The prices of diesel and kerosene have registered a sudden increase in Barisal over the couple of days reportedly due to artificial supply shortage created by a section of traders.
   Local said diesel and kerosene prices had increased in the city by Tk 7.00 to 10.00 per litre.
   Oil depot sources said they had supplied kerosene at Tk 7, 842 per barrel and diesel at Tk 7, 762 per barrel to the dealers. The dealers have been directed to sell those at Tk 8,000 per barrel in the wholesale markets.
   However, the retailers alleged that the dealers were taking Tk 8,500 per barrel of kerosene and diesel.
   ‘They also did no give any cash memo against the purchase’, a retailer said.
   Currently, retail customers have to pay Tk 48 for per litre kerosene and Tk 46 for per litre diesel against the government fixed highest price of Tk 39.21 for kerosene and Tk 38.81 for diesel  in Barisal market.
   Fuel dealers like Khan Stores of Faria Patty, Sikdar Traders of Katpatty, Luna Enterprise of Band Road said they had to collect fuel from the depot by giving extra money as stock at the depot was insufficient to meet the demand of the local markets.
   The depot has supplied only two barrels against the demand for ten barrels to me and this created crisis in the market, said a dealer.
   Officials at the Jamuna Oil depot in Barisal denied taking taking any extra charge from the dealers.
   ‘We have sufficient stock and supply to the dealers was limited by their quotas’, an official said.
   He blamed hoarding by the dealers for the increase in the fuel prices and said the market-monitoring committee of the administration could take action against against the persons involved in hoarding.

Teachers and employees of Debi Choudhurani College in Pirgacha upazilla under Rangpur observed a hunger strike on the campus on Tuesday demanding resignation of the college principal.
   The agitating teachers and staff, wearing black badges, went on the hunger strike protesting at suspension of four teachers and a librarian. They also announced to continue the programme until their demand was not met.
   Meanwhile, the college principal, Nazrul Islam, suspended four lecturers and a librarian on charge of violation of discipline of the college on Monday.
   The suspended teachers are Islamic studies lecturer Shafiqul Islam, political science lecturer Aminul Islam, accounting lecturer Abdul Kader, Islamic history department lecturer, Hafizur Rahman and librarian Abdul Hamid.
   They also held a meeting on the college premises protesting at the suspension.
   Shafiqul Islam claimed the principal had no authority to suspend them without governing body’s approval.

One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a clash between policemen and robbers at village Dehbhogh under Jessore sadar upazila early Tuesday.
   The deceased was Samar Biswas, 21, of the village.
   The police and locals said a gang of 15 robbers entered a flour mill at Mahakal in the Nawapara industrial area at about 1:00am.
   A police patrol team with the help of local people chased the robbers when they were trying to flee in a trawler.
   Finding no alternatives, the robbers got down from the vehicle and then the law enforcers and the robbers were locked in a clash in which Samar was killed and 10 others sustained injuries.
   Of the injured, Saiful, Wasim, Nazrul, Mofiz and Rabi were taken to a local hospital.
   The villagers caught two of robbers - Abul Gazi and Shohel Sheikh and handed them over to the police.

AT LEAST 21 houses were burnt in three incidents of fire in Comilla and Faridpur on Monday night and early Tuesday.
   In Comilla, a fire gutted 12 dwelling houses at village Kartam under Chauddagram upazila of the district early Tuesday.
   Local people said the fire had originated from an electric short circuit in the house of one Abdul Gafur at about 2:00am and soon engulfed the adjacent houses.
   Later, local people managed to extinguish the blaze after one and a half hours of effort.
   At least 15 persons were also injured while they were trying to douse the fire.
   The house owners claimed valuables worth about Tk 30 lakh were destroyed in the fire.
   In Faridpur, two incidents of fire burnt at least nine houses and damaged property worth about Tk 10 lakh in the Bhashanchar and Momin-kharhat areas under sadar upazila Monday night and on Tuesday.
   Fire service sources said a house owned by Jalal Sharder at village Israel Munshir Danggi near Mominkharhat under Charmadhabdia union caught fire when a thunderbolt struck it at about 10:30pm.
   Another fire, that took place, a kitchen of one Abdul Karim Fakir at village Middle Bhashanchar under Ambikapur union, burnt three houses and crops worth about Tk 4 lakh.