United News of Bangladesh

A union parishad (UP) chairman at Chattogram's Anwara upazila was beaten up by some local people on Sunday. Victim Md. Nawab Ali is a chairman of the Boirag UP and joint secretary of the Anwara upazila unit Awami League. He is known to be a good follower of former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed. The incident took place in the field of Boirag Union Parishad. At that time, the crowd also slapped two others who were with him, calling them brokers. According to locals, after the Awami League President Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country in the August 5 student uprising, the Awami League leaders and leaders of Anwara Upazila, like the rest of the country, went into hiding. This morning, Chairman Nawab Ali came under attack by local angry people when he went to the Parishad. He took shelter in a building. Later, he was rescued by some locals and taken to a safe place. UP Chairman Nawab Ali could not be reached on the phone after repeated calls. In this regard, Member Secretary of Anwara Upazila BNP Lion Mohammad Helal Uddin said that the fugitive dictatorial government of Sheikh Hasina had seized power by robbing votes and taking away people's rights by committing terrorist acts. With her ouster, the people of Bangladesh got freedom. All the elections during his tenure were one-sided. Therefore illegal district, upazila and union council chairmen must be resisted. In the meantime, angry locals beat the Boirag UP chairman today.

A group of students discovered a bag containing Tk 18 lakh on the street and handed it over to the police on Sunday morning. The police have stated that they are investigating the origin of the money and will take further action based on the findings. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalia Police Station, SM Masud Parvez, confirmed the matter. The students reported that they found the money around 5:00 am in an alley in the Bhadra area of the city. Later, around 11 am, they went to the Boalia Police Station to submit the money. The money was handed over in the presence of Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Barakuthi Land Office Shamsul Alam and Army Warrant Officer Iqbal Hossain. The OC further confirmed that the students who turned in the money included Akash Ali, a student of Rahmat Iqbal Degree College in Singra, Natore. He mentioned that the students had stayed in the Bhadra area overnight for security reasons and were returning home after their night duty when they found the bag in front of a student hostel.

Two youths died as the motorbike they were on overturned on Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Mollahat upazila of Bagerhat on Sunday. Deceased Rana Sheikh, 25, son of Liakat Sheikh, and Amit Sardar, 24, son of Raja Sardar, were residents of Mejhora Gaola village under the upazila. Mollahat Highway police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Nuruzzaman Chunnu said the accident occurred around 9:15 am when the motorbike overturned in the Rajhat area, leaving both the rider and the pillion passenger critically injured. Later, locals rushed them to Mollahat Upazila Health Complex where physicians declared them dead, the OC said.   The bodies were handed over to the families upon completion of legal procedures, he said.

Three members of a family died in a landslide triggered by excessive rainfalls in Pekua upazila of Cox’s Bazar early Sunday, said police on Sunday. The deceased were Mamtaj Begum, her daughter Moina Begum, 11 and son Toha Mia, 7, of Segunbagicha area under Shilkhali union of the upazila. Pekua police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Illias confirmed the matter saying that the landslide occurred in a hilly remote area leaving three members of the family killed in the early morning. A police team was sent to the spot, he said, adding that details will be shared later.  

The donation boxes at the historic Pagla Mosque in Kishoreganj have yielded an impressive sum of 7 crore 22 lakhs 13 thousands and 46 after counting the contributions. This total includes cash, foreign currency, and gold jewelry. The counting process began this morning after nine donation boxes were opened, revealing 28 sacks of money. The operation was overseen by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Kazi Mohua Mumtaz, who confirmed the total amount collected. The donation boxes were opened at 9:00 AM in the presence of military officers, the Deputy Commissioner of Kishoreganj, the Superintendent of Police, and members of the Pagla Mosque Management Committee. A total of 257 madrasa students, 70 bank staff, 40 mosque committee members, 12 executive magistrates, and a sufficient number of law enforcement personnel were involved in the counting process. Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner and President of the Pagla Mosque Committee, stated that the donations are used to cover the expenses of the mosque, its affiliated madrasa, orphanage, and cemetery. Additionally, the funds are utilized to support other mosques, madrasas, orphanages, and provide financial assistance to poor students and the underprivileged in the district. Earlier this year, on April 20, the mosque’s donation boxes yielded a record amount of 7 crore 78 lakh 67 thousand 537 tk from 27 sacks of money.  

Three people died and a woman was injured after a private car fell into a roadside ditch on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Chandina upazila of Cumilla on Saturday. The car driver was among the deceased. However, the identities of the other two could not be ascertained immediately. Anay Kumar Ghosh, station master of Chandina Fire Service, confirmed the matter. The accident happened in Madhaiya Muktijoddha Smriti College area of upazila this afternoon. A private car belonging to Life Trust Insurance Company leaving from Dhaka first crashed into a tree and finally plunged into the roadside ditch, killing three on the spot, he said. 

Former Member of Parliament for Chattogram-11 and Awami League leader M.A. Latif was arrested by police early Saturday morning. The arrest took place at around 6:30 am in the Bayezid Bostami area of the city, according to officials from the Double Mooring Police Station under the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP). This arrest follows a tense incident on August 9, when Latif was reportedly hiding at a relative's house in the Nasum Malum Mosque area of Madarbari, Chattogram. Local residents, having discovered his whereabouts, surrounded the house and effectively detained him. Upon receiving reports of the situation, the army intervened, rescuing Latif from the enraged crowd and ensuring his safety. Sources from the police station revealed that the arrest is linked to a case filed by an individual named Ershad, who was injured by gunfire during the student protests. The case, filed on Friday at Double Mooring Police Station, names M.A. Latif as one of 16 individuals accused, along with 100 to 150 unidentified persons. According to the allegations, Latif is accused of ordering the shooting. Confirming the arrest, Officer-in-Charge Fazlur Kader Patwari of Double Mooring Police Station stated, “Former MP M.A. Latif has been arrested from the Bayezid Bostami area. He has been sent to court with an 8-day remand request.”

A landslide in the Alutila area of Khagrachari has severely disrupted road connectivity between Khagrachari and the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The landslide occurred around 8:30 am on Saturday near the Sapmara area of Alutila, following heavy rainfall that triggered the collapse of soil and debris onto the road. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported. Maksudur Rahman, Executive Engineer of the Khagrachari Roads and Highways Department, confirmed the incident, stating, "Heavy rainfall caused the landslide, leading to road blockages due to accumulated soil and debris." Efforts to clear the debris are ongoing, and authorities expect to restore normal traffic flow once the road is cleared. Travelers are advised to remain patient as work continues to reopen the critical route.

Traders and residents of Harashpur railway station in Madhabpur of Habiganj were reportedly attacked and looted.   The incident took place on Friday afternoon when a group of assailants attacked the traders and residents of the Harashpur railway station area. During the attack, 20 to 30 shops were looted, leaving over 100 people injured. Among the injured, Raju Ahmed from Shialuri village and Jamal Mia from Sultanpur village were in critical condition.  According to sources, some attackers were residents of Bijoynagar in Brahmanbaria district. The violence reportedly stemmed from a dispute over the appointment of an imam at a local mosque in Harashpur.  Armed with local weapons, the attackers targeted the shops at Harashpur railway station. The severity of the situation prompted intervention by the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police to bring the situation under control. Faruk Ahmed, chairman of the local Dharmanagar Union said, a group of men from Bijoynagar used the mosque dispute as an excuse to vandalize and loot at least 30 to 40 shops in Harashpur market, leaving many injured. He described the attack on defenseless people as unprecedented. Jabed Masud, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Madhabpur Police Station confirmed the matter.  The situation has now somewhat stabilized, said the OC.  An investigation is underway, and legal action will be taken, he added. 

Bangladesh Army has rescued an elderly woman who was locked in a room for three months by her own children in Brahmanbaria. Jahanara Begum, 70, is the widow of late Haji Md Abdu Mia of Gorkanghat area of Brahmanbaria. Tipped-off, a team of the Bangladesh Army rescued Jahanara Begum on Friday morning, said Warrant Officer Didarul Alam Didar, in charge of the army's temporary camp in Brahmanbaria Zilla Parishad. At that time, Army men also detained her eight children. Warrant Officer also said that Jahanara Begum's 9 sons and three daughters treated her inhumanly to take property from their mother. They sometimes beat their mother, did not provide regular food, even threatened to kill her. However, they realised their mistake and begged for forgiveness from their mother. They were released according to their mother's will. Later, Councilor of Brahmanbaria Municipality Ward 7 Mo Faruk Ahmed took them away on bond.