The post Shoilmari: A river dead, livelihoods endangered appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
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The once mighty Shoilmari river in Khulna’s Batiaghata upazila can now only be called a river on paper. In just three years, it has been filled with silt.
The once 150-metre-wide river has now turned into a 3 to 4-metre narrow channel. Boats cannot sail there in low tide and people can cross its stretch by walking.
Experts say the lack of upstream flow, unplanned dams, and construction of sluice gates are responsible for the river’s death. Besides, after piling pillars for Rupsha Rail Bridge, the connecting river Shoilmari was silted within a short period.
BWDB officials say a huge amount of silt deposited on the river bed that comes through tide is a common trend in the southwestern region. Khulna’s Batiaghata is no exception.
The water supply from at least 100 villages, including Dakatiya beel, Gutudia and Panchu, has been cut off as Shoilmari river’s water disappeared. Besides, these areas also run the risk of waterlogging in near future due to the river’s disappearance.
This correspondent visited Dhani Bunia, Soilmari, Uttar Shilmari, Hogolbunia, Hatbati, Choighoria, Jolma, Batiaghata, Khalashibunia, Baguladanga, Par Batiaghata, Mailmara along the river basin.
At Dakshinpara area of Uttar Shoilmari, some villagers have already occupied the river beds and filled the areas with sand. A similar situation was noticed in Hogolbunia Khayaghat area.
Brick kilns have also been built by encroaching the river.
At Ramdia sluice gate area of Jalma union, eight out of nine gates were seen closed due to the siltation of the river.
“Shoilmari was over 800 to 900 feet wide. Just 10 years ago, three launch routes from this river used to carry passengers to Koyra, Paikgacha in Khulna and Burigoalini in Satkhira district. Shoilmari began to fill up in 2015-16 and within a few years, the water flow stopped,” said Nimai Chandra Roy (72), a former primary school teacher of Khalashi Bunia village, who used to cross the river to attend classes in the ’90s and 2000s at Dumuria upazila.
Motiar Rahman, a resident of Uttar Soilmari village who retired from BWDB in 2008, said he was engaged in the construction of the embankment and polder 28/2 in the 70s.
“Due to excessive silt coming from the river’s two heads, some brick kilns that occupied the river bed contributed to the river’s dying state. If the river is not excavated, people will not be able to live in this area,” he said.
Panchanon Golder, a mobile fish trader of Chalksoilmari village, said, “Earlier, I used to cross the river to go to Khulna by boat or trawler every morning. But in the last two years, boats don’t run during low tide.”
“Very often I crossed the river by walking in knee-deep mud. Locals used to catch fish, including Hilsa, Loitta and shrimp, from here. However, very few fish can be found in the river now,” he said.
ABM Shafiqul Islam, president of Pani Committee, a civil society platform which works on rivers and water in the Khulna region, said, “The coastal rivers are naturally under the influence of tides. Upstream water used to balance these rivers. But in the name of river management, unplanned dams and construction of sluice gates are killing the river. Soilmari is a victim of it.”
Ashutosh Barman, executive engineer of BWDB, Khulna Division-1 said, “We issued a notice for evicting the illegal structures, including brick kilns. We also plan to dredge the river.”
However, he mentioned nothing about the tentative period required for excavation.
– Article originally published on The Daily Star
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]]>The post BRAC Bank introduces real-time cash deposit machine appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The machine allows customers to deposit cash any time and any day of a week to their Brac Bank accounts and pay credit card bills within minutes, a press release said.
“RCDM will bring immense convenience to the customers as they can deposit money anytime and any day without visiting a branch. The machines will be deployed across the country in phases as part of the pursuit of strengthening our alternate banking channel,” said Nazmur Rahim, head of alternate banking channels at Brac Bank.
The customers can deposit minimum Tk 10 and maximum Tk 50,000 in a single transaction. The deposited amount will instantly be reflected on the beneficiary account balance with transaction notification through short message service (SMS).
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]]>The post Pakistan seek to end with a win appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Rather hinting at any counter-attack, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq opted to be defensive at the pre-match press conference at the SBNS.
‘I think your focus should be just to play good cricket, display your best, and that’s what we are looking forward,’ Misbah told reporters.
‘We don’t have to worry about what’s happening, what’s going to be the result in the series, we need to focus in the particular event,’ said Misbah.
‘Doesn’t matter whether it’s a situation like that, there is always pressure in international cricket’s every game. So you have to cope with that,’ he said.
Pakistan continued their dismal form in all formats so far as Bangladesh clinched the three-match one-day series against the visitors with a clean sweep.
Tigers followed it by winning the lone Twenty20 international, though it [Pakistan] appeared to be stronger by the presence of some senior players.
Later Misbah and Younis Khan came up to rescue them from despair and managed to do it to some extent before Tigers came up in their second innings with a record breaking effort by putting 556-6 after coming behind from 296 runs.
The bowlers could not make a positive impact in the match and though they had sent three teams for three formats, their bowling department largely depended on the same Juanid Khan and Wahab Riaz along with Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar.
‘We are looking forward with that, we are rethinking about that, let’s see what kind of 11 we are having after taking all these points into consideration,’ said Misbah.
‘Obviously after getting a 300 runs lead and almost having two days to get us into a position we really need to improve our performance in bowling department.
‘No doubt the pitch was flat but still I think the kind of partnership they had in the second innings, both the openers got century, we have to really look forward to that.
‘Tamim is in good form, we have to stop him, get him early and obviously we have to improve our bowling,’ he said.
Misbah added that the pitch gives him confidence to do well as he feels that there will be something for his bowlers.
‘I think this pitch is a bit different from Khulna, bit bounce and pace.
‘Obviously it will be good for batting but at the same time there is always something for the bowlers, I hope you are going to have a result in this Test match,’ said Misbah.
Pakistan have so far played nine Test matches against Bangladesh and won eight out of them.
-With New Age input
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]]>The post City polls to augur well for the nat’l election? appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Central leaders of both the ruling party and the opposition have been engaged in campaign for the last couple of weeks.
The ensuing mayoral polls have already become the focus of the national politics. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday lauded the opposition for participating in the mayoral polls and said that the opposition’s participation proved that free and fair election is possible under Awami League.
On the same day acting secretary general of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the ruling party was plotting to defeat the BNP backed candidates through rigging. He also cautioned that the his party would start movement to unseat the government if the polls are rigged.
RAJSHAHI: Campaigning for the Rajshahi City Corporation poll entered the home stretch on Thursday. Mayoral candidates levelled charges and counter-charges against each other, while their followers indulged in frequent altercations in the last few days before the election. “It’s a battle for votes. The two mayoral candidates have started their final campaigning. The situation is now so tense that many city dwellers are also apprehending a clash,” said Abbas Ali, a resident of the Ramchandrapur area of the city.
According to a report prepared by the Intelligence Branch of the police, Shibir cadres are planning to take over ward Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30 during the election. These four wards are dominated by the Jammat-Shibir group and they are located beside Rajshahi University.
RMP sources said law enforcers have been put on alert to avert any untoward situation and special security measures have been posted at vulnerable polling centres in the city.
Mayoral and councillor candidates are now conducting door-to-door campaigning.
The Awami League and the BNP have levelled allegations of violating the electoral code of conduct against each other. The Election Commission’s office in Rajshahi is at a loss to deal with these. Political instability and tension have taken a serious turn in the city.
The AL-backed candidate is highlighting the success of the present government, while the BNP-backed candidate and supporters are talking about the ruling party’s corruption and suppressive activities against Opposition activists.
The Nagorik Committee-backed mayoral candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Sommilito Nagorik Forum-backed candidate Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul have become the talk of the town.
Though the mayoral election is a local government poll, national issues have come to the fore during campaigning.
At the last leg of campaigning, a number of central AL leaders, including AL board of advisers member Amir Hossain Amu, presidium member Mohammad Nasim, organising secretary Abu Sayed Al Mahmud Swapon, Rashed Khan Menon and popular vocal artist Momtaz and noted artist Asaduzzaman Nur sought votes for Liton.
On the other hand, BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Gayeswar Chandra Roy, former minister Aminul Haque, BNP joint secretary general Mijanur Rahman Minu, Shafiul Alam Prodhan and popular artist Asif Akbar, along with former BNP MPs and leaders, campaigned for Bulbul.
However, all outsiders, including members of Parliament, have been asked to leave Rajshahi by Thursday midnight.
SYLHET: Sylhet City Corporation’s mayoral candidates Bodor Uddin Kamran and Ariful haque Chowdhury ended their election campaign on Thursday. The city corporation election is scheduled for 15 June.
The two released their electoral manifestos on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. In them, they made various promises to voters.
The Awami League-led Grand Alliance is supporting Bodor Uddin Ahmed Kamran. He vowed to make Sylhet City a terrorist-free zone and prepare a master plan to project the city as a tourist spot. He also promised to set up community health centres in every ward. Kamran said he would make Sarada Hall a digital cultural centre, and develop the banks of the Surma river on the lines of the Thames river banks in London. He also promised to construct flyovers and overbridges. He further promised to install LED lights on all roads and important points in the city, if elected.
“The inhabitants of Sylhet City do not want anarchy and terrorism. They must cast their valuable votes against anarchists and terrorists and elect a perfect mayor in the coming election. I hope they will vote in favour of my my electoral sign ‘Anaros’ (Pineapple),” he said.
On the other hand, the BNP-led 18-party alliance is supporting Ariful Haque Chowdhury. Ariful declared his 11-point election manifesto on Monday at around 12 noon. He said he would make Sylhet a cyber city and resolve the problem of drinking water as well as that of frequent waterlogging, if elected.
Chowdhury also said that he would apply his working experiences and employ a group of experts and city dwellers to develop Sylhet as a modern and planned city.
KHULNA: The two heavyweight mayoral candidates for the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) elections, Talukder Abdul Khaleque and Moniruzzaman Moni, went all out to woo slum dwellers on the last day of campaigning on Thursday. The KCC election is scheduled to be held on Saturday. According to the Khulna election office, the inhabitants of the 651 slum areas in the city account for 35 per cent (1,48,768) of the total number of 4,46,647 enrolled voters. The electorates from the slums mainly comprise daily labourers, transport workers, rickshaw-van drivers and mill and factory workers.
Of the total number of voters, 224,534 are males and 216,133 females. They will exercise their franchise to elect one mayor, 31 ward councillors and 10 women councillors from the reserved seats. The two main contenders for the mayor’s post, BNP-backed Moniruzzaman Moni (election symbol pineapple) and Awami League-supported Talukder Abdul Khaleque (lock), have pledged radical changes in the lifestyle of slum dwellers if elected. Jatiyo Party (Ershad)-backed Shafiqul Islam Modhu (inkpot-pen) is the third contestant.
The BNP candidate has alleged a conspiracy by the ruling party to rig the KCC election by capitalising on the “poor and hapless voters” from the slums.
“It’s the responsibility of the Election Commission and the law enforcing agencies to check violation of the electoral code by ruling party candidates of using black money to purchase votes of poor slum dwellers,” Moni said. But Khaleque has rubbished the charge and claimed that at least 90 per cent of the slum dwellers favoured him. “I always stood by the side of the slum dwellers during the past five years as KCC mayor. So, I hope they will vote for me,” he said.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, central general secretary of NGO Shushashaner Janno Nagorik (Sujon), said a recent study by his organisation showed that 95 contestants in the KCC polls, including three mayoral candidates, 137 councillor contestants and 45 women candidates for the reserved seats, are businessmen. So, influence of money in the election cannot be ruled out, he said, adding that there were instances of black money being used to win favour of slum dwellers in both national and municipal elections in the past.
KMP commissioner Md Shafiqur Rahman said, “We are fully aware of the needs of the returning officer (RO) for holding a free and fair election.”
KCC election RO Mostafa Faruque will be the convener of the law and order cell comprising personnel from police, BGB, RAB-6, Ansar and VDP.
Earlier, the RO had written to the Khulna district administration to take into custody all firearms from licenced holders during election so as to curb violence and muscle power, enabling the holding of free and fair polls.
BARISAL: Election fever has gripped Barisal city, with the campaign for the Barisal City Corporation (BCC) poll gaining momentum at the last moment. The campaign ends at midnight on Thursday. Yet, just 48 hours before the election, poll-related violence have sparked tension all over the city. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused the police of being partisan. BNP leader Ahsan Habib Kamal, other leaders and the police separately held press conference early on Thursday, where they blamed each other for opening fire on those campaigning for Kamal, in which one person was critically injured.
Kamal is a former municipal chairman and the first BCC mayor-in-charge, and is the candidate nominated for the mayoral post by the 18-Party Alliance. He is also the president of the district BNP unit. The police have lodged a case in this connection, accusing 130 activists of the 18-Party Alliance, including 10 by name. Six women activists of the alliance have been arrested and sent to jail. Activists of the 18-Party Alliance staged demonstrations against the police attack in different parts of the city on Thursday. Kamal, accompanied by central BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Abdullah Al Noman, Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Advocate Khondokar Mahbub Hossain, Advocate Joynul Abedin, Mojibor Rahman Sarwar, MP and Moazzem Hossain Alal, held a press conference in the lounge of a hotel in the city.
The BNP candidate and leaders said that women election campaigners of the 18-Party Alliance mayoral candidate were peacefully campaigning in Boiddyapara area, distributing leaflets highlighting different activities of Shawkat Hossain Hiron, the outgoing mayor, who is also the mayoral candidate backed by the 14-party Grand Alliance. They alleged that the campaigners were arrested by members of the police and the administration, who are biased in favour of the ruling alliance and its mayoral candidate.
Sub-inspector Abdur Rahman on Thursday lodged a case alleging obstacles against performance of the public duty by the police and attacks on the police at Kotwali police station against 130 leaders and activists of the 18-Party Alliance, including 10 who were identified by name.
A 98-member team of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), led by Lt. Col. Aminul Islam Shikdar, has been deployed in the city and is patrolling city roads and tense and sensitive areas, said Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) commissioner Md. Samsuddin.
The number of processions, activities of mass contact teams and candidates, and publicity through loudspeakers increased manifold on Thursday with the deadline for the campaign approaching.
Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam have extended their support to Ahsan Habib in the Barisal City Corporation election. On other hand, Jatiya Party has extended its support to the candidate of the 14-party Grand Alliance, Shawkat Hossain Hiron. The third candidate is Mahmudul Haque Khan Mamun, district joint convener of Jubo League.
Though the Election Commission has declared that the local government, including city corporation elections, are non-political, yet 113 out of a total of 165 candidates for the mayoral, general councillor and female reserved seats are directly or indirectly connected to or supported by political parties. All the three mayoral candidates of BCC poll are political personalities. On the other hand, 115 out of 165 candidates, including 56 AL, 54 BNP, two JP, two Jamaat-e-Islami and one CPB activists and 53 Independent candidates are contesting 30 general ward councillor and 10 reserved female seats of the BCC, local election observers said.
A six-tier system of security measures has been announced for the Barisal City Corporation election, scheduled to be held on June 15. This is the first time that BGB personnel have been deployed in the BCC election.
Barisal Metropolitan Police commissioner Md. Samsuddin said at least 5,000 police personnel in uniform and plainclothes would be deployed in 100 voting centres, key points, election and politics-related offices and camps of the city. BMP deputy commissioner (headquarters) Shoyeb Ahmed said the police have already set up 15 check posts at key and entrance points of the city and 10 mobile teams are patrolling 30 wards of the BCC to monitor the situation round the clock.
The deputy commissioner (headquarters) of BMP is in charge of coordination of these forces. Thirty mobile teams will continuously patrol 30 wards of the BCC to monitor the situation round the clock on election day and four special anti-riot teams, led by two magistrates, would be on standby to tackle any situation, he added. An average of 30 personnel, including 20 armed policemen and 10 Ansars in each of the 60 vulnerable vote centres under one sub-inspector and 28 policemen, including 18 armed police and 10 Ansars in each of the remaining 40 less risk-prone vote centres, under an assistant sub-inspector, would be stationed on election day, said the BMP commissioner.
Besides, the movements of motorized private transport such as motorcycles, microbuses and cars would be restricted on the day of voting. No gathering and procession would be allowed from zero hour on Sunday, he added. The detective branch of BMO has already identified 60 out of 100 vote centres of the city corporation as risk prone and 20 out these 60 risk-prone centres have been marked as highly risk-prone.
-With The Independent input
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]]>The post Minor girl killed in pillar collapse in Khulna appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The deceased was identified as Ajhora, 7, only daughter of a businessman Mujahidul Islam Tutul. She was also a student of Class I at Khalishpur Jamiatul Madrassah.
Ajhora was taken to the Khalishpur Clinic but the on-duty doctors declared her dead.
She died on the spot as the pillar suddenly collapsed on her head, locals said.
According to her father, the accident occurred when the girl was playing beside the hanging pillar of the dilapidated house at Tayeba Colony of Khalishpur.
The KCC had already identified the building as risky among 48 others.
-With New Age input
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]]>The post Fall in groundwater level causes water crisis in Khulna appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>According to managing director of Khulna WASA Md Abdullah, about 15 lakh city dwellers are being supplied with 4.9 crore litres of water against the daily demand for 24 crore litres of water.
The crisis may further deepen, he apprehended.
According to the executive engineer of Khulna WASA Md Rezaul Islam, there are 80 large production wells, 227 kilometre pipelines and 15,000 water connections in the city covering an area of 47 square kilometres.
Besides, there are 3,748 deep tube wells and 5,532 shallow ones under the Khulna WASA that also supply water to the city subscribers, he said.
Many subscribers have alleged that most of water pumps, owned by the Khulna WASA, are outdated and go out of order frequently.
WASA takes long time to get these pumps repaired from Dhaka as it is not possible in Khulna, they added.
Managing director Md Abdullah blamed frequent load shedding of electricity and fluctuation in voltage for the pumps going out of order very often.
‘We are going to buy 40 new pumps in a bid to address the crisis of water,’ he said.
There are allegations that illegal water connections are also among the reasons behind water crisis in the city.
Underground water level in the city has fallen by about 35 feet during dry season, said Shamim Arefin, executive director of a Khulna-based NGO working on safe drinking water.
Besides these reasons, the surface water treatment plant in Khulna has been lying inoperative for the past ten years because of technical fault, which is also contributing to the existing water crisis.
Managing director of the regional utility agency said the Asian Development Bank would provide soft loan of $75 million for implementation of a potable water facility project for the Khulna city dwellers.
Implementation of the project is expected to be completed by 2017 with a view to ensuring improved access to safe water, he added.
newagebd
-with New Age input
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]]>The post KUET celebrates 9th founding anniv appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>University Grants Commission chairman AK Azad Chowdhury released pigeons and balloons in front of the university administrative building to open the day’s programmes.
A procession followed led by the UGC chairman and KUET vice-chancellor Muhammed Alamgir and participated in by teachers, students and other university staff, former students and others to roam the campus and adjacent locality of Phulbari.
Later a blood donation camp and a tree planting programme were also held.
A seminar on ‘Nanotechnology: Science technology at a new height’ was held at the university auditorium. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s chemistry teacher Al-Nakib Chowdhury presented the seminar paper.
KUET vice-chancellor chaired the seminar and the UGC chairman, KUET mechanical engineering faculty dean ANM Mizanur Rahman, civil engineering faculty dean Shibendra Shekhor Shikder and electrical engineering faculty dean Ashraful Gani Bhuian spoke, among others.
In the afternoon besides a prayer session, a cricket match between the university teachers and students was organised.
A film show and a cultural programme followed in the evening.
-With New Age input
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]]>The post Maiden private venture gets nod appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Maiden private venture gets nod
Each of the plants in Chittagong, Khulna to produce 300MW electricity
The cabinet committee on purchase yesterday approved setting up of two coal-fired power plants by the private sector for the first time.
Each of the plants will generate 300 megawatts of electricity. Bangladesh roughly has 1,000-1,500MW of production-demand deficit at the moment.
According to the proposal, the plants will supply electricity to the national grid in three years from the signing of the agreement.
The job of setting up the two plants has been awarded to Dhaka-based Longking-Orion JV Consortium. The plants will be operated on build-own-operate basis.
Orion Group sources said each of the two plants will be set up on 300 bighas of land owned by the group. They will import coal from Indonesia.
One of the plants will be set up at Mirerswarai in Chittagong and its tariff rate will be Tk 3.78 per kilowatt. Another plant will be installed at Mongla in Khulna and its tariff rate will be Tk 3.76.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday chaired the purchase committee meeting held at the cabinet division.
The committee also gave the nod to setting up of a quick rental power plant with 52MW generation capacity in Comilla. Sri Lanka-based Lakdhanavi Ltd bagged the job.
It also okayed import of 9.4 lakh tonnes of petroleum products at a cost of Tk 6,607 crore from three countries on state-to-state arrangement. One and a half lakh tonnes will be imported from the Philippines, 6.5 lakh tonnes from Malaysia and 1.4 lakh tonnes from Singapore.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post ‘America Week’ begins in Khulna today appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>America Week highlights the important ties between the people of the US and Bangladesh by taking the embassy’s activities to people outside Dhaka.
This will be the second time that Khulna hosts America Week. Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet have hosted past America Weeks, says a press release.
This edition of America Week celebrates the theme of “partnership” and features presentations, outreach and site visits showcasing US government-funded programmes in Khulna.
Admission to all America Week events is free and visitors will have opportunities to learn about studying at US universities, applying for a US visa or participate in US government’s development projects.
The programme highlights include a cricket match between local youths and Khulna Police Force, with guest appearances by national players Khaled Mahmud Shujan, Khaled Masud Pilot, Mehrab Hossain Opi and Salma Khatun.
A live concert featuring the band Groove Trap, a skit performed by characters of the acclaimed children’s show Sisimpur along with film screenings and interactive theater performances will be also held.
The US embassy, USAID and its development partners and US companies will run more than 50 booths. The booths and most of the presentations will be held at Khulna Club, open from 11:30am to 5:00pm today and from 10:00am to 5:00pm tomorrow and January 26.
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