Cox’s Bazar
Drug peddler killed in Cox’s Bazar gunfight
A suspected drug peddler was killed in a gunfight with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar early Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Md Mamun, 23, son of Abu Siddique of Meena Bazar of the upazila.
Commanding officer of BGB-2 Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Foysal Hasan said acting on a tip about drug smuggling, BGB members took position at Sluice Gate-7 area of the Naf River adjacent to Meena Bazaar and Nayabazar in Teknaf.
At one stage, the criminals opened fire on the BGB men when they challenged the smugglers, leaving two BGB members injured, and forcing them to fire back in self-defence that triggered a gunfight.
After the gunfight, the BGB team found one of the smugglers with bullet wounds and sent him to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex where he succumbed to his injuries.
BGB members also recovered one lakh Yaba pills and a gun from the spot.
The body has been kept at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy, the BGB official said.
A case will be filed in this regard, he added.
‘Arms factory’ busted in Cox’s Bazar; 3 Rohingys held
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in a drive on Monday unearthed an ‘arms making factory’ and arrested three Rohingyas from near a Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
Ten firearms and a huge quantity of arms making equipment were seized during the drive conducted on a hill adjacent to Extension-4 Rohingya camp in the early morning, said Rab-15 commander Lt Col Khairul Islam.
Read:Alleged ARSA leader found dead at Rohingya camp
The arrestees are Md Baitullah, 19, his brother Habib Ullah of Kutupalong camp C-1 and Mohammd Hasun,24 of G block of the camp.
Services resume at Cox’s Bazar municipal council after 23 hours of suspension
Cox’s Bazar municipal council resumed civic services on Monday afternoon, a day after stopping the work to protest a case filed against the city’s mayor.
The services were suspended on Sunday afternoon after mayor Mujibur Rahman was sued for an attempted murder of a former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader. This caused an immense suffering to the locals seeking services during the time.
At 2 pm Monday Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury, the panel mayor 1, who is also organizing secretary of district Awami League, announced the resumption of services at a press briefing.
Mahbubur said, “The indefinite suspension of services was called in protest against the case filed against the mayor. It has been lifted as we got assurance in a meeting that the case will be withdrawn.”
On October 27, around 9:30pm former BCL leader Monaf was shot by some miscreants in front of a market in Cox’s Bazar Sugandha Beach Point. He was at first rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital and later was transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
A case was filed in this regard accusing municipal mayor and general secretary of district AL Mujibur Rahman and some others named and unnamed people upon a complaint lodged by Monaf’s brother Shahjahan.
On Sunday, as the news of the case filing spread, members of the ruling party took position at the Sugandha, Kalatali, Laboni Beach points and other important points and demonstrated by lighting fire.
The demonstrations disrupted normal life in the tourist city for hours.
Cox’s Bazar gears up to become world-class tourist destination
With the easing of restrictions at home and abroad, Bangladesh’s tourism sector looks forward to a quick recovery from the huge losses it has suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both the government and private operators are banking more on Cox’s Bazar that boasts of the world’s longest unbroken sandy beach along the Bay of Bengal.
For attracting both globetrotters and local holidaymakers Bangladesh government has taken up a master plan centring the most frequented tourist spot in the country, Cox’s Bazar. The multiphase plan aims to redesign the region into an exclusive and international tour magnet.
After the setback caused by the pandemic, this plan appeared as an effort to regain the momentum of Bangladesh tourism which will become visible within two years.
Detailed master plan
Chairman of Cox’s Bazar Development Authority Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Forkan Ahmed told UNB the preparation to implement the master plan has started from a small part of the district at first and it will be implemented in phases.
The administrative nod to the Development Project Plan sent for this master plan covering 690.67 acre square kilometres of the district has already been provided, said Forkan.
A year has been invested in the planning phase just to collect opinions and suggestions of the locals for turning Cox’s Bazar into the planned, modern and dream tourism capital of Bangladesh, he said.
Forkan said the master plan includes details of the locations of hotels, resorts, rest houses, hospitals and houses to be built and where restrictions will be imposed for movements.
“The whole plan will also be implemented considering the conservation of biodiversity of the region,” he added.
Gun attack on madrasa in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp; 6 dead
In a predawn gun attack on a madrasa at Cox’s Bazar Ukhiya Rohingya Camp on Friday left six people dead, police said.
Four of the deceased were identified as madrasa teacher Md Idris,32, from camp-12; Ibrahim Hossain,24, from camp-9; madrasa student Azizul Haque,22, and Md Amin,32, both from camp-18. They died on the spot.
Read: Want killing nowhere: Momen about Mohib Ullah murder
Later, Nur Alam alias Halim,45, a madrasa teacher from camp-18, Hamidullah,55, another madrasa teacher from camp-24 and student Nur kaysar, 15, from camp-18 succumbed to their wounds while being treated at a healthcare facility of a Rohingya camp.
Superintendent of Police Shihab Kaysar and head of Armed Police Battalion-8 (APBn) said miscreants attacked Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Al-Islamiyah Madrasa at block H-52 of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camp-18 around 4 am, leaving four people dead on the spot.
4 held over Mohib Ullah murder; 7-day remand sought for 2
Four suspects have so far been arrested in connection with Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah’s murder at Lambashia camp-1 in Ukhiya.
Of them, Selim and Shawkat were presented before Cox’s Bazar Judicial Magistrate’s court on Saturday as Ukhiya police sought a seven-day remand to interrogate them.
The court set Sunday to hear the remand plea, said sub-sub-inspector Chandan Kumar Chakrawarty at the court.
Shawkat was arrested on Saturday afternoon from a Kutupalong Rohingya camp, said officer-in-charge of Ukhiya police station Sanjur Morshed.
Also read: Rohingya leader Mohibullah assassinated
Armed Police Battalion (APBn) personnel arrested Ziaur and Salam on Friday early morning from Kutupalong camps and Selim on Friday noon from Kutupalong camp-6.
SP Naimul Haque, commander of the 14th APBn, said the three arrestees were later handed over to Ukhiya police station.
Since Mohib Ullah’s murder, patrol by police and APBn personnel been beefed up at the Rohingya camps, the SP added.
On Thursday night, police registered a murder case over Mohib Ullah’s murder following a complaint from Mohib Ullah’s brother Habib Ullah, said officer-in-charge Sanjur Morshed.
Unknown assailants gunned down Mohib on Wednesday night. He was first taken to a local medical facility and later shifted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Read: Mohib's murder: FIR lodged, probe in full swing, say police
He was buried in Lambashia camp-1 in Ukhiya upazila on Thursday afternoon after his namaz-e-janaza, which was attended by a large number of Rohingya refugees from camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas.
Formerly a teacher in Myanmar, the slain activist was popularly known as Master Mohib Ullah among the Rohingya refugees. He was the head of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) at Kutupalong camp.
BRAC to hold advocacy on protection of Rohingyas, host community
Development organization BRAC has taken up a plan by giving maximum priority to the protection issue of Rohingyas as well as the host community (local community).
Speakers disclosed this at a camp-based Shurokkha Bondhus’ orientation on Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
Safeguarding Unit under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC arranged the two-day event which concluded at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar district town on Tuesday.
Advocacy activities on the matter aimed at creating awareness among BRAC employees will be strengthened further in the days to come.
Read: Brac for increasing partner NGOs' capacity to better serve people
A total of 45 officials from senior management of BRAC attended the event on the concluding day.
A total of 34 employees from 34 Rohingya camps of HCMP of BRAC attended the first day programme.
SK Jenefa K Jabbar, Director of Human Rights and Legal Aid Services, Social Compliance and Safeguarding unit of BRAC, attended as a facilitator from an online platform on the last day.
Farjana Siddiqua, Manager of Training and Safeguarding Unit under Human Resources Division of HCMP, moderated the first day’s event.
Tahmina Yesmin, Team Lead of Safeguarding Unit of HR Division of BRAC Head Office, acted as the facilitator, while Tilon Andrews, Manager of Safeguarding Unit of BRAC Head Office, attended as trainer on the first day.
Read: Rana Plaza victims get support from Brac amid Covid-19
The training was organized for ensuring safe work atmosphere for Rohingyas and the host community, and raising awareness among all the employees of BRAC on protection from exploitation and discrimination.
Hasina Akhter Huq, Area Director of HCMP of BRAC, hoped that ‘Shurokkha Bondhus’, who took training from field level, will strengthen advocacy activities to raise awareness about the matter at Rohingya as well as the host communities.
15,000 people in Cox’s Bazar receive UNHCR’s aid1
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has distributed financial aid among 15,000 people in Cox’s Bazar.
UNHCR sent Tk 2500 each through bKash to the pandemic-hit most vulnerable individuals and people living in extreme poverty in Cox’s Bazar, said a media release on Thursday.
Especially, people who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, people with disability, the elderly, widows, hawkers, transgender, hotel staff received the financial aid.
READ: UNHCR issues non-return advisory for Afghanistan
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society carried out the project as local implementation partner of UNHCR.
Md. Kamrul Hasan, Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram formally inaugurated the financial aid disbursement through bKash at Cox’s Bazar DC Office recently.
Among others, Md Mamunur Rashid, Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, Ita Schuette, Head of Office for UNHCR in Cox’s Bazar, Imam Zafar Sikder, Disaster Response Director of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Mehmud Ashique Iqbal, Vice President and Md. Somel Reza Khan, Deputy General Manager from Commercial division of bKash, were present.
READ: UNHCR ready to support rescue work after Rohingya boat capsize
'Drug peddler’ killed in Cox’s Bazar gunfight
A suspected drug peddler was killed in a reported gunfight with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam.
Read: ‘Drug peddler’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with BGB in Cox’s Bazar
Acting on a tip-off, a RAB-15 team raided the Jaliapalong area in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district around 8.30 pm, said commanding officer Wing Commander Azim Ahmed on Thursday.
When the elite force confronted the alleged drug peddler, he opened fire in a bid to escape, but was killed in retaliatory firing by the RAB team.
The RAB personnel seized 10,000 pieces of Yaba, a revolver and three bullets from the possession of the deceased.
Krishak League leader shot dead in Cox’s Bazar
A leader of local unit of Krishak League was gunned down by some unidentified miscreants at Fasiakhali Ghonapara in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Sarwar Kamal, general secretary of Fasiakhali union unit of Krishak League.
Some 10-12 miscreants attacked Sarwar and shot him around 10:30 am, leaving him dead on the spot, said Shaker Mohammad Zobair, officer-in-charge of Chakaria Police Station.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy