A local journalist has mercilessly been hacked allegedly by followers of a local Union Parishad Chairman at his residence at Kajiatal village in Cumilla’s Muradnagar upazila on Saturday.

Shariful Alam Chowdhury is a correspondent of Daily Samakal and general secretary of Muradnagar Press Club.

The assailants did not even spare his elderly parents from the attack when they tried to save their son. They both received injuries.

Abdul Matin Chowdhury, the father and also a valiant freedom fighter, said the attack was carried out in retaliation of a report that his son wrote uncovering corruption, irregularities and nepotism of Darora Union Parishad Chairman Shahjahan.

On Saturday noon, a number of goons patronized by the UP chairman came to the house, dragged Shariful out to the yard and hacked him brutally with sharp weapons. They also beat him with iron pipes and hammers.

The father said when he and Sharif’s mother tried to restrain the attackers, they also received the same treatment.

Contacted, AKM Manjur Alam, officer-in-charge of Muradnagar Police Station, said they on information went to the spot, rescued the journalist and sent him to hospital.

“We’ve immediately arrested Chairman Shahjahan after Sharif’s father filed a case over the incident,” he said, adding that they are trying to arrest the other accused.

Police on Saturday arrested two cable operators for their alleged negligence that led to the electrocution of an Army personnel in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila on the previous night. 

The deceased was identified as Sainik Momin Mia, stationed at Bangladesh Military Academy of Bhatiari while the cable operators are - Mahbub Alam, 45, son of late Salah Uddin of Ward 6 and his assistant Monir Hossain, 28. 

Suman Banik, an inspector of Sitakunda Police Station, said Momin Mia been residing in a rented house at Hasnabad village of the area. 

The incident took place when he was trying to connect a cable wire to television around 8pm on Friday.

Later, it was ascertained that the cable operators had electrified the cable wire to prevent theft. 

Md Ashraful Alam, a warrant officer of Bangladesh Army, filed a case with Sitakunda Model Police Station over the incident.

In a quick response, Police arrested two cable operators, he added. 

Also read: Two cousins die from electrocution in Kishoreganj

A Bangladeshi national was reportedly shot dead by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at Telkupi border in Shibganj upazila on Saturday morning.

The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam, 50, son of Aynal haque, resident of Telkupi Lombapara area of the upazila.

Mofazzal Hossain, a local UP member, said that BSF members picked up Jahangir when he went to cut grass on a land near the border and took him to their camp around 9am.

Later, they tortured him there and shot him, leaving him dead.

They left the body inside Bangladesh territory, he said.

Lt Col Mahmudul Hasan, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB-59), battalion said they are investing the incident.

A senior lawyer of Chattogram Judges Court  died from fever and breathing problems at General Hospital on Friday night.

Lawyer Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, 70, member of the district Ainjibi Samity, also having neuro problems, had been undergoing treatment at  Agrabad Ma o Shishu Hospital, said his brother-in-law Khursedul Alam.

Later, he was shifted to the General  Hospital and taken to its Intensive Care Unit as his condition deteriorated. He died there around 11:45pm.

Khursedul said samples were taken from his brother-in-law for corona test 10 days ago, but they were yet to receive the report.

Read Also: Laxmipur UP chairman dies from breathing problem

Three more members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been infected with coronavirus in Thakurgaon.

The infected BGB members are the medical assistants of BGB hospital in the district, said civil surgeon Dr Mahfuzar Rahman on Friday.

Meanwhile, the total confirmed coronavirus cases in the district reached 209 till Friday. 

Among them, 67 are now undergoing treatment.

Besides, 142 people made recovery from the virus in the district.

Bangladesh on Friday reported 3,114 new coronavirus cases and 42 deaths in last 24 hours till Friday morning.

Country’s health authorities have so far reported 156,391 coronavirus cases and 1,968 deaths.