Beneficiaries under VGDUP project are not getting benefit properly with goat rearing in Kurigram.

The beneficiaries of Vernable Group Development for Ultra Poor (VGDUP) project in Kurigram complained on distributing goats and other assets. The project is working for ultra poor people to get self-employed. Lutfa Begum, wife of Nur Bakas of Railway Station Para of Belgacha Union of Kurigram Sadar is a beneficiary of the project. She received four goats from the project on last Thursday. Those have been killed within Sunday. Not only was that it distributed 87 goats among 23 beneficiaries. Among of these, 47 goats have died. Rests of these are suffering from several diseases. Those are passing through a vulnerable situation, at anytime those can be died. As a result the beneficiaries fell a great tragedy.

Dr.Nurul Huda Sarkar told that the goats have not been pushed Vaccine. The water was being out from its eye-mouth–nose, dehydration-born a diseases named Pestises Dispretise Ruminant attacked the goats and the goats died. Where as Tk.30 was taken from the beneficiaries for victimization.

The district women affairs sources said European Commission has been establishing the VGDUP project under Food Security Programme through 11 NGOs with the help of the district women affairs department from 2009. A total of 80,000 ultra-poor women in 36 upazilas under eight districts Kurigram, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Mymensing, Nettrokona and Shirajganj are being assisted with hard cash TK.400 per month. Besides, Tk.50 per head is being deposited in their name. The assist will be given them for two years. Under the programme they are getting Tk.7,500 each for self-reliant according to training on got rearing, ram rearing, poultry rearing, tailoring and small business. Under the programme 20,000 women have been taken in all nine upazilas of the district. Two NGOs RDRS and GUK in Kurigram are handing over the assets them with the related training.

The beneficiaries Julekha, Feroza and Maleka of Kaley village under Sadar upazila of the district alleged that the organization have given the bamboo shed of about Tk.400 for got rearing. Where as the organization has taken Tk.875 in this purpose. They have taken Tk.600 as got food but given only Tk.450. They gave small and disease-born goats.

Belgacha UP Chairman Mahabubur Rahman told that he do not know about got purchasing and its distribution among the ultra poor women.

‘I do not know in this regard’, Monitoring Officer of the district women affairs department Shibbir Ahmed said.

Empowerment Expert Ruhul Amin and Manager (Assets) Faridul Islam of the NGO RDRS told that the assets (goat, ram and hen) have been handed over to 200 beneficiaries on March 23 this year. They said that they know the incident of die and they do not know why is dieing the goats. We appointed contractors of making shed, food distributing and got purchasing, they said.

ABDUL WAHED, Kurigram:

Executive committee of Television Journalist Forum yesterday (January 2) was formed in Kurigram. In the executive committee Baishakhi Channel correspondent Md. Younus Ali and Channel Eye correspondent Shamol Bhaumik were selected as President and General Secretary.

The committee was formed in its office in Kurigram Paura Bazar area at the afternoon. Among others, Waheduzzaman Tuhin (Desh TV) as Vice-president, Yousuf Alomgir (ATN Bangla) as Joint-secretary, Ekramul Haque Shamrat (Rtv) as Treasurer, Shaykat Badsha (Channel One) as Office & Publicity and Razaul Karim Reza (Diganta TV), Hasibur Rahman Hasib (Ntv), Ataur Rahman Biplob (ETV), Abul Hasnath Limon (Bangla Vision) and Firoj Alam Monu (Islamic TV) as Executive Members were selected in the committee of 11 members.

Locals said the fire originated from a mosquito coil at the house of Mono Rani at about 3:00am and engulfed the adjacent shanties of Tanbazar Rally Bagan slum.

Mono Rani, 60, her daughter Moni Rani, 25, and Moni’s son Kishore Chandra, 4, died on the spot, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

On information, five firefighting units of Mandalpara and Hajiganj fire services put out the blaze after two hours of frantic efforts.

The extent of damage caused by the fire could go up to Tk 50 lakh, locals said.

Police arrested ASI Mizanur Rahman after duty officer Sub-Inspector Roksana of the police station filed the case, reports our staff correspondent in Bogra. Later, he was sent to jail.

Sources said one Akbar Ali, 55, along with Tk 42,000 went to the police station Tuesday night and sought security from duty officer Mizanur. Akbar Ali gave the money to Mizanur to keep it in a safe place.

As Akbar on Wednesday morning sought back the money from Mizanur, the police inspector refused to return the money. He also detained Akbar showing him as a mugger.

Being frustrated, Akbar tried to kill himself by cutting his throat with a knife in the detention.

As the situation worsened, a one-member committee was formed, headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Mostafizur Rahman, to investigate the matter.

Following the investigation, the case was filed against Mizanur Rahman.

The outlaw was identified as Saiful Islam Saban alias Sabai, 36, son of late Wazi Uddin of Bhangbaria village in Almadanga, reports our Kushtia correspondent.

Saban was a regional leader of Lal Pataka, one of the factions of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML), police said.

Local people found the bisected body of Saban on the railway truck at Boaikuli near Bondbil station at about 4:30pm on Friday and informed police.

Police rushed to the spot and sent the body to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The body of Saban, a top listed criminal in Chuadanga, was bisected from waist, police said.

Saban was accused in a number of cases, including 13 for murder.

Four people died in a road crash at Kalurghat Bridge in Chittagong at about 10:30am in the morning, reports out staff correspondent in Chittagong.

The accident took place when a Chittagong-bound bus from Netrakona entered the bridge and the steel-made ceiling of the bridge hit the rooftop passengers of the bus, killing three of them on the spot.

Several others also sustained injuries in the accident, our Chittagong correspondent reports quoting Chandgaon police.

The deceased were identified as Bachchu, 30, Anjuma, 70, Abdur Rashid, 40, and Shanu Mian, 35, of Netrakona.

Bachchu died on the way to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The bus was heading to Ahla Darbar Sharif to attend an Urs (religious gathering) at the shrine in Boalkhali upazila from Kenduya upazila of Netrakona.

The injured were rushed to Boalkhali Upazila Health Complex.

In another accident, at least three people, including two babies, were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a microbus on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda upazila.

Sources said a Feni-bound speedy bus from Chittagong collided with a Cox’s Bazar-bound microbus from Dhaka in front of Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex at around 9:30am.

Microbus passengers Abdullah, 2, and Usrat, 1, died on the spot while Hazi Mobarak Hossain, 60, was declared dead when he was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Fifteen people were also injured during the road accident. They were admitted to CMCH.