Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Construction of the bridge over the River Teesta in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila is unlikely to be completed by the deadline because of slow progress in work.
   Work on the 750 meter-long and 12.11 meter-wide bridge over Teesta began on September 7, 2006 and it was scheduled to be completed by September 6, 2009.
   The bridge project is being implemented by the Roads and Highway Depart-ment and the Ministry of Communications.
   Two construction firms — Amin-Delim (Bangladesh) and Asco-JV (India) — are constructing the road over Teesta in a joint venture.
   During a recent visit in the project site, our correspondent found that only 45 per cent work of the bridge has been completed till January this year.
   Firm sources said construction of 16 pillars, five culverts, an under-pass and approach roads have been almost competed and the little work to be done would be finished by the current month.
   The project manager, Shafiqur Rahaman, told New Age that over 200 labourers are working relentlessly to complete construction of the bridge in the stipulated time.
   He claimed that 50 per cent work of the bridge had been completed and ‘we hope to complete the remaining work by September 6 deadline.’
   ‘We faced some problem in the middle of 2007 over approval of the bridge design, which led us to suspend construction work for four months,’ he said.
   ‘If the construction firms do not face any problem further, work of the bridge will be completed as per schedule,’ he added.
   When contacted, RHD sub-divisional engineer (bridge project), Shafiqul Islam, said it was not possible to complete the bridge work by the deadline as only 45 per cent work has been completed in 28 months.
   ‘The main work of the bridge is yet to start even after 28 months’, he said adding at least 10 months more after the schedule will be needed to complete the bridge.’
   The bridge over Teesta is the long-cherished demand of about 45 lakh people in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram as it is the only doorway to enter both the districts.
   The people of the two districts have been using vulnerable railway-cum-road bridge over Teesta for long.
   ‘The bridge has become vulnerable to collapse. We are using the bridge braving risk of major disaster,’ a local resident said.
   Mizanur Rahaman Mizan, 40, a bus driver, said, ‘we drive vehicles on the risky railway-cum-road bridge very cautiously as it may collapse any time’.

The Mohanpur police in Rajshahi on Tuesday refused to record a case by a woman on charge of killing her two brothers during the country’s war of independence.
   The police advised the complainant Sofia Khatun, daughter of Tasir Uddin of village Sinduri of the upazila, to file a case with a court.
   The officer-in-charge of the police station, Asaduzzaman Milon, told New Age, ‘As the crimes were committed during the liberation war, I advised her to file the case with a court after consulting senior police officials.’
   Sofia went to the police station to file a case against some war crime suspects, who were the members of Razakar, local auxiliary for Pakistani forces, on charge of killing her two brothers and looting valuables during the war.
   Asaduzzaman also said Mejharul Sheikh, son of a slain freedom fighter, Mejh-arul Sheikh, on June 22, 2008, had filed a case with a Rajshahi court against 19 war crime suspects on charge of killing his father Bashiruddin.
   The court asked the police to record Mejharul’s compliant as the first information report and accordingly, the case was recorded and investigated, he said adding that two crime suspects Daud and Noor-e-Anwar were arrested in the case on Friday.

An old man was killed allegedly by his younger brother at village Horipur Miapara of Chapainawabganj sadar upazila Monday morning.
   The deceased is Jalal Uddin, 73.
   The police, quoting locals, said Jalal had been killed by his brother Bujrat Ali over land dispute.
   On the day, Jalal brought bricks to construct a wall on the disputed land. When Jalal was going to the land with the bricks, Bujrat along with his family members resisted him and at one stage of altercation, Bujrat hit Jalal with a brick, killing him on the spot.
   Victim’s son Shahidullah filed a case with the police against Bujrat, his wife Sufia, son Yousuf, daughter Mabia and son-in-law Bakul.
   The police sent the body to Chapainawabganj General Hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.

Three persons were killed and 40 injured in separate road accidents at Muradnagar, Nangalkot and Burichang upazilas in Comilla on Tuesday.
   The deceased are Noorjahan Begum, 48, of Ramchandrapur, Kamrul Islam, 28, of Bhonai under Nangalkot and Maulana Shafiqur Rahman, 45, a madrassah teacher of Burichang.
   In Muradnagar, a Comilla-bound bus skidded off the road after hitting an auto-rickshaw at around 8:00am, leaving Noorjahan dead on the spot.
   At least 40 others were injured in the incident.
   Road communication between Comilla and Muradnagar were suspended for an hour as the local residents blocked the road.
   In Nangalkot, Kamrul Islam, died after he was run over by a train at around noon on Tuesday
   Witnesses said a Chittagong-bound Mahanagar Express train from Dhaka hit Kamrul while he was crossing the railway near Nangalkot level crossing.
   The police sent the body to hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.
   Madrassah teachera Shafique Rahman was killed in a road accident Burichang on Comilla-Sylhet Highway at about 3:00pm
   Witnesses said Shafiqur, superintendent of ibtadayi madrassah at Takierchar Karpai, was critically injured aftera a bus hit him from behind.
   Local people sent him to to Burichang Health Complex but he died there.

Armed robbers looted cash and valuables worth about Tk 12 lakh from a house at a village in Pabna early Sunday.
   The police said a gang of robbers entered the house of Yunus Ali, a chemist of Square Pharmaceutical Limited, at village Naldah by breaking open the door at about 1:30am.
   The gang took away valuables worth Tk 12 lakh, including gold ornaments and Tk 11 lakh in cash from the iron-safe by holding hostage the inmates of the house.
   A case was lodged with the Pabna sadar police station in this connection.
   Meanwhile, two young men were stabbed over a scuffle centring on seating in a cinema in Pabna town on Saturday.
   The police Saturday night arrested at least 10 people for their suspected involvement in the incident.
   The injured are Ripon, 12, a resident of Gachpara in Pabna sadar, and Bibek Ali, 16, a resident of Dilalpur.
   The police said some people inside the cinema on Rupkatha Lane began a scuffle over seating. At one point, two of them were stabbed at around 9:00pm. Both were admitted to Pabna General Hospital in a critical condition.
   After the incident, a police team raided different places in Pabna municipal area. The police picked up 10 for their suspected involvement in the incident.
   They are Suruj Miah, 25, Firoz Zaman, 21, Rubel, 22, Al Amin, 21, Ujjwal, 19, Saddam Hossain, 20, Sajibul Islam, 18, Sohan, 21, Sohag, 22, Shamim Reza, 20.

A Jhenaidah court on Monday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife four years ago.
   The judge of women and children repression prevention tribunal, Md Belaet Ullah, handed down the verdict.
   The convict is Jahangir Alam of village Dudshar under Kotchandpur of the district.
   According to prosecution, Jahangir severely beat up his wife Morzina over family despute on April, 18, 2005. Morzina died in the hospital next day.

The Rapid Action Battalion seized 320 grams of heroin and arrested a man in Kurigram town on Sunday.
   Acting on a tip-off, a RAB team led by ASP Shahjahan raided a house and seized the abusive drugs.
   The team also nabbed one Bablu Miah, 35, in this connection.
   Meanwhile, a suspected member of Allar Dal, a banned Islamst outfit, was arrested at village Palasbari under sadar upazila on Monday.
   The arrested was identified as Rabiul Islam, 22.
   The police picked up Rabiul from the house of his relative and sent him to jail.

A dance show titled ‘Ekushey Amar Antore’ was held on the premises of BP Government High School in Panchagarh town on Thursday.
   The school authorities arranged the dance show on the occasion of annual sports and cultural programme.
   The deputy commissioner, Md Munir Hossain, attended the programme as chief guest.
   Additional deputy commissioner Monjur Hasan Bhuinah, educationists Karima Khatun and Nazmul Haque were present.