DHAKA, Feb 16, 2026 (BSS)- BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today returned home after being discharged from hospital. Rizvi admitted to Square Hospital few days ago with fever, cold and respiratory problems. He left the hospital this afternoon on the advice of doctors, Rizvi's personal assistant Arifur Rahman Tushar said. Earlier, on February 11 last, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman visited him at the hospital.

RANGPUR, Feb 16, 2026 (BSS) - Enthusiastic farmers have already completed transplantation of Boro rice seedlings on 65.04 percent of the targeted land area in all eight districts of Rangpur Agricultural Region.  Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said tender plants of Boro rice are growing well across the region where farmers are very busy now in transplanting Boro rice seedlings during the current Rabi season.  The DAE and other agri-related organizations are providing latest technologies to farmers to increase rice production and further strengthen the national food security. "Getting necessary assistance from the government, farmers have put their maximum efforts to make the intensive Boro rice farming programme a success," said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md Shirajul Islam. The government has set an all-time record target of producing 23,08,715 tonnes of clean Boro rice (34,63,0672 tonnes of paddy) from 5,09,094 hectares of land for Rangpur agricultural region this season.  Of them, farmers will produce 11,13,909 tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 2,30,316 hectares of land, 11,75,867 tonnes of high yielding variety rice from 2,77,753 hectares and 1,939 tonnes of local variety Boro rice from 1,025 hectares of land.  Meanwhile, enthusiastic farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedlings on over 3,31,118 hectares of land or 65.04 percent against the fixed farming target in the region till Sunday. The DAE with other related organisations, Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited and Rural Electrification Board are ensuring smooth supply of fertilizers and electricity to farmers to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation. "We are expecting that enthusiastic farmers will exceed the fixed Boro rice farming target in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts of the region this season," said Shirajul Islam. Being inspired by the DAE, farmers are adopting conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation methods, while farming Boro rice to save irrigation water and increase rice output at reduced costs. "So far, farmers have already applied organic fertilisers on 2,59,297 hectares of Boro rice fields against targeted 33,112 hectares and balanced fertilisers on 2,66,000 hectares against targeted 1,98,671 hectares of land as the process continues," he added.  Meanwhile, transplantation of Boro rice seedlings has already been completed in low-lying lands and char and riverine areas. Farmers have brought more low-lying char lands, beels and riverine areas under Boro rice farming and are nursing the growing rice plants to complete its harvest before commencement of the rainy season this year. Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independent Medal 2018 (food security), lauded the government for extending necessary assistance to farmers for making the Boro rice farming programme a success in the region. "Farmers should adopt the CA-based technologies like AWD irrigation method and use balanced and organic fertilisers to get maximum Boro rice yield at reduced costs also saving underground water," he added.  Talking to BSS, farmers Lokman Hossain, Nurun Nabi, Aiyub Ali, Nurul Alam, Ariful Haque, and Sekendar Ali of different villages in Rangpur said they have already completed transplantation of Boro rice seedlings on their croplands.