Bangladesh Army Commander, General Abdul Mubeen called on Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne at his office recently. The Prime Minister commended the support extended by Bangladesh to Sri Lanka’s Security Forces. Gen. Mubeen, who said that his country is now braced to deal with earthquakes apart from floods and hurricanes expressed satisfaction that peace now prevails in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya is also in the picture.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa unveils the plaque declaring open the Sooriyawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

Scouts’ cycle parade concludes: The Sri Lanka Scout Association will celebrate its centenary of scouting next year. A cycle parade was organised to cover over 662km from Point Pedro to Point Dondra covering seven out nine provinces and 16 out of 25 districts of Sri Lanka. The parade commenced from Point Pedro and covered Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Matale, Kandy, Kegalle, Nittambuwa, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and reached Dondra on Tuesday. The flag brought from the North being presented to Namal Rajapaksa MPs, the Scout Association President Lelsey Rupasinghe, Organising Commissioner Prabath Kularatne, Nishantha Muthuhettigama MP and Chief Commissioner C. Batuwangala were also present.

The 125th birth anniversary of the founder of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Lake House), D. R. Wijewardene was commemorated with an all-night pirith ceremony yesterday, which will be followed by a Sanghika dana to the Sangha today. Here ANCL Chairman, Bandula Padmakumara carries the casket of relics. Pic: Kavindra Perera.

 Festival of flowers from today

The Shi-en Ikebana and Floral Art Society of Sri Lanka will present flowers in an elegant display at the Earl’s Court at the Cinnamon Lakeside on February 27, 28 from 10.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. The event is the society’s 18th annual exhibition which displays the members’ talents and creativity in floral arranging art.

The exhibition will have over 100 floral displays in two categories: “Western Arrangements” and “Ikebana Arrangements.”

The society has been donating the proceeds from the shows to the children who are affected by thallassaemia with last year’s collection forwarded to the Thallassaemia Unit at Anuradhapura Hospital. This year it will be given to Karapitiya Hospital, Galle.

71 students held for misbehaving

Seventy-one students of the Higher Technological Institute at Dehiwala were taken in for questioning by the Dehiwala police on Friday night on suspicion that they were misbehaving in the institute’s premises under the influence of liquor.

Police media spokesman S.P. Prishanta Jayakody said that those arrested would be produced in court this week. - LSAW

Ex-LSSP Parliamentarian passes away

Former LSSP parliamentarian Dhanapala Weerasekera (87) has passed away. Elected to Parliament in 1960 from Ratnapura under the LSSP ticket, he successfully contested the Dehiowita electorate under the same banner in 1965 and 1970. In 1973 he, however, crossed over to the SLFP and was appointed Deputy Minister and represented the Dehiowita electorate until 1977.

He leaves two daughters. His remains are lying at No.15, Weerasekera Mawatha, Talawatugoda. The funeral will take place at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Talawatugoda public cemetery.

She needs B+ kidney

H.V.P. Kumuduni of 84, Warakamulla, Maha-Induruwa in Bentara-Elpitiya, a mother of four is suffering from a chronic kidney disease and has been advised kidney transplant and therefore seeks a suitable donor of "B" positive blood group.

Donors could contact the above address on tel: 0724804902/0723541525. She is also in need of around Rs. 500,000 for the surgery and appeals for assistance from benevolent public. A/c No. 084-2-002-0-1852707 of the People's Bank, Alutgama.

Divaratna denies news item

The Secretary of the Presidential Task Force on Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province, S.B. Divaratna denied a story appearing in a weekend newspaper (Not the Lake House Group) that 1,300 acres of land was distributed among political supporters in the Kilinochchi district. This land belonged to people who were displaced during the conflict.

Divaratna also told the Sunday Observer that Kilinochchi Government Agent Mrs. Rupavathy Ketheeswaran also denied that such a land deal took place. Meanwhile, a report in this regard would be published shortly.