Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Dhaka to Sylhet Highway Four Lane Up-gradation


Dhaka-Sylhet highway will be upgraded into four lanes. Up gradation work will begin in next January 2020. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement with the Economic Relations Department (ERD) of the government in this regard. Land acquisition and survey work is now ongoing.

By signing this agreement, last few years uncertainty has been removed for upgrading the highway to four lanes. The information gathered from the Road Transport and Highways Department of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridge.


According to information, ADB has recently signed an agreement with ERD to upgrade the 226 km long Dhaka-Sylhet highway into four lanes. Under the agreement, ADB will start visible work on the development of the highway in the year 2020. ADB was the first to conduct four lanes expanding work in 2013-14. Later they could not move much further due to some complexity of who would start the up gradation work on the highway.

Now they have been contracted to do the work again. Therefore their previous survey needs to be re-evaluated. So ADB is doing a new survey. Meanwhile, the Roads and Highways Department has started the acquisition for this four-lane up-gradation project. Already, the government has allocated Tk. 3885 Crore for land acquisition and road side utility works. Of this, the allocation in the current fiscal year is Tk. 851 crore.




According to the information, the government was discussing with the ADB to start upgrading the Dhaka-Sylhet highway to four lanes. But in October 2017, the government signed a G2G-based agreement with China Harbor Engineering Company for this work. The project work would start at the beginning of 2018 but the cost proposed by China Harbor Engineering for the project was about 42 percent higher than the estimates of the Department of Roads and Highways (RHD). Later the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges did not accept their proposal.

There was a series of discussions between the two sides. But no solution were found, the work is suspended. At one point, the government decided to complete the project with own financing. DPP was sent to the Planning Commission, but it was sent back for further amendments. The road department adjusts it and sends the revised DPP to the Planning Commission.


Then the Planning Minister mentioned the project as too expensive and ordered to find if there’s any outside funding for it. Soon the project was halted. However, it was said that the project would start before the last national election with the government's own financing. In the end, the government came out of this decision.

The Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways have already been upgraded into four lanes. Up gradation of the Dhaka-Tangail highway is almost completed. Now the ADB will fund the up-gradation of Dhaka-Sylhet four lane projects. The project was undertaken in order to expand the previously two-lane highway into four lanes.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Karnaphuli Tunnel Project in Chattogram | Update


Construction work of the first tunnel in Bangladesh beneath the Karnaphuli River (Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman Tunnel) in Chattogram is ongoing full swing. After completion, this will be the longest tunnel in South Asia. Along with the main tunnel, other infrastructure development works are in full progress. After completion of the Karnaphuli tunnel, the socio-economic development of the Chittagong region will accelerate significantly. It will contribute a lot to the country's economy.

The project concerned said that the longest tunnel in South Asia will be opened in December 2022. Overall 48 percent of the whole work has been completed. Engineers, workers involved in this project said that the construction of the tunnel is going on fast. Hopefully, the contractor for this mega projects ‘China Communication and Construction Company Limited’ (CCCC) will be able to finish the project within schedule time.


The tunnel will be opened for vehicle movement by December 2022. Everyone is working hard to build the tunnel within shortest period of time. Work is in progress to install two tubes 18 to 31 meters deep beneath the Karnaphuli River. The tube length will be 2,450 meters, already 620 meters tube work has been completed.




Construction of approach roads and over bridges on the both sides of the Karnaphuli River is also going on rapidly. On the east side of the tunnel, 200-meter open cut, 195-meter cut and cover, 500-meter approach road and 25-meter working shaft is getting ready. Construction work of open cuts, cuts and covers, approach roads and working shafts are also in progress at the west side. Apart from this, other infrastructure development works are ongoing full swing.

Engineers, Officials, Employees and workers have been working day and night long to finish the construction of the tunnel within the stipulated time. The government took initiative to construct the tunnel beneath the Karnaphuli River to connect Chittagong city and Anwara upazila in the same way as 'One City to Town', like Shanghai city in China.



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and China President Xi Jinping together inaugurated the construction work of the tunnel on 14 October 2016. China is financing almost the whole project cost around Taka 9,500 Crore. The tunnel will start from the Naval Academy Point Patenga and will end at the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer (CUFL) area in Anwara Upazila.



Latest tunnel building technology called Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which is used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. TBM is using to construct the Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman Tunnel beneath the Karnaphuli River.  When the tunnel is completed, the economic picture of whole Chittagong division will change. It will help a lot to terming Chattogram as the hub of all commercial activities.

Chittagong city will be extended to Anwara. The capacity of Chittagong port will increase. Heavy industrial plant will be set up in Anwara upazila. There will be a huge change in the communication system in the area. Traffic congestion in the Chattogram city will reduce. Centering this tunnel, a modern communication system will be developed connecting Dhaka - Cumilla - Feni - Chattogram - Cox's Bazar, which will eventually be connected to the Asian Highway network.

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Monday, October 28, 2019

Khadi or Khaddar Fabrics | Tradition of Cumilla


The Khadi / Khaddar of cumilla have been known as special and famous since ancient times in the history. This weaving cloth was also exported abroad after met the demand of the country. A professional community was involved in the weaving industry from the beginning. Locally they were called as 'Yogi' or 'Debnath'. During the time of Mahatma Gandhi non-cooperation movement in British India and due to some historical reasons, Khadi industry grew rapidly and gained popularity in the region.


That time, Khadi / Khaddar cloth was made from cotton of Rangamati. There was many Yogi or Debnath families living in Chandina, Devbidwar, Burichang and Cumilla Sadar upazila of the district. When Gandhiji called for the exclusion of foreign textiles, there was a huge response in Comilla area and the production of Khadi cloth increased a lot. The khadi clothes of Comilla were spreading in different parts of the country. These fabrics gained popularity as a brand called Comilla's khadi / Khadi of Cumilla.


The Abhay Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Comilla played an important role in promoting the Khadi industry across the India sub-continent. Abhay Ashram was established as a social welfare institute and established as a shelter ground for the practice. When the call for the exclusion of foreign cloth began to cut in large quantities, the yarn was produced a lot using Charka. Abhay Ashram then sold the Charka in local Bazaar and also was making khadi cloths themselves. Khadi cloth that was made in different villages started to be marketed through Abhay Ashram.

History says, an eight hand tall dhoti was sold for only five paisa in the period of 1926-27. At that time, Comilla Abhay Ashram sold khadi clothes more than worth about Taka 9 lac. According to the writings of late Rabindra Sangeet singer, an activist of Abhay Ashram, Parimal Dutt said that even though there was huge demand which was not completely fulfilled from the supply of Abhay Ashram.


Due to the rapid demand for khadi, holes were drilled in the ground beneath the foot-driven paddle of taat boutique machine. The cloth that originates from this hole or alloy was called Khadi. Thus the origin of the name became Khadi. Gradually this cloth gained fame in the name of Khadi or Khaddar.


The golden age of the Khadi industry was after the 1971 independence. Soon there was a crisis. Huge numbers of war-torn taat garments were closed. In order to meet the demand for textiles, there was a lot of pressure on handmade weaving cloth in such an import depended country. Although the production of khadi was not widespread in comparison to the needs of the people of the country. Weavers in the villages around the center of Chandina started making mattresses, curtains and cloths etc.


Before independence, the demand for khadi was as widespread as winter clothing. As a result of the demand for khadi clothing, some of the area's past government owned the yarn as a middleman in plundering the profits by obtaining licenses. Due to the lack of yarn and paint at affordable prices, the actual weavers were forced to change their original occupation at that time. The power loom based textile industry developed in the country in the mid-eighties. As a result, the ultra-varieties of garments produced a lot. Use of polyester, rayon, viscose, acrylic yarn etc increased. Duty-free foreign textiles was importing for export-oriented garments. In this way, the clothes that spread out of the name of Khadi were lost in the extinction alloy.

Although the khadi industry in Comilla is widely spread, this industry was primarily a cottage industry. Rural brides used to cut the charka to produce yarn and sold it to the weavers to earn extra income. The old man who could not work, the adolescent who did not have the opportunity to work as a labor outside, also had the opportunity to earn extra income in the world by cutting cotton yarn using Charka.



The weavers and the Khadi traders urged the government to immediately take measures to protect the industry and feared that it may go extinct otherwise. The weavers and traders have been demanding to keep this traditional cloth alive by injecting funds and training the craftsmen.

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Rammala Library and Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Rammala Library and Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya


Founder of the famous Cumilla Rammala Library was the Donator Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya. After its founding, Dr Rashmohan Chakravarty and Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya himself worked to expand its holdings. Today, the name of the Comilla Rammala Library is also being pronounced on the back of tradition. In the year 1912, a Sanskrit library was established in the meeting room of Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya’s house in Comilla.

Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya, a scholar, philanthropist and descendant of Bengal. Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya is one of those who have worked tirelessly for the good of the country and the people in the pursuit of great purpose in human life. He has become well-established in life from the poorest of the poor, relying on hard work honesty, perseverance, self-confidence and noble ideals. He didn’t have the opportunity to study for severe poverty, later he made money.


This great human of Comilla (former Tripura), was born in the village of Bitghar under Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district. His father Ishwar das was a self literate person and his mother Rammala Devi Devya was a devout woman. The Rammala Library in Cumilla city is one of his immortal works. In the name of the founder's mother, the ‘Rammala’ established to facilitate the research work for the wise and the knowledgeable in the region. The institute is playing a major role for the welfare of the poor students of the researchers of sub-urban area.

According to an agreement with the Dhaka University, about 2,500 booklets (Puthi) of Rammala have been microfilmed. This was a pretty good initiative. Many researchers from across the country and abroad came to read Rammala's booklet for research and other purposes. The contribution of the Rammala Library is immense in the education and culture of Bangladesh. For researchers and explorers, the Rammala Library is favorite of all.

Apart from this lots of the scriptures of different religions are preserved in this library, so that it can play a vital role in creating a biography for the ordinary readers. In the booklet section there are ancient cultures and Bengali books. No fee or money is needed for readers. Any reader and researcher can study in this library. It is open for all.


The main Rammala Library building was constructed at Shakatla (now opposite of the Comilla Education Board) in Cumilla city. The establishment of the Rammala Library in a magnificent building in 1953 was a great event in this area. In the name of his mother the Ramlala Library was established in the year 1912, and later in the name of his father, Comilla Ishwar Pathshala was established. The Devalaya was founded in the 1917. A Primary School and Nibedita Girls Student Hostel was established in 1919. The Nat Mandir was established in 1925. In the year 1926, the students of Rammala hostel welcomed the famous poet Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Researchers also came from British Library of the subcontinent at the traditional Rammala Library.







The research section contains various books on Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and other religions and philosophy. Apart from this there are books of history, Bangla literature etc. The general section contains books and periodicals, including biographies, history, travel books, novels, etc., which are suitable for the general readers including students. The booklet section contains ancient scriptures and traditional manuscript books on traditional religion and philosophy. The manuscript was collected from various area of ​​the country for money.

Knowledge is the power in human life. Ignorance is the root of all suffering. So the library plays a very important role in gaining knowledge.


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Monday, September 30, 2019

Matri Bhandar | Original Rasmalai of Cumilla


Rasmalai has been making its home in Comilla from the beginning. This traditional dessert is very popular and famous in Bangladesh. Though Rasmalai / Rosmalai is made in different places across the country but Comilla's Rasmalai has no comparison. The best of them is the roshmalai of Comilla Matri Bhandar. But there are more than hundred of shops has the same name as Matri Bhandar in Comilla district.

History:
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, different types of sweets were made and supplied to various families and events in Tripura by the Ghosh Community. At that time, there was a kind of dessert served with Rosgolla, some would call it Malai Rasgolla. Later rasgolla was made by adding milk to the pudding and dried rasgolla in it. The name was ‘Kheerbhogh’. The original version of Rasmalai is the Khirbhogh. Later in the thirties, small size of rasgolla began to be submerged in milk pudding and was renamed as Rasmalai.

Traditional and famous, this rasamalai has been making its home in Comilla from the beginning. Two brothers, Khanindra (Khani) Sen and Manindra (Mani) Sen first introduced to comilla and added Rasmalai in their desert business. They are from Brahmanbaria district and they opened a shop in the Manoharpur Comilla.

Within a few days, the reputation of the Roshomalai in the homeland spread. Rasmalai became part of Comilla's tradition. The real Matri Bhandar dessert shop is located in Manoharpur, Comilla. The delicious rasmalai is also available in Bhaghwati Pera Bhandar, Shital Bhandar, Porabari, Jolojog which is also located in Manoharpur. Every day peoples gather to buy rasamalai from these desert shops.

On an average the Matri Bhandar make around 200-300 kg of Rasamalai every day. Every morning and evening, five to six milk traders supply about 400-600 liters of milk to Matri Bhandar. Each of them supplies about 80-100 liters of milk. The worth of daily sells of Matri Bhandar rasmalai is more than BD Taka one lac. On Thursday and Friday it increases at one and half lac Taka.




Comilla Rasmalai Recipe:
Rasamalai is made with the addition of two separate desserts, these are Rasgolla and Malai. Milk became thickened by boiling and stirring for one and half hour. The flavor and price of roshomalai depends on the thickness of the kheer. After boiling, around 40 kg of milk converted into 10 to 12 kg of Malai / Cream. Then the thick malai is dropped down from the oven and mixed into sweet in a large bowl in the form of small grains made separately. When it is cold, tasty rasmalai is ready.

After thickened one gem (40 kg) of milk converted into 10 to 12 kg Kheer. Then by adding dry rasgolla with this kheer around 14 kg pure rosmalai can be made. Making more than 14 kg does not have the real taste of rasamalai. Lots of unscrupulous dessert shops do not use pure milk. Apart from that, the pure rasgolla is made by mixing 50 grams of flour with one kg of curd. But the adulteration mix more than 250 grams of flour with one kg curd. In this case there is no reason to have a real taste of Roshomalai.

The price of pure Rasmalai in this original dessert shop which is located in Monoharpur is not much. It depends on the price of pure milk. In September 2019 it was taka 260.


However, because of Rasmalai's fame and taste, quality and tradition, it is losing adulthood in the contaminated and fake crowd. Now many shops around Comilla sell rasamalai under the name of the Matri Bhandar. But there is no branch of original Matri Bhandar. There are many sweet shops located on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway adding words like Comillar, Comilla, Adee, Khati, Maa, New, etc. before the ‘Matri Bhandar / Vandar/ Vander’. People are being deceived by selling adulterated rasmalai using the name of the Matri Bhandar and the reputation of original Rasmalai of Comilla is wasted.

See the below map ti find out the original location and address of Matri Bhandar, Monohorpur, Cumilla.





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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

MIA-1 Humanoid Robot | Built by Students of Britania University Cumilla


Two students from Britannia University (BU) in Cumilla built a humanoid robot named MIA-1. The Britania University is a popular private university in Bangladesh, the campus is located in Paduar Bazar, Bishwa Road, Cumilla.

This year three students from the Cumilla University have created another Robot. Now two students from a private university have successfully built another robot.

The students are from the BU of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department that has built this humanoid robot. They are second-year student Ashrafur Rahman Minhaj and third-year student Mahmuda Afreen. The team Leader was Ashrafur Rahman Minhaj. Mentor was the lecturer of the CSE department of Britania University, Mr. Masum Bakaul.

The team claims that MIA-1 it is the country's first open-source humanoid robot. It is named after the initials of Minhaj and Afrin. The cost of making the robot was only forty thousand taka and it took two and a half months to build it. The MIA-1 robot can hear and answer the questions. There is no need to give any command using a Smartphone.

On 17 September 2019, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Cumilla district Mr. Abul Fazal Mir inaugurated the meet up ceremony with MIA-1 on the Britania University campus. Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr. Tofail Ahmed presided over the ceremony.


Team leader said that the MIA-1 has a seven-inch touch screen LCD monitor at its base. Using this screen a user can easily command the robot to gather information from him. After asking question MIA-1 will answer and will show related pictures on the LCD screen.

The robot can see using a sophisticated camera which has been installed in the eyes of the robot. The robot is capable of teaching and reception also.

Bangladeshi students are very meritorious. Students of different universities are making different types of robots every year. On December 2018, in the Digital World expo, Dhaka the manufacturer of Humanoid robot ‘Sophia’ said that Bangladeshi developers can build modern robots like using its software. The founder and chief executive officer of Hanson Robotics David Hanson said, “All of our software is placed on open platforms and Bangladeshi developers can use those resources if they want to build robots”.

Now the government, technology research centers, persons, teachers, students and teams in our country need to be gathered in one platform to further enhance the research works.

Source: bd-pratidin

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Friday, September 6, 2019

Important Contact Numbers in Cumilla | District Headquarter | Police Stations


The present Cumilla district was established as a Tripura district in 1790 AD and the district was renamed as Comilla in 1960. Cumilla district is bounded on the north side by Brahmanbaria, on the south by Noakhali and Feni, on the west by Munshiganj and Chadpur district and on the east by the state of Tripura (India). The district is located 100 km south east of the capital city Dhaka.

Cumilla district police has a glorious history. Comilla is one of the most populous and famous districts in Bangladesh. As per the information provided of the official website of Cumilla Zilla Police, in order to provide proper service to the citizens of entire district, the district police have been divided into 02 circles and 16 police stations.


Important contact numbers of Cumilla District Police:

Control Room: +88-081-65021, 01727-115500
Cumilla Police Super: +88-081-76392, 01713-373678
Additional Police Super (ASP-Cumilla North): +88-081-77114, 01713-373680
Additional Police Super (ASP-Cumilla South): +88-081-76712, 01713-372679
Additional Police Super (DSB-Comilla): +88-081-76837, 01769-690063
Additional Police Super (Headquarter): +88-081-650099, 01713-373681

To make any complaint: complain@comillapolice.gov.bd
For any kind of information: info@comillapolice.gov.bd
Media contact: media@comillapolice.gov.bd
FaceBook Page: www.facebook.com/comillapolice



Important Contact numbers of all the Police Stations (Thana) under cumilla district:

Barura Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373693
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082807
Duty officer: +88-01865-082823

Brahmanpara Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373696
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082806
Duty officer: +88-01865-0828-22

Burichang Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373691
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082805
Duty officer: +88-01865-082821

Cumilla Kotowali Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-081-77552, 01713-373685
Inspector (investigation): +88-1865-082801
Duty officer: +88-081-77553, 01865-082817

Cumilla Sadar South (Dakshin) Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-08161041, 01713-373700
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082802
Duty officer: +88-01865-082818

Chandina Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373692
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082804
Duty officer: +88-01865-082820

Chouddagram Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +8801713-373692
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082804
Duty officer: +88-01865-082820

Daudkandi Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373690
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082811
Duty officer: +88-01865-082827


Debidwar Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373687
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082816
Duty officer: +88-01865-082831

Homna Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373688
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082813
Duty officer: + 88-01865-082829

Laksham Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373689
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082808
Duty officer: +88-01865-082824

Meghna Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373697
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082814
Duty officer: +88-01865-082830

Monohorgonj Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-372698
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082809
Duty officer: +88-01865-082825

Muradnagar Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373695
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082816
Duty officer: +88-01865-082832

Nangalkot Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373694
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082810
Duty officer: +88-01865-082826

Titas Police Station / Thana:
Officer in charge (OC): +88-01713-373699
Inspector (investigation): +88-01865-082812
Duty officer: +88-01865-082828

Please visit the official website of Cumilla Zilla Police and Police Super of Cumilla for further details and updated information.

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