A LAND official was arrested on charge of taking bribe in Lalmonirhat on Tuesday.
   He was Manoranjon Barman, 35, of Bhadai union under Aditmari upazila of the district.
   The police said the arrested land tahosilder demanded Tk two thousand as bribe for completing DCR of a piece of land from the landowner, Abul Kashem, of village Borabari at the union.
   Kashem paid Tk 12 hundred as bribe to Manoranjon last week, but his land DCR remained incomplete as the rest of the bribe money was not paid. Manoranjon asked Kashem for bringing the rest Tk 800.
   The landowner then submitted an allegation regarding the matter to the Lalmonirhat army camp. An Army intelligent branch DGFI member on Saturday signed on a Tk 5 hundred note, a one hundred note and fifty taka note and asked Kashem to exchange the money with the land official.
   The intelligent members caught Manoranjon red-handed when Kashem gave him Tk 650 as bribe at noon Tuesday.
   Manoranjon was handed over to the Aditmari police and a case was registered.

LOCAL people and the law enforcers at a joint rally in Manikganj on Monday vowed to root out criminal activities from the society.
   Local non-government organisations and Manikganj police administration organised the rally on Bijoy Mela ground in Manikganj where around 5 thousand people including NGO activists and policemen from deferent areas of the district took part.
   At the rally, the people raised their hands and took oath for making a social movement to root out criminal activities from the society and build a corruption and violence free society.
   Deputy inspector general of police in Dhaka Range Md Amir Uddin was chief guest and Manikganj deputy commissioner Ataur Rahman and Manikganj municipal chairman Sudev Saha were the special guests while Manikganj police super Imtiaz Ahmed presided over the rally.
   In his address the DIG urged people to get united and make a social movement to fight against the evil forces. He also urged the common people to help the community policemen to perform their work successfully.
   The speakers at the rally stressed the need of social movement to combat corruption and any other criminal activities.
   The use of drugs will be reduced if people help the police to arrest the drug traders and peddlers or rehabilitate the addicts, they said.
   The participants vowed to do their best to create awareness among people against drug use.
   NGO personality and member secretary of the rally preparing committee Advocate Abdul Mojid conducted the rally which was also addressed, among others, by Manikganj Press Club president AFM Nurtaz Alam Bahar, Professor Ali Ahmed, former president of the Manikganj Bar Association Khawja Rahmat Ali, Manikganj Muktijoddha Sangsad convener Golam Mohier Khan Shiper, Manikganj Red Crescent Society secretary SA Kabir Zinnah and executive director of SDI Samsul Alam.

A NATORE court on Tuesday sentenced eight persons to life-term imprisonment for killing a Juba Dal leader 13 years ago. Another court in Chapainawabganj jailed a man for 10 years for keeping illegal firearms.
   In Natore, additional district and sessions judge Jebun Nesa handed down the verdict fining them Tk 50,000 each, in default, to suffer two years more in jail.
   The convicts are Hera and Kanchon, two brothers of Palpara, Ripon of Mirpara, Safiullah Raju, Rubel, Milu, Sakender Ali, of Borgasha area of Natore and Mahbubul Hasan Sumon of Dupchanchia in Bogra.
   Of the convicts, five were on the run during the trial.
   According to the prosecution, Juba Dal leader Alimul Islam Zia Babu was kidnapped by the convicts while he was returning home from Natore district town on March 4, 1995.
   He was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where he died.
   The victim’s father, Miraz Uddin Sheikh, lodged the murder case with the Natore police station. The police also submitted charge sheet against them. The court after examining witnesses and evidence handed down this verdict.
   In Chapainawabganj, district and sessions judge and acting judge of special tribunal Hrishikesh Saha convicted Bablu, 35, of village Sadasibpur under Shibganj upazila.
   The prosecution said the Shibganj police arrested Bablu in possession of a shotgun with a bullet on December 3, 2002.

THREE dwelling houses and 10 shops were burnt in separate incidents of fire at Chauddagram and Titas upazilas of Comilla early Tuesday.
   In Chauddagram, three dwelling houses were burnt into ashes in a fire causing the loss of Tk 4 lakh at village Lonirshar.
   Locals said the fire had
   originated from an electric short circuit from the house of one Dona Miah at about 4:00am.
   Fire Brigade personnel went to the spot and brought the fire under control with help of the local people after one-hour endeavour.
   In Titas upazila, 10 shops were burnt at Shafiq Miah Market at Dudgata Bazar.
   The local people said the fire had originated from a department shop at about 2:00am and soon engulfed the others shops.
   Later, a fire unit from Chauddagram upazila went to the spot and extinguished the flame with the help of local people.
   Shop owners claimed valuables worth over Tk 12 lakh were destroyed in the blaze.

THE Joydebpur police arrested a young girl and recovered 30 kilograms of cannabis from her possession in the Talatia bus stand area in the Gazipur district headquarters on Tuesday.
   The arrested was Sharmin, 18, inhabitant of village Uttar Chetabhumi under Brahmanpara upazila in Comilla.
   Tipped off, a police team raided the area and arrested her with the abusive drug.
   A case was registered with the Joydepur police station.