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Flood and saline waters cause a huge damage to crops on vast tracts of land in all seven upazilas of Patuakhali as most of the sluice gates in the district are being used by a section of influential people for fish cultivation.
   The Water Development Board, Patuakhali built a 981-metre long embankment and 630 sluice gates in the seven upazilas of the district to protect vast areas of cropland from the onrush of flood and saline waters and high tide during the rainy season.
   The sluice gates set up in different parts of the district are also meant for supplying irrigation water for the cropland during the dry season.
   The affected farmers of sadar, Galachipa, Bauphal, Kalapara, Dashmina, Dumki and Mirjagonj upazilas alleged that the local influential people in collusion with some dishonest officials of the WDB, Patuakhali have taken a full control of the sluice gates for the fish farming.
   As a result, flood, saline and high tide waters enter through the sluice gates into the cropland and damage crops during the rainy season while they do not get water to irrigate their land during the dry season, the farmers alleged.
   Several farmers, on condition of anonymity, told New Age that the 16 sluice gates at Hawla canal under Galachipa upazila of the district are now in personal use of some influential people.
   The WDB, Patuakhali appointed one caretaker to look after each of the sluice gates. But the caretakers do not discharge their duties at the sluice gates. They are staying at the district or upazila headquarters with their families and drawing monthly salary from the office, the farmers alleged.
   Habib Fakir, a farmer of Panpatty village under Galachipa upazila, said, ‘The vested quarters keep the sluice gates closed round the year to serve their own purposes. The local fishermen are allowed to catch fish in the canals in exchange for money’.
   The farmers said that they had made appeals to the local administration as well as the WDB time and again to free the sluice gates from the control of the vested groups, but to no avail.
   Besides, the farmers also alleged that the additional deputy commissioner (Revenue), Patuakhali, Laxman Chandra Debnath, had leased out a good number of the government-owned canals to the influential people in exchange for a large amount of money. But the ADC (Revenue) said that the allegations of the farmers were not true. He, however, admitted that some canals had been leased out to the local fishermen for fisheries in the district. But he denied to have received any money against this personally.
   If any such allegations are found, he will cancel the lease for the greater interests of the local farmers, he assured.
   None of the farmers, who claimed they were affected, came to him with the problem, he said.
   The executive engineer of the WDB, Patuakhali, Zahirul Islam, also claimed not to have received any complaints about grabbing of the sluice gates by the local influential people.
   He, however, assured of investigating the matter and taking actions against the persons responsible.

Activities of voluntary organisations Sandhani, Medicine Club and Juba Red Crescent at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital resumed after three days Monday evening.
   The activities of the organisations were suspended after the Awami League-backed BCL activists threatened to take over the organisations on Friday.
   SM Mirajuddin, president of the Medicine Club, on behalf of the organisations, told New Age the activities resumed after a meeting with the college and hospital authorities in Monday evening.
   ‘The SBMCH authorities assured us of safety and security, and considering the sufferings of the patients, we decided to resume our activities,’ he said.
   Dr Mohaddes Hossaion, SBMCH director, and Dr Zahid Hossain, SBMC principal, and Dr Brindabon Das, head of blood transfusion section of SBMCH, acknowledging the facts hoped that the situation would not be repeated in future.
   Earlier on Saturday alleged that BCL activists, led by SM Sayem and Saidur Rahman Patwary alias Jacky, had been threatening to take over the organisations since after the national elections.
   So the organisers suspended the activities of the organisations for an indefinite period and would resume the activities if the authorities could give them assurance of safety and security, the statement said.

Clashes between the activists of the Awami League and Bangladesh Jatiya Party in Bhola district town over dropping of tenders worth about Tk 8 crore left at least 20 persons including a policeman injured on Monday.
   The police and local sources said 12:00am was the last time for submission of the tenders for construction of embankment to stop inundation by the river.
   The AL activists began to assemble in front of the Bhola Water Development Board office at Jugir Ghol in the town from early morning on the day and took control of the entrance points.
   At about 11:30am when the contractors of the BJP advanced towards the WDB office to submit the tenders, the AL activists barred their way attacking them, sources said.
   This resulted in the clash among the activists of the parties, who hurled brickbats and chased and counter chased one another. Quickly it spread to the nearby areas and created panic among the residents.
   On information, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control at about 1:30 am.
   At least 20 persons including a police constable, Mainul of the detective branch, were injured in the incident.
   Mainul was admitted to Bhola sadar hospital and others injured were treated at different hospitals and clinics.
   AL activists also attacked and damaged the house of Nazmul Huda Kanu, a BJP leader and the BJP party office at Notun Bazar in the town during the clash.
   Abdul Morin Tulu, the district AL secretary, blamed the supporters of the local BJP lawmaker, Andalib Rahman Partha for instigating the clash.

A total of 21 out of fifty nine candidates who contested for chairmanship and vice- chairmanship at five upazilas in Lalmonirhat have lost security deposits as they failed to secure required one-eighth of cast votes during upazila elections.
   Of them, 16 are chairman candidates, four vice-chairman (male) candidates and one female vice-chairman candidate.
   According to the district election office, the chairman candidates who lost their deposits are Hakim Ahamed Rouf (AL), Anowarul Islam Nazu (BNP), Rafiqul Islam (BNP) of Patgram upazila, Nazrul Islam (AL), Shawkat Hossain (BASOD), Sabirul Islam Chanchol (AL) of Hatibandha upazila, Mahabubuzzaman Ahamed (AL), Mahasin Ali Tulu (BNP) of Kaligonj upazila, Sekendar Ali (BNP), Mostaque Jaman Bablu (JP) of Aditmari upazila and Mahabubar Rahaman (JP), professor Habibur Rahaman (JP), Golam Mostafa Swapon (AL), Sekendar Ali (BNP), Shafiqul Islam Shafi (AL) of sadar upazila.

A Manikganj court on Monday sentenced a man to life-term rigorous imprisonment for violating a woman.
   District and sessions judge Abdul Kuddus Mia also fined the convict, Sharif, 25, son of Hashem Ali, of village Nalora under Manikganj sadar upazila, Tk 10,000, in default,
   to serve one year more in jail.
   According to the prosecution, the convict raped a woman of the same village in 2003.
   Later, she filed a case with the sadar police station against Kuddus.
   Public prosecutor Aziz Ullah defended for the state while advocate Hejajur Rahman Khan Baku appeared for the accused.

Nasima Akhter, who sustained burn injuries in an acid attack by a group of miscreants on September 2008, appealed to the philanthropic people at home and abroad to extend their helping hands for her treatment.
   She is fighting for life at Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital since the incident. Her neck, which was burnt completely, now requires final surgery for recovery, said a press release referring to doctors’ prescriptions.
   The miscreants led by one Aziz had raped my 14-year-old daughter on June 2006, threw acid on my wife Nasima on September 2008 because we did not agree to withdraw the rape case,’ said Nasima’s husband Yusuf Mia, hailed from Khulna.
   They shifted from Cox’s Bazar to Khulna in fear on the criminals.
   Nasima’s husband, Yusuf by this time, has spent all his savings and also borrowed from relatives and friends for the treatment of his wife.
   Contribution can be sent to account No 002107639, Sonali Bank Limited, Baira Bazar Branch, Khulna.
   One can also call at 01920138741 and 01915202658 to help them.