Rangpur
Two killed as bus rams motorcycle on Rangpur-Dhaka highway
Two people were killed as a speeding bus crashed into their motorcycle on the Rangpur-Dhaka highway in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur Monday, police said.
The two people killed were identified as Limon, 25, of Hajipur village of Barodargah union of the upazila and Roman, 26, of Shantipur village of Mithapukur upazila.
The accident occurred around 4pm as Rangpur-bound Diganta Paribahan hit the motorcycle near the Ghoshpur area, Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station, said.
Limon and Roman died instantly from the impact of the crash, he added.
Read more: Student killed as truck runs over him in Chuadanga
BNP rally begins defying transport strike in Rangpur
Thousands of leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies joined the party's divisional rally in Rangpur on Saturday (October 29, 2022) defying a transport strike.
The rally organised by Rangpur city unit BNP, formally began on Rangpur Collector Eidgah ground, around 12pm, two hours before the scheduled time, as the venue has already been packed with opposition activists.
An adequate number of police and other security officials have been deployed around the rally venue and at different points of the city to prevent any untoward incident.
Read more: Thousands gather in Rangpur city to join BNP’s anti-govt rally
The organisers said the rally was meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government--a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen.
BNP set to hold 4th divisional rally in Rangpur Saturday
Amid a 36-hour transport strike beginning from Friday morning, BNP is all set to hold its fourth divisional rally in Rangpur city on Saturday, defying all adversities.
Party leaders and activists have erected a stage at the Rangpur Collector Eidgah ground where the rally is scheduled to begin at 2pm.
Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies from different districts under the divisions have already reached the city in advance to join the rally.
Though bus communication remained halted between Rangpur and the rest of the country since Friday morning, BNP activists from 8 nearby districts were seen coming to different areas adjacent to the city by small vehicles like human haulers, auto rickshaws, three-wheelers, motorbikes, and micro-buses a day before the rally.
Talking to UNB, a number of BNP activists said they took position in Rangpur city and its adjacent areas in advance to avert possible obstruction and harassment by their ruling party counterparts and law enforcers on Saturday.
Only a few buses from Dhaka came to Rangpur on Friday, but no bus was seen leaving the Rangpur bus terminal for any destination since morning, causing serious suffering to commuters. Inter-district bus services to and from Rangpur also remained halted due to the strike. The buses from the other districts could not enter Rangpur since Friday morning.
Rangpur District Motor Owners' Association has enforced the transport strike from 6am Friday to 6pm Saturday, demanding a ban on illegal vehicles, including three-wheelers, on the highway and an end to "administrative harassment.
However, BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain alleged that the strike was enforced only to prevent people from joining their party’s rally.
Talking to UNB, he said lakhs of people from eight districts under the Rangpur division will attend their programme on Saturday braving the transport strike and all other barriers created by the ruling party.
A similar strike was also enforced ahead of BNP’s divisional rally in Khulna last week, but thousands of party leaders and activists participated in the programme overcoming the obstacles.
Read: Rangpur transport owners to go on 36-hr strike from Oct 28 ahead of BNP rally
As part of its move to continue the pace of its ongoing movement, the BNP on September 27 announced a programmes of a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities.
BNP senior leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and some standing committee members, are expected to address the rally.
The organisers said the rally is meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government--a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen.
Saturday’s rally will be the fourth one by the BNP at the divisional level as the first one was held in Chattogram, the second one in Mymensingh and the third one in Khulna.
Similar rallies have been planned in other divisional headquarters to drum up support in the run-up to the next election expected to be held late next year or in early 2024.
The BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.
Palichora village in Rangpur gears up to welcome its football hero, Shopna
Rangpur's daughter Sirat Jahan Shopna, member of the Bangladesh women's football team, has made its residents proud with her role in the team clinching the title in the seven-nation SAFF Women's Championship.
Those who once mocked Shopna for her dream to become a footballer are now overjoyed with her success.
In fact, the whole district is now overwhelmed for Shopna from Palichora village of Sadyapuskarini Union, over historical triumph against Nepal in the tournament's final.
In this tournament, Bangladesh beat India 3-0 with Shopna scoring a pair of goals. She scored one goal against Pakistan.
In the final, Shopna was withdrawn due to injury soon after the kick-off.
In all, she scored four goals in this tournament.
Shopna’s mother Lipi Begum used to get angry with her for her interest in football. Later, she surrendered to the girl's indomitable will and encouraged her daughter to fulfil her dream.
Lipi said Shopna grew interest in playing football when she was in class four.
“My brother Abdul Latif took Shopna to groom her to be a footballer and since then she is moving towards her dream.”
Shopna's father Moksar Ali, a farmer, is also overwhelmed with his daughter's success.
He said, “I feel very happy. The Bangladesh women's football team won today and my daughter played in it.”
He also sought the people’s prayers so that she can do something better for the country.
Fans and journalists are thronging Shopna’s home to congratulate her parents.
Milon Khan, the coach of the newly formed Youth Sporting Club of the union, said this village is a village of women footballers.
“This is the first time that one of our daughter Shopna earned fame by winning the SAFF Championship. We have plans to give her a grand reception,” he added.
Bangladesh national women's team reached Dhaka around 1:50 pm today.
After completion of the airport formalities, the heroes of Bangladesh boarded a newly shaped and well-decorated open deck BRTC bus at about 3:30 pm for the BFF office in Motijheel from the airport.
Along the way, they were greeted by thousands of jubilant fans.
On Monday, Bangladesh defeated Nepal 3-1 in the final match, with Shamsunnahar scoring the game's first goal in the 13th minute. Krishna Rani Sarkar scored the final two goals for Bangladesh in the 42nd and 77th minutes, ensuring the nation's first SAFF Women's Championship title.
Also read: Kalsindur ready to welcome its poster girls – 8 SAFF champs
Security guard’s body found inside bank branch in Rangpur
The body of a security guard was found inside the branch of the bank he was assigned to in Rangpur on Sunday morning.
Shamim Mia, 25, was the son of Amzad Hossain of Ranipukur village under Mithapukur upazila in the district, and worked at the Central Road branch of Agrani Bank in Rangpur city.
Ariful Islam, the manager of the branch, said Shamim had been working as a security guard at the branch for the past 17 months. He got married just ten days back, the manager added.
Staff found Shamim’s lifeless body lying inside the branch as they came to work on Sunday morning.
Read: Two young men’s bodies recovered from Buriganga
Hossain Ali, inspector (investigation) of Kotwali Police Station, said they rushed to the spot and recovered the body on being informed.
The body was sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy, he added.
The victim’s brother Shariful said Shamim used to return home in the evening from work, where he started in the morning.
He, however, didn’t return home on Saturday evening, Shariful added.
Bus-microbus collision leaves newborn, 2 others dead in Rangpur
Three people, including a seven-day-old child, were killed and four others injured in a collision between a bus and a microbus in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur early Sunday.
Two of the deceased were identified as Banya, 30, and Rafiqul, 40.
Read:9 dead, 50 injured as 2 buses collide in Rangpur
The accident occurred around 5:30 am when the Nilphamari-bound bus of ‘Bhai Bhai Paribahan’ crashed into the microbus coming from opposite direction near Kharubhaj Bridge, said Mahbub Morshed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Taraganj highway police.
The accident left seven members of a family travelling on the microbus seriously injured.
The injured were rushed to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital where three of them succumbed to their injuries, said the OC.
Read: 5 killed in Rangpur road crash
On September 5, nine people were killed and around 50 others injured in a head-on collision between two busses on Rangpur-Dinajpur highway near Kharubhaj Bridge of the upazila.
9 dead, 50 injured as 2 buses collide in Rangpur
Nine people were dead and around 50 injured in a head-on collision between two buses on Rangpur-Dinajpur highway in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur early today (September 5, 2022), said police.
The identities of the deceased couldn’t be ascertained immediately.
Read: 5 killed in Rangpur road crash
The accident occurred around 12:30 am when the Dhaka-bound bus of ‘Islam Paribahan’ collided with a bus of ‘Joyana Paribahan’ coming from the opposite direction during heavy rain on the highway, near Kharubhaj Bridge in Ikorchali Hajipara area, said Mahbub Morshed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Taraganj highway police.
The accident left five dead on spot and more than 50 injured, he added.
Read: 3 killed in Sylhet road crash
Fire Service men rescued the injured and rushed them to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital where four more people succumbed to their injuries, said the hospital’s emergency department physician Md Farhaduzzaman.
Besides, the condition of two injured is also critical, 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
Cabinet clears draft laws on rural academies in Jamalpur and Rangpur
The cabinet on Thursday approved two draft laws to establish rural development academies in Jamalpur and Rangpur, one of them named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The draft laws are titled, 'Sheikh Hasina Palli Unnayan Academy, Jamalpur Act, 2022' and 'Palli Unnayan Academy, Rangpur Act, 2022'. The approval came at the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office here. “Both the laws are the same. These laws were introduced to fulfill the need of more academies like Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla and Rural Development Academy (RDA) in Bagura to make the micro initiatives more effective for rural and overall development,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam at a press briefing at Bangladesh Secretariat.
Also read: Cabinet purchase body approves import of diesel, Jet fuel, LNG and fertilizer
He said there are 23 sections in each of the draft laws and the two academies will be established following those according to the structures of BARD and RDA. “A 21 membered board chaired by the minister, state minister or deputy minister of Rural Development and Co-operatives Division ,secretary of the division as vice-chairman and academy's director general as member secretary to execute the laws, rules and government regulations in establishing the academies,” said the cabinet secretary. The academies will mainly work to increase the capacity of the government, conduct some pilot projects, research and will provide diploma courses, certificates by being affiliated with concerned educational institutes or boards if necessary, he said. According to the draft laws, the board will meet once every four months, said Anwarul. ”The DG will be appointed by the government from the Joint Secretary or any of the above officers on definite conditions. The employees will be recruited in accordance with the recruitment rules of the board and the academy will have funds in a scheduled bank” he added.
Also read: 5-yr jail for food related offense: Cabinet clears draft law
WHO to send 7.5 mln doses of Cholera vaccine The Cabinet secretary said Bangladesh will get 7.5 million doses of cholera vaccines from World Health Organization (WHO) to control the diarrhea situation in the country. He said, “The vaccines will reach Bangladesh within May 10 to 15 and receiving one dose of it will keep one immune for three years from cholera or diarrhea.” Anwarul Islam said such an outbreak has not been observed in Dhaka for the last 20 to 25 years. National volunteer policy to be made The cabinet secretary said the PM has given approval to the draft “ National volunteer policy 2022,” made by the Local Government on condition that the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief will lead activities in this regard. He said “There are 68,000 volunteer registered organizations under the Department of Social Welfare. As a result of this policy, foreign volunteers will be able to come and work in our country if necessary and also our country's volunteers will also be able to go and work in different countries,”
Potato growers stage demo demanding fair price of potato in Rangpur
Vehicular movement on Rangpur-Kurigram Highway was disrupted for an hour as potato growers on Monday staged demonstration spreading potatoes on road demanding fair prices at Satmatha Highway in Rangpur city.
The farmers alleged that they spent Tk 11 to Tk 13 per kg of potato as production cost but currently, per kg potatoes are being sold at Tk 8 and Tk 9.
READ: Bangladesh to supply potato to Russia, says Russian Embassy
Ziaul Islam, a trader said the farmers are counting a loss due to unfair price of potatoes and the government should look into the matter.
They also demanded to take steps as potatoes can be exported in different foreign countries.
The vehicular movement on the Highway came to normal after one hour after police intervention.