Music, Dance and Drama at Shilpakala                   

   Staff Correspondent : He made his presence everywhere : Rabindranath Tagore was a great poet, playwright, novelist, musician, painter and much more. Almost all forms of art that Tagore had contributed to Bengali literature were presented at the National Theatre Stage, Shilpakala Academy on May 8 (25 Baishakh) to mark the 147th birth anniversary of Kabiguru.

   As part of Tagore’s Birth Anniversary celebration at national level, Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Banglasdesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) jointly organized the event performing dance, music, poetry recitation and dance-drama. Leading artists of the country paid homage to Tagore. Ayub Quadry, Adviser to Ministry of Education, Primary and Mass Education and Cultural Affairs – was the Chief Guest of the programme.

   A publication featuring Tagore’s paintings and articles, evaluated by leading scholars of the country was also launched at the programme. Another attraction of the evening was the staging of Tagore’s dance-drama Chitrangada by Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts.

12 killed in Faridpur building collapse

Faridpur Correspondent

   Faridpur, 20 April, 2017 :

   At least 12 people have been killed and six injured after an old three-storeyed apartment building collapsed in Neeltuli in Faridpur in the early hours yesterday.

   The incident happened while people were sleeping in the building at around 1:00 am.

   Hanif, caretaker of the building, said he was having a chat with the night guard outside when the building collapsed. He said he heard loud noises and saw the building falling.

   Firefighters and rescue workers rushed to the spot and pulled 12 bodies out of the rubble. They also rescued five survivors from the scene. Of the survivors, the injured were sent to Faridpur General Hospital.

   The rescue workers are continuing to search for more survivors.

   Experts visiting the spot suspect structural faults might be the reason behind the building’s collapse.

   Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse. No arrest has been reported in this connection.

   Building collapses are common in Bangladesh as construction regulations are often ignored.

Call for better socio-economic status of rural women in Bangladesh

Staff Correspondent

   10 March, 2017 : Speakers and activists called for raising the socio-economic status of rural women in seminars held in Comilla and Noakhali districts to observe the International Women’s Day, marked on March 8.

   Social activist Zahida Aktar lamented that women in rural areas faced a lot of problems, including unavailability of healthcare and proper nutrition. She was speaking at a day-long seminar organised by Nari Mancha in the Comilla Press Club.

   Nari Mancha director Anwara Rahman said that charity began from home and so did the fulfilment of women’s rights.

   She urged men to fulfil their duties and take care of their women by protecting their rights inside houses so that their rights can be protected in the society too. Another speaker Anika Chowdhury said that democracy could not prevail in a society which did not give its women their due rights.

   She demanded abolition of the feudal system and called upon the government to provide justice to women.

   Advocate Ahmed Noor said that in rural societies, mostly women were the breadwinners of the family but were deprived of education and rights.

   He said that the government should launch programmes for girls’ education.

‘Come forward to prevent human trafficking’ in Rangpur

Rangpur Correspondent

   Rangpur, 10 May, 2017 : Participants at a views-sharing meeting here have stressed for launching vigorous movement involving the common people to prevent human trafficking and repression on women and children.

   They underscored the need for a countrywide massive campaign. Upazila Human Trafficking, Women and Children Repression Prevention Committee organised the meeting under assistances of Upazila Women Affairs Department and BRAC at Badarganj Upazila parishad auditorium on Monday. Badarganj UNO Khandker Istiaque presided over the meeting participated by GO-NGO officials, teachers, students, community and religious leaders, civil society members, union parishad chairmen and members, professionals, women leaders and elite.

   Upazila Women Affairs Officer Roksana Habib, Chairmen Azizul Haque of Damodarpur union, Altaf Hossain of Gopalpur union, Illias Ahmed of Lohanipara union and Abdul Wahed Ali of Radha Nagar union, Legal Aid Officer of BRAC Enamul Haque, its Filed Officer Rafikul Alam and journalist Zahidul Haque Sarder, addressed.

   The speakers blamed poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, ignorance, drug-addiction and cross-border trade etc as the main reasons behind human trafficking and identified dowry, child marriage and social curses as reasons for repression on women and children.

World Climate Change

Bangladesh to go under water

  Staff Correspondent :

   World temperatures are increasing day by day. This increase in global warming is caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide around the earth. Most climatologists believe that the greenhouse effect is the likely cause of this global warming.

   The speakers opined this at a seminar on Trend of Environment of Bangladesh. The seminar was organized at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel by different Environment organizations in observance of World Environment Day.

   The speakers said the main culprits for global warming are carbon dioxide gas. It results from the destruction and burning down of tropical rain forests, traffic that clogs up city streets, the rapid growth of industry, the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in packaging and manufacturing commercial products, the use of detergents such as washing powder and washing-up liquid.

   Climatologists predict that midway through the next century, temperatures may have risen by as much as 40C. This could catastrophically reduce mankind’s ability to grow food, destroy or severely damage wildlife and wilderness, raise sea levels and thereby flood coastal areas and farmland. The alarming news about Bangladesh is that as a result of the rise of the sea level, the lower southern part of the country may one day go under water.

HSC exam begins today

   Staff Correspondent :

   Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations begin today with a total of 7,36,373 examinees sitting for the exams in 2,037 centres across the country.

   This year the number of HSC and its equivalent Alim, Business Management (BM) examinees is around 1.15 lakh more than last years.

   Some 4,00,464 male and 3,35,909 female students of 7,202 educational institutions will appear for the examinations under 10 education boards.

   The authorities concerned took necessary measures including tough security to ensure peaceful atmosphere at the examination centres.

   A total of 1,96,197 students will sit under Dhaka Board; 83,715 under Rajshahi Board; 54,525 under Comilla Board; 80,080 under Jessore Board; 43,256 under Chittagong Board; 35,656 under Barisal Board; 20,125 under Sylhet Board; 73,986 under Dinajpur Board; 74,413 under Madrasa Board and 70,504 under Technical Board.

   Besides, 3,916 students of Diploma in Business Studies (DIBS) will sit under Dhaka Board.

   Education Minister is likely to visit some of the exam centres in Dhaka as well as a few outside the city, said sources.

Ekushey February observed at NIC

   Staff Correspondent : Ekushe February was observed at National Ideal College with huge participation of the students and locals.

   Elaborate programmes were held at the college premises. The programmes included offering flowers at Shaheed Minar in the campus, seminars and Ekushe Book Fair.

   In the very morning the students came bare footed to the Shaheed Minar. Most of them put on black badges. The local people also attended the programme. In the afternoon, seminar was held. The speakers put emphasis on Bangla medium education. They also urged the renowned scholars to translate the books of higher education in Bangla so that the students are not dependent on English.

   The book fair which started yesterday will come to an end on Friday.

Farewell held at Notre Dame College

   Staff Correspondence :

   Farewell to the HSC examinees was held amidst befitting manner yesterday at Notre Dame College.

   The day was marked by addresses by NDC principal Father Hemanta P. Rozario, C.S.C and the senior teachers of the college, wishing the very best to the outgoing students. Dr Kamal Hossain, also an ex-Notre Damian was invited as the chief guest for the occasion and he delivered an inspiring speech.

   A prize giving ceremony followed the addressing session, where special prizes were awarded under: Best Performance, Extra-curricular Activities, and Perfect Attendance categories achieved throughout the whole academic course at NDC.

   After that the students were called to their respective classes where the final progress reports were distributed. Light refreshments then followed with everyone while biding goodbye.

Amar Ekushey observed in Rangpur Division

Rangpur Correspondence

   Rangpur, 22 February, 2017 : The Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day-2017 has been observed here yesterday amidst enthusiasm among the common people, especially youngsters.

   Observance of the day began at one minute past midnight last night through placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar by mayor of Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) Alhaj Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu, Divisional Commissioner Jashim Uddin Ahmed, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Iqbal Bahar at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay due respects to the martyrs of Language Movement.

   In the morning, thousands of people of all ages in bare feet brought out a mourning procession singing ‘Amar Bhayer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February, Ami Ki Bhulite Pari’. The daylong programmes also included hoisting of the National Flag at half-mast atop all government, semi-government, autonomous, private, commercial buildings and educational institutions and inauguration of a weeklong Ekushey Book Fair on the Central Shaheed Minar premises. Special prayers were offered at Mosques, Mandirs, Churches, Pagodas and other places of religious worships.

   The local daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, online and other newspapers have published special supplementary issues and Rangpur Betar Kendra has aired special programmes narrating importance and significance of the day.

Bangla-washed

   Sports Correspondent : Bangladesh completed the whitewash mission over New Zealand by a four-wicket defeat. But New Zealand in their bid to avoid the white-wash, left the spectators in tension by posting 307 for five.

   Bangladesh however took the challenge despite the absence of two key players- Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.

   But soon his absence was forgotten with Shamsur Rahman, playing his only second ODI took New Zealand’s interim captain Kyle Mills in disdain plundering 16 runs with a six and a four in the third over of the chase. He never stopped after that start and Bangladesh never lost the momentum. Before the cunning slower off Corey Anderson undid him on 96, Shamsur was simply irresistible. The victory was also complimented by a string of partnership and fine knocks from Naeem Islam and Nasir Hossain who smashed 63 and unbeaten 44 runs respectively.

   The Kiwis claimed to have been better prepared this time around and wanted to take a revenge of their 0-4 drubbing in 2010 made no difference indeed. Bangladesh remained the absolute favourites from the first ODI of the series and made it a lucky seven in a row.