A blaze at Banani’s multi-storey Ahmed Tower was extinguished on Sunday afternoon, nearly an hour after the fire erupted.

Fire Service and Civil Defence control room Duty Officer Ershad Hossain said firefighters managed to put out the flames around 12:22pm.

The fire broke out on the 15th floor of the 22-story building located beside FR Tower around 11:34am, he told UNB.

Eight firefighting units were working at the site.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are still unclear.

On March 27 last year, 26 people were killed and more than 70 others were injured in a fire at FR Tower.

Read Also : Fire at Gulshan RMG factory extinguished

Witness deposition in the murder case filed over the death of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) student Abrar Fahad has been deferred until October 5.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Abu Zafor Mohammad Kamruzzaman passed the order Sunday as Abrar’s father Barkatullah, the case’s plaintiff, is sick, said advocate Manzurul Alam.

On Sept 15, the tribunal framed charges against 25 accused.

The accused are Mehedi Hassan Rasel, Civil Engineering, Batch-13; Muhtasim Fuad, Civil Engineering, Batch-14; Anik Sarker, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-15; Mehedi Hasan Robin, Chemical Engineering Batch-15; Ifti Mosharraf Shakal, Biomedical Engineering, Batch-16; Moniruzzaman Monir, Water Resources Engineering, Batch-16; Meftahul Islam Zion, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Batch-15; Mazedur Rahman, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Batch-17; Muzahidur Rahman Muzahid, Civil Engineering, Batch-16; Tabakhkharul Islam Tanvir, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-16; Hossain Mohammad Toha, Mechanical Engineering, Batch 17; Jisan, Engineering, Batch-16; Md Akash, Civil Engineering, Batch-16; Md Shamem Billah, Marine Engineering, Batch-17; Nazmus Sadat, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-17; Ajtesamul Rabbi Tanim, Civil Engineering, Batch-17; Morshed Amartya Islam, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-17; Moaz Abu Huraira, Computer Science Engineering, Batch-17; Muntasir Alam Jemi, Chemical Engineering, Batch-17; Amit Shaha, Civil Engineering, Batch-16; Muztaba Rafid, Chemical Engineering, Batch-16; Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-15; Samsul Arefin Rafat, Mechanical Engineering, Batch-17; Mizanur Rahman, Marine Engineering, Batch-16 and Mahmud Setu, Chemical Engineering, Batch-14

Three of the accused – Jishan, Rafid and Tanim – remain absconding.

Abrar, 21, a second-year student of electrical and electronic engineering, was beaten to death reportedly by then Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.

He was found dead on the staircase of the hall in the early hours of October 7 last year. His murder sparked a nationwide outcry.

On November 13, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) submitted charge sheet before the court. On November 18, the court accepted the chargesheet against 25 accused.

On January 13 this year, the case was shifted to the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court from Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

On March 12, the murder case was moved to Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 after Abrar’s parents met the Law Minister and urged to shift the case to a speedy trial tribunal.

Read Also: 25 indicted for Buet student Abrar Murder

An Imam of a local mosque in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh was hacked to death allegedly by some miscreants near Sadhu R Market in the upazila on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Azim Uddin, 50, an Imam (a person who conducts prayers) of Sadhu R Paschimpara Jame-e-mosque.

Quoting locals, Shahinuzzaman Khan, officer-in-charge of Pagla Police Station, said the miscreants intercepted Imam Azim while returning home from mosque after ‘Esha’ prayer and killed him after slitting his throat around 9pm.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Bilkis Akter, wife of the Imam, said Azim had been serving as the Imam of the mosque for the last 20 years and she is unaware of any enemy of the Imam.

However, police are investigating to unearth the reason behind the murder.

Read Also: Man’s throat-slit body found in Pabna

The academic and administrative activities at the Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia are being hampered badly as the posts of vice-chancellor and treasurer have remained vacant for one month, officials said.

The tenure of IU VC Professor Dr Rashid Askari and Treasurer Professor Dr M Selim Toha expired on August 20.

Since then, the authorities concerned of the university are continuing academic activities through online classes during the coronavirus pandemic.

If the authorities concerned do not appoint a VC or Treasurer then the salaries of the teachers, officers, and employees of the university cannot be disbursed, said IU Officers Association Member Secretary M Abdul Hannan.

IUTA President Kazi Akhtar Hossain said the government should appoint a skilled and experienced person as VC from Islamic University.

University sources say a number of senior teachers are lobbying for the posts of vice-chancellor and treasurer.

Read Also: 20,000 posts of head teacher in govt pry schools lying vacant: JS

Eight people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in Thakurgaon in the last 24 hours till Sunday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 1,056.

Civil Surgeon Dr Mahfuzar Rahman Sarkar said a female doctor was among the new patients.

Of the total infected people, 548 people have been found infected with Covid-19 in Sadar upazila, 92 in Haripur upazila, 96 in Pirganj upazila, 120 in Ranishankoil upazila and 208 in Baliadangi upazila.

So far, 20 people have died from Covid-19 in the district.

Bangladesh on Saturday registered 32 more deaths and 1,567 new coronavirus cases, according to according to a handout from Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the latest figure, the country’s total caseload reached to 3,47,372 while 4,913 people died so far due to the coronavirus.

Read Also: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 32 more die, 1567 infected in 24 hrs