Fish farming at paddy fields gaining popularity in Kurigram

Shafique Bebu:

Fish cultivation along with paddy in paddy fields is gaining popularity as it brings financial benefit to farmers in the district.

Local sources said farmers cultivated fish on 600 acres of land along with paddy this year.

Experiencing the financial benefit, other farmers also came forward and followed the same technique of fish farming along with paddy.

Ayesha Begum and Mofasser Ali of Belgachha West Kalyan village released four and a half kg of fish fries on one bigha of aman paddy two months back.

They have so far sold fish valued at Tk 4,000 before harvesting paddy. They expect to sell more fishes worth Tk 5,000 during the harvesting time.

Farm manager of the District Fisheries Department Riaz Uddin said it is easy and profitable to cultivate fish along with paddy, as rainwater is available during the aman season.

Two NGOs – RDRS Bangladesh and KDS – imparted necessary training and assistance to the farmers for such fish farming.

If fish farming along with paddy at paddy fields spread all over the country, demand for rice along with protein will be fulfilled to a great extent. This will benefit farmers and the country’s economy as well.

Farmers are being deprived from NCDP market facility in Kurigram

ABDUL WAHED:

Farmers are being deprived from facilities of the growers’ market under North-West Crop Divarfication Project (উত্তর-পশ্চিম শস্য বহুমুখীকরণ প্রকল্প) (NCDP) in Kurigram in want of proper bazaar management and road communication.

To sale the produced crops of farmers to the whole sellers directly, the NCDP markets have been set up in different districts of the northern part. Aims of the project are: developing structure of market, selling agriculture product, creating job, reducing poverty and developing life style of remote people through implementing standard market management and handing over the modern agriculture technology to the small and middle-class farmers.

In the market the growers (farmers) could sale directly their agriculture products to the whole sellers. As a result they could receive real price of their crops. They will have free from timing and traveling cost for the agriculture product.

According to the District Marketing Office source, the previous government had taken decision of establishing 60 growers’ markets in 60 upazilas and 16 wholesale markets in 16 districts of the northern part of the country. In the district only one growers’ market was established, but the wholesale market has not established here till now. Kurigram LGED, funded by the World Bank, set up a growers’ market with the cost of Tk.37,17,681 in Panga Bazar at Mirerbari village of Chhinay union under Rajarhat upazila of the district in 2008. There are one storeroom, four corners (room) for women, one training room, one washing room (for washing green products), a large space for 16 shops, one tube well, two toilets and water supply system in the market. The Panga Bazar is situated in about two and half-km far from Kurigram-Rangpur highway and in about 300-meter far from the carpeting village-road at the Mirerbari village. The market was opened for some days in April-May in 2008, but later the market was stopped in want of buyers (whole sellers). Later re-tender was called in July this year, but none have responded to the tender. Now farmers are selling their agriculture products in nearest markets Shelim Nagar bazaar, Rajarhat Bazar and Barabarihat Bazar.

While visiting the Panga Bazar on October 18, a shopkeeper Abdus Shobhan, 50, of Shelim Nagar Bazar said to this correspondent, “The bazaar for green crops seats everyday in the early morning here and is kept continues up to 11.00 am. Huge numbers of retailers and whole sellers directly buy the crops from farmers and took away through bi-cycle, rickshaw and van in different places being set up the bazaar near Kurigram-Rangpur highway.

“There is no well communication with the Panga Bazar. So the whole sellers are not interested to buy the agriculture products including potato, aubergine, cabbage, radish, pumpkin and spice from the market. Some buyers collect the crops from the fields in want of market-shed”, he added.

Member of the market development committee Babu Chandra Kanta, 55, said to this correspondent, “There is no better communication with the main road. The whole sellers (buyers) are not interested to come here. There is about 52 bighas of land in the name of the Panga Bazar. Here the bazaar management is not well. A total of Tk.125 as monthly fee has fixed for one shop (position) of the market, but it is not being benefited to the farmers. The fair should be reduced up to running the market”.

The District Marketing Officer Md. Humaiun Kabir said to this correspondent, “We called tender this year but no interested man has response. Now the market has been kept stop. The matter was informed to our higher authority in July 2010. How to run the market and it could become benefited to the farmers, on this connection Deputy Chief (Planning-1) of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Manzurul Anwar has been agreed to immediately visit the market in Kurigram”.

Kurigram Government High School Turns 115

ABDUL WAHED:

Kurigram Government High School has recently turned 115. The school is a top institution of the secondary level educational institutions in the district.

At first the school was set up in Kurigram town near Dharla river in 1895. Then the name of the school was Kurigram High English School and the first Headmaster of the school was Bireswar Roy.

The school is one of the six high schools of greater Rangpur district in 1895. The name of the school was published in Kolkata gadget in 1896. The school has kept image of its well performance for long. The school was nationalized on the 15th November in 1968.

At first eight students from the school were participated in the Entrance Examination under Kolkata Education Board in 1895. The pioneer students were Kripa Nath Datta, Jatindra Nath Chakrabarti, Kaylash Chandra, Kaminikanta Majumdar, Kaliproshanna Shannal, Gopal Chandra Gooh, Protap Chandra Roy and Pran Gobinda Bhattacharja. In the examination only one student passed, who Jatindra Nath Chakrabarti scored in second division.

It is learnt that the first construction of school was gone down in the river Dharla by erosion in 1956. Next the school was set up on 7.60 acres of the government acquired land in the heart of the town. There was no brick construction building of the school up to 20 years from opening school when students were taught in a long tin-shed construction. At first a brick building was constructed in the school in 1916 which was stay up to 1956 causing the school was eroded in Dharla river. In presence the institution stands on a large campus (7.60 acres of land) with buildings, a generous smattering of trees, a large pond and a big playground. The school has 30 teachers including Asst. Headmaster and Headmaster, catering to 720 students in two shifts. There are three facilities science, arts and commerce. Library which contains about 2,500 books, science laboratory and computer laboratory have been facilitated for the students. There are a teachers’ dormitory and a student hostel of 32 seats in the school.

The school has been conducting general educations with co-curriculum activities of sports, culture, scouting and Red Crescent Society for the students. The school students have been winning several awards in different sports and cultural functions every year. This year the school students participated in the national Science Olympiad-2010 in Dhaka and got a championship trophy in Interschool Debate Commpitition-2010 in the district.

Every year the number of students has been scoring GPA-5 in SSC examinations under Rajshahi Education Board (now under Dinajpur Education Board) and has been keeping their position in top level in other secondary institutions in the district. Most of the students are being admitted in Higher Secondary Class in top level colleges of the country.

Number of students had kept contributions in the country in different positions as social and government servants. Some of them are the first student JatindraNath Chakrabarti (Matriculation in 1895) who was an advocate, Congress politician, member of law-cabinet and social leader, Pana Ullah Ahmed (Matriculation in 1923) was deputy Commissioner of Dinajpur district, Kazi Enamul Haque (Matriculation in 1925) was a Joint Secretary of Customs, Panir Uddin Ahmed (Matriculation in 1926) was Secretary of Muslim League in 1955 and member of National Council, Reaz Uddin Ahmed, nickname Bhola Mia (Matriculation in 1941) was an advocate, Minister and Deputy Speaker, dramatist Syed Shamsul Haque was a student of the school, Hossen Ali PhD (Matriculation in 1965) is a professor of BUET and Major (retd) Abdus Salam (SSC in 1968) was a General Manager of Bangladesh Airlines.

Present Headmaster of the school Farida Yasmin said to The Daily Star, “We are trying to keep well performance and teaching quality education to our students. Students are learning in well environment by number of good teachers. We are preparing our students as about all rounder through teaching co-curriculum educations. Our students are bringing good achievements from others level of the country with the good score in deferent events in the district”.

Human chain held to protect Chilmari Port from erosion in Kurigram

ABDUL WAHED:

Local people of Chilmari upazila yesterday held rally and formed a human chain near Bangmara ghat (river port) at Chilmari upazila to protect Chilmari Port from erosion by Brahmaputra River.

Local people were gathered near Bangmara ghat near of Brahmaputra River at the upazila at 12.30 pm on the day and held rally there. Locals Golam Haider, Azir Uddin, Taj Uddin, Eshaque Ali and Abdul Hamid spoke in the rally.

The speakers said that local water development board has taken a project to protect Chilmari upazila town. But the project is going on with slow motion. The three separate projects of three-kilometer block-pitching and dumping works at Putimari, Kazaldanga and Rajarbhita areas under the upazila have been completed but the protection work of Chilmari town has not been started till now.

The Chilmari Port near the upazila headquarter has been shifted in one-km far in Bangmara ghat causing erosion by the river. As a result the main port land is being lost in the river day by day. They demanded of starting the works of second and third phages of the protection project.

Chilmari UNO Md. Enamul Haque said that the locals’ demand has been informed to higher authority through the Deputy Commissioner (DC). Now many constructions including the river port have been threatened by the river Brahmaputra.

Executive Engineer of local water development board (WDB) M. Ashafuddaula said that the first phage was completed last year. The second and third phages will be started after getting fund.