Cox’s Bazar
2 dead, dozens shot in Cox’s Bazar gun violence centring election
Two people were shot dead while at least 31 suffered bullet wounds in election-related gunfights in Cox's Bazar Monday morning.
The deceased were identified as Abul Kalam (40) and Abdul Hakim.
An initial incident took place at Noapara Madrasa Center in Qutubjom Union of Maheshkhali Island.
Read:Woman killed in Bagerhat UP polls violence
According to witnesses, supporters of Awami League candidate Sheikh Kamal and rebel candidate of the same party Mosharraf Hossain Khokon locked horns as they tried to seize control of the center around 9 am.
Things turned fatal when what started as a brawl turned into a straight up gunfight between rival goons.
Abul Kalam died and six others were wounded during this time.
Confirming the matter, Maheshkhali Police Station OC Abdul Hai said, "I have received news of one death in the clash between the two sides. The injured have been rushed to hospital.”
The second incident took place at Baragop union of Kutubdia upazila.
Confirming the matter, the Officer-in charge of Kutubdia Police Station Omar Haider said that a man named Abdul Halim was shot dead and as many as 25 were wounded in a clash between supporters of two candidates.
Details on the incident would be informed soon, he said.
Balloting at 160 union parishads spread across six districts began at 8am Monday and will continue till 4pm without any break.
In Cox’s Bazar, voting started in the 1st phase of elections in Chakaria and Maheshkhali municipalities of Cox's Bazar and 14 union parishads of four upazilas.
Earlier, our Cox's Bazar correspondent reported that balloting was moving at a snail’s pace, after visiting the Saborong High School polling center in Teknaf.
Read: UP elections: Voting underway in 160 union parishads, 9 municipalities
Till 11am, 3 hours into voting, just 150 out of nearly 3,000 voters registered to vote at the centre had cast their vote. Both men and women were seen standing in long queues waiting impatiently to exercise their right to franchise, and there was tension.
If the status quo continued, the voting scenario at the district might turn chaotic real soon, pur correspondent had warned
According to the Cox's Bazar District Election Office, the number of voters in Maheshkhali municipality of the district is 19,484 and in Chakaria municipality 48,724. There are 59 booths in 10 polling stations in Maheshkhali and 139 booths in 16 polling stations in Chakaria municipality.
The total number of voters in 14 unions of Pekua, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and Teknaf upazilas of the district is 311,234 people.
The large number of injured means the death toll may rise, even without any further outbreaks of violence.
Deep depression weakened into depression, Maritime ports asked to lower signal
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to lower signal as the deep depression over Odisha-Jarkhand and adjoining area moved west-northwestwards further, weakened into a depression.
It was centered at 3 pm on Tuesday over Chhattisgarh and adjoining area.
It is likely to move in a northwesterly direction further and weaken gradually, said a Met office bulletin.
Read: Signal 3 for maritime ports as depression intensifies into deep depression
Squally weather is unlikely over North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to proceed with caution till morning tomorrow.
‘Drug peddler’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with BGB in Cox’s Bazar
A suspected Yaba peddler was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) in the Naf River in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Sunday.
The identity of the deceased could not be known yet.
A patrol team of BGB-2 noticed a boat with some people in the Naf River along the bordering area and challenged the boat early in the morning, said Commanding officer of BGB-2 Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Foysal Hasan.
Read: Two youths killed in Keraniganj ‘gunfight’
At one stage, the criminals opened fire on the BGB men, forcing them to fire back that triggered a gunfight.
After a brief gunfight, the BGB men recovered a bullet-hit body of a man and recovered 3.40 lakh Yaba pills and a gun from the spot.
Much-loved train journeys to Cox’s Bazar likely in 2 years
The government wants to connect Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar through a railway network to facilitate the movement of tourists but the crucial project taken in this regard has got stuck in limbo due to the Covid-19 pandemic, officials say.
They hope that a direct railway connection with Cox’s Bazar may change fortunes in the beach town as tourists always want to reach their destinations without hazards for their perfect vacationing.
Once completed, the officials said, the 102-km new dual gauge single railway line from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar will provide “pleasurable and relaxing” journeys for travelers, and this in turn will boost the economy along the railway alignment.
READ: Flood-affected people in Cox’s Bazar cry for food and drinking water
The Tk 18,035-crore project, designated by the government as one of the top 10 priority projects in Bangladesh, is being implemented in two lots.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is implementing the Lot-2 (Chakaria to Cox’s Bazar) of the project together with Bangladesh joint venture partner MAX Infrastructure Limited, while China Railway Group Ltd (CREC) and Toma Construction JV are implementing Lot-1 (from Dohazari to Chakaria).
BRAC university student drowns in Cox’s Bazar
A BRAC University student drowned on Wednesday while bathing in the sea along Cox’s Bazar beach, local police said.
The dead was identified as Taufique Mokbul (22), a resident of Dhaka's Adabor area. He was a third year student of the Computer Science department of the university.
Cox's Bazar Zone Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mohi Uddin said the Taufique was with a group of three friends who were bathing in the sea at Hotel Seagull Point of Cox's Bazar sea beach around 1:30pm.
READ: 2 children drown in Gaibandha pond
When they were washed away by the tide, lifeguards rescued them and brought them to a nearby medical facility where the on duty doctor declared Taufique dead.
Cox's Bazar District Administration Executive Magistrate (Tourism Cell) Murad Islam also confirmed the student’s death.
2 Rohingyas killed by lightning strike in Cox’s Bazar
Two Rohingyas were killed and three others injured in a lightning strike at Ukhia in Cox's Bazar.
Mohammad Harej, 35, and Nazimul Hasan, 25, were killed in the lighting strike while they were repairing their father-in-law’s house at their nearby camp in the morning, said Mohammad Shamsuddouza Nayan, Additional Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner.
Read: Lightning strike kills 17 in Chapainawabganj, injures 11
The injured are being treated at a field hospital, he added.
Case against 12 for killing Asian elephant in Cox’s Bazar; 1 arrested
Police arrested a man Tuesday in South Khuniapalang area in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar for electrocuting an Asian elephant and trying to bury it after cutting off its head and legs.
The arrestee was identified as Nazir Hamed, 48, said Mizanul Islam in-charge of Himchari police outpost.
According to locals, Nazir and his sons Tayab Ali, 34, Md Alam, 22, and Jafar Alam, 20, planted electrocuted cables in their fields to save their crops from attack by wild elephants.
On Tuesday early morning a herd of elephants came down from a nearby hill and the locals started chasing them.
At one point a mother elephant got stuck in the electrocuted cables and died.
While they were cutting up the elephant to bury it, police and officials of the Forest Department arrived on the scene and arrested Nazir.
A case under Wildlife Preservation Act was filed in this regard against twelve including Nazir and his sons, said Humayun Kabir, divisional officer of the Cox’s Bazar south.
The elephant’s body was buried after a postmortem, he said
This is a very sad incident as there were just 163 Asian elephants in the forest area of Cox’s Bazar and 20 of them bred in the last two years, said Humayun.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Ramu Pranay Chakma said a drive is underway to arrest the others involved.
Bangladesh to be turned into a global aviation hub: Hasina
Highlighting the potential of Cox’s Bazar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government wants to turn Bangladesh into a global aviation hub that will help accelerate the country’s current economic march forward.
“Considering Bangladesh’s geographical position, we want to make the country the centre of global aviation so that our country is greatly benefited economically,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the groundbreaking activities of the extension of Cox’s Bazar Airport runway.
She joined the programme from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Given the perspective of the aviation industry, Hasina said, the position of Cox’s Bazar is very significant.
Read:PM talks tough against corruption by public servants
Sinha murder case trial: Court records testimonial statements for 2nd day
On the second day of recording statements of the witnesses in the Maj. (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case trial, the second witness, Sifat gave testimonial statement before a Cox’s Bazar court Tuesday.
The court was adjourned at 8pm and on Wednesday it will continue recording statement of Sifat and defense lawyers will cross-question him, said public prosecutor advocate Faridul Alam.
Recording statement of the second witness started in the afternoon after plaintiff Sharmin Shahria’s statement was cross-questioned by three defense lawyers including the lawyers of accused suspended OC Pradeep and Inspector Liakat Ali.
On Monday, the trial proceedings of the sensational murder case began with recording the testimonial statement of Sinha’s sister and plaintiff of the case Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous. Thirteen lawyers representing the defendants questioned her.
READ: Sinha murder: Defence lawyers allegedly obstruct trial
After completing the recording the statement of Sharmin, the court today was supposed to record statements of other five witnesses but due to shortage of time it couldn’t, said public prosecutor Faridul Alam.
All the 15 accused in the case were presented before the court during the trial today.
On July 31 last year, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.
On August 5, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, 2020, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case filed over Sinha's murder at a checkpost manned by APBn, where officers of the Teknaf police station intercepted Sinha's car.
All of the 15 accused of the charge sheet are currently in jail. Of them 12 have given confessional statement before court except OC Pradeep Kumar Das, constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.
READ: HC refuses bail to another 3 accused in Sinha murder case
Other accused of the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
74 Rohingyas held in Chattogram
Police arrested 78 Rohingyas, who fled Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp, from Boalkhali upazila of Chattogram district on Monday night.
Sumon Kanti Dey, sub-inspector of Boalkhali Police Station, said the Rohigyas were working at different lemon orchards in the area.
Read:Involve locals in Rohingya management: Speakers
They used to live at the rented houses in Buali Kalandar Shah Shrine gate area of the upazila as the owners of the orchard has long been involved in hiring the Rohingyas at a low wages, said local people.
On information, a team of police arrested them from Buali Kalandar Shah Shrine gate area in the night.
Read:Bodies of 11 Rohingya boat escapees from Bhasan Char recovered
The arrestees will be produced before a court after filling of a case, said Mohamamd Abdul Karim, officer-in-charge of Boalkhali Police Station.
Earlier on June 26, police arrested 31 Rohingya people from the upazila.