Sherpur
Flash flood submerges fresh areas in Sherpur; Child drowns
Fifteen more villages in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur district have been inundated afresh due to onrush of water from hills, causing immense sufferings to the residents.
A 14-month-old girl named Dia Moni, daughter of Rafiqul islam of Sari Kalinagar village in the upazila, drowned in the flood water while playing at the court yard, said Manirul Alam Bhuiya, officer-in-charge of Jhenaigati Police Station.
Many roads have been inundated by the flood water as three embankments at Moharoshi, Khoilkura, Ramerkura have collapsed, snapping road communications in the area.
Several hundred people have been marooned in the upazila while a number of fish enclosures were washed away that caused huge losses to farmers.
Shubho Basak, executive engineer of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), said a number of roads in Dhanshail, Panbar and Sutipara were damaged and potholes developed on Ahmednagar –Mohonganj road.
READ: Over 4.18 lakh people affected by flash floods in 5 districts
Besides, roads stretching from north bank of the Moharoshi River to Nalkura and Dakabor to Shalchura were inundated by flood water, halting road communications
Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Faruk Al Masud said 10 metric tonnes of rice have been allocated from the administration for the flood victims and the chairmen of the local union parishad under the upazila were asked to assess the damages caused by the flood.
Another wild elephant found dead in Sherpur
A wild elephant was found dead near the Gazni border of Sherpur's Jhenaigati upazila early Saturday, forest officials said.
This is the third carcass of a wild elephant found in the district in the past four months.
Quamrul Islam Akond, an officer of the Jhenaigati forest department, said the elephant was 10-11 years old.
Locals first spotted the carcass of the elephant in Halchatigram and informed the forest department.
“Prima facie, it seemed that the elephant died naturally. However, a post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” said Quamrul.
Read: Father, son land in jail for killing elephant in Chattogram
In November last year, forest officials recovered the carcasses of two other wild elephants in the district.
20 shops gutted in Sherpur market fire
Fifteen shops were gutted in a fire which broke out at Kushumhati market of Sherpur Sadar upazila early Sunday.
Jabed Hossain Tareq, deputy assistant director of Sherpur Fire Service, said the fire broke out at the market around 6am and spread soon.
Read: Seven fire incidents reported during 31st celebrations in Dhaka
On information, firemen rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after two hours of frantic effort.
Evidence of the fire originating from an electrical short circuit was found in primary investigation, said the official.
Read: Launch fire tragedy: 47 confirmed dead now, at least 58 still missing
Meanwhile, the affected shop owners claimed that the estimated loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk 1 crore.
Necessary action will be taken if the traders file a complaint in this regard, Jabed Hossain added.
College buddies crushed under wheels of killer truck
Two college students were killed Tuesday as a freight truck ran over the motorcycle they were on in Bogura’s Sherpur.
The deceased were identified as Nahid Hasan, 21, son of Zahidur Rahman of Krishnapur village under Mirzapur union of the upazila, and Sampad, 20, son of Hridoy from Namapara village in the same union.
The two friends were first-year HSC students at Summit International School and College.
Read: Now HSC examinee killed in Ctg road crash
To the extent that it was an accident, the tragedy unfolded on the part of the Dhaka-Bogra highway that goes by the village of Krishnapur in the upazila Tuesday around 8.15 pm.
Sherpur police OC Shahidul Islam said that the students were on their way home from Mirzapur Bazar on a motorcycle. As they reached pulled Krishnapur Eidgah field area on the highway, a speeding Dhaka-bound freight truck crushed the motorcycle like it was nobody’s business and never hesitated to look back till safety was guaranteed.
Nahid and Sampad both died on the spot, said the OC.
Their bodies have been recovered by the police station, while attempts are being made to identify the deadly truck and its driver, he added.
Elephant carcass found along Sherpur border
A wild elephant was found dead at Malakakocha along Balijhuri border in Sreebordi upazila of Sherpur district on Tuesday.
Locals said the 30-year-old elephant might have died from electrocution in the early hours of Tuesday as it came in contact with an electric wire set up around the house of local farmer Amir Ali.
Read: White lion dies at Gazipur safari park
Later, the farmer removed the electric wire from the body of the dead elephant, they alleged.
Rabiul Islam, range officer at Balijhuri Forest Department, visited the spot upon receiving the news and conducted the postmortem of the elephant.
A case will be filed at Sreebordi police station in this regard, he said.
Read: Imported cattle seized at Dhaka airport
Mother-daughter gang raped; 2 arrested
Police on Sunday arrested two people in connection with the gang rape of a mother and daughter in Polashikura village of Sherpur’s Nalitabari upazila.
The arrestees are UP election member candidate Abdus Sattar, 42, cattle trader and son of Abdul Basheed Ali of Palashikura village and Sadek Ali, 30, son of Abdus Sobhan of the same village.
Nalitabari Police officer-in-charge (OC) Bachir Ahmed Badal said that they were gang raped on Saturday night by seven men. After being informed by 999 message police ran an operation and arrested the two.
Read: Viral: Woman tortured for failing to pay interest on loan
The victims have been sent to Sherpur general hospital for medical check-up, he said.
It was learned that the victim woman went to visit her father’s home with her 16-year-old daughter in the village. Some of the locals including Sattar and Sadek took them for sightseeing on a three wheeler on Saturday morning. After the sightseeing at night they took the mother-daughter to an under-construction sight and gang raped there.
Read: Photos of teacher with student’s baby on lap at classroom go viral, sparks online debate
According to the family members, the mother-daughter managed to get home in the morning and informed them of the incident. They then called 999 for support.
The victim woman later filed a case against seven people in this connection, said the OC.
Where a vulnerable community found they could live in dignity
“Government has given me a home and now I have a tea stall of my own. Wish to become self-dependent rather than begging around.”
Jamila is a 48-year-old transgender living in the Andharia Sutirpar cluster village in Sherpur.
On two acres of special land in Sherpur Sadar upazila a cluster village for 40 transgender people was built by government. The village is now home of 34 transgender whom the district administration relocated on June 7 and handed them over the lands and houses.
Read: Tashnuva Anan makes history as first transgender woman to present the news in Bangladesh
Upon visiting the village, the residents transgender were seen rearing poultries, some cultivating vegetables, fish farming or some working as tailors. People who once were disowned by their own families seemed beaming with potentiality and hope for self-employment.
None of them wish to go back to the age of begging, extortion, and humiliation.
Baishakhi, another transgender, said that with the Tk 5000 fund given by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and her own savings she brought 24 chickens and 25 ducks. With the money earned from selling eggs Baishakhi wishes to get back to a decent life with self-reliance.
Read COVID-19: Bidyanondo stands beside transgender community with foods
AL’s candidates, rebels mostly dominate 3rd phase municipal polls
Candidates of the ruling Awami League have been unofficially elected from majority of the municipalities that went to polls on Saturday in the third phase, according to partial results.
Sherpur college girl sexually harassed in autorickshaw
A college (nursing institute) girl was sexually harassed in a running autorickshaw in Kararpar area of Jhinaigati in Sherpur on Sunday.
Sherpur Hijra community demands respectable jobs
Members of the Hijra or third gender community in Sherpur Sadar upazila on Wednesday demanded training and respectable jobs that will help them contribute to the country’s economy.