04-02-2022

FRIDAY, FeBRUARY 4, 2022
6
Covid-19 cases jumps to 60,685
in Rangpur division
According to the Meteorological Department's forecast for the next three to four days of unpredictable
rains, an emergency meeting was held at Gournadi in Barishal to inform the farmers and
people's representatives at the field level.
Photo : Gias Uddin Mia
DAE launches rice seedling transplanter
machine in Nageshwari
RANGPUR : The Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE) has
launched a rice seedling transplanter
machine for transplantation of Boro
rice seedlings prepared on trays and
mechanisation of agriculture in
Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram.
Deputy Director of the Kurigram
DAE Agriculturist Md Abdur Rashid
opened the Boro rice seedling
transplantation using a rice seedling
transplanter in village Kodomertol in
Hasnabad union of the upazila on
Wednesday afternoon as the chief
guest.
Nageshwari Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Nur Ahmmed Masum presided over a
function arranged on the occasion
under the Agriculture Incentive
Programme of the DAE for local
farmers.
Upazila Agriculture Officer
Agriculturist Md Shahriar Hossain,
Agriculture Extension Officers Selina
Afroz and Tanzima Khatun, Subassistant
Agriculture Officers Akhter
Jamil, Shafikul Islam and Abdul Alim
addressed the occasion.
Agriculturist Shahriar Hossain said
local farmers would get the benefits of
transplantation of Boro rice seedlings
on their crop lands using rice
transplanter machines during this Boro
season.
"Rice transplanter machines ensure
uniform depth of transplanted
seedlings that make sure healthier and
faster growth of tender plants and
increase 20 percent Boro rice yield and
reduce farming cost by 20 percent," he
said.
Agriculturalist Rashid narrated the
benefits of using rice transplanter
machines, adoption of which reduces
the time between crop harvesting and
next crop planting due to increasing
crop intensity under changed climatic
patterns.
He urged all concerned for making
the best use of rice seedling
transplanter machines to enhance Boro
rice production at reduced costs to
ensure national food security.
The Muradnagar Upazila administration is providing financial assistance to the family of Awal, who was killed
in a head-on collision with a sand-loaded bulkhead in Chandpur. Photo : Mohammad Mosharraf Hosse
32040 tonnes
onion yield
expected in
Jamalpur
JAMALPUR : Agriculturists
are expecting 32040 tonnes
of onion production as
farmers brought more land
under its cultivation this
year in the district.
Department
of
Agricultural Extension
(DAE) office sources said
farmers cultivated onion on
2670 hectares of land which
was 45 hectares more than
the last year.
As a result, 934 tonnes
more onion is expected to be
produced this time, they
said.
Last year, 31106 tonnes
onion was produced on
2625 hectares of land.
With a view to increase the
onion cultivation,
agriculture department
disbursed incentive among
500 small and marginal
farmers in the district.
Under the programme,
500 kilogram onion seeds
and 10 tonnes fertiliser were
distributed among the
farmers.
The farmers cultivated
onion on 715 hectares of
land in Jamalpur Sadar
Upazila, 110 hectares in
Sarishabari, 105 hectares
in Melandah, 1230
hectares in Islampur, 280
hectares in Dewanganj, 80
hectares in Madarganj and
150 hectares in Bakshiganj
Upazila.
RMCH records five more
deaths in Covid-19 unit
RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi
Medical College Hospital
(RMCH) recorded five
more deaths in its Covid-
19 unit during the last 24
hours till 9am on
Thursday
RMCH Director
Brigadier General
Shamim Yazdani said
three of the deceased were
the residents of Rajshahi,
while two others one each
from Chapainawabganj
and Natore districts.
One of them died with
Covid-19 infections, while
four others with its
symptoms, he said.
Meanwhile, sixteen
more patients were
admitted to the Covid-19
unit during the last 24
hours, taking the number
of admitted patients to 65,
including 39 positive for
Covid-19, at present.
Twenty-three other
patients returned home
after being cured during
the same time.
On the other hand, 248
more patients have tested
positive for Covid-19 after
testing 648 samples in
Rajshahi's two
laboratories on
Wednesday, showing a
41.97 percent positivity
rate, while 44.30 percent
in Chapainawabganj and
23.44 percent in Natore.
A preparatory meeting has been held in Noakhali on the occasion of the
celebrating International Mother Language Day with due dignity. The
preparatory meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy
Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman in the conference room on
Thursday morning.
Photo : Manik Bhuiya
RANGPUR : The total number of
Covid-19 cases jumped to 60,685 with
the diagnosis of 412 new patients on
Wednesday in Rangpur division where
the pandemic situation continues
deteriorating in recent weeks.
Health officials said the 412 new
patients were diagnosed after testing
1,057 samples at 38.98 percent average
positivity rate on Wednesday amid a
hastily rising number of positive cases
in the last three weeks.
Earlier, the daily Covid-19 positivity
rates were 46.01 percent on Tuesday,
41.87 percent on Monday, 41.82
percent on Sunday, 53.31 percent on
Saturday, 25.41 percent on Friday and
46.45 percent on Thursday last in the
division.
On Wednesday, Rangpur recorded
42.10 percent Covid-19 positivity,
Panchagarh 35 percent, Nilphamari
30.30 percent, Lalmonirhat 35.50
percent, Kurigram 38.10 percent,
Thakurgaon 50 percent, Dinajpur
42.20 percent and Gaibandha 32.60
percent.
The district-wise break up of total
60,685 patients include 13,943 of
Six get life
imprisonment
for murder in
Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI : A trial tribunal
yesterday convicted six
persons and sentenced them
to life in prison on charge of
killing a man in Bagha upazila
in the district around two
years back.
In its verdict, the tribunal
also fined them Taka 10,000
each, in default, to suffer one
year more behind the bars
each.
Divisional Speedy Tribunal
Judge Anup Kumar handed
down the verdict in a crowded
courtroom with the presence
of the accused of the case
yesterday noon.
The convicts are: Mintu Ali,
35, Muhammad Rana, 21,
Muhammad Pana, 25, Arif
Hossain, 25, and Sharif
Hossain, 22, of Sultanpur
village under Bagha Upazila
and Arzed Ali, 47, of
Moniharpur village in Lalpur
Upazila of Natore district.
Fifteen other accused of the
case were acquitted as the
charge brought against them
could not be proved.
Special Public Prosecutor
Entajul Haque said the
accused in accomplice with
each other indiscriminately
chopped Nazmul Hossain and
his nephew Tariqul Islam
indiscriminately at Sultanpur
crossing in broad day light on
January 14, 2020.
Subsequently, Nazmul
succumbed to his injuries at
the nearby Bagha Upazila
Health Complex on the same
day.
Azizul Islam, father of the
victim, had lodged a case with
Bagha Police Station.
Upon completion of
investigation police pressed
charges accusing 21 people.
One more dies
of Covid-19, 77
infected in
C'nawabganj
CHAPAINAWABGANJ : One
more person died of Covid-19
during the last 24 hours till
Thursday morning, raising
the total number of deaths to
163 in the district.
The new fatality is reported
from Chapainawabganj Sadar
upazila.
On the other hand, the
number of Covid-19 cases
climbed to 6,422 as 77 more
people were detected positive
after testing 190 samples in
the district during the time,
Civil Surgeon Office sources
confirmed.
At present there are 457
COVID-affected patients in
the district and of them seven
patients are getting treatment
in the COVID-19 dedicated
hospital and others at home,
the sources added.
Meanwhile, 5,804 patients
with 10 new have recovered
from the disease here, the
sources further added.
Rangpur, 4,144 Panchagarh, 5,052 of
Nilphamari, 3,028 of Lalmonirhat,
4,832 of Kurigram, 8,320 of
Thakurgaon, 16,135 of Dinajpur and
5,231 of Gaibandha in the division.
"Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19
related casualties remained steady at
1,257 as no more infected patients died
on Wednesday," Divisional Director
(Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam
told BSS.
The average casualty rate stands at
2.07 percent in the division.
The district-wise break up of the
1,257 fatalities stands at 295 in
Rangpur, 81 in Panchagarh, 89 in
Nilphamari, 70 in Lalmonirhat, 69 in
Kurigram, 256 in Thakurgaon, 334 in
Dinajpur and 63 in Gaibandha of the
division. "Since the outbreak of the
pandemic, a total of 3,22,174 collected
samples were tested till Wednesday,
and of them, 60,685 were found Covid-
19 positive with an average positivity
rate of 18.84 percent in the division,"
Dr Islam said.
Meanwhile, the number of healed
Covid-19 patients reached 55,233 with
the recovery of 142 more patients on
Wednesday in the division. The average
recovery rate stands at 91.02 percent.
The 55,233 recovered patients
include 12,443 of Rangpur, 3,780
Panchagarh, 4,416 Nilphamari, 2,711
Lalmonirhat, 4,537 Kurigram, 7,660
Thakurgaon, 14,795 in Dinajpur and
4,891 Gaibandha districts in the
division.
Among the 60,685 patients, 123 are
under treatment at isolation units,
including 14 critical patients at ICU
beds and seven at High Dependency
Unit beds, after recovery of 55,233
patients and 1,257 deaths while 4,072
are remaining in home isolation.
"In the meantime, the number of
citizens who got the first dose of the
Covid-19 vaccine rose to 1,08,10,385,
and among them, 65,50,580 got the
second dose and 1,79,119 got the
booster dose of the jabs till Wednesday
in the division," Dr Islam added.
Principal of Rangpur Medical College
Prof. Dr. Bimal Chandra Roy called
upon people to sincerely abide by the
health directives to contain community
spread of the deadly virus and remain
safe.
Masks have been distributed among the students of Narail
Government Girls High School. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad
Habibur Rahman inaugurated the distribution of masks as the chief
guest on Thursday morning.
Photo : Humaun Kabir
Ensuring legitimate rights of the
Harijan community stressed
RAJSHAHI : Concerted
efforts of all the government
and non-government
organizations concerned can
be the best ways of ensuring
legitimate rights of the
Harijan community.
People of the community
are integral parts of the
society and their contribution
to the society is undeniable so
their rights should be
protected properly.
Development activists and
religious leaders came up with
the observation while
addressing an advocacy
meeting with religious
representatives at SK Food
Restaurant in the city
yesterday.
The Lady's Organization for
Social Welfare (LOFS) hosted
the meeting with the slogan of
'Dharma Jar Jar Desh Sobar'
in association with The Asia
Foundation under its
advocacy project for helping
establish rights of the Harijan
community.
Editor of Daily Sonar Desh
Akbarul Hassan Millat, Paba
Upazila Vice-chairman
Wazed Ali Khan and Chief
Community Development
Officer of Rajshahi City
Corporation Azizur Rahman
addressed the meeting as
resource persons with LOFS
Executive Director Shahnaz
Parveen in the chair.
RU suspends in-person
classes until Feb 21
RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi University (RU) administration has
extended its decision of suspending the in-person classes
until February 21 complying with the government decision
amid the present escalation of Covid-19 infection.
However, the departments and institutes can continue
their respective academic activities virtually through
interactive communication with students, RU sources here
said yesterday afternoon.
Offices of the university will remain open on a limited scale
from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm from Sunday to Thursday as usual
through following health protection measures.
Emergency services like power, gas, water, internet,
healthcare and conservancy will remain operational as usual.
RU authority has asked the students to follow the health
guidelines remaining in their respective dormitories and
houses. They were also asked to be more attentive to protect
their health.
Outsiders have been restricted from entering the campus
without any official work.
Restriction has also been imposed on holding meetings,
rallies and public gatherings in the campus.
100 pairs of benches have been provided as educational materials in 10
educational institutions in Kumarkhali, Kushtia. The benches were handed
over to the teachers at the Kumarkhali Public Library premises on
Thursday morning.
Photo : M R Nayan