United News of Bangladesh

A motorcyclist and a rickshaw-van passenger were killed in separate road accidents in Mollahat upazila of Bagerhat on Saturday morning. The deceased were identified as Asad Sheikh, 40, son of Sadek Sheikh from Jugihati village in Khulna district, and Md Anwar, 35, son of late Salam Khan from Gangni area of Mollahat upazila. According to police, an unidentified vehicle heading towards Dhaka from Khulna hit motorcyclist Asad at Kahalpur around 7:30 am, leaving him dead on the spot. In a separate incident, a rickshaw-van passenger, Anwar, was killed after being hit by a bus in front of Sagar Filling Station around 9:45 am. Sheikh Nuruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Mollahat Highway Police Station, confirmed that the bodies have been recovered and sent to Mollahat Upazila Health Complex.

The flood situation in Kurigram district has worsened, with rising water levels in all major rivers leaving 1.5 lakh people stranded. Deputy Commissioner of the district Mohammad Saidul Arif reported that the Brahmaputra River was flowing 72 cm above its danger point at Chilmari, 71 cm above at Hatiya, and 68 cm above at Nunkhawa. The Dharla River was one cm above its red mark at Dharla Bridge and 10 cm above at Taluk Shimulbari as of Saturday morning. Additionally, the Dudhkumar River was 22 cm above its danger level at Pateshwari. Due to these rising water levels, 84,000 people across 42 unions in eight upazilas—Phulbari, Nageshwar, Kurigram Sadar, Ulipur, Razarhat, Chilmari, Roumari, and Char Rajibpur—have been affected. Local representatives estimate that 150,000 people are currently stranded. Over 60, 000 people marooned as floods in Kurigram deteriorate The floods have forced the suspension of academic activities in 37 government primary schools, with floodwaters entering 146 government primary schools. Classes in 20 madrasas and 43 secondary schools have also been suspended, according to the Deputy Commissioner. To address the crisis, the local administration has opened 404 shelter centers, with 3,124 people taking refuge in 26 of them. Relief efforts include the allocation of 291 metric tonnes of rice, Tk 21.50 lakh in cash, and 15,320 packets of dry food for flood victims. Education bears brunt of flooding in Sylhet The floods have inundated 6,615 hectares of land in the district. In response, 83 medical teams have been deployed to provide treatment to those affected. Residents are increasingly seeking refuge, with many heading to shelter centers as their homes are submerged in chest-deep water. Others are spending their nights on boats, illustrating the severe impact of the flooding. The situation remains critical as local authorities continue to monitor river levels and provide necessary support to the stranded population.

Police in a drive arrested a fugitive coupe, who were convicted in different cases, from Panchlaish area of Chattogram district early Friday. The arrestees were Dr. Md Rahid Nazrul Islam Boro Bhuiyan, 50, son of Dr Abdul Wahid Boro Bhuiyan and his wife Nurjahan Mantasha, 45 of Zindabazar area of Sylhet city. Fugitive convicted of rape arrested after 13 years Tipped off, a team of police led by sub-inspector Ajay Shankar Chowdhury, conducted a drive on Arnijom Road in Panchlash area and arrested them around 1 am, said additional deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) (media officer) Saiful Islam. Nazrul was convicted in 13 different cases and an arrest warrant was issued against him in 30 cases.  An arrest warrant was issued against Nurjahan under in a case filed with Kotwali Police Station in 2016. 3 arrested with drugs in Kurigram Since then, the couple had been on the run.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Samanta Lal Sen dropped in at Chittagong Medical Center Hospital on Friday evening, as part of his drive to pay surprise visits to different medical institutions in order to get a better idea of the care and service on offer. Overall he came away from this latest inspection unimpressed as the hospital even failed to produce its license to operate as a medical centre. The health minister also expressed dissatisfaction at not seeing the doctors on duty at the hospital wearing aprons. "The two doctors I talked to did not have any aprons on. The hospital did not have a license during the visit. Besides, there is no information including the photo of the information officer of the hospital," Dr Sen said. Health Minister emphasizes early child development for ‘Smart Bangladesh’ vision There was also no sucker machine in the emergency department, he added. After the inspection, the health minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the overall quality of healthcare in the hospital, and told the hospital authorities that he would take the necessary steps having seen the unsatisfactory state of healthcare at the hospital. Health Minister orders ensuring adequate stock of Russell's Viper antivenom in all hospitals  

The Jamuna river's water level has recorded a steep 40-centimetre rise in just 24 hours, leaving it to flow and currently, the water is flowing 58cm above the danger level. As a result, low-lying areas along the banks of the Jamuna were submerged, and new areas are being flooded. At least 1,500 families in Belkuchi, Shahzadpur, Chouhali, Kazipur and Sirajganj Sadar upazilas were left marooned in the district. Erosion has started occurring at various locations of these upazilas, causing immense suffering to the residents. Many croplands of the low-lying areas including sesame seeds and jute, have been submerged in flood water. District relief and rehabilitation officer Aktaruzzaman said around 1500 families in low-lying areas spanning five upazilas are now waterlogged. Mahbubur Rahman, executive engineer of the local water development board, said that the water of Jamuna is now flowing above the danger level and measures are being taken to prevent erosion at various places. "The water may rise for a few more days," he added. Deputy Commissioner Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman said that the water level of the Jamuna river continues to rise. "All measures have been taken to deal with the flood situation," stated the Deputy Commissioner. He further said that relief materials including dry food have been kept in stock and special attention is being paid to deal with this situation.

Three people, including two sisters, were killed by electrocution in separate incidents in the Kochakata area of Nageshwari Upazila, Kurigram on Friday. The deceased were identified as Sumaiya (11) and Masuma (6), daughters of Shahadat Hossain from Beguni Para village in Kaliganj Union, and Sirajul Islam, son of the late Abdur Rahman Munshi from Bepari Para village in Narayanpur Union. According to Kochakata police, Sumaiya and Masuma were on their way to their aunt’s house on raft made out of the banana tree, when their necks got caught in an electric wire connected to their irrigation pump. They were electrocuted and died on the spot. In another incident around the same time, Sirajul Islam was traveling to a neighboring house on a raft when the pole of his raft came into contact with the main power supply line. He was also electrocuted and died instantly. Bishwadeb Roy, Officer-in-Charge of Kochakata Police Station, confirmed incidents and said that the bodies were handed over to the families. Separate cases will be filed regarding these incidents.

At least 10 people were killed and dozens suffered injuries in separate road crashes in Dinajpur, Faridpur and Jashore on Friday. The deadliest of the mishaps occurred on the Dinajpur-Phulbari regional road near Panchbari in Dinajpur Sadar, as a head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus early Friday killed five people, and injured scores. Though the identities of the deceased couldn’t be ascertained immediately, they included the supervisor and helper of the Nabil Paribahan bus, the truck driver, a child and a passenger. The injured are now receiving treatment at M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital, said police. Kotwali police station’s Officer-in-Charge Farid Hossain said the Thakurgaon-bound bus from Dhaka collided with the mango-laden truck next to a fuel station around 6am, leaving bus supervisor Rajesh Bahadur, the unidentified helper and trucker Hasu dead on the spot and 28 others injured. The injured were rushed to the Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital where the child and the passenger succumbed to their injuries, the OC said. Sub-Inspector Hassan Mohammad Rubel said that the front portion of the bus got shattered and the victims were rescued with the help of Fire Service and Civil Defence. Meanwhile, in Dinajpur's Fulbari area, a collision involving a truck transporting cattle and a goods vehicle resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to four others. The incident occurred during the afternoon when a truck carrying cattle collided with another vehicle traveling from Uttor Sujapur area. Among the deceased are Aman Uddin (45) from Naogaon village of Joypurhat and Menhazul (40) from Parail village of the same upazila. The injured were promptly taken to the local health center for treatment. Fulbari Police Station has initiated legal proceedings. In Faridpur, along the Dhaka-Barishal highway, a collision between a bus and a pickup truck at Pukuria area of Bhanga upazila claimed the lives of two individuals. The incident occurred when a Dhaka-bound Golden Line Paribahan bus collided head-on with a pickup truck, resulting in two deaths and injuring ten others. Officers from Bhanga Highway Police Station transported the injured to Faridpur Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital for treatment. The identities of the deceased have not been known yet. Police and fire services managed to clear the road after recovering both vehicles involved, restoring normal traffic flow. In Jashore, a rural doctor named Alamgir Hossen, 42, lost his life in a tragic collision on the Jashore-Satkhira highway near Baguri Mill. Alamgir, from Kisamat Ilishpur village in Kalaiya upazila, was commuting on his motorcycle when a passenger bus bound for Jashore ran into him. He succumbed to his injuries at Jashore General Hospital. Both the bus and the motorcycle involved in the accident have been seized, and the bus driver is under police custody pending further investigation.    

A journalist has filed a case against Mustafizur Rahman Chowdhury, a former Member of Parliament (MP) from Chattogram's Banshkhali, on charge of threatening to kill him over the phone. Journalist Shafqat Hossain Chatgami, who is also the president of the Banshkhali Press Club, lodged the complaint. The case was filed on Thursday before the Banshkhali Senior Judicial Magistrate Court. Advocate Mosharraf Hossain Khan, a lawyer from the Judge Court, confirmed the matter. He said that after the hearing, the court accepted the case and instructed the officer-in-charge (OC) of Banshkhali police station to investigate. According to the case details, on June 29, a discussion meeting was held at the Banshkhali Upazila headquarters to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Awami League. During the meeting, Abdul Gafur, the general secretary of the Upazila Awami League, said in his speech that the former MP Mustafizur Rahman had lied about building a party office instead of a house. Abdul Gafur further stated that the former MP had used the Awami League as a tool for personal gain in the past and warned that the Upazila Awami League would not allow any further manipulation. This speech was published in the "Daily Chattagram Mancha" on June 30, just like some other newspapers. Following this, on June 30 at 5:33 PM, former MP Mustafizur Rahman verbally abused journalist Shafqat Hossain Chatgami and threatened to kill him over the phone. Plaintiff Shafqat Hossain Chatgami stated, "I feel unsafe due to the former MP's threats. My life is at risk. I have sought protection from the court. The court has taken my case into consideration."

A security guard was fatally struck by a car in Dhaka’s East Rajabazar area. The incident occurred today around 8:00 am. The victim, identified as Fazlu Mia, was hit by a white sedan owned by a resident of the building named Mofizul Islam. According to an initial report, the impact broke part of the gate and left Fazlu critically injured. Fazlu’s elder sister, Minara, filed a complaint with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, accusing the car owner, Mofizul Islam, said Sub-Inspector Anwar Hossain. Despite being rushed to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Fazlu was pronounced dead upon arrival. His body has since undergone an autopsy. Mofizul Islam is currently on the run and is described as being between 55 and 60 years old. In a conflicting statement, Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital Director Dr Shafiur Rahman said, “I don’t know anything about it. No one told me. I’m only notified if it’s a case of accident.”

 A couple allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves from the ceiling of their house in Sadar upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday morning. The deceased were identified as Md Abu Daud Sheikh, 45, and his wife Koheli Sultana Lucky, of Boitpur area in the upazila. Jannatul Ferdaus, daughter of the couple, said that she woke up in the morning and found the bodies of her parents hanging in their bedroom. After hearing her scream, her relatives rushed to the spot and informed police. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Bagerhat district hospital morgue for autopsy. M Saidur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bagerhat Model Police Station, said the couple might have committed suicide due to family dispute. The bodies were sent to Bagerhat 250-bed district hospital for post-mortem. The exact cause of death will be known after getting the autopsy report, added the OC.