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Anwar Ali, Rajshahi Thousands of Santal aborigines of Rajshahi and surrounding areas became enthusiastic in festivals drawing attention to their old and rich culture. Three-day Baha (flower) festival began at remote Sundorpur village of Kakonhat in Godagari upazila on Tuesday. A day before two-day Karam festival ended in Godagari upazila. They took ‘My Culture My Identity’ as main slogan to give new dimensions to the festivals and demanded ensuring fundamental rights of living, education and land. Eminent literature Prof Hasan Azizul Haque formally inaugurated Baha festival of welcoming Santal New Year in evening as chief guest. In his speech, he called upon aborigines to struggle for safeguarding their own culture and heritage. “There are close relations between Bangali and Adibashi cultures. But economic freedom is essential for enjoying same status” Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University and Prof Moloy Kumar Bhoumik of Rajshahi University attended as special guests. Santal Pargana le

Minu paid taxes revealing obscure sources of income

Anxious at recent actions against illegal luxury vehicles and wealth, Rajshahi Mayor and former BNP lawmaker Mizanur Rahman Minu paid off about Tk 9.36 lakh taxes last week to legalise his landed properties and costly vehicle bought at total Tk 86 lakh from obscure sources of income. He bought a 5-katha plot in Banani of Dhaka, a luxury Toyota Lexus vehicle and a piece of one-katha land in the city’s Ranibazar area worth total Tk 86,53,000 during the end of his government’s tenure in 2006, said his lawyer Mozaharul Haq Bakul. Minu paid off Tk 5.34 lakh through two separate drafts of Janata Bank, Rajshahi Ranibazar branch to deputy income tax commissioner of Rajshahi circle-2 for importing a luxury Japanese Toyota Lexus vehicle worth Tk 36 lakh on March 1. The same day, he paid off Tk 2650 for a piece of one Katha land in Rajshahi city. And on February 22, Minu paid off Tk 3, 99, 100 through a Markentile Bank draft for buying 5-katha plot in Bonani of Dhaka worth Tk 50 lakh. But the tax

RMCH 'sealed off' for jurnos

Rajshahi Medical College Hospital is virtually sealed off for journalists even for treatments and policemen were deployed at all entrances enact the provision drawing flak from media persons. Last night a number of newsmen decided in a meeting at local Sonali Sangbad office to meet and complain with the health advisor who is scheduled to visit RMCH today noon. They are to show black flags to the RMCH director brigadier general Bazle Kader. “The RMCH move was taken to restrain journalists who started covering irregularities and mismanagement at the government hospital”, said Hasan Millat, president of Rajshahi Union of Journalists. Metropolitan Press Club secretary Anisuzzaman said, “We demand immediate withdrawal of the prohibition, or removal of RMCH director as none have right to seize people’s right to know especially when he lives on public taxes”. On Sunday night, Janakantha photojournalist Selim Jahangir was barred at the hospital emergency gate and was told, ‘journalists will no

Even Thives show 'no interest' in relief tins

Even professional thieves are now showing reluctance to abandoned Corrugated Iron (CI) sheets of the government relief fund in Rajshahi. Sources in police of Boalia police station (PS) said, a BNP office was constructed with 16 pieces of relief CI sheets at Zamalpur in the city as many other BNP offices were erected under influence of former ruling party stalwarts. Sensing danger from countrywide crackdown against looted away relief goods, BNP workers in Zamalpur abandoned their office, took away walls made up of bamboo and straws, but left the CI sheets few weeks ago. The CI sheets remained untouched despite these were abandoned under open sky. “Professional thieves did not also touch these abandoned relief goods, let alone any common people”, commented a police official as police was taking these CI sheets following recovery on locals’ information. However, no cases were lodged with Boalia PS in this regard till filing of this report. End/