Cumilla
Cumilla woman gives birth to quadruplets
A woman has given birth to quadruplets (four babies) at Cumilla Modern Hospital.
Sadia Akter, the proud mother, is the wife of Zillur Rahman of Suagazi Lalbagh in Sadar Dakkhin upazila of the district.
Read: ASI killed in Cumilla road crash
She gave birth to two boys and two girls on Wednesday, according to doctors.
Zillur, the father, said the babies are now in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital.
Dr Shhida Akter, who helped the woman deliver the babies, said, “We are happy that the four babies and their mother are all doing fine."
Read: Cumilla-7 MP Prof Ali Ashraf passes away
The first child weighs 1,100 gm, the second one 1,000 gm, the third one 900 gm and the fourth one 800 gm, she said.
ASI killed in Cumilla road crash
A police officer was killed in a road crash Tuesday afternoon at Devpur area of Cumilla-Sylhet highway as two motorcycles collided.
The deceased was identified as Raki Chandra Singh, an assistant sub-Inspector of Nabinagar police station in Brahmanbaria.
Police citing the eyewitnesses said Raki Chandra Singh was on his way to Cumilla Cantonment. At Devpur area of the Cumilla-Sylhet highway, while he was trying to overtake a vehicle he collided head-on with another motorbike coming from the opposite direction.
Also read: Policeman 'killed' in Dhaka road accident
After the accident both the bikers fell on the road being seriously injured. Locals rushed them to Mainamati Medical College Hospital.
Later in a critical condition, assistant sub-Inspector Raki was taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared him dead.
Meanwhile, the critically injured other biker Rafi Ullah was sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment after initial treatment.
Also read: 3 dead as van crashes into parked tractor in Cumilla
Assistant Sub-Inspector of Highway Police Abdur Rashid confirmed the death of assistant sub-Inspector Raki and said the motorbikes were recovered from the spot.
3 dead as van crashes into parked tractor in Cumilla
Three persons were killed and another was hurt after a speeding van ploughed into a tractor trolley parked along the busy Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Chandina upazila early on Thursday.
Of the deceased, two were daily wagers loading sand on to the tractor trolley. Police said that they were crushed to death under the van that rammed the tractor trolley and overturned. The van driver, cops said, also died in the impact of the crash.
Read: Two youths killed in Naogaon road crash
The deceased were identified as daily wagers -- Nurul Islam, 40, a resident of Harikhola village in Cumilla's Chandina upazila, and Foizar Rahman, 40, of Savar in Dhaka. Liton, 40, was the driver of the van.
According to the highway police, Nurul and Foizar were loading sand on to the tractor trolley in front of a market in the Harikhola Mazar area in the morning when the Dhaka-bound van crashed into the tractor trolley after its driver lost control of the vehicle.
A unit of Chandina Fire Service carried out the rescue operation. Nurul and Foizar died on the spot, while Liton succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.
Md Rahmat Ullah, Superintendent of Police of Highway Police Cumilla Region, said that the injured tractor driver, Amir Hossain, has been shifted to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital. "A probe has been ordered into the accident."
Read: 2 killed in city road crash
Road accidents in Bangladesh
Road accidents are common in Bangladesh and have been a major cause of deaths.
During the last Eid-ul-Fitr holiday rush, road accidents claimed 323 lives in just 15 days, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Shamiti, a human rights body.
Besides, 513 people, including 63 children, were killed and 598 injured in 409 road accidents across the country in March, said Road Safety Foundation on April 5.
According to the NGO, 147 lives were lost in 138 motorcycle accidents, which is 28.65% of the total deaths.
Read: Three killed in Thakurgaon road crash
In a report released in February 2020, the World Bank pointed out that Bangladesh needs to invest an estimated $7.8 billion over the next decade to halve its road crash fatalities.
The report attributed the high death rate on Bangladesh’s roads to lack of investments in systemic, targeted, and sustained road safety programmes.
Cumilla Victoria College campus turns into den of drug dealing, sex workers amid closure due to pandemic
The Cumilla Victoria College campus has been closed for over a year due to the pandemic.
About 25,000 students study in 22 departments of the degree branch of Comilla Victoria Government College. Poet Nazrul Islam Hostel and Nawab Faizunnesa Hall provide residential facilities to thousands of students. Besides, several thousand students live in rented houses in Dharmapur area.
But the closed campus and dormitories are now a den for drug addicts and sex workers. Disregarding police patrols during the lockdown, drug dealers roam the college campus to sell drugs.
Read:Covid claims 10 more lives, infects 451 others in 24 hours in Cumilla
The closed dormitories are occupied by sex workers and drug addicts during night time. College authorities say a police outpost in Dharmapur is needed to solve the problem.
According to several reliable sources, outsiders enter the Kandirpar Higher Secondary Branch of the college by scaling the the walls at night and stay there taking drugs. Sex workers enter the closed building of the New Hostel in the dark of night.
Drug addicts gather regularly behind the septic tanks and the toilets of the degree branch examination building and Zia Auditorium, in front of the Motaher Hossain Central Library building, on the ground floor of Kotha Bhaban, and in some special rooms of Science Bhaban-2.
Covid claims 10 more lives, infects 451 others in 24 hours in Cumilla
Ten more people died from Covid-19 in Cumilla in the last 24 hours till Monday morning, pushing the death toll in the district to 536.
The district has also recorded 451 new cases during the time, taking the tally to 17,559. Among them, 171 are from the city corporation area.
Read: Covid shatters all records in Bangladesh with 230 single-day deaths, 11,856 cases
The positivity rate in the district now stands at 41.07 %, said Civil Surgeon Dr Mir Mobarak Hossain.
"Of the deceased, 5 were men and 5 women. All of them were aged between 60 and 85 years," he added.
The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh is getting more fatal with every passing day, as the country saw the highest-ever 230 deaths and 11,856 new cases till Sunday morning.
Read:Covid nightmare in Barisal division: Record caseload of 710 reported
With the new numbers, Bangladesh’s death tally hit 16,419 while the caseload 1,021,189, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Earlier, Bangladesh reported its highest daily Covid-19 fatality of 212 on July 9, and 11, 651 cases on July 8.
However, the country’s daily case positivity rate fell to 29.67% from Saturday’s 31.46%, as 40,015 samples were tested during the period.
Read: 1200-bed Covid dedicated hospital to be set up in BSMMU
The fatality rate today rose to 1.61% from Saturday’s 1.60%, said the DGHS.
Bangladesh has been seeing over 150 deaths for a week since its logging 164 deaths on July 4. Also, the average new daily detected cases remained over 10,000 for the last seven days.
4 killed in Cumilla road crash
Four people were killed in two separate road crashes in Cumilla.
Three passengers of a private car were killed and another injured when a bus hit the car on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Comilla's Sadar Dakshin upazila's Suagazi area.
The deceased were identified as Fakhrul Alam Dulal, 52, of Hamandi area of Laxmiipur Sadar, Miraj Hossain (18) son Mubarak Hossain of capital’s Khilgaon Taltola and private car driver Belal Hossain (35), son of Abdul Majid of Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur.
Also read: 3 die in Cumilla road crash
Officer-in-charge of Mainamati Highway Police Station Anisur Rahman said the private car was on its way to Chattogram. It was hit by a Dhaka-bound Shyamoli Paribahan while it was taking a U-turn in front of Hotel Kanan in Suagazi area around 3 am on Thursday. Two passengers died on the spot and the driver died on the way to Dhaka for treatment, he added.
The other incident occurred at Dighirpara of Harisardar Bazar in Cumilla's Chauddagram upazila on Friday morning when a three wheeler was hit by a lorry. A school girl killed and three others were injured in it.
The deceased was identified as Lamia Akhter (8), daughter of Khalilur Rahman of Natapara area under Akter upazila and a second grade student at Natapara Government Primary School.
Also read: 4 killed in Bhola road accident
Bechu Mia, the autorickshaw driver said Lamia was hurt on the head as the lorry hit the autorickshaw.
She was rushed to Comilla Medical College from where she was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as her condition deteriorated.
She died on the way to DMCH, Bechu Mia futher said.
Women's Football: Bashundhara crush Cumilla 9-0
Bashundhara Kings maintain a 100% win record in the Women's Football League 2020-21, crushing Cumilla United 9-0 at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium Monday.
With the day's victory, star-studded Kings topped the league table securing 15 points from five straight matches.
Shamsunnahar Junior netted a hat-trick, Tohura Khatun and Sabina Khatun scored two goals each while Krishna Rani Sarkar and Ritu Porna scored one each for the winners.
READ: World Cup qualifiers: Bangladesh continue fitness training
In the day's other match, Nasrin Sports Academy played out a 2-2 draw with FC Brahmanbaria at the same venue in the afternoon.
After a barren first half, Shopna Akter (49th min) and Kursia Jannat (54th min) scored one each for Nasrin Academy while Munmun Akter (75th min) and Munni Akter (90+8 min) netted one each for FC Brahmanbaria.
READ: BCL Football: NoFel beat Uttara 2-0
6 killed by lightning strikes in Sirajganj, Cumilla
Six people have been killed as lightning struck them in separate places in Sirajganj and Cumilla districts.
In Sirajganj, four people including two women were killed in lightning strikes in Shahzadpur and Ullapra upazilas on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Nazmul, 15, son of Azam Bepari and Hashem Ali, 25, son of Azgarh Ali of Dugli village, Shakera Khatun, 60 of Chithulia village in Shahzadpur upazila and Mohona Khatun, 17, daughter of Mosharraf Hossai of Ullapara upazila.
Read:Lightning strikes kill 10 across country, including 6 in Jamalpur
Shahid Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Shahzadpur Police Station, said Shakera Khatun died when a thunderbolt struck her while working in the yard in the evening.
Nazmul and Hashem Ali also met the tragic death as thunderbolt struck them amid rain.
Besides, a streak of thunderbolt struck Mohana while she was working near her house at West Krishtapur village in Ullapara.
In Cumilla, two fishermen were killed and two others injured in a lightning strike while fishing in the Kanthalia river at Jagannathkandi in Homna upazila on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Md Alamgir, son of Afaz Uddin alias Afal Mia and Titu Chandra Das, son of Nepal Chandra Das.
Injured Amulya Chandra Das and Nepal Chandra Das were admitted to the Upazila Health Complex. Then Amulya Chandra Das was sent to Dhaka as his condition deteriorated.
No 1 Mathabhanga Union Parishad Chairman Nazirul Haque Bhuiyan confirmed the matter.
Read: Lightning strikes kill 3, including child, in Chapainawabganj
Lightning strikes claim hundreds of lives in Bangladesh every year. The deaths mostly occur in the warmer period of the year from April to June, as hailstorms occur most frequently during this time.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in a guideline says lightning usually continues for 30-45 minutes and urged people to stay indoors or take cover during the period.
206 India returnees put in 14-day quarantine in Cumilla
A total of 206 Bangladeshis, who returned from India through the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria district, have been sent to Cumilla to stay in 14-day institutional quarantine, said officials.
Local administration sources said the Bangladeshi nationals returned home through Akhaura Land Port in the last five days and all of them have been kept at the eight quarantine centres in Cumilla as all the isolation centres in Brahmanbaria are full.
Read: 3 India returnees test positive for Covid in Magura
However, no one tested positive for Covid-19, Mohammad Abu Syed, Cumilla Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) told UNB on Saturday.
The returnees hail from Cumilla, Feni, Chandpur, Noakhali and Brahmanbaria districts.
Four executive magistrates and health officials are there to ensure the health protocols, said the UNO.
As India has been experiencing a new strain of Covid-19, the government has imposed restrictions along the border areas of Bangladesh.
Read:36 India returnees sent to Cumilla for institutional quarantine
According to the World Health Organisation, the Indian variant has already spread to 60 countries across the world.
The Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days could enter Bangladesh only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari after taking permission from Bangladesh diplomatic missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala and with a mandatory Covid-negative certificates done through PCR test within 72 hours of entry.
Villagers thrash 6 DNC members in Cumilla
Local people thrashed six members of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) suspecting them as ‘extortionists’ during a drive at Zafarganj in Debidwar Upazila of Cumilla district on Wednesday.
A video of the incident went viral on social media.
Police and witnesses said a six-member team of the DNC’s Cumilla office -- inspector Abu Bakar Siddique, assistant sub-inspectors Uttambaran Debnath and Abul Kashem; sepoys Shariful Islam, Mithun Chandra Robi Das and driver Rafiqul Islam -- went to Bazlu Mia’s house in the vicinity of the Gumati River in the area.
They raided the house to arrest Bazlu’s son Russel Islam for his alleged involvement in drug peddling, but he was not there at home at that moment.
Russel’s sister, Moyna Akhter, alleged that the DNC officials themselves kept some drug substances in their house and later claimed that her brother had brought it there as he has involvement in drug peddling.
“They threatened to arrest me and my elderly mother if we don’t give them information about the whereabouts of Ruseel or Tk 20,000 in bribe. Later, I gave them Tk 6,000 and settled the matter,” she said.
As local people came to know about the matter, Moyna said they halted the DNC members while they were leaving the area.
At one stage, angry people started beating them suspecting them as extortionists and fake officials.
Three DNC members fled the spot in the face of mass beating while the rest three were taken to the house of a local senior police official who came home receiving the death news of his brother.
Being informed by the police official, Debidwar Brahmanpara circle ASP Amir Ullah and Debidwar Police Station OC Arifur Rahman visited the spot and brought the situation under control.
ASP Amir Ullah said the DNC team had been to the area to conduct an anti-drug drive and recovered some drug substances from Russel’s house.
He said there was a misunderstanding between local people and the DNC members as Russel’s family said there was no drug in their house.
Amir said they found Tk 6,000 in the wallet of a DNC official. “But there was more money with Tk 6,000 in the wallet. So, it’s difficult to prove that the DNC team took that money from Russel’s family.”
He said they informed the DNC high officials about the matter to take necessary steps after investigation.