District
Attack on interns: Osmani Medical College students call off strike, prime accused held
Students at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH) on Thursday called off their protest against the attack on two medical interns by relatives of a patient, following the arrest of the prime accused.
"Following assurances from SOMCH authorities, we have suspended our movement after giving an ultimatum to meet all our demands within a week," said general secretary of Intern Physicians’ Council, Dr Matiur Rahman.
"Medical interns have joined work and students went back to their classes," he added.
Earlier this morning, the protesters held a meeting with SOMCH authorities, where health department officials were present.
Police arrested the prime accused, Dibya Sarker, an activist of Metropolitan unit of Chhatra League, around 12am on Thursday from the Shahporan area of the city, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (north) Azbahar Ali Sheikh.
“The prime accused was arrested and the administration has promised to increase security inside the campus soon. So, we've suspended our movement,” said Dr Matiur.
“However, if all the accused are not arrested and security is not ensured within seven days, we will resume the movement again,” he added.
Read: Osmani Hospital interns continue strike, block road
JCD leader’s death: BNP observes day-long strike in Bhola
The Bhola unit of BNP embarked on a dawn-to-dusk strike on Thursday morning in protest against the death of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) district unit president Noor-e-Alam in a clash between police and supporters of the main opposition party.
The strike began at 6am and will continue till 6pm in the district, said BNP’s Bhola unit joint general secretary Humayun Kabir Sopan.
The protesting BNP members staged demonstrations and took out processions in different parts of the district. Most shops and business establishments on Mahajanotti Sadar Road and the BNP office area remained shut.
Read: Bhola BNP-Cops clash: Injured JCD leader dies in Dhaka
Due to the strike, only a few vehicles were seen plying on the roads in the district. However, long-haul buses were seen plying on the Bhola-Charfashion route.
Besides, law enforcers have been deployed at some major places of the district town to avoid any untoward situation.
Noor-e-Alam sustained bullet wounds during the clash with the police on Sunday.
Humayun said that Nure Alam was taken to Comfort Diagnostic Centre in the capital on the same day, where he succumbed to his injuries around 3.15pm on Wednesday. He had been on life support at the hospital.
As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on Sunday.
At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11.30am, triggering a clash.
Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left local Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party injured.
Lightning kills two in Natore
A 60-year-old man and his grandson died after being struck by lightning in Singra upazila of Natore on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Amir Sheikh, and his sixth grader grandson Pappu, 14, of the upazila.
Chowgram Union Parishad Chairman Jahedul Islam Bhola said the two were struck by lightning while fishing in a waterbody near their house on Wednesday evening. "The two died on the spot."
Read: Lightning kills two, injures 7 in Natore
Lightning strikes in Bangladesh
Lightning strikes have turned into one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives every year.
At least 216 people die every year on an average in lightning strikes, more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities.
More than 70% of the total lightning strikes occur between April and June, say experts.
Robbers loot commuters & rape woman on Ctg-bound bus
Seven armed men posing as passengers allegedly hijacked a Chattogram-bound bus in Tangail, robbed commuters of cash and belongings, and raped a 25-year-old woman at gunpoint.
The spine-chilling crime occurred in the Raktipara area of Tangail's Madhupur upazila off the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.
Sarkar Md Kaisar, superintendent of Tangail Police, said the bus of ‘Eagle Paribahan’, with 24 passengers on board, was on its way to Chattogram from Kushtia late on Tuesday night when the crime occurred.
Three of the seven robbers boarded the bus around 11pm on Tuesday after it resumed its journey following a stopover at a hotel in Sirajganj district. And some 5-10 minutes later, four more got into the bus, police said.
Read:Rape attempt on woman on moving bus: Driver, helper held
"Around 12am on Wednesday, when the bus took the busy Dhaka-Tangail Highway in the Natiapara area, the robbers whiffed out guns, hijacked the vehicle and forced the driver to drive towards Madhupur upazila," the SP said.
On a desolate stretch, the armed gang robbed the commuters of cash, jewellery and mobile phones. "The robbers then blindfolded the passengers and raped the woman commuter on board," the SP said.
The passengers' ordeal continued for over three hours till the seven criminals forced them to get off the bus and drove the heavy vehicle towards Raktipara's Jam-e-Mosque, where they abandoned it and fled with the booty, police said.
“Detectives are investigating the crime and all the robbers will be arrested soon,” said SP Kaiser. "The woman is being treated at Tangail General Hospital, and her medical test is slated for Wednesday."
Man held with gold at Chattogram airport
A Bangladeshi national has been detained with 1kg of gold at Shah Amanat International Airport, Customs officials said on Thursday.
The detainee has been identified as Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Lohagarah upazila.
Read: 10 gold bars seized at Sylhet airport
Sultan Mahmud, duty officer of the Customs Intelligence Department, said that Mizanur arrived from Dubai on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight this morning.
"Tipped off, our men stopped Mizanur for frisking as he was passing through the green channel, and seized 1kg of gold, liquor and cigarettes from his possession," he said.
"Mizanur is being questioned," the officer added.
Seven Rohingyas detained while trying to escape Bhasan Char
Locals detained seven Rohingyas trying to escape from Bhasan Char Ashrayan Kendra in Subarna Char upazila of the district early Wednesday.
The detainees were identified as Mohammad Ismail, 19, Parveen Akter, 28, Morjina Akter, 18, Ayas, 10, Morjina Khatun, 8, Bechhana Parvez, 6 and Nur Begum, 39. All the detainees were residents of the shelter centre purpose-built for the Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island, in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali.
Read: 18 Rohingyas fleeing from Bhasanchar arrested in Mirsarai
Deb Priyo Dash, officer-in-charge of Char Jabbar Police Station under the Subarna Char upazila, said locals detained the Rohingyas following their suspicious movement from Eshak Munshirhat under the upazila area around 1:00am.
Later, the detainees were handed over to the police, he said, adding that legal action will be taken against them
Jashore brothers electrocuted to death
Two brothers were electrocuted to death in Jashore's Bagharpara upazila Wednesday, police said.
The deceased were identified as Towhidul Islam, 42, and his younger brother Ruhul Amin, 38, of Raipur union of the upazila.
Read: College student electrocuted, another injured in Sherpur
"Ruhul came into contact with live wires while cutting hay for cows with a machine at his home. Towhidul was also electrocuted as he rushed to save his brother," Firoz Uddin, officer-in-charge of Bagharpara Police Station, said.
The brothers were taken to Jashore General Hospital and declared dead upon arrival, he added.
Narail college principal welcomed with floral garlands as he joins work after 45 days
Swapan Kumar Biswas, acting principal of Mirzapur United College in Narail, returned to work on Wednesday, 45 days after he was humiliated following a rumor over a Facebook post by a student.
The teachers and students welcomed Swapan Kumar at the college campus at 12 pm with floral garlands, said Advocate Achin Chakraborty, president of Mirzapur College Board of Directors.
Meanwhile, the students have started coming to the college after reopening of the college of July 24. But police are still deployed on the college campus to avoid any untoward incidents.
The college remained closed for 36 days after the incident
At first classes of 12the grade resumed and then classes of 11th grade and degree level resumed gradually.
On July 17, the High Court ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. The National University and the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education have already completed two separate investigations.
After the investigation, the National University issued a show-cause notice on the governing body of the college and Akhtar Hossain, a lecturer of the political science department of the college.
On June 18, a Hindu student of Mirzapur United Degree College made a post on Facebook supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
There was day-long unrest in the college over the post and rumors that acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas had sided with the student, following which police escorted him out of the campus but not before he was garlanded with shoes.
Read: Narail teacher's humiliation: 4 put on 3-day remand
The college was announced closed on that day.
A video of the incident also went viral on social media that sparked huge criticism.
Different organisations, including Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, lodged protests over the incident and demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in it.
Later, the accused, who made the Facebook post, was arrested and a case was filed against him under the Digital Security Act.
On June 27, three more were arrested in another case filed at the Sadar Police Station police for setting teachers’ vehicles on fire and obstructing police duty.
Police also arrested Rahmat Ullah Roni, the prime accused in this case, from Khulna on June 29.
The day before reopening of the college, police arrested Ripon Sheikh Ripu,16, a student of class eleven of the college, for being involved in setting fire to motorcycles of the teachers after identifying him from the video footage.
So far nine people, including four students of the college, have been arrested over the incident, said Md Mahamudur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Narail Sadar police station and also investigation officer of the case.
Cultural activist found hanging at Barishal house
A cultural activist was found dead at her house at Uttar Mallik Road in Barishal city on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Samsunnahar Nipa, 25, daughter of Fazlul Karim of the area.
Aklima Begum, sub-inspector of Kotwali Model Police Station, said Nipa used to live with her sister Dalia.
When Dalia woke up in the morning, she found Nipa hanging from a ceiling fan of the house, said Aklima.
Read: Newly married woman found hanging in Thakurgaon
Nipa was a member of Udichi Shilpighoshti, Barishal and ‘Bashial Natok’, a cultural organisation.
On information, police recovered the body of Nipa and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy.
Azimul Karim, officer-in-charge of Barishal Kotwali Model Police Station, said primarily it is suspected that Nipa killed herself. “Actual reason behind the death will be known once autopsy report is available,” he said.
BGB seizes USD 80,000 from Chuadanga border
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members seized USD 80,000 from Fulbari border in Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga district Wednesday morning while those were being smuggled to India.
However, BGB couldn’t detain the suspected smuggler who was carrying the foreign currency.
The information was revealed at a press briefing at 6 BGB Headquarters in the afternoon.
According to BGB, upon secret information, they conducted a drive along Fulbari border and found a person trying to cross the border with a bag through pillar No 85.
The person left the bag and fled when BGB members chased him.
Read: Man held with $50,000 at Chuadanga
The BGB men found eight bundles of US dollars amounting to USD 80,000 inside the bag.
Lieutenant Colonel Shah Md Ishtiak, Director of BGB Chuadanga-6, said a case was filed with Darshana Police Station in this regard.
“Primarily, we’re suspected that the foreign currency was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India,” said Ishtiaque.