   Advocate Firoz Ahmed, the member secretary of Khulna Nagarik Samaj, a citizen’s body, talking to New Age, said the government should take immediate action to replace the bridge as it is in danger.
   A high official of Roads and Highways’ Department in Khulna, talking
   to New Age, said they planned to replace the bridge but the project would be taken after release of funds for the proposed bailey bridge.

The Dhaka City Corporation demolished about 400 illegal semi-concrete and makeshift structures, including an under-construction market of the local ward commissioner in Dholpur-Maniknagar area in Dhaka city on Monday.
   The DCC officials said they reclaimed about thee bighas land in the area which worth Tk 60 crore.
   The city corporation team, led by its Zone 1 executive
   officer M Hedayet Hossain, raided the WASA Road area of Dholpur and demolished at least 200 semi-concrete structures that include shops. The DCC reclaimed about 2.5 bighas of land there, he said.
   In a drive in Dholpur area 50 tin-roofed shops and some shanties and a boundary wall of a six-storeyed building were demolished.
   The DCC bulldozer also demolished a tin-roofed market of the local ward commissioner Badol Sardar on DCC land
   and also pulled down 50
   under-construction shops there in east Maniknagar Jame Masjid area.
   An unauthorised kitchen market, sprouted in the same area nearby DCC staff quarter and 100 makeshift structures of the kitchen market were bulldozed.
   At the same area, an illegal structure beside the Maniknagar DCC public toilet was hammered during the drive against unauthorised structures.

There is no alternative to a smooth food management for ensuring food security in the country, food and disaster management secretary Dheeraj Malakar told a workshop in Dhaka on Monday.
   The workshop, titled ‘An Assessment of Research Needs for Food Security in Bangladesh and Guidelines for Awarding Research Grants’ was organised by Food Planning and Monitoring Unit and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, an official handout said.

Results of a nationwide essay competition for college and university students on ‘Good governance in Bangladesh: My thoughts’ organised by News Network in cooperation with the World Bank was announced on Monday.
   Jubaida Raushan Ara, a student of the law department of Dhaka University, won the first prize while Md Miraj Hossen, a student of the management department of the university, and Mohammad Arifur Rahman, a student of the aquaculture department of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, won the second and third prizes respectively.

Weather is likely to remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky all over Bangladesh till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Monday.
   There are chances of rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind at one or two places over the Rajshahi, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Jessore, Kushtia and Comilla. Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged. The highest temperature on Monday, 31.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Cox’s Bazar and the lowest, 14.8 degrees Celsius, in Dinajpur. The sun sets in the capital city today at 6:00pm and rises on Wednesday at 6:22am.

Mohammad Mahfuzar Rahman, an assistant police superintendent of the criminal investigation department, died of cardiac arrest Monday morning. He was 56.
   Born at Keranipara in the Rangpur town in 1951, he joined the police as a sub-inspector in 1971.
   He is survived by his wife and two daughters, said a press release.

Award giving ceremony held
The adviser for education, Ayub Quadri, on Monday distributed certificates among 166 students, who successfully completed their respective courses with the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Dhaka, an ISPR press release said. The certificate recipients include 38 in civil engineering, 35 in electrical, electronics and communications engineering, 35 in mechanical engineering, 33 in computer science and engineering and 25 in MBA. The chief of naval staff, Rear Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, chief of air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Fakhrul Azam, defence secretary Quamrul Hasan, principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division Major General Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and University Grants Commission chairman M Asaduzzaman were, among others, present on the occasion.
— BSS

Three-day mask show at RU ends tomorrow
A three-day mask exhibition organised by Mukul Chandra Barman began at Rajshahi University Shaheed Smriti Sangrahasala open stage on Monday. Mukul Around 110 masks, made of burnt clay, have been put on display in the exhibition supported by private cell phone operator banglalink, campus sources said.
— New Age