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A massive sugarcane cultivation programme has been taken by the Department of Agricultural Extension in the three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the current season.
   The DAE found that the cash crop which has a high demand in the region and outside can yield good profit with less production cost and labour.
   Farmers in Kaptai, Kaukhali, Rajasthali, Naniarchar, Langadu and Baghaichari upazilas of Rangamati, Dighinala, Panchari, Mahalchari, Matiranga, Lakshmichari and sadar upazilas of Khagrachari and majority of all the seven upazilas of Bandarban are expecting a bumper output of the crop this year as they had now grown sugarcane in a scientific method in consultation with and with logistic support of the DAE, said cultivators and sources at the DAE.
   A total of 2,300 hectares of land was brought under sugarcane cultivation in the three hill districts Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban in the current season against the target of 2,700 hectares, said sources at the DAE.
   Of the total 2,300 hectares, taking the advantage of plainness of land, sugarcane was cultivated on highest 1,200 hectares in Bandarban against the target of 1,500 hectares with a output target of 4,800 tonnes at the rate of four tonnes per hectare, followed by Khagrachari on 750 hectares of land against the target of 800 hectares, detailed the sources, Rangamati fixed the production target at 350 hectares in the current season.
   The farmers of the three hill districts are expected to achieve an output of 9,200 tonnes of sugarcane in the current season that may bring them a lucrative price, said, the DAE training officer of Rangamati, Kazol Talukdar.
   Four tonnes of sugarcane, mainly of two varieties, C-20 and gandari, produced on a hectare of land is being sold at Tk 1, 20,000 on the local markets presently, Kazol said.
   Dozens of teenagers are found selling sugarcane cut pieces to the bus passengers travelling to and from each of the CHT district headquarters everyday.

Family members of teenaged girl Sharmin whose body was recovered from village Rajapur in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur on 31 January have demanded fresh investigation into her killing.
   They expressed concern over not arresting all the accused even after two months of the incident.
   The victim’s family members while addressing a press briefing at Bhanga upazila Bar Association auditorium on Friday brought allegation of negligence against the police in submitting a fair charge sheet in the case filed by Sharmin’s grandfather Bozlu Hadi on 31 January. They demanded an immediate fresh investigation into the murder.
   Sources said Sharmin had remained missing since the evening of January 29 when she went outside the house after receiving a phone call from one Shujan.
   Her body was found in a barren garden at village Rajapur under Manikdha union of the same upazila in the morning of 31 January.
   The victim’s father Shah Alam claimed that Shujan and his associates had kidnapped his daughter on 29 January and killed her after rapping.

At least 70 people, including children and women, were injured in two separate clashes at Chhatak upazila in Sunamganj on Saturday.
   Of the injured, Fatema Begum, 22, Swapna Begum, 28, Nurul Islam, 20, Tota Miah, 40, Ramzan Ali, 45, Masud Miah, 30, Waris Ali, 45, Samar Ali, 55, and Kabir Ahmed, 20, were admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital. Aymana Begum, 20, Iti, 12, Lokman, 30, Jilu, 35, and Atiq, 10, were admitted to Chhatak Upazila Health Complex. Others were given first aid.
   Witnesses said a clash had taken place between the residents of Mirzapur and Bitura of Chhatak upazila over arranging a prayer session in a mosque at Mirzapur at about 10:00am.
   More than 50 persons including children and women were injured during the two-hour clash at Mirzapur at Chhatak in which sharp weapons were used, the police and local residents said.
   In another incident, people of Uzirgaon and Kotalpur of Chhatak were locked in a clash Saturday morning.

Silt in five major rivers and their tributaries flowing through three upazilas in Narail is hampering vessel movement and has thrown several thousand fishermen and boatmen out of job in the district. .
   Besides, emergence of big shoals and drastic fall in the water level in the rivers-Modhumati, Nabaganga, Chitra, Afra and Kazla have restricted the normal flow of water severely hampering irrigation and movement of water transports in Lohagora, Kalia and Narail Sadar upazilas, according sources at water development board.
   Accumulation of thick layer of silt in the bed of the Modhumoti river near Kalnaghat has been obstructing the movement of motor launches and boats. The situation is likely to take an alarming turn in the days ahead, the sources said.
   Normal ferry services on the Baroipara-Kalia, Kalna- Vatiapara, Phordanga-Gopalganj, Bordia-Mahajan and Panipara- Suktail routes are being hampered at several points. Farmers living in the river basins are now unable to irrigate land due to the silt deposition and fall in the water level.
   The low depth thin streams in the rivers and tributaries have also deprived hundreds of fishermen of their means of livelihood. The fish resources have declined in these rivers in the wake of the drastic fall in the water level and emergence of shoals.
   Sources at Department of Agricultural Extension, Narail said the newly emerged shoals cover more than 2,250 hectares. Char people are very keen in farming boro paddy, maize, vegetables, groundnut
   and other crops on the shoals.
   The people of the district have called upon the authorities concerned to take effective measures for dredging the rivers for keeping the wheels of economy of this region on.

Suza Uddin of Daily Ittefaq and Emdadul Haque of Daily Amardesh have been elected as president and general secretary of the Islamic University Journalists’ Association on Saturday.
   Akhtaruzzaman of Daily Sangram has been elected as vice-president while Mohammad Ali of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha as joint-secretary.
   Imamul Hasan of Dinkal and Mofijul Islam of Nayadiganta have been elected as treasurer
   and press secretary respectively.

Two sub-inspectors of the Bhanga police station in Faridpur were closed to the Faridpur police line Saturday afternoon.
   They are SI Mizanur Rahaman, also in-charge of the Bhanga police station, and SI Nurul Haque.
   The superintendent
   of police, Mizanur Rahanam, told New Age that they were closed for alleged negligence in duty and might face suspension, if needed.

The police on Tuesday arrested a man in the Eid Ghah area under Bhanga upazila of Faridpur on charge of assaulting a journalist.
   The arrested was identified as Md Shahid Munshi, 38.
   Acting on a tip off, a police team led by officer-in-charge of Bhanga police station raided the area and arrested Shahid.
   He was sent to jail after producing before a court.
   The police said Shahid along with his brother assaulted journalist Mamunar Rashid, editor of local weekly ‘Bhangar Khabor’ over publishing a report on his unlawful activities on February 6.
   But the police denied recording the case.
   The police filed the case after journalists of the district formed several human chains and went into hunger strike.
   He has been running illegal business in his two residential hotels for long, said locals.

A cattle lifter was arrested in possession of four stolen cows at village Durgapur under Faridpur sadar upazila Friday evening.
   The arrested was identified as Raju Mollah, 45, of Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
   Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Durgapur police led by sub-inspector Md Rezaul Haque arrested Raju along with the four stolen cows and a mobile phone set worth about Tk 1.15 lakh.
   Two other accomplices of Raju managed to get away sensing presence of the law enforcers.
   Raju along with his two accomplices stole the cows from the house of one Amad Ali Sheik at Keshabpur in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia Tuesday night, the police said.