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The Department of Agricultural Extension in Khulna Division has taken a massive programme to cultivate boro paddy on a large scale of land.
   A total of 5,64,000 hectares of land have been brought under the
   programme in Narail, Jessore, Jhenidah, Magura, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat
   districts.
   Of the total, 34,275 hectares of land brought under boro cultivation in Narail and production has been fixed at 1,55,028 tonnes, 1,53,185 hectares in Jessore with 6,68,599 tonnes production, 40,800 hectares in Magura and production target 1,85,520 tonnes, 89,514 hectares in Jhenidah and production target 3,73,294 tonnes, 34,200 hectares in Kushtia and production target 1,41,080 tonnes, 25,000 hectares in Meherpur and production target 1,05,750 tonnes, 35,230 hectares in Chuadanga and production target 1,48,397 tonnes, 43,755 hectares in Khulna and production target 1,85,595 tonnes, 71,140 hectares in Satkhira and production target 2,97,136 tonnes and 37,601 hectares of land in Bagerhat and production target 1,57,794 tonnes.
   Meanwhile, farmers of these districts are busy in nursing paddy plants.
   Besides, different government bank have taken up programmes to disburse necessary loans among the farmers for making this programme a success.
   To achieve the production target, the farmers are also being provided with high yielding varieties of seeds and fertilisers, pesticides, DAE sources said.

Prices of various kinds of winter vegetables have marked a sharp rise in three upazilas of Narail in the last two weeks due to cold and foggy weather.
   Cold weather coupled with dense fog is delaying transportation of vegetables to the local markets pushing up their prices, traders of different markets of the district said.
   Prices of vegetable are going higher to the frustration of the common consumers.
   Visiting different markets of the district, it was seen that potato was selling for Tk 24 per kilogram as against Tk 15 to 16 two weeks back, cauliflower at Tk 20 per kg as against Tk 13 to 14, cabbage at Tk 12 per kg as against Tk 7, aborigine at Tk 24 to 25 as against Tk 16 to 18, onion at Tk 38 to 40 as against Tk 28, Lal shak at Tk 20 as against Tk 16, beans at Tk 28 as against Tk 14 to 16 and tomato at Tk 28 as against Tk 20.
   Bitter gourds, ladies fingers, basil, reddish, arum, spinach and other vegetables were also selling at exorbitant prices putting heavy strains on the budget of the low income group people.

Drugging gangsters looted valuables worth about Tk 20,000 from a house at Palasbari in Kurigram town Tuesday night.
   Family sources said three persons including a woman had taken shelter in the house of one Mohammad Ali at Palasbari (Mondolpar) village in the guise of the house owner’s relatives taking the chance of his absence.
   The drugging gangsters made Mamata Begum, 17, daughter of Mohammad Ali, Anwara Begum 40, his wife, and Sima, 12, his niece, unconscious by feeding them some food items.
   Later, the cheats decamped with valuables worth Tk, 20,000 including mobile phone sets, tape recorder, utensils and cash Tk 3500.

Three persons including a union parishad chairman were killed and five others injured in two road accidents in Netrakona and Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday.
   The deceased are Matiur Rahman, 40, chairman of Maska union parishad at Kendua, and Tarek, 27, and Mostafa, 25, both residents of Satgariahpara at Ramu in Cox’s Bazar.
   The New Age correspondent in Netrakona reports: Matiur died on the spot Wednesday morning as his motorbike was knocked down by a truck at Baliajuri in the district. The police seized the truck, but the driver managed to get away. A case was filed.
   The New Age correspondent in Cox’s Bazar reports: Seven persons including Tarek and Mostafa were injured as a truck hit a jeep carrying bricks at Panirchara of Rashidnagar on the Cox’s Bazar–Chittagong Highway in the morning.
   Tarek and Mostafa died on way to hospital .

A Bogra court on Wednesday sentenced three persons to life-term imprisonment for killing a man four years ago.
   District and sessions judge Anwar Hossain handed down the verdict against Geetarani, Apu and Gopal of village Nayapara under Kahalu upazila of the district. All of the convicts were tried in absentia.
   The court also acquitted one Ismail Hossain as prosecution failed to prove their guilt.

Alauddin alias Kalu, suspected of leading a robbers’ gang called Alauddin Bahini, was killed in the ‘crossfire’ between the police and Alauddin’s
   associates near Jatrighata Bridge in Barisal early Monday.
   The kotwali and Bakerganj police officers-in-charge, assistant commissioner Hayatul Islam, said the victim had many criminal cases lodged against him.
   The police said Alauddin, a resident of Kalidasia at Bakerganj, was arrested by a special police team at Talukdar
   Hat of Chandpura Sunday afternoon. His associates managed to get away.
   Alauddin, during interrogation, admitted to being involved in crimes and possessing arms and ammunitions, sources said.
   The police took Alauddin along with a team for the recovery of firearms at about 11:00pm Sunday. When they reached near the Jatrighata Bridge, Alaudin’s associates tried to snatch him away from the law enforcers, resulting in a gunfight in which Alauddin was killed, the police said.
   The police seized a revolver, ammunition and sharp weapons from the spot.
   The body was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem examination was done Monday afternoon.
   The family claimed Alauddin had no criminal cases lodged against him, but for a case filed with the Bakerganj police in connection with harvesting paddy from a disputed piece of land.