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The chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, Tuesday said the road network in the capital must be expanded to make habitable the mega-city Dhaka where civic life is afflicted with growing traffic congestion, much of which is blamed on cumulative negligence over the years.
   The head of the caretaker government stressed the urgency while inaugurating the much-talked-about Bijoy Sarani-Tejgaon east-west connecting road over the ruins of the high-rise Rangs Bhaban reduced to wrecks amid the recent demolition drive against so many unauthorised constructions that blocked arteries of the burgeoning city.
   He said his government had started implementation of primary works of mid-and long-term projects under Strategic Transport Plan and hoped that the up-and-coming government would give special attention to this scheme.
   He noted that the present government has approved the 15-year STP that focuses constructing east-west roads in the capital, which doesn’t’ t have direct east-west communications — a lacking that is one of the major causes of veritable traffic impasse in the city that gobbles up huge valuable man-hours.
   The chief adviser opened the Bijoy Sarani extended road towards the east to link with Tejgaon industrial area by unveiling the inaugural plaque on this auspicious day when the nation celebrated the 37th anniversary of its victory in the 1971 War of Independence.
   The Bijoy Sarani-Tejgaon east-west link road would be opened to public traffic from March 26, the national Independence Day, it was informed at the function organised by RAJUK near the Tibet Company’s industry.
   This link road construction was delayed for some legal complications and deaths of some labourers in an accident during the demolition of the Rangs Bhaban, the function was also apprised.
   The construction of Bijoy Sarani-Tejgaon road link was primarily initiated following the demolition of the high-rise by the present caretaker government following the verdict of the Supreme Court.
   The road project, including 1.14-kilometre-long road, 669-metre railway overpass and construction of one underpass, involves a cost over Tk 122 crore funded by the government of Bangladesh.
   Housing and public works ministry is the initiator while RAJUK is the implementing agency.
   Communications and housing and public works adviser Ghulam Quader also spoke at the inaugural function presided over by secretary of the public works ministry ASM Rashidul Hye.
   Advisers, special assistants to chief adviser, government officials and local elite were present.
   Later, the chief adviser’s motorcade drove through the new link road.

At least seven people were injured in a clash between the supporters of Awami League and BNP at Arpara village in Sadar upazila Tuesday morning.
   Police and witnesses said the trouble began at about 11:00am as the supporters of the two rival parties were locked into an altercation over Victory Day celebrations at the village.
   Later, both the groups equipped with sticks and brickbats attacked each other, leaving four AL activists and three BNP activists injured.
   The injured AL men — Zahid Mondol, Mujibal Sheikh, Hasan Fakir and Jinnat Sheikh — were admitted to Sadar Hospital.
   Local AL leader Haider Mondol filed a case with the local police station in this connection.
   Meanwhile, the police arrested two BNP activists — Pakhlu Sarder and Mustafiz Mollik.

Electioneering for the December 29 general polls in six Rangpur constituencies gains momentum with the Awami League-led alliance candidates promising upgrade of the region to a division and the BNP-led alliance candidates pledging overall development of the district.
   Thirty-seven candidates, including the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, and the Jatiya Party chairman, HM Ershad, are in the race for the constituencies.
   The candidates and their supporters are now visiting door-to-door seeking vote from the people.
   Hasina is contesting with the election symbol of boat for the Rangpur 6 constituency (Pirganj), the home of her in-laws. Former Jatiya Party lawmaker Noor Muhammad Mondol, who recently joined the BNP after failing to get Jatiya Party ticket, is contesting against Sheikh Hasina as the candidate of the BNP-led alliance for the constituency.
   HM Ershad is contesting for the Rangpur 3 constituency (district headquarters) with the election symbol of plough. Abdul Kaiyum, a less familiar fellow in the constituency, is contesting against Ershad as the BNP-led alliance candidate.
   Hossain Makbul Shahriar, nephew of Ershad, is contesting with the election symbol of plough as the Awami League-led alliance candidate for the Rangpur 1 constituency (Gangachara) while the BNP-led alliance candidate Muhammad Abdul Gani of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was in the race against him with the symbol of scales.
   Anisul Islam Mondol, an expatriate living in the United States who recently joined the Jatiya Party, is contesting for the Rangpur 2 constituency (Badarganj– Taraganj) as the Awami League-led alliance candidate with the symbol of plough while Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general ATM Azharul Islam is in the race as the BNP-led alliance candidate with the symbol of scales.
   Karimuddin Bharsha, former Jatiya Party lawmaker, is contesting for the Rangpur 4 constituency (Pirgachha–Kaunia) as the Awami League-led alliance candidate with the election symbol of plough while his elder brother, Rahimuddin Bharsha, is in the race as the BNP-led alliance candidate.
   Awami League leader Tipu Munshi is also contesting for the constituency with the election symbol of boat.
   Asked about the Awami League candidature, Tipu Munshi sad, ‘Ershad knows the answer.’
   SM Faqruzzaman of the Jatiya Party is contesting for the Rangpur 5 constituency (Mithapukur) as the Awami League-led alliance candidate with the election symbol of plough while Shah Hafizur Rahman of the Jamaat-e-Islami is in the race for the constituency as the BNP-led alliance candidate.

A dozen of people were injured Tuesday in a clash between two groups of BNP activists in a sequel to Monday night’s manhandling of BNP rebel candidate Mahbubur Rahman in the town.
   Supporters of GM Fazlul Haque, a BNP candidate for the ensuing parliament elections, manhandled Mahbubur Rahman at the local Shaheed Minar as he came to pay homage to the martyrs of the War of Independence at zero hours.
   Witnesses said the clash broke out when supporters of Mahbubur Rahman, also district unit president of BNP, brought out a procession and ransacked the local BNP office at about 2:00pm in protest against last night’s incident.
   Later, supporters of Fazlul Haque were locked into a fierce clash with supporters of Mahbubur Rahman that left a dozen of people injured from both sides.
   Of the injured Juba Dal leader Nasir Gazi was admitted to Sadar Hospital.
   Later, the police picked up five people from different parts of the town for their alleged involvement in the incident.

Suspension of power supply in 15 Lalmonirhat villages for the last three weeks rendered 60 rice mills and irrigation pumps inoperative and 3,000 poor workers jobless.
   Explaining the reason for disruption, Palli Bidyut Samity at Sarpukur under Aditmari upazila said electric wires were stolen. Locals and rice mill owners have been asked to buy the wires or pay for it before resuming the power connections.
   Locals said electric wires of feeder three and four lines were stolen on the night of November 28. Since then the power supply in 15 villages of four unions remained snapped leaving the area in darkness at night.
   Power officials asked the locals to pay for the stolen wires and also give an undertaking that electric wires would not be stolen in the future. But the consumers would not agree to such ‘illogical’ undertaking.
   The unions going without electricity for the last three weeks are Saptibari, Bhelabari, Durgapur and Mogalhat.

Two persons were killed in road accidents in Rangpur.
   The dead were Shahidul Islam, 40, of Binnatari and Riyon, 22, of Abdullahpur under sadar upazila.
   Shahidul was killed when a truck knocked him down while he was crossing the Rangpur-Kurigram Road at Sathmatha of the town early Tuesday. Riyon was crushed under the wheels of another truck at Rashidpur under Mithapukur upazila Monday night.

Weather is likely to remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky over the country in the next 24 hours till 6:00pm today, said the Met Office in a forecast on Tuesday.
   Moderate to thick fog may occur over the northern, western and central parts of the country and river basins during late night till morning. Light to moderate fog also may occur elsewhere over the country during the period.
   Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, the Met Office said.
   The country’s highest temperature, 28.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded on Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar and the lowest, 13.8 degrees, in Rajshahi.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 5:15pm and rises tomorrow at 6:35am.