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People of the Harijan community in Barisal have already started killing and eating their pigs beforehand fearing an anti-swine flu drive that might cull the animals.
   There are six colonies of the Harijans, people of lower chaste, like cleaners and sweepers, in the Barisal city.
   About 250 members of 75 families reside at the Harijan colonies, locally known as ‘Methor Patty’ or ‘Dom Patty’ at Nazirer Pol, Falpatty, Katpatty, Marok Khola, Kawnia Janoki Sen Road and Amir Kutir, in densely populated areas of the city.
   Of the six Harijan colonies, three are at Marok Khola, Kawnia Janoki Sen Road and Amir Kutir, where they domestically raise pigs, mainly for own consumption and business.
   Although the local Livestock Department office does not know the exact number of pigs raised by the Harijans, different sources said there are at least 500 pigs, hogs, boar, swine and porkers in these areas.
   Following media report on detection of swine flu cases in the country, some of the Harijans hid their pig herds in fear of anti-swine flu drive by the health or livestock authorities and some started killing the domestic animals for consumption, sources said.
   Babulal, a resident of Kawnia Harijan Patty, said, ‘We do not now anything about swine flu, but we are in fear of possible
   anti-swine flu drive anytime.’
   Residents of the Harijan colonies further said rearing of pigs is the part of their traditional, religious, economic and cultural life.
   ‘We eat pork, sacrifice pigs in our religious, social and cultural rituals and sell them at high prices to those who are in pork business,’ said Munna Dom, secretary of the local Harijan Sampraday.
   ‘Every year, after the breeding season, we collect herds of 10 to 12 young pigs or porkers from the Harijan Pallis in Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Tekerhut and Jessore at the rate of Tk30,000 to 35,000 each. After rearing, we sell the mature pigs at Tk 12,000 to 15,000 each ,’Munna said further. ‘We are engaged with the pig business traditionally, but never such a scare as swine flu has hit our trade before.’ he added.
   Dr Harunur Rashid, divisional health director, Dhirendranath Sardar, director of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, and Mrinal Kanti Mitra, scientific officer of Barisal livestock disease centre and laboratory, said that there is nothing to be afraid of so much as yet as no one in the country has been diagnosed with swine flu virus so far, other than those who came from abroad.
   Mrinal Kanti said, ‘Although we have no swine flu testing kit or lab facilities, there is no reason as yet to suspect existence of swine flu virus in the pig herds of the local Harijans as they haven’t come from the counties attacked with the disease.’
   ‘However, the situation is now under out close observation,’ the added.

Unidentified miscreants destroyed plants of pointed gourds (patal) on at least six bighas of land in Jhenaidah at dead of night on Tuesday.
   The incident took place at village Borosimla in Kaliganj upazila of the district.
   The damaged patal plots include 17 decimals each of Habibur Rahman, Abdul Kashem, Rahmat Khandakar and Siraj Mandal, 33 decimals each of Abu Bakar and Abul Hossain and 20 decimals each of Mokbul Hossain and Rabiul Islam.
   Most of the growers are poor who went for the patal farming to be self-reliant with loan form different sources.
   During a visit, this correspondent found all the patal plants lying cut off from their roots.
   The affected farmers informed New Age that they had got only one harvest after cultivation.
   They expected an income of Tk 7 to 8 lakh from the farming.
   They expressed concern how they will now survive with their families as their lone source of income has been destroyed.
   Abul Kashem, an affected grower, also president of No 5 union BNP unit, said that the miscreants had damaged the patal plots of only those supporting the BNP.
   They kept totally unharmed the plots of those who are supporters of Awami League though the plots were close to theirs (BNP supporters).
   Rabiul Islam, another affected cultivator, said, 'No harm has been caused to the plots of those who support the AL. On the other hand, the plots of BNP men have only been damaged.'
   He added that he had cultivated patal on his plot taking loan from the NGO 'Asha'. Now he is very much anxious how he will repay the loan.
   Monirul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Kaliganj, said 'It is a matter of great regret. If identified, the culprits will face tough actions.'

THE Bangladesh Rifles has strengthened its patrol along the Naikhyangchari border of Bandarban with Myanmar to stop the influx of Rohingyas and cross-border smuggling.
   The BDR in Bandarban has reinforced itself with an additional 100 troops from the BDR sector headquarters in Chittagong, the border guard sources said on Wednesday.
   The 15 Rifles Battalion of the BDR has set up two more camps at Baishari and Baidherkhil of Ghumdhum union council under Naikhyangchari to ensure further vigilance to stop infiltration of Rohingyas into Bangladesh and cross-border smuggling, said the sources.
   The BDR had to take up the step, after noticing the continued cross-border smuggling, unabated infiltration of Rohingyas and setting up of barbed fences by Nasaka, the border security forces of Myanmar, ignoring the request of Bangladesh authorities and violating the international border norms, said the upazila nirbahi officer of Naikhyangchari, Nowab Aslam Habib, adding the border situation has remained normal.
   Simultaneously, the 42 Rifles Battalion has deployed an additional 110 men, requisitioned from the Chittagong sector headquarters, to beef up patrol along the frontier under Teknaf in Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar, the BDR sources added.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested two persons in possession of 804 grams of heroin at Brown Compound in Barisal Wednesday afternoon.
   After arresting Subhash Karmakar, 38, and Nayem, 35, residents of the Brown Compound, the RAB, based on their statements, recovered the heroin.

The Lalmonirhat municipality has announced its budget for the 2009-2010 financial year.
   The mayor, Mosharaf Hossain Rana, announced the budget of total Tk 8,48,06,502 in presence of the municipality councillors and journalists at its conference room on Tuesday.
   Of the total budget, Tk 5,98,10,507 will be spent in different sectors of the municipality.
   The budget showed an income of Tk 98,05,000 for arrears utility bills and holding taxes of the last fiscal year, Tk 1,37,37,194 in revenue and Tk 6,12,64,308 in the government and non-government development sectors.
   The heads of expenditure shown in the budget include Tk 14,72,194 in revenue and Tk 5,98,10,519 in development sector. An amount of Tk 29,25,983 was shown as surplus in the budget.
   In the budget, new tax has been imposed on house construction only while rates of other taxes will remain the same in the interest of the dwellers, the mayor said.

The prices of some essential commodities including edible oil, pulses, sugar, egg and onion have increased in the markets of Noakhali over the last one week while the prices of rice and vegetables have remained stable.
   Traders at different markets in the district town said the prices of edible oil marked a significant increase by Tk 8 to Tk 12 per litre compared to the previous week’s rate.
   A five-litre container of soybean oil is selling at between Tk 450 and Tk 475 while its prices ranged between Tk 390 and Tk 400 in the previous week.
   Loose soybean oil is selling at between Tk 82 and Tk 85 per litre against the government fixed price of Tk 78 per litre.
   Customers alleged traders were also realising additional prices for the branded oil.
   Local variety pulses are selling at Tk 110 per kg against Tk 1000 while imported variety sells at
   Tk 95 to Tk 97 against
   Tk 90.
   Khesari is selling at Tk 49 per kg against Tk 45, mug at Tk 85 to Tk 88 per kg against Tk 80 to Tk 78.
   Prices of sugar increased by Tk 2 per kg last week compared to the previous week’s rate. Sugar was selling at Tk 38 per kg against Tk 36 per kg.
   A dozzen of eggs is selling at Tk 85 to Tk 90 against the pervious week’s rate of Tk 75 to Tk 80.
   Retail traders at Chawmohoni Bazar said they were selling eggs at Tk 85 per dozen presently while the rate was Tk 80 on June 27.
   ‘The wholesalers are not supplying eggs as per demand,’ said, Mostofa Mia, a shopkeeper, adding that the prices had increased for hike in
   prices in the wholesale market.
   Noni Gopal Shah, a wholesaler, who supplies eggs to different markets in the district, said he bought 10,000 to 12,000 eggs a day from different poultry farms earlier but now he could collect only 8,000 to 35,000 eggs a day.
   Onion is selling at Tk 16 to Tk 18 per kg, garlic at Tk 28 to Tk 30 and ginger at Tk 45 to Tk 48 marking an increase in their prices by Tk 2 to Tk 4 per kg.
   Loose flour (atta) is selling at between Tk 20 and Tk 22 per kg and fine flour at between Tk 30 and
   Tk 33 per kg.

The Tajumuddin police in Bhola nabbed three pirates and seized two trawlers with lethal weapons in the Char Mozammel area on the River Meghna Tuesday morning.
   Sub-inspector Enamul Hassan, acting officer-in-charge of Tajumuddin police station, said they had chased two trawlers of pirates at about 7:30am.
   Sensing presence of the law enforcers, the pirates opened fire on them, and after a half-an-hour’s gunfight, the miscreant tried to flee throwing the guns in the river.
   The police team nabbed three of the pirates.

The decomposed body of a woman was recovered from a jute field at Raipur in Boalmari of Faridpur Wednesday afternoon.
   According to the Boalmari police and locals, the woman, wearing sari, would be aged around 30.
   The police recovered the body and sent it to the Faridpur Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.