Rajshahi
US envoy Haas visits Rajshahi to promote education, economic engagement
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas and USAID Mission Director Kathryn Stevens on Tuesday concluded a multi-day trip to Rajshahi from July 24-26 to promote US higher education and US government funded-exchange programmes, economic engagement, and law enforcement cooperation in the region.
They met with local government leaders, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, US Department of State exchange programme alumni, students, and teachers.
The delegation paid a courtesy visit to Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton to discuss the US government’s collaborative efforts in partnering with the government of Bangladesh through the Department of State, Department of Justice, and USAID programmes over the past five decades.
Ambassador Haas and Mission Director Stevens attended a USAID-funded “Fight Slavery and Trafficking in Persons” project event to celebrate the formation of a counter trafficking task force including special tribunal judges.
Applauding the work of the judges and the prosecutors, Ambassador Haas said, “The establishment of these tribunals and task force reflects the Government of Bangladesh’s sincerity in punishing the perpetrators of human trafficking.”
Admission seekers’ blockade snaps Dhaka’s rail link with other parts for over 3 hrs
Train movement between Dhaka and other parts of the country remained suspended for three and half an hour on Wednesday as some admission seekers put up barricade on rail tracks at Airport Rail Station demanding tickets to go to Rajshahi for admission test.
Sardar Shahadat Ali, additional director general (operation) of Bangladesh Railway said a group of admission seekers took position on rail tracks at Airport station around 9:30 am as they failed to get tickets to go to Rajshahi to appear for the university admission test.
Read: Lone rail protestor forced to call off program at Kamalapur
Rajshahi-bound ‘Nilsagar Express’ train and other trains at different stations remained stranded due to the protests, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
The protesters also said the railway authorities told them that all the tickets of the Rajshahi-bound train were sold.
The train communication was restored around 12:30 pm after the authorities concerned assured of taking steps to facilitate their travel to Rajshahi.
Education Minister embarrassed by assault on Rajshahi college principal
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Sunday said assault on a college principal allegedly by Awami League lawmaker from Rajshahi-1 constituency Omar Faruk Chowdhury has embarrassed her much.
The minister said this while replying to a question from journalists at the secretariat after the announcement of the new schedule for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations.
“We don’t have the authority to take action against a parliament member. But we may go the parliament speaker, if needed after getting the probe report over the incident,” she said.
Also read: Rajshahi MP, college principal trash media report on assault on teacher by MP
On July 7, MP Omar Faruk allegedly physically assaulted Principal of Rajabari Degree College Selim Reza, according to different media reports.
The next day, National University formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident.
However, on July 14, Omar Faruk Chowdhury and principal Selim Reza both trashed the media reports at a press conference held at the MP’s political office in presence of Abdul Awal Raju, principal of Matikata Degree College and others.
Selim Reza said Abdul Awal had called him to visit MP Faruk’s office where he found seven other principals and vice-principals of different colleges after reaching. “Later an altercation began among us over forming principal forum committee and other internal issues.”
“MP Omar Faruk had to intervene to stop us, nothing else happened that day,” he said.
Also read: SSC, equivalent exams to begin on September 15: Dipu Moni
MP Omar Faruk said a syndicate provided false information to create issues and different media presented distorted version the incident of clash among the college teachers. “I mainly called them to exchange Eid greetings but they locked into an argument and principal Selim and Abdul Awal attacked each other which I had to stop,” he added.
No respite from heatwave in next 24 hour
A mild to moderate heatwave sweeping through Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, and Tangail, Sylhet and Chuadanga districts may not abate in the next 24 hours, the weather office has said.
However, light to moderate rains or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty winds are likely to occur at some places over Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the rainfall activity may increase at the end of next 72 hours.
Also read: Sylhet sizzles: Thursday hottest July day in 66 years!
Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country during the next 24 hours.
The highest temperature in the country was recorded at 39 degrees Celsius in Sayedpur upazila of Rangpur till 6am on Saturday.
Also read: Mild heatwave sweeps 19 districts
Youth stabbed dead in Rajshahi
A young man was stabbed to death allegedly by his rival in Beldarpara Muktijoddha Sangsad area of the city on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Sohel Rana, son of Abdul Karim of Shiroil Colony area of the city. He was an employee of Rajshahi Railways department.
Read: BCL leader stabbed dead in Cox’s Bazar
Witnesses said a quarrel broke out between Sohel and Faruq over buying liquor at the house of drug trader Togor. Following the quarrel, Faruq stabbed Sohel with sharp weapons, leaving him seriously injured.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Faruq also sustained injuries but it was not clear how he got hurt during the incident, Mazharul Islam, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalia Police Station.
"We are investigating the incident,” the officer added.
Rajshahi double murder: SC acquits two death-row convicts, commutes sentence of another
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted two death-row convicts and commuted the sentence of another in a case for killing a woman and her daughter in 2008.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order and asked the authorities concerned to free the convicts from the condemn cell as soon as possible.
Those acquitted are Ismail Hossain Babu and Sonadi.
The SC also commuted the death sentence of Tariqul Islam to life imprisonment in the case.
Read:SC suspends bail order by HC to Regent’s Shahed in arms case
Advocate Helal Uddin Molla stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Bashir Ahmed represented the state.
Miliara Khatun and her daughter Parveen of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district were killed on October 10, 2006.
In 2008, a court in Rajshahi sentenced Ismail, Sonadi and Tariqul to death in the double murder case.
Later, the convicts filed separate appeal petitions before the High Court.
In 2014, the High Court upheld the death sentence of the convicts.
59-year-old woman 'ends life' in Rajshahi
A 59-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide in her house in Rajshahi city on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Najma Islam, wife of Nurul Islam, a retired additional deputy commissioner of Rajshahi Police.
Emran Hossain, officer-in-charge of Chandrima police station, said, "After being informed by the family around noon, our team recovered the body from their house in the Padma residential area of the city."
Also read: Teenage girl ‘kills self’ in Sylhet
Though the family members claimed that she ended her life by hanging herself from the ceiling of her room and that they had brought the body down, the OC said, it was sent for an autopsy.
A case of unnatural death has been filed in this regard, he added.
Also read: 24-yr-old student 'kills self' on video call with woman
Road accidents claim 14 lives in 4 divisions
At least 14 people were killed, and 12 were injured in six road accidents in Barishal, Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Khulna divisions Thursday, according to police.
In Barishal city, a motorcyclist and a pillion rider were killed in a crash with a light pole at night.
Twenty-five-year-old Sudipta Saha died on the spot; Antu Saha succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to Sher-e-bangla Medical College Hospital, Lokman Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said.
In Sirajganj, five workers were killed and six others injured when a truck crashed into a mini passenger vehicle, locally known as Leguna, on the busy Hatikumrul-Bonpara highway in the early hours of the day.
The deceased Mukul Hossain, 35, Monir Hossain, 34, Makbul Hossain, 35, Abdul Halim, 45, and Haidar Ali, 40, were occupants of the mini passenger vehicle, Lutfur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Hatikumrul Highway Police, said.
In Bandarban, three people were killed and six others injured as a microbus with nine tourists aboard fell into a roadside ditch in Thanchi.
The deceased were identified as Md Monjurul Islam, 40, of Mymensingh, Md jaynal Abedin, 32, of Faridpur, and Md Hamidul Islam, 41, of Lalbagh, Dhaka, Rakib, sub-inspector of Thanchi Tourist Police, said.
In Khulna city, a 65-year-old-man was killed when a speeding truck hit him at Zero Point.
The deceased Bachchu, a retired banker, was from Masjid Lane, Darogapara of the city, Md Emdadul Haque, officer-in-charge of Harintana Police Station, said.
In Chattogram, three people were killed in road accidents in Anwara, Sitakunda, and Karnaphuli upazilas.
The deceased were identified as Dipankar Nath, 11, of Patiya, and Abdul Hamid, 28, of Karnaphuli, Iftekhar Hossain Munna, 28, of Sitakunda.
In Anwara, a speeding pickup van hit Dipankar while he was crossing the road, killing him on the spot, SM Didarul Islam Shikdar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Anwara Police Station, said.
In Karnaphuli, biker Abdul Hamid sustained serious injuries when his two-wheeled vehicle crashed into a truck in Charlakkhya.
Later, he succumbed to his injuries at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Sadikur Rahman, inspector of CMCH Police Outpost, said.
In Sitakunda, biker Munna was killed after being hit by a covered van in Shitolpur, Nazmul Haque, officer-in-charge of Baro Aulia Highway Police, said.
Road accidents in Bangladesh continue to claim hundreds of lives every year.
As many as 543 people, including 81 children, were killed and 612 others injured in 427 road accidents in April, the Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released on May 7.
The non-government organisation said 206 lives were lost in 189 motorcycle accidents, which is 37.93 percent of the total deaths.
Also read: 1,674 children died in Bangladesh road accidents in 28 months, says report
Rajshahi, Chapai both get GI certificate for Fazli
The juicy Fazli variety of mangoes has been declared as "Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj’s Fazli mango" concluding the hearing about the ownership of the fruit as both the neighbouring district claimed that Fazli mango is their own.
The Department of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (DPDT) of the Ministry of Industries announced the Geographical Indication (GI) certificate for Fazli mango on Tuesday. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, GI is a stamp used on products that have a specific geographical origin.
Alim Uddin, chief scientific officer of Rajshahi Mango Research Centre confirmed the matter to UNB.
The full judgment will be published next Sunday, he added.
If any side has an objection to the judgment, they have been directed to go to court within the next two months.
READ: Early harvesting of mangoes puts Satkhira farmers in trouble
The GI of Fazli mango will be published in the gazette after two months if they do not go to court.
On October 6, 2021, DPDT published an article in its GI journal declaring Fazli mango as "Rajshahi's Fazli mango". The state agency also published it in two international journals as Rajshahi Fruit Research Centre applied for it on March 9, 2017.
Later, Chapainawabganj Krishi Association opposed the GI of Rajshahi for Fazli mango claiming Fazli is its fruit. In this situation, DPDT arranged the hearing.
Alim Uddin, chief scientific officer of Rajshahi Mango Research Centre, and Munzer Alam, general secretary of Chapainawabganj Krishi Association have participated in the hearing on behalf of the respective district.
Alim Uddin said they will take further steps after getting a full copy of the judgment.
Rajshahi Santal farmers commit suicide for not getting irrigation water, police said in chargesheets
The two Santal farmers in Rajshahi committed suicide by consuming poison as the sacked Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) deep tubewell operator did not provide irrigation water for their land timely, police said on Friday.
The police mentioned this in separate chargesheet of the two cases filed over incitement to suicide by the two farmers. It is mentioned in the case statement that Abhinath Marandi and Robi Marandi committed suicide for not getting irrigation water for their land.
Also read: 2 farmers’ suicide in Rajshahi: Krishak League leader held
The Investigating Officer (IO) Mahfuzur Rahman, sub-inspector (SI) of Godagari police station, said the chargesheet in the case of Abhinath Marandi's death was submitted to the Godagari Amli court on April 27. A chargesheet of the the case of incitement to suicide of Rabi Marandi was submitted on April 29 after investigation.
He said the BMDA operator Shakhawat Hossain was charged in the cases following an investigation.
Shakhawat used to harass the indigenous farmers by not providing irrigation water. He used to provide water to the people close to him, said the SI.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi district police Court Inspector Abdur Rafique said the court has accepted two chargesheets.
On March 24, Rabi, 32, a Santal community member of Nimghatu village in Godagari upazila, and his cousin Abhinath, 30, consumed poison in front of Shakhawat.
They took the decision out of anger "as Shakhawat was not giving them a serial number for a long time to get irrigation water supplied to their fields in Iswarpur", according to their family.
Also read: Rajshahi Santal farmers died after consuming poison, confirms autopsy
Abhinath died around 9pm after reaching home on March 24 while Rabi died two days later at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH).
Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani, director of RMCH, confirmed both the brothers died from consumption of poison.
Later, the Agriculture Ministry formed a four-member panel to probe the deaths of the two farmers.
Police arrested Shakhawat, who is also president of no 5 ward unit Krishak League, in connection with the death of two farmers on April 3.