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Most of the passenger sheds, built by the Rajshahi City Corporation about 15 years back, have been occupied by small traders, causing sufferings to the commuters.
   City residents alleged that the sheds, many of which have become haven for anti-social elements, remain occupied by vendors and small traders.
   Barber shops and chamber of homeopaths have also been set up in the sheds, meant for passengers of city services and human haulers plying different routes, they added.
   A total of 15 sheds were built in different areas, including Haragram, Laxmipur, Pathanpara, Panchaboty, Kazla and Binodpur, between 1993 and 1995, according to sources in the city corporation.
   As soon as night falls, all the passenger sheds become a safe place for floating sex workers and drug addicts, local residents said, adding that a few sheds which are yet to be occupied lie in deplorable condition as sex workers and drug users are often found sleeping there at daytime.
   Passengers suffer a lot during the rainy season as they cannot take shelter at the sheds to protect themselves from rain.
   ‘Once I used the passenger shed at Panchaboty in the city.
   But this is no more worth use because of environmental ground,’ a Rajshahi University teacher told New Age.
   These passenger sheds have turned into safe haven for criminals and anti-social elements, said Saidur Rahman, a resident of the city’s Laxmipur area.
   ‘Taking shelter at the sheds, they commit various crimes like theft and snatching in different areas of the city,’ he added.
   Jamat Khan, convener of Rajshahi Rakkha Sangram Parishad, said they had earlier informed the corporation of the matter. But the corporation has yet to take any step in this regard, he said.
   Corporation sources said all the passenger sheds would be relocated to different city points and some 10 new sheds would be built in the city.
   The superintendent engineer of the corporation, Ashraful Haque, told New Age that they had a plan to relocate all the old passenger sheds.
   Besides, he said, the corporation will rent some passenger sheds for commercial use and social work.
   ‘We will build 10 new passenger sheds at places nearby different road crossings in the city at an estimated cost of Tk 50 lakh,’ he said, adding that construction work of the sheds will start in the forthcoming fiscal year.

The president, Zillur Rahman, said on Thursday the present government has given utmost importance on the education sector to ensure quality education for all and ruled out any leniency on this question.
   ‘I think that it is essential to ensure quality of education and there is no scope for compromise on it,’ he said.
   The president also put emphasis on introduction of more IT-based curricula in primary to university level from now on for implementing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s declaration for building a ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021.
   He made the observations when a delegation comprising the vice-chancellors of seven public and private universities called on him at Bangabhaban.
   He also underscored the need for taking initiatives to make science education popular in the secondary and higher secondary levels of education alongside arts and commerce education.
   Terming the universities the centre of excellence in practising freethinking, the president asked the VCs to expand the extracurricular activities for the students at their respective universities and build them as worthy citizens.
   The delegation comprised VC of Noakhali University of Science and Technology Professor Sanjoy Kumar Odhikari, VC of Patuakhali University of Science and Technology Professor Syed Sakhawat Hossain, VC of North South University Professor Hafiz GA Siddiqi, VC of Independent University Bangladesh Professor Bazlul M Chowdhury, VC of Northern University Professor AWM Abdul Huq, VC of Southern University Professor AZM Nuruddin Chowdhury and VC of International Islamic University Professor M Mahbubullah.
   The members of the delegation apprised the president of various activities of their universities, saying that they are ‘committed to ensuring quality education’ at their respective institutions.

The Barisal City Corporation authorities have decided to introduce maxi service in the city from June 1 this year aiming to facilitate the journey of commuters and ease traffic congestion.
   Altaf Mahmud Shikdar, the mayor in-charge, said initially, 20 maxis will ply ten routes in the city.
   City corporation market in the steamer ghat area will be used as temporary maxi terminal, he added.
   The routes include Bhatarkhal-Kalijira, Bhatarkhal-Nathullabad, Shapla Square-Mohabaj, BCC-Rupatali, BCC-Nabogram Chowmatha, City Market-Kagashura, BCC-Shafimiar Garage, BCC-Amtala crossing and BCC-Amanatganj crossing.
   Rezaul Kabir, road inspector of the BCC, said the city corporation is also planning to introduce minibus service on these routes.
   The authorities concerned recently held a meeting with members of law enforcing agencies and traffic department and leaders of maxi-minibus-tempo-rickshaw owners’ associations.
   Earlier, the BCC had tried to introduce city bus and alternative transport service but failed due to strong protests by rickshaw and tempo workers.
   Although the authorities concerned allowed plying of battery-run auto-rickshaws in the city, it is yet to gain popularity because of high fare, sources in transport sector said.
   Once maxi and minibus service will be launched in the city, traffic jam will be lessened to some extent, said Dr Mizanur Rahman, member-secretary of Nagorik Samaj. ‘Rickshaw-pullers are charging at will in the absence of any alternative transport,’ he said.

Speakers at a discussion on Thursday urged all to change their mindset towards the people with disabilities and stressed the need for ensuring congenial atmosphere for the disabled in the society.
   The discussion titled ‘Higher Education and Disability’ was held at TSCC building of Islamic University. National Grassroots Disability Organisation and Kampon District Disabled Federation, Kushtia in association with Disability Rights Fund, USA organised the discussion.
   IU vice-chancellor Professor M Alauddin addressed the meeting as the chief guest while students’ adviser Professor Ashanullah and proctor M Mahbubul Arfin as the special guests.
   Mohammad Ratan, a 2nd year disabled student of Bangla department, presented the keynote paper in the meeting. Disabled students Suzon Rahman and Abdur Razzak also spoke.
   The disabled students informed that there are 45 disabled students in the university but they are not enjoying the patronage of the authorities concerned.
   They demanded implementation of the United Nations Charter on Disabled Rights.
   The disabled students also placed a 17-point demand, including implementation of ten per cent quota in the admission and jobs and seat allocation in the halls of residence, at the meeting.

The American embassy, including its consular section and the public affairs section with the Archer K Blood American Centre Library and the Student Advising Centre, will remain closed on Sunday on the occasion of Memorial Day, an American national holiday, said a press release issued by the embassy on Thursday.

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion arrested five suspected car lifters and seized a stolen private car at Gulshan in the city on Wednesday.
   The arrested were
   identified as Raqib Hossain Subho, 18, Arian Hossain Nirjhar, 20, Saikat Islam Amit, 22, Golam Kibria, 18 and Alif Khondokar 20.
   All the arrested are residents of Kalyanpur in Mirpur.
   Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB-1 raided the area in front of United Hospital at Gulshan-2 at around 2:00pm but the gangsters sensing trouble fled from the spot along with G Corolla car, RAB sources said.
   After a massive chase, the team managed to arrest the five suspected car lifters along with the stolen car.
   The arrested confessed that they had stolen the car from in front of IDB Bhaban at Agargaon on Tuesday and tried to sell it at Gulshan-2.
   Earlier, a case was filed with the Mohammadpur police station in connection with car lifting.

Dhaka University will open a ‘Centre for Moral Development’ soon with a view to strengthening ethical sense among the people belonging to different professions.
   The aim of the centre is to keep the country free from injustice, crime and corruption, beside advancement in science and technology.
   It was decided at a meeting of the academic council on May 18. Vice-chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique presided over the meeting.
   CMD will introduce evening courses on ethics necessary to practise in everyday life, said a press release issued by Dhaka University.
   The meeting said that ethics is a branch of philosophy, where morality is being discussed.
   Different universities across the world have introduced courses like biomedical ethics, business ethics, ethics of journalism and computer ethics.
   Besides, ethics centres have been opened in different universities so that all the professionals can be provided with moral teachings.
   The meeting hoped that CMD would help strengthen morality in social life.

Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions till 6:00pm today.
   Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, Met Office said.
   Mild heat wave, which is sweeping over Khulna division and the regions of Rajshahi, Ishwardi, Rangamati, Comilla, Dhaka and Patuakhali, may continue.
   Day temperature may rise slightly over the country.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:38pm and rises on Saturday at 5:13am.
   Country’s highest temperature 37.3 degrees Celsius was recorded on Thursday at Rajshahi and Mongla and lowest 24.0 degrees at Cox’ Bazar and Teknaf.