President Ataur Rahman Sheikh, General Secretary Ahmed Ali Poddar Ratan
Awami League’s tri-annual conference at Phulbari in Kurigram.
Saifur Rahman Shamim, Kurigram :
Upazila Awami League’s tri-annual conference was held at Phulbari in Kurigram. Md Sakhwat Hossain Bakul, former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League of Rajshahi University, organizing secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Central Committee (in charge of Rangpur Division) was present as the chief guest in the conference held on the ground of Phulbari Girls High School on Monday. District Awami League vice-president Chashi MA Karim inaugurated the conference. President of Upazila Awami League Ataur Rahman Sheikh spoke in the first session, Chief Speaker of District Awami League General Secretary Conference Aman Uddin Ahmed Manju, Vice President Hamida Begum, Central Sub Committee Member Abdul Alim, District Committee Sheikh Babul, Abul Kalam Azad and others. . Later in the evening, when the second session started under the chairmanship of district Awami League vice-president Chashi MA Karim, chief guest Md. Sakhwat Hossain Bakul told the present councilors and delegates that those who want to be the president-secretary should submit the CB to us. We will announce the names of other upazila committee members along with the announcement of president and secretary after detailed analysis and opinion. Later, after a long discussion at Upazila Dak Bungalow, chief guest Md Sakhwat Hossain Bakul announced the list of names of the 15-member committee late at night, making Ataur Rahman Sheikh the president and Ahmed Ali Poddar Ratan the general secretary among the 71 members of the Upazila Awami League. He also directed to list the names of the entire committee within the next 20 days.
On Tuesday, the newly elected general secretary Ahmed Ali Poddar Ratan, after being elected, along with a large number of activists, laid wreaths at Bangabandhu’s mural located in upazila Chattar.
The office of Deputy Divisional Engineer of Paubo has been locked for 26 years in Ulipur of Kurigram.
Saifur Rahman Shamim, Kurigram.
The Water Development Board Sub-Divisional Engineer’s office in Ulipur has been locked for 26 years. There are no staff in the office. At present the office campus is guarded by 7 Ansars and a janitor. They are not available due to flooding or emergencies. As a result, the affected people are suffering.
According to Kurigram Water Development Board sources, under Rangpur Divisional Water Development Board and Kurigram Water Development Board, the Sub-Divisional Engineer’s office was established in Ulipur in 1974 to facilitate quick action to protect Chilmari port from river erosion. The vast office campus on about 10 acres of land has 2 ponds and residential facilities for officers and employees. The office has 1 SDO, 3 SOs, 2 Office Assistants, 8 Work Assistants, 5 MLSS, 2 Janitors and 2 Surveyors. The office was serving the people affected by the river break. But in the past 1996, the office was closed in an unwritten manner. And since then the office has been locked. However, on paper, the office is shown to be running. But in reality the office is locked. The iron girders kept in warehouses and outside are rusting due to rain. The office has a certain number of officers and employees. They are getting salary bills regularly but the people of the area are deprived of services. The people of the area demand that the office should be opened for public immediately.
Afshar Ali (70), a resident of the area, complained that the office has been closed for the past 25/26 years. Out of the two gatekeepers, only one gatekeeper kept watch. Now since 2/3 years 7 Ansars are guarding the office area along with the office. This office was busy all the time. We used to take 40 to 50 laborers from the railway station to the office to carry the goods coming to protect the river. If needed again, I would take it out of the office and give it to the car while taking it to the river area. Our families lived in it. There is no one to see these now. God knows why this happened. Abdul Latif (59) and Farid Uddin (65) said the same thing.
Bajra UP Chairman Abdul Qayyum Sardar said that they could not be found as the sub-divisional office was closed for a long time and the authorities did not take emergency measures on time in West Bajra, Sadua Damar Hat, Satalskar, Kalpani Bajra, Khamar Damar Hat, Bogulakura, heavily populated areas. The river has dissolved into the womb. Besides, in the span of 24 hours on August 30, West Bajra Community Clinic, West Bajra Jame Masjid, West Kalpani Bajra Jame Masjid, BRAC Pre-Primary School, Kalpani Bajra Eidgah Ground, Old Bajra Kali Mandir and Old Bajra Bazaar have been merged with 60 families.
Rafiqul Islam, sub-divisional engineer of Water Development Board in Ulipur, said that the office is not suitable for use. A letter has been sent seeking allocation for renovations. The allocation will be reformed and then the office will be held. Now everything is being managed from the Executive Engineer’s office. This is from before I came.
When speaking to the executive engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board, Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, he said that if the Ulipur office is open, no one sits there. They sat in the Kurigram office and from here reviewed the project work of Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas. Salaries and allowances are also taken from here. Manpower is less, offices and residential buildings are dilapidated so arrangements are being made to repair them.
