United News of Bangladesh

The flood situation in Sherpur district has worsened, claiming the lives of three people and leaving 60,000 people stranded as upstream water from India’s Meghalaya continue to inundate lowland areas. The floods hit three upazilas—Nalitabari, Jhinaigati, Nokla and Sreebardi—affecting 122 villages in 20 unions. In Nalitabari upazila, three people, including a woman, died while seeking shelter, said Nalitabari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Masud Rana. Rescue operations were ongoing, with the army joining local volunteers and the fire service to evacuate those stranded. Over 1,000 families have so far been evacuated to safer areas.In Jhinaigati’s Dighirpar village, volunteers from Rapid Response BD (RRBD) saved a 3-month-old baby who had been kept on ceiling of a house to escape rising waters. The baby and the family were rescued by the team, which had come from Mymensingh.The flood situation worsened with all unions in Nalitabari and Jhinaigati submerged. Crops, livestock, poultry, and homes were destroyed, leaving many farmers devastated. Roads remained submerged or damaged, causing suffering to local residents.The local administration designated schools as temporary shelters. Control rooms were set up, and separate teams were coordinating relief efforts. According to UNO Masud Rana, all unions, including Nalitabari municipality, were severely affected and Garkanda Government Primary School and Taraganj Women’s Madrasa were opened as shelters. Life-saving equipment including speedboats and life jackets were arranged.Water Development Board’s executive engineer Md. Nakibuzzaman Khan said the Bhogai and Chellakhali rivers in Nalitabari upazila are flowing above danger levels. Several embankments along the Bhogai, Chellakhali, and Maharshi rivers have been breached, and emergency efforts to contain the damage are underway.

In yet another incident, a fire has broken out in a Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel near the Naval Academy in Chattogram’s Patenga area, leaving a crew member dead. The deceased was identifed as Md. Sadek,43. According to the deceased's colleagues, Sadek died after jumping into the Karnaphuli River in an attempt to escape the fire. Of the 48 crew members onboard, 47 others were rescued by a joint team from the Navy and Coast Guard. Sources from the Shipping Corporation said the ship was carrying 11,600 metric tons of crude oil, which was being unloaded from a mother vessel for refining. Two buses set on fire in Gazipur to protest RMG worker's death The fire, which occurred in ship MT Banglar Saurav early Friday (October 4), follows closely on the heels of a recent fire and subsequent explosion on another BSC tanker, MT Banglar Jyoti, that claimed three lives earlier this week. According to sources, the fire started after an explosion on the vessel, which had been anchored in the Bay of Bengal near the Karnaphuli River. Fire service officials confirmed that while their team responded quickly, they were unable to control the blaze as the ship was located in the middle of the river. Fire Service Chattogram Divisional Deputy Assistant Director Abdur Razzak said, "We received information from 999 that a ship named Banglar Saurav was on fire in the Bay of Bengal. I spoke to the navy, and they also confirmed the fire. But what can the fire service do in the sea! Still, we have instructed the Karnaphuli and EPZ Fire Service to respond." Vessel catches fire after blast in Karnaphuli River; 3 bodies recovered The Bangladesh Merchant Mariners Association expressed concerns about the age of the ships. Both MT Banglar Saurav and MT Banglar Jyoti were built in Denmark in 1987 and have been operating for over 30 years, despite the international standard lifespan for such vessels being 20 to 25 years. The two ships primarily transfer crude oil from larger tankers anchored offshore to various depots in Patenga.

Police recovered the body of a local Awami League leader from a pond in Munshiganj’s Sreenagar Upazila on Friday. Md Yasin Munshi, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sreenagar Police Station, said they recovered the body of Shahjahan Sheikh, 60, publicity secretary of Birtara Union unit Awami League, from the roadside pond of Kathalbari in Birtara Union of the upazila around 10 am on Friday. The body was later sent to the morgue at Munshiganj Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. Shima Begum, the deceased's wife, mentioned that her husband frequently drank alcohol and had previously been rescued from water several times while intoxicated. On Thursday afternoon, he left home to go to the market for tea while under the influence, but he did not return. On Friday morning, his body was discovered in a pond beside the road, about a hundred yards from their home. Shima and their sons stated that they have no complaints against anyone.

The implementation of the Teesta master plan is still at the policy-making stage, according to Engineer Muhammad Amirul Haq Bhuiya, Director General of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Speaking to reporters, the DG noted that the project was initially intended to be executed in collaboration with the Chinese government. However, it remains at a stage where policymakers are concerned. However, the study has been completed on the orders of the government to prevent the erosion of both right and left banks of Teesta, he added. He made these comments during a visit to the Kalirhat area of Vidyanand Union in Rajarhat Upazila of Kurigram, where he assessed the damage caused by the breach of the Teesta River and engaged with local residents. The Director General also stated that once the floodwaters recede and adequate funding is available, work will commence in the areas impacted by the breach of the Teesta River. He further mentioned plans for the excavation of the Dharla, Brahmaputra, and other rivers as part of the second phase of the Development Project Proposal (DPP).

Heavy overnight rainfall and onrush of upstream water flooded over 100 villages across 15 unions in Nalitabari, Jhenaigati, and Sreebardi upazilas of Sherpur.  Since Friday morning,  around 50,000 people in these areas have been stranded. Firefighters and volunteers are working to rescue the stranded people.  The local administration has opened a shelter at Jhenaigati Model Pilot Government High School. In Nalitabari, firefighters are rescuing residents of five flood-affected unions, relocating them to safe areas.  According to UNO Md. Masud Rana, speedboats and assistance from the army have been requested to rescue trapped people. . He stated that there is sufficient dry food available in stock, and they have allocated dry food and mineral water for 1,000 people in each of the five unions, and distribution has begun. According to sources from the upazila administration, local representatives, and residents, water levels in the Moharshi River in Jhenaigati, Bhogai and Chellakhali rivers in Nalitabari, and Someshwari River in Sreebardi began to rise after heavy rains and upstream hill torrents on Thursday evening.  During the night, the river embankments broke at several points, causing the floodwaters to enter the localities. A breach occurred in the embankment near Noyabil Shimultola, Gakpara, Mondaliapara, Bhojpara, and Garakanda neighborhoods along the Bhogai River, causing flooding in thousands of homes.  Roads from Noyabil to Nalitabari town and Gakpara to Nalitabari Bazaar have been submerged. Besides , in Barmari, Batkuchi, and Sannyasibhita areas of Chellakhali River, embankments have collapsed due to flood, submerging the Sherpur-Nalitabari road via Gazirkhamar. The Batkuchi area has been flooded, stranding at least 20,000 people. Firefighters are working to evacuate the residents to safer shelters. Several residents of Batkuchi said they have not seen such hill torrents or flooding in the past 20 to 25 years. Asim Mrong, a resident of Moriyamnagar village in Jhenaigati, echoed similar sentiments. Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ashraful Alam said that heavy rains and upstream hill torrents have caused an unexpected flood situation. Md. Nakibuzzaman Khan, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, said as of 6 pm on Friday, the Bhogai River at Nalitabari point was flowing 65 cm above the danger level, and the fast-flowing Chellakhali River at Batkuchi point was 525 cm above the danger level.  

The bodies of nine people killed during the recent student movement in Sylhet are set to be exhumed for autopsies. The bodies will be exhumed once the necessary preparations are complete, police said. Among them, six victims are from Golapganj upazila and three from Beanibazar. Mir Md Abdun Naser, officer-in-charge (OC) of Golapganj police station, said that four magistrates have been designated to oversee the digging up process, which will occur in consultation with the magistrates. According to police and court sources, Judge Abida Sultana Moly of Sylhet Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-2 authorised the removal of the six bodies on September 4 and 5, following a request from the investigating officer. The victims from Golapganj include Nazmul Islam, 24, Hasan Ahmad Joy, 20, Sunny Ahmad, 22, Sani Ahmad, 22, Taj Uddin, 40, Minhaj Ahmad ,23, and Gaus Uddin, 35, -- all killed during the recent student protests. Six cases have been filed at Golapganj Police Station regarding the incidents, with another case being filed at a court. Autopsies had not been conducted at that time due to the prevailing tense atmosphere, prompting the investigating officers to seek post-mortem examinations, leading to the court's order for exhumation in the presence of a magistrate. In Beanibazar, three individuals—Tareq Ahmad, Raihan Ahmad, and Moinul Islam—were killed on August 5 during a victory procession after the fall of the Awami League government, with police opening fire. Their relatives buried them the next day without autopsies. Three murder cases have been registered in the Beanibazar Police Station in connection with the deaths, and the bodies of the three victims will also be exhumed for autopsies. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Beanibazar Police Station Md Enamul Haque Chowdhury said that the full court order has not yet been received. Necessary steps will be taken for exhumation of the bodies and postmortems after receiving the full order, the OC added.

The tiger count in the Sundarbans, conducted through more than 1,200 camera traps, has been completed, with the final results expected to be announced on October 8. Officials are optimistic that the number of tigers has increased since the last survey in 2018. The survey, organised by the Khulna Forest Office, marks the third large-scale tiger count in the Sundarbans, following similar efforts in 2015 and 2018. The 2022 survey was part of two mega projects focused on tiger conservation, with 484 tracking cameras and a budget of 3.6 billion taka. Despite delays in releasing the data, the Forest and Environment Advisor has assured that results will be published on schedule this year. Local environmental activists, like Mahfuzur Rahman Mukul from Bela, are hopeful. "We've previously been disappointed with tiger numbers, but this time we've learned the population has increased. People are now more aware that tigers are our protectors. Instead of killing them on sight, locals now see their value in protecting the ecosystem," Mukul said. Others, like Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, Executive Director of Bangladesh Environment Development Best, also expressed optimism but raised concerns over the large sums spent on regular surveys. "We expect the numbers to rise, but instead of spending millions on tiger counts every three years, this money could be better spent on the development of coastal communities." Despite criticisms, the Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarbans' Western Forest Division, Dr. Abu Nasir Mohsin Hossain, defended the survey. He pointed out that this year's count was conducted using domestic technology and funding across Khulna's four ranges. Hossain also noted that protective forts are being constructed for tigers to shield them from natural disasters such as storms and floods. Previous surveys found 106 tigers in 2015 and 114 in 2018. With the latest count now complete, expectations are high that the tiger population has grown, bringing hope for continued conservation success. However, local environmentalists also call for greater transparency and accountability in the use of funds, urging the government to focus on long-term development for the region’s human population as well. The tiger population in the Sundarbans, which serves as a critical guardian of the region's unique ecosystem, remains a focal point of both environmental and public interest.

Four people were killed and some 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in Kalihati upazila of Tangail early Friday. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Nannu Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Elenga highway police station, said the accident occurred around 2am on Dhaka-Tangail highway in front of the Elenga Link Road, leaving four bus passengers dead on the spot. Read: Private car-human hauler collision leaves 2 dead in Tangail The injured were rushed to Tangail General Hospital, with four reported to be in critical condition, he added. Read more: 3 dead following head-on collision between cattle laden truck and pvt car in Tangail

An eight kilometer long tailback has been created on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Narayanganj following excessive rainfall, causing suffering to commuters. Women, children, office-goers and students were the worst sufferers. Many office-goers were seen heading towards their destinations on foot amid the rain as vehicles got stranded on both sides of the highway. Locals said the traffic gridlock started on Wednesday night after the heavy rainfall that submerged some parts of the highway, resulting in an eight km jam stretching from Siddhirganj’s Sanarpara to Bandar’s Keodhala area. One Gafur Hossain, who got stuck in the traffic jam, said he boarded a bus from Shani Akhra at 7am to go to office. The bus could reach Kanchpur Bridge and then it got stranded due to long tailback. “Today I missed the office.” Read: City dwellers suffer amid unusual traffic jams  Another passenger Abdur Rahim alleged that said there have been no efforts by the law enforcement agencies to restore discipline on the road. “I have been stranded in a traffic jam since the morning. The bus in which I am travelling took around one hour to reach the Kanchpur Bridge from the Mouchhak bus stand,” he said. Abu Nayeem, traffic inspector of Kanchpur highway police station, said the traffic gridlock was created after some vehicles went out of order in Keodhala and Langalbandha areas on the waterlogged road and movement of vehicles from the opposite direction. Read more: Bangabazar Market fire in Dhaka causes huge traffic jam “We have already removed some vehicles from the highway and efforts are on to remove the rest,” he said, adding that they have been facing trouble in performing duty due to heavy rain. Several teams have been working to reduce the traffic jam, he said hoping that the normalcy on the road will return soon.

A garment worker was killed after being struck by a bus in the Bhogra area of Gazipur City Corporation on Wednesday night, according to police reports. The identity of the victim has not yet been confirmed. In response to the incident, agitated colleagues of the deceased set fire to two buses and blocked the road for a period of time. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames and restore order. Local witnesses reported that a bus from Balaka Paribahan, traveling from Dhaka to Gazipur, hit the worker as he crossed the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. The victim sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot. Md Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Basan Police Station, confirmed that the incident occurred in front of the Columbia factory. The dead body was recovered and sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital morgue, the OC added.