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Water level of the river Teesta has fallen sharply in Lalmonirhat and its adjoining areas in the current dry season reaching the ever lowest record hammering irrigation and navigation.
   Shoals have emerged along vast areas of riverbed creating obstacles to smooth plying of river vessels.
   Areas miles after miles on the riverbed are turning into desert-like places.
   Recurrent erosion by the river and deposition of silt are mainly responsible for the current situation.
   People living on the bank of the Teesta said in the last three months there had been an abnormal fall in the water level, though they believe that due to sufficient rain last year the water level in the river did not fall very fast.
   If the present trend of fall in the water level continues, there would be little water in the river Teesta, it is apprehended.
   Environmentalists fear that the sharp fall in the water level would bring a disastrous situation in navigation, fisheries, agriculture and forestry.
   The abnormal fall in Teesta water level is also attributed to the unilateral withdrawal of water by India through the Farakka Barrage in the upstream of Teesta Irrigation Barrage at Daliya of Hatibandha upazila in the district.
   According to sources in the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Lalmonirhat, the water level of the river Teesta starts falling from mid-September.
   The sources further said due to unilateral withdrawal of water through Farakka by India, the water level at Daliya remained below the required level in the last five years.
   An official of the WDB, Lalmonirhat said now the water level of the Teesta is 13 centimetres at Daliya point, eight centimetres at Teesta bridge north point and above 11 centimetres at Teesta bridge south point whereas it was 18 centimetres at Daliya point and 12 centimetres at Teesta bridge point in mid-December last year. The Teesta water level was above 19 and 12 centimetres in 2003 to 2006 but it was between 25 and 20 centimetres in the previous years.
   It is alleged that such shortage of water has been seen not only this year, but also for the last ten years or so.
   It is learnt that the issue of short supply of water to Bangladesh through Farakka Barrage was raised several times at the meetings of the Joint River Commission but with no affect.
   The officials at the WDB apprehend that the water level in the river Teesta might fall below six metres during dry season this year if withdrawal of water through Farakka Barrage continues at the present rate.
   Many hand tube-wells in Lalmonirhat town areas and the areas adjacent to the river Teesta have gone out of order due to sharp fall in water level.
   Hundreds of shallow tube-wells used in irrigating croplands have also become inoperative for the same reason.
   Farmers in the Teesta Irrigation Project areas apprehend that the deep tube-wells used to irrigate the farm lands might fail to lift sufficient water and the situation would pose a threat to agriculture this year.
   The drastic fall in water level has caused suspension of plying of water vessels on the routes of the Teesta.
   The situation has also rendered 200 boatmen jobless in four upazilas of the district who are now searching alternative for livelihood.

Normal life remained affected and traffic continued to be hampered as cold wave coupled with dense fogs continued sweeping over north-eastern districts and in the mid region of the country on Friday.
   The people have been suffering most as the vehicular movement on long routes is being hindered because of thick fog the country have been experiencing for several days.
   The intensity of biting cold remained unchanged in the city on Friday and in the region as the gap between the maximum and the minimum temperature reduced further.
   Sources at the Dhaka Meteorological Department said that the dense fog currently blanketing Bangladesh will last for one or two days more.
   The met office sources further said that the cooler winds from the north and north-western directions added to sufferings of the common people affecting normal life in the region.
   ‘The fog will last for one or two days more unless a mild wave hits the country,’ a meteorologist of the met office told New Age on Friday, adding, ‘The fog may disappear with a western depression now over Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India crossing Bangladesh within next 24 to 36 hours.
   The met office, however, said, there is no chance of rains over next two or three days. The New Age correspondent in Manikgnaj said, dense fog and shortage of necessary ferries has created disruption to the ferry communication between Paturia-Daulatdia channels for five hours from 3:30 am on Friday.
   Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of Paturia and Daulatdia terminals. The communication of the south-western region of the country with the capital city was hampered seriously. Women, children and patients were the worst hit.
   The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation assistant general manager, Bidyut Kumar Saha, said that the services were suspended from 3.30 am to 8.30 am.
   Besides, there was shortage of three ferries out of 12 on this route.
   Traffic jam was also created on both sides of Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals. Around 350 vehicles lined up at Daulatdia terminal and 440 vehicles at Paturia, sources said.

Two brothers are contesting for the Kurigram-3 (Ulipur and four unions of Rajarhat) constituency in the forthcoming 9th parliamentary elections scheduled for Monday.
   They are former BNP lawmaker and Jatiya Party minister AKM Maidul Islam and independent (BNP rebel) candidate Tasvir Ul Islam.
   Voters think that the fight between the two siblings will be a neck to neck one.
   Earlier, Maidul Islam contested as BNP candidate from the constituency in the parliament elections of 1996 and 2001.
   He secured the third position in 1996 receiving 18,662 votes and the second position in 2001getting 63,582 votes.
   But, he joined Jatiya Party this year.
   The JP president, HM Ershad, declared him as a candidate for the Kurigram-3 seat at a meeting held in Kurigram Town Hall this year.
   The district is known as the stronghold of the JP.
   Md Motiur Rahman was elected lawmaker in the seat with JP nomination in the 2002 elections. He left the party before submitting party nomination papers and joined BNP.
   And he submitted nomination paper with the BNP ticket for the Kurigram-3 seat, most of the local BNP activists as well as supporters denied him.
   Tasvir Ul Islam, younger brother of AKM Maidul Islam, played role in uniting the Ulipur upazila BNP since 2003 after being made its president.
   He organised the filed level BNP to contest for the Jatiya Sangsad seat.
   As his brother Maidul Islam quitted BNP and Obtained nomination from the AL-led alliance he submitted nomination paper as independent candidate for Kurigram-3.
   His position is the electoral race appears second, a local analysis said.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested a suspected activist of the banned Islamist militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh at Belgacha union under Kurigram sadar upazila on Friday.
   Sources said, the battalion arrested Rostam Ali,21, son of Babar Ali of village Nilkantha under Belgacha union, from his residence
   at about 10 pm suspecting his involvement with the JMB.
   He was later handed over to the sadar police.
   The police produced him before a court which sent him to jail.
   Rostom is a wanted accused and a close aide to Motin Mehedi, chief of the JMB, the police said.

Mustard cultivation is gaining popularity among the farmers of Rajshahi as it has become more profitable than other crops due to its low production cost.
   Local Department of Agricultural Extension said farmers of Durgapur upazila of the district have cultivated mustard this season breaking all the previous records and are expecting a good harvest.
   Farmers said prices of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs have shot up, increasing the cost of production of all crops. They have preferred mustard cultivation this season as it needs fertiliser less than the other crops, keeping the production costs lower.
   The local DAE said farmers cultivated mustard seeds on 6,922 hectares of land this season in Durgapur, 2,722 hectares more than previous year’s.
   M Ismail Hossain, a farmer of Ratugram village in the upazila, said he cultivated mustard on two bighas of land and reaped a good harvest last season.
   ‘That’s why I have brought five bighas of land under mustard cultivation this season,’ he said.

An ethnic minority community leader was allegedly beaten up by BNP activists at Panigati village under Digholia upazila in Khulna Friday morning.
   The victim is Dulal Chandra Paul, convener of the Digholia Upazila Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikkya Parishad.
   The police and locals said Dulal Chandra Paul, who is also a freedom fighter and a local Awami League leader, came
   under attack allegedly by a group of local BNP activists led by local Union Parishad member Abul Hossain at Bottala of the village.