Staff Correspondent:
'Prayer is the key to prayer' - Lakshmipur Municipality Mayor Alhaj Abu Taher has taken a great initiative to encourage Muslims of all religions to offer prayers. He has requested that all types of businesses in Lakshmipur city (including Hindu and Muslim) be closed during every prayer time. The Lakshmipur Merchants' Association, Muslim traders as well as Hindu traders have agreed on this. On Monday afternoon, with the call to prayer for Zuhr, traders in the city were seen closing their shops and going to the mosque in groups. This led to a rush of devotees in the mosques. Meanwhile, following such an announcement, Hindus were also seen keeping their shops closed during prayers.
Some Muslim traders said that if the shops are open during prayers in the markets of Lakshmipur city, the shopkeepers themselves often cannot offer prayers. Therefore, such a great decision of the mayor has been made well. This will increase the interest of buyers and sellers in offering prayers. Moreover, arrangements have been made for women who come to the market during prayer time to offer prayers on the ground floor of the Lakshmipur Chowk Bazar Jame Mosque. So that no woman has to return home during prayer time.
Hindu businessman Liton Majumdar said, "We will not allow any worshippers to enter our shops during Muslim prayers. Hindus will temporarily close their shops during that time."
Meanwhile, most of the shops in different parts of the city were seen closed during the Zuhr and Asr prayers. However, some shops were open in the Azim Shah Market area of the city. On the other hand, people from all walks of life, including the Lakshmipur Merchants' Association, businessmen, devotees of the city, civil society, have applauded the decision of Lakshmipur Mayor Abu Taher.
Laxmipur Azish Shah Market trader Touhidul Islam told Top News, "We traders are very happy with the decision of the municipal mayor. However, there are two mosques next to our market. The prayer times in the two mosques are also different. As a result, during the prayers in one mosque, several shops are open around the other mosque, which disrupts the rules to some extent."
Lakshmipur Merchants' Association President AKM Salah Uddin Tipu said that the merchants' association welcomed the mayor's decision. The merchants' association will organize camping in the market area to encourage people to offer prayers. He said that followers of traditional religions will cooperate in this.
Lakshmipur Municipality Mayor Abu Taher said that businessmen in the city have been requested to keep all types of shops closed during prayers. Even miking has been done. Hopefully, the devotees, buyers and sellers will come to the mosque and offer prayers with the congregation.

Abdul Mannan (12), a 6th grade student of Shantirhat Darul Ulum Mohinur Islam Qawmi Madrasa in Under Char Union of Noakhali Sadar Upazila, went missing. He left home last Sunday to go to the madrasa and did not return home. He was searched for by his relatives and possible places for the past 9 days but could not be found.
The missing Abdul Mannan is the son of Amir Hossain, a resident of Shantirhat area of Under Char union in Noakhali Sadar upazila. Earlier, Abdul Mannan's family was a resident of Char Falkon village in Kamalnagar upazila of Lakshmipur district. Recently, when the family's house was destroyed by the Meghna, they settled in Shantirhat area of Under Char in Noakhali.

The missing man's maternal uncle Md. Harun said that Mannan left home after saying he was going to the madrasa and never returned. He was not found despite searching for him among his relatives and possible places. A kind-hearted person requested that he be found and brought to the madrasa.

 Lakshmipur: A document writer named Hamid Ulya Bender (60) was killed in a battery-powered autorickshaw accident in Lakshmipur. The accident occurred in front of the district sub-registrar's office on Monday (October 16) afternoon. The deceased Hamid Ulya Bender is the son of the deceased Erad Mia Sawdagar of Abirnagar village in Sadar upazila. Eyewitnesses said that a speeding autorickshaw hit and killed document writer Hamid Ulya while crossing the road. He was seriously injured. Local people rescued him in a critical condition and took him to the hospital, where the doctor on duty declared him dead. The body of the deceased is in the morgue of Sadar Hospital. The people present seized the autorickshaw and vandalized it. However, the driver escaped. When the news of the death of the document writer in the autorickshaw accident spread, the angry crowd stopped the movement of autorickshaws in the market. On receiving the news, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Anwar Hossain, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, confirmed the death of the document writer. Lokman Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station, said that upon receiving information, police were sent to the scene and the situation was brought under control.

Last representative:

Local Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League leaders have been accused of occupying 11 percent of the shop of freedom fighter Sirajul Islam, which was recently burnt down in a fire at a shop in Kamalnagar Char Lawrence Bazar, Laxnipur. Tensions are rife between the two parties over this. This has also raised questions in the public mind about the cause of the fire. Was the shop on fire at that time? Or did the evil group set fire to the shop and burn it down with the intention of occupying the area and emptying the space.

Meanwhile, while the local Awami League leader denied being involved in the encroachment process, Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders and activists said that freedom fighter Sirajul Islam had previously encroached on government land and built a shophouse. After the land was burnt down, when preparations were made to build the place for the party office, Sirajul Islam blocked their work by claiming the land as his own.

The complaint states that Sirajul Islam's people, who own 11 percent of the land in Char Pagla Mouza, adjacent to Ramgati-Lakshnipur road in Lawrence Khaserhat Bazar of the upazila, purchased it. For a long time, they had been running various businesses including pharmacies, grocery stores, crockery stores, motorcycles, garages, etc. on that land. Recently, the shops were burnt down in a fire. Sirajul Islam's people started building shops again on the previously occupied land (burned by fire). In the darkness of night, a group of leaders and activists of the local Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League hung signboards in the name of their offices in the under-construction shophouses and became reckless in occupying the shophouses illegally.

Freedom fighter Sirajul Islam said that he has been occupying shops on 11 percent of the land he owns through his purchase. Recently, after these shops were burnt down in a fire, at one stage of the reconstruction, some youths demanded a ransom of 1 lakh taka from him. When he expressed his inability to pay the demanded ransom, more than a hundred hired men armed with country-made weapons and sticks looted his construction materials and goods worth 1 million taka from the shop on Friday night. Later, they put up 4 signboards in the name of the Chhatra League-Jube League and Awami League offices and tried to occupy his under-construction shop. In addition, he said that he is terrified by the threats of the encroachers.

Former Chhatra League president of Kamalnagar Upazila Raju said that it is true that he occupied the shop with Chhatra League signboards, but it was done for the Chhatra League party office; not for himself. He said that the rest of the allegations are baseless and ridiculous. In this regard, District Chhatra League General Secretary Rakib Hossain Lotus said that Raju does not hold any position in Chhatra League of Kamalnagar. He cannot be called a Chhatra League worker now. Chhatra League will not take responsibility for occupying land by putting up signboards in the name of Chhatra League.

Kamalnagar Upazila Jubo League convener Mejba Uddin Bappi said that he was not aware of the Jubo League signboard being hung in Charles Lawrence Bazar and occupying the space. He said that he would investigate who had hung the Jubo League signboard without informing him.

Kamalnagar Upazila Awami League President Nurul Amin Master said that he does not engage in politics of occupation and does not like it when someone tries to occupy using party signboards.

Kamalnagar Upazila Chhatra League President Main Uddin said that the committee has not decided to set up a Chhatra League office in the Char Lawrence area. There is no question of encroaching on government or private land by putting up signboards. Those who have encroached are not from Chhatra League.

Kamalnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Varpapta) and Ramgati Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ajid Deb said that the tehsildar has informed him about the matter. The occupant has been asked to remove the signboard.

লক্ষ্মীপুর: ওষুধ শিল্পে নিয়োজিত প্রতিনিধিদের চাকরির সুনির্দিষ্ট নীতিমালা প্রণয়নের দাবিতে লক্ষ্মীপুরের কমলনগরে মানববন্ধন করেছে ফার্মাসিউটিক্যালস রিপ্রেজেন্টেটিভ অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের (ফারিয়া) সদস্যরা।

রোববার (১৫ অক্টোবর) বেলা ১১টার দিকে ফারিয়া কমলনগর শাখার আয়োজনে হাজিরহাট বাজারে এ মানববন্ধন করা হয়।

এসময় বক্তব্য দেন-ফারিয়া কমলনগর শাখার সভাপতি মো. রাসেল পাটোয়ারী, সাধারণ সম্পাদক মো. হুমায়ুন কবির ও সাবেক সভাপতি মো. ইলিয়াস হোসেন প্রমুখ।

মানববন্ধনের বক্তারা শুক্রবারসহ সব সরকারি বন্ধের দিন ছুটি, বৈষম্য দূর করে সামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ বেতন কাঠামো ও সরকারি সব সুযোগ-সুবিধার দাবি জানান।

Lakshmipur:
A discussion meeting has been held in Lakshmipur to make the grand rally to be held in Dhaka demanding the nationalization of the private education system a success. The event was organized at the hall room of Collegiate High School on Friday (October 13) afternoon under the initiative of the Private Teachers-Employees Forum.
The event was chaired by Md. Abdul Gafur, convener of Bangladesh Non-Governmental Teachers' Employees Forum and headmaster of Laharkandi High School, and was addressed by Mahbubur Rashid Chowdhury, principal of Lakshmipur Municipal Ideal College and convener of Swadhinata Teachers' Council, Anwar Hossain, president of Sadar Upazila Secondary Teachers' Association and headmaster of Shyamganj High School, Farid Uddin Ahmed, headmaster of Chowdhury Bazar High School, Nizam Uddin, headmaster of Khilbaicha GF High School, Hossain Ahmed, headmaster of Hazirpara High School, Md. Nurul Islam, headmaster of Rasulganj High School, Md. Abu Abdullah, and former teacher of Laharkandi High School, Gias Uddin, among others.
The speakers said, "We will build the country with education, Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh slogan is being widely developed in the country's education system. Teachers are also working tirelessly towards this goal. Sheikh Hasina is also giving utmost importance to the education system to build a prosperous country. But private teachers are living inhumane lives amidst the crisis. Therefore, it is the demand of the hour to nationalize all private secondary educational institutions quickly."
In addition, teachers must work together to make the grand rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, previously announced on October 19, a success.

Lakshmipur: Seven people, including a woman, were injured in a clash between two parties in Kamalnagar, Lakshmipur, as they tried to occupy the land of the opposing party's homestead with hired men. The clash took place on Friday (October 13) morning at the house of Sultan Majhi in Char Jangalia village, adjacent to Lawrence Bazar in the upazila. The injured in the clash are Abul Kalam, Saif Ullah, Robin, Minowara Begum, Delwara Begum, Mamun and Kashem. Five of them have been admitted to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital and two to Kamalnagar Upazila Health Complex. Locals said that the opponent Abdul Mannan tried to occupy the land occupied by Sultan Majhi's gang in Char Jangalia village of Hazirhat union. The clash resulted in seven people being injured on both sides. Sultan Majhi's grandson Emran Hossain said, Abdul Mannan tried to occupy 16 percent of the land of our occupied homestead by bringing in a hired terrorist and forcibly building a brick building. When they resisted, he attacked and seriously injured 5 people, including the woman of their family. Abdul Mannan could not be found when trying to find out about this. Kamalnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Akul Chandra Biswas said, after receiving information about the clash between the two parties, the police went and brought the situation under control. Construction work on the disputed land has been stopped.

Lakshmipur: Police have arrested a young man named Md. Azgar (30) with weapons in Kamalnagar, Lakshmipur.

He was arrested from the upazila's Koritala Bazar around 7:30 pm on Thursday (October 12). An LG was recovered from him at that time.

The arrested Asgar is a resident of Paschim Lakshmipur village in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila.

Kamalnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Akul Chandra Biswas confirmed the arrest.

Awami Jubo League and Chhatra League have taken out a procession in Lakshmipur against the morning and evening strike called by Jamaat. At the initiative of the Upazila Jubo League, the party leaders and activists took out a procession from the Upazila Awami League office on Thursday morning and circled Hazirhat Bazar.

Meanwhile, no picketing or Jamaat Shibir leaders and activists were seen in the field in support of the strike. So far, no untoward incident has been reported anywhere in the upazila. All types of vehicle movement is normal. Law enforcement officers are deployed at various points in the upazila.

The anti-hartal procession was attended by Upazila Jubo League joint convener Ahsan Ullah Hiron, Upazila Awami League member Haji Monirul Haque, Char Falkon Awami League president Abdul Hasim Palwan, former Jubo League president Fazlul Haque Sabuj, former Jubo League vice-presidents Abdul Bashet, Mostafizur Rahman, Didar Hossain, Chhatra League president Main Uddin and other party leaders and activists.

Awami League has held a procession and rally in Lakshmipur against the morning and evening strike called by Jamaat. At the initiative of the district Awami League, the procession started from North Temuhani in the city in the morning and circled the city.
Later, they held a rally at the North Temuhani Traffic Square.

Meanwhile, no picketing or Jamaat Shibir leaders and activists were seen in the field in support of the strike. So far, no untoward incident has been reported anywhere in the district. All types of vehicles are moving normally. Law enforcement officers are deployed at important points.
District Awami League General Secretary Advocate Nur Uddin Chowdhury Nayan, Awami League leader Abdul Matlab, Advocate Russell Mahmud Manna, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury were present at the anti-hartal procession. Among others, District Jubo League Joint Convener Sheikh Zaman Ripon, Mahbubul Haque Mahbub and others were also present.