United News of Bangladesh

Md. Farid Manik, the personal assistant (PA) to the controversial former Member of Parliament (MP) Nizam Uddin Hazari from Feni-2 constituency, was apprehended by immigration police at international immigration checkpoint of Akhaura land port while trying to escape to India. Farid Manik attempted to leave for India via Akhaura land port on Monday. As of the evening of this report, he remains in the custody of the immigration police. According to sources at Akhaura land port immigration, Farid Manik, a resident of Panchgachiya in Feni Sadar, was stopped after immigration officials confirmed that he was under a travel ban. He was subsequently held at the immigration office. Farid Manik is well-known locally as a close associate and PA of Nizam Uddin Hazari. Md. Khairul Islam, Officer-in-charge of Akhaura land port immigration police, stated that there are no active cases against Farid Manik. Discussions are ongoing with senior authorities, and necessary actions will be taken based on their directives. Manik has been a subject of local controversy due to alleged involvement in various misconducts while serving as PA to Nizam Uddin Hazari, the general secretary of the Feni district Awami League and former MP of Feni-2.

Rangpur, Aug 12 (UNB) - The murder case of Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur University who was killed by police gunfire during the anti-discrimination quota movement in Rangpur, has been transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). The case was moved from the Tajhat Police Station to the PBI following an order from the Police Headquarters on Monday. ABM Zakir Hossain, the superintendent of police at Rangpur PBI, confirmed the matter. The incident occurred on July 16 when a clash broke out between the police and protesting students at Park Mor in front of Begum Rokeya University. Abu Sayed was shot and killed by the police during the confrontation. The case was initially filed on July 17 at Tajhat Police Station, with Bhubuti Bhushan Ray, an assistant sub-inspector of the station and in-charge of the university police camp, as the plaintiff.

 Two children from the same family drowned on Monday morning while picking water lilies in a pond in Pabna's Sathia upazila. The deceased were  identified as Ruhan, 3, and Yamin, 4, were both residents of Dhulauri Purbo Para village. Ruhan was the son of Imran Hossain, while Yamin was the son of Shahin Alam. The boys were uncle and nephew, and both of their fathers are expatriates in Malaysia. Moin Uddin Bimbash, the Union Parishad member of Ward No. 5 of Dhulauri Union, confirmed the incident. The incident occurred around 11 am when Ruhan’s mother, Ratna Khatun, went to wash clothes in the nearby Ichamati River. The children accompanied her but wandered off to a nearby pond to pick water lilies. When Ratna Khatun finished her laundry, she realised the boys were missing. Family members searched for the children and eventually found Yamin floating in the pond. Ruhan was discovered underwater. Both children were rushed to Sathia Upazila Health Complex, where they were pronounced dead by the attending physician.    

Two people were killed and 45 others injured when a bus lost control and fell off the overpass at Basail area of Narsingdi on Sunday night. The deceased were identified as Nurul Islam, 50, son of Abul Monnaf, a resident of Sylhet and Nur Uddin, 45, son of Idirsh Ali hailed from Habiganj. The accident occurred on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway after midnight when a Sylhet-bound Dhaka Express bus fell down from an overpass as its driver lost control over the vehicle, leaving its passenger Nurul Islam dead on the spot and 45 injured. Later, with the help of locals, fire service and army personnel, the injured were rescued and taken to Narsingdi District Hospital. Of them, seven people were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their condition is critical, said Narsingdi district hospital supervisor Dr. ANM Mizanur Rahman. Nur Uddin succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Two people were killed in a mob beating after they allegedly stabbed an auto-rickshaw driver and attempted to steal his vehicle in Naushondighi area of Auliapur Union under Sadar Upazila on Saturday night.  The deceased were identified as Shuvo Meraj ,20, from the Nimgar Balubari area of Dinajpur town and Tareq ,27,from Block 4 of the Upashahar area.  The injured auto-rickshaw driver, Abdur Rahim ,was rushed to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital for treatment. According to local residents,  around 12:00 am on Saturday, Shuvo Meraj and Tareq rented an an auto-rickshaw and went behind Ramsagar.  At one stage, they stabbed the auto-bike driver and tried to escape with the vehicle.  However, locals apprehended and gave them a good thrashing. When their condition worsened, they were taken to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital at around 3 AM, where doctors declared them dead. The Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, Farid Hossain, confirmed the matter. 

Four bodies were recovered after a boat capsized in the Meghna River near Noakhali's Hatiya upazila while en route to Bhasan Char on Saturday.  Nineteen others were rescued alive by members of the Coast Guard, Naval Police, and Fire Service. The bodies of three children and one woman were found floating. All the deceased were residents of the Bhasan Char Rohingya camp. Officer-in-Charge of Bhasan Char Police Station, Abu Jafar, confirmed the matter. The deceased were identified as Laila Begum (45), wife of Dil Mohammad from Cluster 85 of Bhasan Char; Abdul Kader (4), son of Mohammad Abdullah from Cluster 84; Azizul Haque (5), son of Mohammad Jahar from Cluster 80; and Asmida Begum (4), daughter of Mohammad Rashid from Cluster 8. The boat was en route to Hatiya's Bhasan Char from the Chattogram Fishery Ghat, carrying goods like rice and pulses along with passengers. The boat's operator, Md. Humayun, said that they departed from Chattogram Fishery Ghat at around 8:00 am with goods and several passengers. However, at approximately 11:00 am, as the boat approached Hatiya's boundary in the Meghna River, it was caught in a sudden storm and quickly capsized. The passengers started screaming and tried to save themselves by swimming. Humayun himself managed to stay afloat in the river. The boat was caught in the storm around 11 am, just 8 nautical miles south of the Bhasan Char Rohingya camp, said OC Jafar. Along with goods, the boat was carrying about 23 passengers. Upon receiving the news, nearby boats rushed to rescue the passengers, followed by a rapid response from the Naval Police and Coast Guard, who rescued other passengers unharmed, he said. The recovered bodies have been taken to Bhasan Char Police Station, he added.

Gunfire erupted during a clash between a section of prisoners and guards at Chattogram Central Jail on Friday afternoon, authorities said. The prison guards fired rubber bullets and blank shots to control the situation when a section of prisoners staged demonstrations and tried to break open a room at the jail.  The clash broke out at 1:30pm. However, the prison authorities said that no prisoner could escape. Manjur Hossain, superintendent of Chattogram Jail, said some inmates were trying to escape but failed. A team of army men reached the spot and brought the situation under control, he added. Eyewitnesses said that heavy gunfire was heard in the central jail area. Some people from outside also tried to break the main gate of the prison. However, the prison guards restrained them. A tense situation was prevailing in the area due to the incident.

Six inmates were killed in a clash between two groups of inmates in Jamalpur District Jail, authorities said on Friday.   Moreover, district jailer and seven prison guards were injured in the clash on Thursday afternoon. The deceased were Arman, Raihan, Shyamal, Fazle Rabbi Babu, Jasim and Rahat—all residents of Jamalpur Sadar Upazila. Abu Fattah, jailer of the district jail, said two groups of the inmates locked into clashes inside the jail on Thursday afternoon while six of them died in this connection.   The jailer, however, didn’t elaborate how they died. After bringing the situation under control, the inmates beat the jailer, held him captive and tried to escape from the jail, he said. The inmates vandalised two buildings within the prison, the jailer's office, and one of the main gates. They also set fire to several parts of the facility, taking 14 prison guards hostage in the process, he said. At one stage, the prison guards responded by firing warning shots to regain control of the situation, the jailer said. In response to the crisis, Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and fire service were deployed in the jail to restore order. The hostages were released later that night, and by 3am, prison authorities had regained full control of the facility, jailer Fattah said. Four critically injured inmates and three prison guards were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and Jamalpur General Hospital for treatment. The jailer confirmed that no prisoners managed to escape during the incident. The jailer informed that the Public Works Department has already begun repairs on the damaged gates and other structures inside the prison. Jamalpur District Jail currently houses 669 inmates, of whom 100 are convicted prisoners. Authorities have confirmed that there are no militants among the prison population.

In response to the order of Inspector General of Police (IGP) to join work within 24 hours, police have spontaneously joined their work in six police stations under Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) on Thursday.People gathered at the police stations with their complaints in the morning, said deputy commissioner of SMP BM Ahsraf Ullah Taher..However, the court activities under SMP are going on. Police personnel returning to duty amidst public Support: Headquarters responds to rumoursMeanwhile, people from all walks of life, political leaders, activists and students were seen providing necessary assistance to the policemen so that they can work smoothly.Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Mainul Islam ordered all police memebrs, who fled their respective workplaces amid unrest and attacks, to join duty within 24 hours on Wednesday.Tangail Sadar Police Station reopens after two-day closure

The Gopalganj district unit of Awami League and its associate bodies have pledged to bring back Sheikh Hasina to the country. Gopalganj district unit Awami League president Mahbub Ali Khan and its general secretary GM Shahabuddin Azam administered the oath after placing a wreath at the grave of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara on Wednesday. JU VC Professor Nurul Alam resigns After standing in front of the graveyard of Bangabandhu, the AL leaders and activists made a pledge to bring back Sheikh Hasina with due respect and said they will guard the grave of the Father of the Nation. A number of leaders and activists of Awami League and its associated bodies including Chhatra League, Jubo League, freedom fighters and Sachetan Nagorik were present there. TIB calls for effective action to protect minorities and state property