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River erosion continues to play havoc in Lalmonirhat and Madaripur as 600 families have lost their homesteads in the two districts within a span of seven
   days.
   In Lalmonirhat, erosion by the River Dharla has taken a severe turn along its west bank under Lalmonirhat sadar upazila.
   The river erosion has rendered 500 families homeless at eight villages under the upazila in the last six days.
   The affected villages are Mogholhat, Kurul, Majhi Tari, Jugi Para, Itapota, Badai Tari, Bongram and Masuya Tari.
   About 2,000 acres of cultivable land, 100 fruit gardens and bamboo clusters, one mosque, one temple and a madrassah have gone under the gorge of the river during the period.
   The people who lost their homesteads have taken shelter on the highway, relative’s houses and flood shelters.
   The New Age correspondent while visiting the affected villages found many people dismantling their houses and shifting those to safer places.
   The Mogholhat union parishad office, BDR camp and some government establishments are under the threat of erosion.
   Mansur Ali,48, a resident of Mogholhat, said, ‘All of my six bighas (one bigha is 0.1338 hectare) of land along with the homestead were devoured by the Dharla at dawn on Sunday.’
   ‘I along with four members of my family have taken shelter on the abandoned railway line at Mogholhat where we are living a sub-human life.’
   Local people alleged that no one from the WDB office has visited the affected villages so far.
   The executive engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB, MA Matin Sarker, said they were unable to start protection works in the erosion-hit areas right now due to fund crisis.
   In Madaripur, erosion by the rivers Padma and Arial Kha continues to worsen for the last several days.
   Hundreds of people living at the villages beside the rivers are passing days amid extreme anxiety about how to protect their life and properties from the river erosion.
   At least 40 families lost their homesteads and properties due to erosion by the Padma at villages Charjanajat and Kathalbari under Shibchar upazila of the district within the last seven days.
   The affected people are taking shelter on the embankment and highway.
   The Arial Kha continues to play havoc at Kalikapur, Mohesherchar, Madra, Chalarchar and Jhawgee unions under sadar upazila devouring 60 houses within the period .
   Erosion situation at Madra Hogolpatea and Khaserhat villages are worsening very fast
   engulfing vast tracts of land.
   Various important establishments and structures like town protection embankment, No. 1 Police Ferry and Dargah Sharif are under erosion threat.
   The Arial Khan has already eroded 200 feet land of Kajirtek Ferry Ghat and a point of the embankment road in the last one week.
   The erosion situation has started deteriorating due to heavy rainfall and lifting of sands from the riverbeds through dredgers, locals alleged.
   Locals also alleged that all the previous governments had assured effective steps to protect people’s life and properties from the erosion, but noting has followed.
   The executive engineer of the Madaripur Water Development Board, Okhil Kumar Biswas, told New Age, ‘We have sent letter
   to the higher authority seeking fund for repair work in the affected
   areas.’

Two persons were killed and nine others were injured in a road accident at Muraripur of Paba upazila in Rajshahi Wednesday morning.
   The deceased were Jahangir Alam, 35, a resident of Kharkhari in the city, and Matiur Rahman, 35, of Dibyasthal of Tanore in the district.
   The injured were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
   Witnesses said the accident had taken place when a BRTC bus headed for Rajshahi hit a truck from behind at Muraripur
   at about 11:00am. Jahangir and Matiur died on the spot.

A mobile court realised Tk 69,000 as fine from 11 eateries in Moulvibazar town on Wednesday.
   The mobile court led by executive magistrate Alamgir Kabir conducted drives at different restaurants in the district town and fined 11 restaurants for preparing food items in unhygienic environment and selling sub-standard and date-expired food
   items.
   Of the eateries -Saad Bread and Sweetmeat were fined Tk 15,000, Rajmahal Hotel Tk 15,000, Sagorica Hotel Tk 5,000, Premium Hotel Tk 5, 000, Modern Bread and Confectionary
   Tk 10,000, Belal Hotel
   Tk 5,000, Star Hotel Tk 5,000, Dewan Food and Confectionary Tk 3, 000, Rajanigandha Tk 2,000, Tajmahal Tk 2,000, and Zia hotel Tk 2,000.