United News of Bangladesh

Around 10,000 people have been stranded after breaches in two embankments along the Teesta River flooded several villages in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur. The breaches developed at the volunteer-built embankments in Ward No. 8 of Nohali Union following a sudden rise in the Teesta's water level, allowing floodwater to enter nearby villages. A visit to the area found that nearly 150 metres of the embankments have already been washed away by the river. Vast tract of cropland have gone underwater, while floodwater has inundated villages, disrupting normal life. The erosion has also put more than 100 homesteads, educational institutions, mosques, a temple, roads and other infrastructures at risk. Residents of Char Baghdhogra, Char Kachari, Chilakhal, Binbinia and Mukutpara said families, particularly children, elderly people and livestock, are facing severe hardship, with many taking shelter at relatives' houses. Monayem Hossain, a local resident said hundreds of people lose their homes to river erosion every year but no permanent solution has been implemented. "The embankment has already lost about 150 metres to the river. If the main embankment is breached, thousands of people will lose their homes. A few thousand geo bags will not be enough. A permanent embankment project is urgently needed," he said. Abdul Karim, another resident, said several houses have already disappeared into the river before their eyes. "My house could be the next. If I lose my homestead, I will have nowhere to go. If no one gives me a place to relocate, I will have to move to Dhaka with my family and earn a living by pulling a rickshaw," he said. Mominul Islam, another affected resident, said repeated erosion has already washed away homes, farmland, a mosque, a madrasa and schools. "We do not want relief. We want a permanent embankment to protect us," he said. Executive Engineer of the Rangpur Water Development Board (WDB) Robiul Islam said 4,500 geo bags have already been allocated to protect the embankment, and dumping work is  underway. "More geo bags will be supplied if necessary. We are treating the matter with utmost importance," he said. Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mosammat Jesmin Akter said the affected area has been inspected and the Water Development Board has been requested to take immediate measures to prevent further erosion.

A youth wasto death by some unidentified miscreants in Hazaribagh area of the capital early Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Sagar Hossain Bullet, 28, a resident of Bhagalpur Lane in Hazaribagh. Auto-rickshaw driver Ibrahim, who took the victim to the hospital, said he found the injured man lying in a pool of blood near Hazaribagh Park around 2 am while returning to a garage after work. "I called 999. Police asked me to take him to DMCH," he said. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition where he died while undergoing treatment at around 5:30 am. The victim's brother, Shawon, said they came to know about the incident through police and local residents. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for an autopsy and the matter has been informed to the concerned police station.

Two Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders of its Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) units have been suspended for four semesters over the assault of a student who complained about the quality of food served at a university dormitory. The decision was taken at an emergency syndicate meeting of SUST held online on Tuesday night, Syndicate member Prof Jahir Bin Alam said. The suspended students are Hasibur Rahman, of Political Studies Department and communication secretary of the SUST unit of JCD and Tarek Rahman, of Statistics Department and assistant office secretary of the unit. Both are residential students of Shah Paran Hall. The university administration also barred the two students from entering or staying on the campus for the next two years. Earlier, on Sunday, JCD removed the two from their organisational posts on charges of violating party discipline. Prof Jahir Bin Alam said the syndicate took the decision based on the recommendations of the university's investigation and disciplinary committees. On July 18 night,  Khairul Khandakar, a 2023-24 session student of Sociology Department and a resident of Shah Paran Hall, was assaulted in front of the university's main gate after he raised concerns about the quality of food served at Shah Paran Hall through the hall's WhatsApp group. He was later admitted to a hospital in Sylhet city for treatment.

The Teesta River was flowing just 1 centimetre below the danger level at the Dalia point on Wednesday morning following heavy upstream flow and persistent rainfall, raising fears of flooding as water began entering several low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat. According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the river's water level was recorded at 52.14 metres at the Dalia point at 9 am on Wednesday, against the danger level of 52.15 metres. As the water level continued to rise, floodwater began entering low-lying areas in Lalmonirhat Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas. To manage the situation the authorities  have kept all necessary gates of the Teesta Barrage open. Shamsul Haque, a resident of Mahishkhocha Union in Aditmari upazila, said water has already started entering low-lying areas. "If the river continues to rise, there is a risk that more low-lying areas will be inundated," he said. Sunil Kumar, executive engineer of the Lalmonirhat Water Development Board, said Teesta has been flowing 1 centimetre below the danger level since 9 am today. The water level is fluctuating due to ongoing rainfall. Rising water levels in major rivers and forecasts of heavy rainfall may trigger flashflood in at least 16 districts, according to the  Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) bulletin. Water levels in the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers have risen significantly over the past 24 hours and are expected to continue increasing for the next two days, said the FFWC bulletin issued on Monday. These rivers could cross the danger level within 24 to 48 hours, triggering flood in low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Gaibandha, and Kurigram.

Police on Tuesday detained a madrasah teacher in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia on charges of raping a 10-year-old student. The detainee was identified as Md Mostafizur Rahman, 25, a teacher and head of Taloa Hafezia Madrasah and Lillah Boarding in Sadki union and son of Abdur Rahman of Taherhuda union in Jhenaidah's Harinakundu upazila. According to police, the victim's family and local residents, the alleged assault took place on July 12, when most senior students were away sitting examinations and only a few younger children remained at the madrasah. The allegations came to light on Tuesday after another child was reportedly beaten during discussions about the incident, prompting local residents to gather at the madrasah. The madrasah committee convened a meeting in the afternoon in an apparent attempt to resolve the matter. Local residents informed police after learning about the meeting. Police reached the madrasah around 5:15pm and detained the accused teacher. The child's father alleged that his son was sexually assaulted several times and demanded justice. Madrasah committee President Md Zulfikar Mahmud admitted that a meeting was held after they learned of the allegations but claimed the facts were still unclear. The accused teacher, however, denied the allegation. Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station Jamal Uddin said there is no scope for settling such an allegation through arbitration. "After receiving information about the incident, we detained the madrasah teacher. Preliminary investigation suggests the allegation is true. Legal proceedings are underway," he said.

Miscreants set fire to the country's first July Martyrs Memorial in Narayanganj early Tuesday, prompting police to launch an investigation. The memorial, located in the Hajiganj area on the Chashara-Adamjee Road, was inaugurated on July 14, 2025 in memory of those killed during the July-August 2024 mass uprising. It was the first July Martyrs Memorial established in the country. According to police, decorative cloth were installed around the memorial for a tribute programme held on July 16, marking July Shaheed Day. Around 3:00am on Tuesday, two men arriving on a motorcycle threw a small cloth bundle soaked in kerosene or another petroleum substance after setting it on fire. The burning bundle landed beside the memorial, igniting a fire near the structure. Officers stationed at a temporary police camp near the site quickly extinguished the blaze, preventing further damage. According to police, an unidentified person recorded a video of the incident, which was later circulated on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon. Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Tarek Al Mehedi said they were working to identify the perpetrators through analysing CCTV footage from nearby roads and buildings. He also said it will be known only after investigation whether activists of Awami League, which faces a ban on its activities, were involved in the incident. Officer-in-Charge of Fatullah Model Police Station Md Mahbub Alam also said they were investigating the incident.

Two men posing as members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police were detained by locals in Savar on Tuesday after they allegedly used deception to withdraw Tk 7 lakh from a woman's bKash account. The detainees were identified as Monir and Aminul Islam, residents of Mirpur in Dhaka and Madhupur in Tangail, respectively. According to locals, the duo introduced themselves as DB officers in the Kalma area under Savar Sadar union and intimidated a woman before taking her fingerprint on a mobile phone under a pretext. They then allegedly used the biometric authentication to fraudulently withdraw Tk 7 lakh, owned by the woman’s son, from her bKash wallet. Growing suspicious, local residents contacted the local DB office, only to learn that no officers by those names were serving there. The locals subsequently detained the two men and handed them over to police. Police suspect the detainees are involved in bKash fraud and cybercrime. Inspector (Investigation) of Savar Model Police Station Nur Mohammad said police are investigating the incident and legal action will be taken based on the findings.

A Noakhali court on Tuesday sentenced a Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) official to eight years imprisonment in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income. Judge of the Noakhali Special Judge Court Md Shawkat Ali handed down the punishment. The convict is Executive Engineer of Pabna LGED Saif Ullah Tipu, an engineer of LGED. The court also fined him Tk 1,00,000, in default, to suffer six months more in jail. The court also ordered to confiscate illegal assets worth Tk 3,848,586. According to the prosecution, allegations were raised against Tipu for accumulating wealth beyond known source of income while he was serving as an deputy assistant engineer at LGED’s Feni Sadar office. The ACC filed the case against him under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. According to the case statement, between November 29, 2000 and November 28, 2004, Tipu acquired assets that did not match his income from Baburhat Gas System Limited in Feni and other legitimate sources. During the investigation, the ACC found assets worth Tk 38,48,586 in his name that were allegedly beyond his known sources of income. The investigation also revealed that a significant amount of money was spent on constructing a house on 2.5 acres of land in a mouza under Sonagazi upazila. They also found discrepancies in the expenditure related to the construction of a market. The ACC said the investigation found inconsistencies between Tipu’s declared income and the actual expenses incurred for acquiring various assets, including the house and market. After completing the investigation, ACC’s then Assistant Director Md Matiur Rahman submitted the charge sheet before the court. The court found the accused guilty after examining evidence and witness statements. ACC lawyer Mohammad Zahir Uddin represented the state in the case.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members detained three members of Myanmar's security force as they entered Bangladesh illegally through the Naf River along the Teknaf border. The three swam across the river with the help of plastic water containers and entered Bangladesh through Naittongpara border area under Teknaf municipality around 12 pm on Monday, said Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf Model Police Station Md Saiful Islam. The detainees are Hein De Htet, 38, Kyaw Naing, 35, and Hein Zaw, 33. BGB DG inspects border with Myanmar in Cox's Bazar, joins flood relief distribution Two of them are members of the Myanmar Police Force while the other is a member of the Myanmar military, said the OC. During preliminary interrogation, the three identified themselves as members of Myanmar's government security forces and claimed that they had been held captive by the Arakan Army in Rakhine state for nearly two years. They told BGB that they managed to escape from a camp in Kyaukarbil area and crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh. After interrogation, BGB handed them over to Teknaf Model Police Station around 10:30 pm on Monday. OC Saiful Islam said a case was filed against the three on charges of tresspassing into Bangladesh. They were produced before a Cox's Bazar court on Tuesday which sent them to jail, the OC said.

Train services between Rajshahi and the rest of the country resumed on Tuesday afternoon after a nine-hour suspension, as students of Rajshahi University (RU) withdrew their blockade of the railway track following assurances from railway authorities that action will be taken over the alleged assault on a fellow student by travelling ticket examiners (TTEs). The students withdrew their blockade around 3:00pm, leading to the resumption of train services. RU Central Students' Union (RUKSU) General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar said the railway authorities accepted all demands raised by protesting students over the alleged assault on a fellow student by TTEs. He also apologised to train passengers for the inconvenience caused due to the blockade. Earlier in the day, Forkan Uddin, a 2019-20 session student of the RU Department of Law, was assaulted by TTEs in a train as he protested against collecting tolls from passengers without issuing tickets. As soon as the news travelled to the campus, students took to the railway track and blocked it near the university campus around 6:00am in protest against the assault. All trains scheduled to depart from Rajshahi Railway Station, including the Dhaka-bound Banalata Express and Silk City Express, remained stranded due to the blockade, causing immense suffering for passengers. According to Forkan, he was travelling from Dhaka to Rajshahi on the Padma Express when he noticed TTEs allegedly collecting money from passengers without issuing tickets. Mentioning that the railway revenue is state property, Forkan asked the TTEs why they were taking money without providing tickets. "As a conscious citizen, I protested the wrongdoing. Suddenly, 6-7 TTEs grabbed me by the neck, dragged me between two coaches and started beating me on my neck and back," he said. Forkan also claimed that the TTEs attempted to push him out of the train through a window, but he narrowly escaped. His spectacles were broken during the incident, he said. The incident sparked outrage among students, who demanded exemplary punishment for the accused TTEs. They had also announced that train services through the rail line adjacent to the university's Faculty of Fine Arts would remain suspended until their demands were met. Later, they withdrew the blockade following the assurances.