Drought hits northern areas

September 11, 1972                      

BANGABANDHU DUE ON SEPT 14

Awami League General Secretary Zillur Rahman today calls upon the people to receive Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his arrival at Dhaka Airport on September 14 in a disciplined manner. In a statement, he says, "We know that huge numbers of people will assemble at the airport to receive the beloved leader who is retuning home after recovering from illness but at the same time we must also see that the rush of people does not create inconvenience for the leader."

FREE EDUCATION UP TO CLASS VIII FOR GIRLS

Bangladesh Minister for Education and Culture Professor Yusuf Ali announces today that education for female students up to class VIII would be made free from the coming academic year. Highlighting the basic principle of future education policy, the minister says that the government is going to adopt a new education policy which would help inculcate patriotism and eliminate class or group interest, parochialism and exploitation of man by man.

The minister stresses that the framers of the education policy have been instructed to place special emphasis on technical and vocational education. This would maximise job opportunities for educated young men and would ensure proper and quick utilisation of the country's natural and economic resources.

CROPS AFFECTED

Crops over large areas in the northern districts of the country are damaged due to irregular rainfall and prolonged drought during the early part of the monsoon. The divisional agricultural office in Rajshahi estimates crop damage as a result of drought at 50 percent in Dinajpur, 25 percent in Rajshahi and Rangpur and 30 per cent in other districts of the division. According to this office, jute and transplanted Aman cultivation in Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Pabna and some parts of Rangpur district are badly affected for want of sufficient rainfall during the sowing season.

SOURCES: September 12, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.