United News of Bangladesh

A snake charmer has been hospitalised after being bitten by a cobra while attempting to rescue the reptile from a house in Kushtia's Bheramara upazila. The incident occurred in Baggari Para around 10:00pm on Friday. The injured, Imran Hossain, 38, son of Mosharraf Hossain of Hirimadia Gorosthan Para in Bheramara, is undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital. Imran, who identifies himself as a snake charmer and traditional healer, regularly posts videos on social media showing snake-catching operations. According to locals, he was called to the house of Amirul Islam after family members spotted a snake on the premises. While digging in the yard, he recovered several baby snakes before pulling out an adult cobra from its hole. As he attempted to capture it, the snake bit him just above the knee. Local residents rushed him to Kushtia General Hospital. Speaking from his hospital bed, Imran said the incident occurred a day after Amirul Islam's only son, 22-year-old Samrat, died from a snakebite. "After Samrat's death, the family saw another snake in the yard on Friday and called me. I first rescued three baby snakes and then pulled out a large cobra from a hole. About a minute and a half after catching it, I was bitten above my knee due to a moment of carelessness," he said. The snake charmer added that local youths immediately took him to the hospital and that he was now recovering. Following the incident, a photograph of Imran's visiting card circulated on social media. The card describes him as a snake charmer offering snake-catching and snakebite treatment services, while also claiming to cure various complex and "hidden" diseases. Resident Medical Officer of Kushtia General Hospital Dr Iqbal Hasan said Imran was given the necessary treatment, including anti-venom, immediately after being admitted. "He has been kept under close observation. His condition has improved and he is now out of danger," the physician said.

A 30-year-old man was stabbed to death following an argument over an unpaid debt in Lohagara upazila of Narail on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Alinur Fakir, a mason and son of Abdul Hai Fakir of Kumradanga village. According to locals, Alinur asked Rajib Sheikh, son of Jahangir Sheikh of the same village, to repay money allegedly owed to him around 10:00pm near Kumradanga Government Primary School. The duo soon became involved in an altercation, during which Rajib allegedly stabbed Alinur in the abdomen before fleeing the scene. Locals rescued critically injured Alinur and rushed him to Lohagara Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Inspector (Investigation) Ajit Kumar Roy of Lohagara Police Station said the body was sent to Narail Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. Legal action will be taken after an investigation into the incident, he added.

Two motorcyclists were killed and another person injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles in Bagerhat Sadar upazila on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Arafat Molla, 22, son of Moktar Molla and an Alim examinee from Goalkhali village, and Kazi Moinul, 55, son of Kazi Kashem Master from Kartikdia village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. Student killed in electronic rickshaw crash in Dakshinkhan Mohammad Shamsul Arefin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bagerhat Sadar Model Police Station, said the two motorcycles lost control and collided head-on near the Rahimabad School intersection on the old Bagerhat-Rupsha Road in the morning. Arafat, his pillion passenger and Moinul were seriously injured in the crash. Locals rescued the injured and took them to different hospitals. Arafat was admitted to Khulna City Medical College Hospital, Moinul to Khulna 250-bed Medical College Hospital, while Arafat's companion was admitted to Bagerhat 250-bed District Hospital. Arafat and Moinul later died while undergoing treatment on Saturday night. The OC said legal action would be taken after consultation with the families of the deceased.

Miscreants allegedly demolished the house of a local Awami League leader with an excavator, looted valuables and set the property on fire in Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali. The incident occurred early Saturday at the residence of Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Lavlu Kazi, former president of Madhabkhali Union Awami League and former chairman of the union parishad, near Kathaltali Bazar on the Barguna-Subidkhali-Kathaltali-Bakerganj regional highway. Locals said Mizanur Rahman left the area with his family following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Since then, his elderly mother had been living alone in the house. On Friday afternoon, she was admitted to a local hospital after falling ill.

Police recovered the throat-slit body of a local Awami League leader from a garden in Ratanpur Uttarpara area of Bhulbaria Union in Pabna on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Abdus Shukur, 40, son of the late Rokon Pramanik of Ratanpur village. He served as the vice-president of Ward No. 9 Awami League under Bhulbaria Union. Police recovered the body at around 4:30 pm, said Ataikula Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mujibur Rahman. Construction worker dies after falling from building in capital The body was sent to the Pabna General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Police have yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing and are investigating the incident to identify those responsible. According to family members, Shukur left home at around 9 pm on Friday but did not return. When repeated attempts to trace him through relatives and acquaintances proved unsuccessful, the family grew concerned. At around 4:30 pm on Saturday, locals informed police that a body with its throat slit was lying in a wooded area of Wazir's Garden in Ratanpur. Police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and later handed it over to family members for identification. Relatives of the deceased alleged that the murder was premeditated, although they were unable to suggest any possible motive behind the killing.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General (DG) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui visited Cox's Bazar and adjoining areas on July 17-18 to review border management, operational preparedness and humanitarian assistance activities. During the visit, the BGB chief assessed the force's ongoing border security operations and was briefed on the overall security situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. BGB evacuates four stranded tourists in Bandarban He also exchanged views with BGB officers and personnel deployed in the region, praising their professionalism, dedication and vigilance while carrying out duties in the remote and challenging border areas. The director general instructed the force to further strengthen operational activities, maintain discipline and enhance border security. As part of the government's humanitarian response for flood-affected people in the Cox's Bazar region, relief distribution programmes were carried out at the instruction of the home ministry. Actively participating in the initiative, BGB distributed relief materials among flood victims in Chakaria Municipality, Lakhyarchar Union and Kakhara Union. The force also organised a medical camp to provide healthcare services to people affected by the floods.

A dialogue was held in Sherpur's border-adjacent Garo Hills on Saturday to explore ways to reduce the growing phenomenon of human-elephant conflict and ensure the protection of wild elephants through peaceful coexistence. The programme, styled as a "Joint Dialogue," took place in the Batkuchi area under the Madhutila Range of Nalitabari upazila, where residents affected by elephant attacks, members of the Elephant Response Team (ERT), nature conservationists and volunteers shared their experiences and recommendations. The event was jointly organised by the Sherpur District Nature and Life Club and the civic platform Jan Udyog Sherpur, under the slogan "Save Elephants, Save the Garo Hills." It was supported by the Institute for Environment and Development (IED), Nature and Life Foundation and Together for Education, Athletics and Mission (TEAM). Speakers expressed concern that wild elephants frequently descend from the hills in search of food, damaging crops, houses and property and, in some cases, causing human fatalities. They also noted that elephants are increasingly being killed by people attempting to protect their lives and livelihoods. Presiding over the programme, Jan Udyog Sherpur Convener Abul Kalam Azad said sustainable measures were needed to reduce conflict while protecting both wildlife and local communities. Among those who spoke were Sherpur District Nature and Life Club General Secretary Jyoti Poddar, journalist and coordinator Hakim Babul, Sherpur Bird Conservation Society organiser Debdas Chandra Babu, local union parishad member Azharul Islam, ERT member Asmat Ali and TEAM representative Ilias Khan. Participants called for the creation of elephant-friendly habitats in the hills by planting food-producing trees and developing water sources to discourage elephants from entering villages. Local union parishad member Ansar Ali, whose area is frequently affected by elephant incursions, urged authorities to establish wildlife sanctuaries in the Garo Hills, saying both humans and elephants should be able to coexist safely. Volunteer Ilias Ali said repeated elephant attacks were discouraging farmers from cultivating their land and called for alternative livelihood opportunities as well as the formation of dedicated Elephant Rescue Teams alongside the existing ERTs. Farmer Amir Hossain said his area lacks an Elephant Response Team despite being highly vulnerable to elephant attacks. He demanded the formation of an ERT, along with the supply of high-powered flashlights and free kerosene for torches used to drive elephants away safely. ERT member Azmat Ullah alleged that some social media content creators were provoking elephants to attract online views, worsening the conflict. He called for legal action against those responsible. Wildlife experts attending the meeting stressed the need to restore elephant habitats by planting suitable food species, preserving water sources and keeping traditional elephant corridors free from obstruction. They also recommended reducing cultivation of crops favoured by elephants, such as paddy, in vulnerable border areas and encouraging alternative crops like chilli. They suggested expanding beekeeping as an alternative source of income for local communities. According to the Forest Department, 46 people have been killed in human-elephant conflicts in Sherpur's hilly region over the past 16 years, while elephant attacks have caused property damage worth several crore taka. During the same period, 34 elephants have died. Sherpur Wildlife Range Ranger Md Abdullah Al Amin said food shortages in forest areas were the main reason elephants entered human settlements. To address the problem, the Forest Department has planted elephant-friendly trees on nearly six acres of forest land, which are expected to become a significant food source within the next two to three years. He also said Elephant Response Teams have been formed in several areas, while solar fencing and bio-fencing have been introduced to reduce conflict. The ranger added that Sherpur-2 lawmaker Mohammad Fahim Chowdhury recently announced plans to install 15 AI-powered cameras along elephant corridors in Nalitabari. The cameras are expected to help monitor elephant movements, provide early warnings and improve public safety. Participants expressed hope that the combined conservation initiatives would eventually transform the Garo Hills into a safe habitat for Asian elephants and establish Sherpur as a recognised conservation district for elephants.

The Padma River has submerged the approach road to the Paturia launch terminal in Manikganj, causing severe inconvenience to passengers travelling to and from the country's southwestern region. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has started relocating the terminal's pontoon to a higher location as an emergency measure. Paturia Launch Terminal Supervisor Panna Lal said the river water began rising in the terminal area from early Saturday. By noon, the water level had increased enough to submerge the approach road leading to the pontoon, making it difficult for passengers to board and disembark from launches. After being informed, BIWTA initially placed sandbags on the submerged road to allow passenger movement. However, the sandbags also went underwater by the afternoon, forcing many passengers to avoid launch services and instead travel by ferry through an alternative route. The disruption caused significant hardship for hundreds of passengers. Affected passengers said they regularly use launch services but had to switch to ferries due to the submerged terminal, resulting in longer travel times and additional expenses.  

Three people, including two HSC examinees, were killed in separate road accidents in Narsingdi on Saturday. The two students were killed around 1:30 pm in the Bajnab area on the Itakhola-Monohardi regional road in Shibpur upazila while returning home after sitting their HSC examination. The victims were identified as Sadhin, 19, and Nafis, 22. Nafis hailed from Hajipur village in Narsingdi Sadar upazila, while Sadhin was a resident of Baduarchar Puranpara. Road crash leaves man dead, wife injured in Dinajpur  Friends of the victims said the examination centre for Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan College students was Shaheed Asad Collegiate Girls' School and College, where they sat for the Business Studies (Marketing) examination on Saturday. After the exam, they were returning home on a motorcycle when it collided head-on with a chicken-laden pickup van bound for Shibpur in the Bajnab area. Both riders were thrown onto the road and died on the spot. Police recovered the bodies and sent them to Shibpur Upazila Health Complex after receiving the information. In a separate accident, a Nasimon (locally made three-wheeler) driver was killed after his vehicle overturned near Radhakhali Bridge on the Puradia-Belabo road in Monohardi upazila. The deceased was identified as Shawon, 30, son of Faruk Hossain of Brahmanergaon village under Borochapa union in Monohardi upazila. Police said one of the vehicle's wheels suddenly came off near Radhakhali Bridge, causing the driver to lose control before the vehicle crashed into a roadside tree, leaving Shawon dead on the spot. SM Aman Ullah, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Belabo Police Station, said the body was handed over to the family without an autopsy as no complaint was filed by the relatives.

The Feni district administration has launched a district-wide awareness campaign urging students to avoid unnecessary outings after Maghrib prayers, as part of a broader initiative to curb juvenile crime, tackle gang culture and strengthen law and order. The campaign, announced on Saturday, includes a directive discouraging students from loitering in public places, particularly tea stalls, after evening prayers until further notice. Authorities stressed that the measure is advisory rather than punitive and aims to encourage parental supervision and protect young people from criminal influences. Feni Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque told reporters that the decision was taken at a meeting of the district law and order committee following repeated concerns over the rise in teen crime and gang-related activities. "The issue of juvenile crime and gang culture has repeatedly been discussed at meetings of the district law and order committee. We have observed that many students spend time outside unnecessarily after Maghrib instead of studying, and a significant number later become involved in drug abuse. Considering these concerns, we have taken this initiative," she said. The Deputy Commissioner clarified that the directive does not impose legal restrictions on students going outdoors. "This is not a repressive measure. It does not mean students will face legal action if they go outside. Our primary objective is to reduce juvenile gang violence, raise awareness among parents and discourage students from unnecessary evening outings," she added. According to district administration sources, awareness miking has been underway across the district since Friday to inform residents about the initiative. A special monitoring team formed by the district administration, supported by police, has also begun field-level activities to ensure effective implementation of the awareness campaign. Officials said the initiative is intended to create a safer, more disciplined and education-friendly environment by encouraging students to prioritise their studies over unnecessary evening gatherings. The district administration has called on parents, teachers, local representatives and other community members to extend their full cooperation in making the campaign successful and helping protect young people from crime and drug abuse.