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The BSCIC industrial estate in Jhenaidah is yet to go for full operation although all necessary infrastructures were constructed 10 years ago.
   Construction work of the BSCIC estate at Dhanharia near the Jhenaidah-Magura Highway began in 1988 and it was completed after 10 years in 1998.
   Ninety-two plots out of the total 98 have been allotted to the entrepreneurs and of them, 61 plots have been provided from A type, 25 from B and special types, while the six remain vacant.
   Only seven units have so far been set up on 16 plots at the industrial estate and four of them went for full production, according to sources at the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation.
   The entrepreneurs, who have been given plots, are showing little interest to set up units at the estate due to lack of adequate power supply, BSCIC sources said.
   ‘We cannot start operation of the industrial estate in full swing even after 10 years due to lack of adequate power supply,’ a BSCIC official said.
   The Palli Bidyut Samity, Jhenaidah is responsible for the delay in full operation as it could not ensure proper power supply, he added.
   Currently, the PBS is supplying power to the industrial estate only three hours a day and sometimes the situation turns worse, the BSCIC official said.
   The district PBS president, Mir Nasir Uddin, however, denied the allegation saying that they are providing power for at least 16-17 hours a day.
   He also said the PBS had completed all necessary
   work to ensure power supply to the BSCIC estate in 1998 giving priority to the entrepreneurs.
   ‘We have also extended additional eight-kilometer line to ensure smooth power supply to the BSCIC estate.’
   The plot owners are not showing interest to take power connections for the reasons unknown, he added.
   During a recent spot visit, our correspondent found that a good many cattle were grazing in the BSCIC industrial estate.
   The BSCIC estate has virtually turned into a grazing field due to lack of care by the authorities concerned, some locals told New Age.

The district civil surgeon office in Chittagong ordered to investigate an allegation of issuing ‘illegal’ medical certificate against Resident Medical Officer Dr Abdul Mabud of Anwara Upazila Health Complex.
   Dr Jalal Ahmed, civil surgeon, Chittagong directed the deputy civil surgeon Dr M Abu Tayeb to conduct the investigation and submit report in this regard as soon as possible, official sources said.
   The district civil surgeon office has decided to investigate the allegation brought by SM Anwarul Haq against the RMO.
   Deputy civil surgeon Dr M Abu Tayeb said he would visit the health complex on October 21 to investigate the allegation.
   Anwarul Haq, the petitioner alleged that the RMO issued a medical certificate on October 9 to his relative Kutubuddin, who was injured in a clash between two rival groups in Bhora Pukurpar area on October 4 though the RMO was not on-duty on the day.
   ‘Even the RMO issued the medical certificate by keeping in dark the committee members who was supposed to be informed of the matter before issuing such certificate,’ the petitioner said.
   On the basis of that ‘illegal’ certificate, Kutubuddin filed a criminal case against 14 persons of the petitioner’s family.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested three persons in possession of 19 crude bombs and bomb-making materials at Charbagdanga in the Chapainawabganj district headquarters early Thursday.
   The arrested are Moinul Islam, 38, Saiful Islam, 35, and Mohasin Ali, 38 — all residents of Bakhar Ali at Charbagdanga.
   The battalion said they had raided the houses of the three at 2:00am and based on their statements seized the bombs, 500g of sulphur, 50g of iron pins and adhesive tapes from a ditch at Mahrajnagar.
   A case was filed in this connection.

The 180th founding anniversary of Pabna district was celebrated on Thursday amid huge festivity and enthusiasm.
   Various programmes including discussion and cultural programme were held at Pabna town hall to mark the occasion.
   Educationalists, cultural activists, journalists and people from all walks of life attended the programmes organised by cultural organisation Heyday Creative Group.
   Heyday Creative Group leader Khaled Hossain Porag chaired the programmes arranged in cooperation with Universal Group.
   Principal of Pabna Government Bulbul College Shibojit Nag, former principal of Pabna Women’s College Abdul Karim, president of Pabna Press Club Rumi Khandakar, secretary Utpol Mirza, vice-president of Pabna Chamber of Commerce Mahabubul Alam Mukul, marketing manager of Universal Group Rajiur Rahman Rumi, physician Sarwar Jahan Fayaz and president of Shammilito Shangshkritic Jote in Pabna Abul Kashem, among others, spoke at the discussion.
   Handloom products of Pabna were famous across the country as well as in the sub-continent, the speakers said adding that the district had lost his glorious past for lack of proper measures.
   They demanded that the authorities concerned should take immediate measures to restore the heritages of the district.
   The discussion was followed by a cultural programme. Artistes of Shahid Baul MA Gafur Academy performed at the programme. The artistes mainly rendered folk songs featuring the culture of the district.
   Pabna was declared as a district in 1828.

The Rapid Action Battalion on Wednesday arrested a sub-registrar and his assistant for taking bribe from a client in Panchbibi upazila in Jaipurhat.
   RAB sources said, acting on a tip-off, they took position around the sub-registry office and nabbedsub-registrar Shambhunath Karmakar and his assistant Narayan Kumar Ghosh when they were taking Tk 1,840 as bribe from a client.
   The were later handed over to the police.
   A case was filed with the police in this connection.

More than one hundred maunds (one maund is 77.32 kilogram) of hilsa fry (Jatka) were seized in Barisal on Thursday as hilsa fishing is going on in the southern districts flouting the ongoing 10-day ban.
   A team of the Rapid Action Battalion led by Lt Col Mamunur Rashid and magistrate ATM Mahbubul Karim detained a hilsa-laden truck at BFDC fish market in the Barisal city at about 11:00am on Thursday .
   The battalion seized 2,330 kg of hilsa fry from the truck while the drivers, labourers and fish market officials and employees managed to get away.
   The law enforcers sold 2,080 hilsa fry for Tk 1,93,440 at the rate of Tk93:00 per kg on auction.
   Some 250 kg of the seized hilsa fry was distributed among poor people and money collected from the hilsa auction would be deposited to public fund, said the RAB official.
   ATM Mahbubul Karim said catching of hilsa fry and all sizes of hilsa remains stopped during the 10-day ban from October 14 to 24 every year.
   Reports reaching from Kalapara, Galachipa, Daulatkha, Borhanuddin, Tajumuddin, Charfession, Manpura, Patharghata, Mathbaria and other coastal areas of Barisal division said  fishing of hilsha and hilsa fry went on indiscriminately in those areas violating the ban.