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37

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Illegal leasing of historical site

Vested quarters attack journalist for publishing report
Anisur Rahman from Barisal A journalist has been assaulted by a BNP-supported cadre belonging to the Jatiya Party (E) in broad daylight in Barisal. Kabir Uddin Hannu, district secretary of Jatiya Party (E) and municipal commissioner, physically assaulted and tried to kidnap and kill Shawkat Milton, Staff reporter of Daily Janokantha at Barisal at about 8.05 p.m. on January 14. Hannu, who is a notorious terrorist and implicated in many criminal cases, was incensed by a report of Shawkat Milton published in the Janakantha. The report was about an illegal leasing of public property having historical value by the municipal authority. The beneficiary of the leasing was commissioner Hannu. City BNP president and Barisal Municipality Chairman Ahsan Habib Kamal leased out Bibir Pukur, a historical site of extraordinary scenic beauty and situated at the heart of the Barisal city, to Hannu for building shops. It may be mentioned that leasing out of such public property to private individuals is banned under law. Hannu, instead of sending any protest letter regarding the report, attacked Shawkat Milon in broad daylight on the Parara Road when the latter was going to Barisal Reporters Unity (BRU) office. Milon would have been kidnapped and killed had not local people rushed to his rescue. Later local journalists informed the police of the matter. But the police not only failed to arrest Hannu then and there, they were even found sipping tea with the accused. Members of the Barisal press then went to the residence of the DIG of Barisal Range police and pressed him for arresting Hannu. The miscreant was arrested three hours after the incident. Journalists' bodies like BRU, BUJ, BPC, different socio-cultural and political organisations condemned the attack on BRU secretary general Showkat Milton. District BNP secretary, Ebaidul Huq Chan, rushed to BRU's office, condemned the attack on Milton and expressed solidarity with the journalists. He also demanded that the offender, Hannu, be brought to book. BRU and BPC (Barisal Press Club) in separate meetings decided to boycott any news of JP (E) as well as Hannu until the miscreant was punished. Despite public pressure in favour of giving detention order to the culprit under the Special Powers Act, Hannu got bail from the district Judge's court on 23rd January. Thanks to the effort of some pro-ruling party lawyers and leaders of Barisal, the fact of Hannu's detention order was suppressed and he was released on bail in the evening. Local BNP MP, Whip Majibur Rahman Sarwar, met the journalists at the Barisal Press Club on 24th January and promised that he would look into Hannu's locus standi regarding the bail. According to latest report, the police are again after Hannu to arrest him. The Nagorik Parishads, a citizen's body of Barisal, held protest meeting and rally demanding immediate cancellation of the illegal lease of Bibir Pukur'. They further demanded to the authorities that steps be taken to beautify Barisal city and also condemned the leasing of the sole public park of the city to a commercial amusement company.

Lathyrism, scourge of NW region, held in check

High price of pulses is the indirect cause
Rumel Humayun from Rajshahi Lathyrism, a deadly disease that was once the scourge of the northwestern part of Bangladesh is now hopefully under control. It has been made possible as a result of the relentless effort of a non-government organisation. The NGO, in order to wean people away from a food habit that was largely responsible for the outbreak of the disease, launched a campaign to eliminate the particular the item from the local people's list of diet. There was a time when hundreds of poverty- stricken people of the north-western zone suffered from the disease. The disease crippled and paralysed many people but now, thanks to the efforts of FAO and the NGO, not a single case of Lathyrism could be detected in the country since 1981. Consumption of 'Khesari, a cheaper variety of pulse, is the cause of the disease, experts say. Since long, Mashkalai and Khesari have been the staple diet among the poverty stricken people of Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Pabna, Natore and Rangpur districts. The Mashkalai has no side effect but the Khesari contains a toxic substance, which if taken for a long time may result in a nervous disorder of the consumer. The people of the char areas where Khesari is produced in plenty, eat Khesari as their staple food. The price of Khesari is also lower than rice and wheat. As a result, hundreds of poor people opted for Khesari as an alternative of rice and wheat. During the famine of 1974-75, in particular, millions of people had to depend on Khesari and other low cost pulses like gram, lentil, barley and Kaun as their only source of food. While sharing his experience with a group of journalists in Rajshahi recently, Dr.Cato Aall, MD, the former Food and Nutrition Adviser of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Bangladesh during 1972-1979, who was also working with Lathyrism Project in Rajshahi, said that despite a huge production of cereals in the country, the overall nutrition situation in the country remained grim because of less consumption of dal and fish in the daily diet. He noticed that the dal, which is known as the 'Protein for the poor' has been replaced by less protein-rich foods like hybrid varieties of vegetables, foreign foods like maize and soybean. The price hike of dal has deprived the people of protein resulting in millions of victims of malnutrition. Oddly though, the price hike of dal, specially of Khesari,' has caused people to consume less of it, thereby helping in the fight against Lathyrism . Dr. Cato Aall observed that during the 'Green Revolution' more emphasis was given on the production of rice than on 'Dal '(Pulses). As a result the price of rice has fallen but that of Dal increased. On the other hand, excessive use of insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilisers has caused to reduce the production of fish. The upshot of it is that the poor are finding it hard to include even this cheaper variety of protein in their daily diet. Dr.Cato Aall has stressed the need for maintaining the traditional food habit of the people which has been proved to be a balanced one and has the potential to recoup the need for protein. He was in favour of popularising 'Sutki gura' (dried fish dust). On this score, he mentioned the habit of taking dried fish in Chittagong, Comilla and Dhaka and suggested that it might be popularised in other parts of the country. While visiting Rajshahi in connection with FAO project, Dr. Catto Aall had an occasion to go in close contact with Shaw Unnayan, a local NGO which was then working with the people suffering from Lathyrism. On Friday last (January 11), he paid a personal visit to the office of Shaw Unnayan. Dr. Cato Aall said that although Lathyrism has its roots in the economic and nutritional deficiency of the people, it could be brought under

control in Bangladesh because it is hard for the poor people to buy Khesari while the prices of other staples have been kept within tolerable limit. However, the poverty alleviation endeavour in Bangladesh has not reached commendable level, he added. He denounced the introduction of foreign cereals like soybean and maize, that will cause to disturb the traditional food habit of Bengalees, which is a very balanced one. Dr. Cato Aall earlier worked as UN staff in Zambia, among the refugees in Mozambique, in Jordan in the thick of Black September War, in the famine-stricken North Nigeria and in Bangladesh 1971. During the Liberation War he worked among the refugees in West Bengal who fled from Bangladesh. He is a Medical Practitioner in Norway and now working as a visiting Professor of IUBAT in Dhaka.

Tough time for fishermen of Khulna

Mohirul Islam Shrinking water bodies, lack of fund, absence of security and dearth of fishing implements like net and boat have thrown thousands of fishermen into uncertainties in the Khulna region. Many of the fishermen families are now looking for an alternative means of livelihood. One such member of the affected fishing community told this correspondent that the price of fishing implements has gone beyond their range. Besides, non-professional people competing with the fishermen in the exploitation of the fishery resources of the region have further compounded the problem. There are more than 20,000 families who depend on open water fishery in the Khulna district. Most of these fishermen live in the villages. They catch fish at night and sell it in the local market. But they do not get due return on their labour. The middlemen, who control the markets, take their (fishermen's) catch at nominal prices and then sell it usually in the wholesale market by auction. Shrimp cultivation in the nine thanas of the district has also affected open fishery. Massive siltation in the rivers and ponds has caused to reduce the fishing area. Moreover, as there is little supply of or opportunity for bank loan for buying fishing implements, they have to go to the moneylenders to borrow money at exorbitant interests. It is alleged that the genuine fishermen often find it hard to avail themselves of the bank loan sanctioned for them. Local fishery department has done precious little to help the fishermen in this regard. As a result, more than 20,00 fishermen are passing their days in extreme hardship. Meanwhile, the non-professional fishing people are taking the full advantage of the situation at the expense of the genuine fishermen, who, in the process, are being gradually crowded out by these outsiders. Although there is a law in the country with the provision that water bodies such as Jalmahal or beel have to be leased out to the genuine fishermen, this law is yet to be put into practice. Some ijaraders (lease holders), in collusion with local vested groups, are giving these water bodies on sublease to fake fishermen. Under the usual circumstances, even if the genuine fishermen get the lease, they cannot catch fish as the non-professionals occupy those water bodies by force and catch the fish. The outsiders even snatch the poor fishermen's catch, it has been alleged. The local fishermen have urged the authorities concerned to take necessary measures on an urgent basis to save the fishing community of the region.

Jessore now member of cyber community

Saifur Rahman from Jessore Jessore is not far from the world of computer. Gone are the days when computer was almost unknown to the people of Jessore. But within a very short time, computer has become very popular here. Things have changed radically within a short time. At the moment there are about five hundred computer-based institutions and firms in Jessore and its seven other upazillas. Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) has already established Internet facilities in the town. On the other hand, Unitec Computer and Unix Computer, two separate computer firms, have been giving Internet service to the public through cyber cafes. Sending of e-mails, browsing of web sites and other computer-based facilities have now come within the reach of the inhabitants of Jessore. It has now become possible for the people to send and receive messages anywhere in the world at a very cheap cost and within seconds. In addition, Unitec Computer is giving pre-paid and post-paid Internet services. Any person who has a computer and telephone can easily get Internet connection from Unitec. In the meanwhile Ananda Institute of Information Technology, Bangladesh Computer and Management College, Grameen Star, Ananda Multimedia School, Nawapara-based Computer Little Jewel School and some other institutions are trying to create a computer-oriented generation in Jessore.

Hard luck for new variety of tea

Shekhar Tripaty from Chittagong Adaptability is the precondition for the survival of any product in a competitive market, particularly within the present context of freemarket-driven world economy. The new record achieved at the recently held weekly auction sale of the indigenously grown new variety of tea is a case in point. This locally developed 'Darjeeling type' tea was sold at auction in Chittagong. Sources said each kilogram of this new variety of tea has been sold at Tk.2,150 only as against the conventional variety which is sold between Tk.60 and Tk. 65 per kg. The traders termed this bidding as having set a new record in our history of auction in the last 54 years. Sources said a total of 16.29 lakh kilograms of tea, both in its leaf and powder form, were released for sale. But 15 to 20 per cent of the tea have remained unsold. These varieties have been sold at Tk.51 to 67 in the competitive market. But although a highly priced variety, 16 KGs of the Darjeeling Type tea, which has been developed by the Bangladesh Tea Research Centre (BTRC) under the Bangladesh Tea Board, were sold within a short span of time. Sources further informed that said this new variety of Darjeeling Type tea was made from the tea buds of the 'Bilashchhara' Tea Garden of the Board in Srimangal. It has been planned that the same variety of tea will be released from 'Sumanbagh' garden of Moulvibazar from April next. Though the market price of this tea is higher, the sale brings 15 to 20 times more profit.
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