District
2 shot in clash between BCL, LDP in Cumilla; LDP Secretary General held
Two people were shot during a clash between activists of ruling party student front Bangladesh Chhatra League and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Monday at Redwan Ahmed College premises in Chandina upazila of Cumilla.
After the clash, Dr Redwan Ahmed, LDP Secretary General and former Parliament member of Cumilla-7 constituency, was held as he was accused of firing from his gun, said Md Foyez Iqbal Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Daudkandi circle).
The two shot men were identified as Mahmudul Hasan Jony and Najmul Hasan, both BCL activists, he said.
Also read: Man killed in clash over delivering sermon after Jumma: 3 arrested
According to police, LDP activists arrived at the college premises on Monday noon for a pre scheduled Eid get together but BCL activists also were present there for a meeting.
Amid the tension, some BCL activists allegedly chased the personal vehicle of Dr Redwan Ahmed when he reached the spot. In reaction to this, he fired at them from his gun through the window of his vehicle.
“Immediately after the incident Dr Redwan was taken under custody with his gun and police troops were deployed at the spot. Further actions will be taken in this regard after investigation”, said ASP Md Foyez Iqbal.
Also read: LDP leader held with loaded magazine from Dhaka airport
Liton Sarkar, General Secretary of Cumilla North Awami Secha Sebok League said the shot BCL activists are currently admitted at hospital and demanded justice in this incident.
Cyclone Asani: Five coastal districts on alert
All necessary preparations have been taken in five coastal districts to face any possible situation that might arise due to cyclonic storm ‘Asani’.
Barishal divisional administration has kept 4,915 shelter centres ready even though the Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicted that the cyclone is unlikely to hit the country's coastline.
Of these, 1,071 shelters have been prepared in Barishal district, 925 in Patuakhali, 1104 in Bhola, 712 in Pirojpur, 629 in Barguna and 474 in Jhalakathi.
Two million people along with their livestock can take shelter at these centers.
Besides, the Divisional Commissioner's Office has instructed the concerned officials to provide clean water, dry food and electricity in the shelters.
CPP (Cyclone Preparedness Programme) volunteers have also been prepared, said a source at district administration.
The Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) and various government and non-government organizations have already been instructed to remain alert.
Amin-ul-Ahsan, Barishal Divisional Commissioner, said adequate preparations have been taken to face the possible cyclone.
UNB Patuakhali correspondent reports: The coastal areas of Patuakhali district have been experiencing rainfall since Sunday morning, due to the impact of severe Cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ that is brewing over the Bay.
The local Met office recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall activities around 6 pm on Monday.
The local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office asked the farmers to harvest their paddy as soon as possible to mitigate damage.
Also read: Cyclone ‘Asani’ over Bay: Heavy rainfall likely in 3 divisions
Rahat Hossain, an observer of Patuakhali Weather Office, said “Light to moderate rains are likely to continue for two more days in the district. The southern part of the country including Patuakhali is likely to be safe but it will likely make landfall in Odisha in India."
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamal Hossain, said “We will sit in a meeting after getting No 4 signal but we still are observing the situation.”
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist distant warning signal No 2.
UNB Bhola correspondent reports, the local administration has kept 691 shelters ready to tackle the cyclone ‘Asani’.
The local Met Office recorded 4.5 mm of rainfall from Monday morning until Monday noon.
The authorities concerned have alerted the fishermen and residents of the coastal areas through loudspeakers. Meanwhile a sense of panic has been prevailing in the area.
Deputy Commissioner of Bhola district said all out preparation has been taken and 13,600 volunteers of Red Crescent are ready to face any situation.
Around noon on Monday, it was centered about 1105 Kms Southwest of Chattogram port, 1045 kms Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 1015 kms South-Southwest of Mongla port and 1000 kms South-Southwest of Payra port, said a Met Office bulletin.
It is likely to move in a northwesterly direction, it said.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman on Sunday said there is no possibility of Cyclone Asani hitting Bangladesh coast.
He said the cyclone is moving northwestwards and it will weaken while passing Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and West Bengal in India on May 12 and will turn into a low, he told reporters at his Secretariat office.
The cyclone might cause storms and rains in Bangladesh but there will be no tidal surge, he added.
Uploading images on FB showing arms: BCL leader held in Rajshahi
–A local leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, who’s images holding firearms went viral on social networking site Facebook, was held from Rajshahi on Monday, said Rab.
The arrestee is Abu Bakar Siddique alias Ratul, son of Mostafa Kamal of Sujanagar upazila in Pabna district. He is the vice-president of Manikhat union unit of BCL.
Tipped off, a team of Rab detained Ratul from Boalia area in Rajshahi city in the morning, said Commanding officer of Rab-5, Lieutenant Colonel Reaz Shahrier at a press briefing at Rab-5 headquarters here.
Also read: BCL leader expelled on allegation of abducting, torturing youth in Satkhira
The images of Ratul holding firearms in his hand that went viral on Facebook drew a huge flack and since then he remained absconding.
According to his statement, Rab members also seized one pistol, one magazine and three bullets from Sagarpara area of the city.
Ratul confessed that uploaded the photos on FB to inform people that he keeps arms with him and establish himself as a criminal.
Also read: BCL leader, 5 others held for cheating in teachers’ recruitment test
Drug peddler held with Crystal meth, Yaba pills in Teknaf
Members of Border Guard (BGB) detained a drug peddler with 1.06kg of crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth or ice) and 10,000 of Yaba pills from Teknaf in the early hours of Monday.
The detainee was Md. Saker Ali,22, son of late Kalu Mia of 25 Mochni Myanmar Citizens Camp, Block-B of Teknaf.
Also Read: BGB seizes smuggled goods worth Tk 143 cr in April
According to a media release of BGB, tipped off, a patrol team of BGB-2, detained Saker conducting a drive at Omarkhal area under Domdomia BOP in Teknaf around 12:15 am.
During the drive, the BGB men seized 1.06kgs of crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth or ice) and 10,000 pcs of Yaba pills worth Tk 5.60 crore from his possession, said the release.
Fuel oil crisis hits filling stations in northern districts
Vehicles in eight northern districts are not getting fuel oil at the petrol pumps to run the wheels as the supply of fuel oil remained stopped after Eid-ul-Fitr, causing immense suffering to people.
According to petrol pump owners , petrol, octane and diesel are supplied to the railway head depot in Parbatipur of Dinajpur from Chattogram through Khulna to meet the demand of eight districts of the northern region.
The authorities concerned did not supply even one liter of petrol to the depot after Eid which created a huge fuel crisis in the region.
An official of local Petrobangla office said he doesn’t know when the next shipment of fuel oil will reach Parbatipur depot. He, however, said, a freight train started the journey from Khulna to Dinajpur on Monday.
Also Read: Cabinet purchase body approves import of diesel, Jet fuel, LNG and fertilizer
Meanwhile, petrol pumps have been supplying octane on a limited scale which does not meet the demand.
Petobangla had supplied two lakh liters of petrol to Dinajpur depot from Khulna before Eid. On the other hand, it supplied the same amount of octane on Sunday (May 8) which is not sufficient to meet the demand.
Md. Imran, manager of Parbatipur head depot, said, eight northern districts have 125 petrol pumps. Oil tankers from these pumps are waiting in queues at the depot for oil.
Petrobangla set up a head depot at Parbatipur rail station to supply fuel oil to eight northern districts to meet of demand for fuel oil.
Dhaka’s rail links with Ctg, Sylhet restored after 10 hrs
Dhaka’s train communications with Chattogram and Sylhet were restored Monday afternoon after 10 hours of suspension following derailment of three bogies of a Dhaka-bound freight.
Railway sources said a container train was going to Dhaka from port city Chattogram and when it reached Rajapur railway station three bogies veered off the tracks at 4am.
Cox’s Bazar abuzz with tourists after two years
Cox’s Bazar, the country's top tourist attraction, experienced an increased flow of tourists from different parts of the country during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, boosting business for the large section of the population of the coastal city engaged in the tourism sector.
Our correspondent found the beach area overcrowded with the presence of tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic hit over two years ago.
Footfall of thousands of tourists gave the beach area a festive look. The hotel and motel owners were particularly happy with the presence of tourists.
Besides, the local administration took adequate measures to ensure security, and police, Ansar and lifeguards worked round the clock to provide it.
Laboni point and Sugandha point of Cox’s Bazar are the most attractive points for tourists where a number of people thronged to take a break from the monotonous routine of life.
Many people were seen roaming in the beach area on bikes.
Also Read: 140kg boal fish netted in Cox's Bazar
Abu Taleb Shah, General Manager of Hotel Cox’s Today, said “The businessmen involved in the tourism sector are happy with the presence of tourists after a two year long pause and 90% rooms of different hotels and motels are still booked after Eid holiday and it will remain till May 11.”
Selim Newaz, a hotel businessman, said they expected more tourists till May 10 if the weather remains favorable, which can help the tourism industry to boost further.
Abul Kashem, general secretary of Hotel Motel Guest House Samity, said “After Eid holiday we have seen that 70% rooms are still booked. Many people, who celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in their home village, are now coming here.”
Additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police, Rezaul Karim, said a foolproof security has been taken to ensure security of the tourists and the authorities concerned also took steps to provide pure drinking water and medical services.
Almost no untoward incident was reported or took place, he said.
Executive Magistrate Murad Uddin, of the local administration tourist cell, said alongside district police, four magistrates, tourists’ police, lifeguard workers and beach workers are working round the clock to provide security to the tourists.
There are 500 hotels, motels and guest houses where 2 lakh people can easily be accommodated at any one time in Cox's Bazar.
Also Read: RAB rescues man from Cox's Bazar who went into hiding one year back
3 arrested in Ctg over gang rape of girl who escaped from Cumilla
Police arrested three youths on allegation of gang raping a 22-year-old girl in Chattogram who ran away from her home in Cumilla.
The arrestees were identified as Md Ariful Islam Arif, 23, son of Md Abul Hossain, Md Nayan, 29, son of Saifuddin Prakash, and Md Abdul Latif, 22, son of Md Solaiman, said Jahir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Akbar Shah police station in Chattogram.
According to police, the girl from Cumilla left her home out of anger and reached Chattogram on Saturday morning by train. When she decided to return, she could not do so as she had no money.
Around 11:30 she was sitting in front of a house at Shapla Residential area under Akbar Shah police station when accused Nayan came to her and said he will give her a job and keep her with his family.
Later Arif and Latif joined him and took the girl to an under construction building and fled after raping her.
Police rescued the girl from the building after being informed by locals, said OC Jahir.
The accused were arrested from different places in the city during a drive conducted from Saturday evening to Sunday morning.
“The accused have accepted their crime during primary interrogation and the girl is currently under treatment at One-stop Crisis Center,” he said.
Accused Arif and Nayan were arrested last year in another rape case filed with Kotwali police station, said the OC.
Also read: 2 held over strangling a girl to death during rape attempt in Joypurhat
7 shops fined in Sylhet for overpricing soybean oil
The authorities on Sunday fined seven wholesalers of edible oil Tk 16,000 for stockpiling and selling soybean oil at a price higher than that fixed by the government during a raid in Sylhet.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has launched a nationwide drive to prevent stockpiling and overpricing of soybean oil in the market, following the record hike in the cooking oil’s house.
On the instructions of the director general of the department, the Sylhet district and divisional office conducted a drive in Sylhet from 11 am like the rest of the country.
Also read: Around 23 million litre soybean oil arrives at Chittagong port amid growing demand
During the drive, warehouses and shops of soybean oil dealers in Kalighat, Kazir Bazar, Lama Bazar, Madina Market, Akhalia and Tuker Bazar of Sylhet city were inspected.
However, no evidence of stockpiling of soybean oil was found in any warehouse in the Kalighat area of the city.
Traders claim that enough oil is not being supplied from the oil company's depots.
On the other hand, the depot authorities informed that the oil supply was a little less due to the Eid holidays. However, they have started getting enough soybean oil from Sunday.
Also read: Soybean oil price jumps as Indonesia bans export of palm oil
Assistant Director Shyamal Purkayastha and Md Amirul Islam Masud, Assistant Director of the Department were also present during the drive along with Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and law enforcers.
FM inaugurates Bangabandhu Gold Cup football tournament in Sylhet
The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman National Gold Cup Football Tournament, Boys (Under-17) 2022 and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Gold Cup Football Tournament (Under-17) 2022 were inaugurated on Sunday.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the tournaments at Sylhet District Stadium in the afternoon.
At that time, the minister said, there are not many playgrounds in Sylhet. “I have told Sylhet city corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury that an initiative should be taken to build three more playgrounds on the other side of the river.”
He further said that all those who play in the national team of Bangladesh come up from rural areas. The Awami League government is doing everything for the development of sports for the boys and girls of the rural areas.
This tournament has been organised on the initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports, under the supervision of Sylhet District Administration.
A total of 1,982 boys will participate in 105 unions and four municipalities at the upazila level of Sylhet district while 252 boys and 252 girls in 13 upazilas and a city corporation at the district level.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will select 40 boys and 40 girls from this age based tournament.
Meanwhile, four players have been sent to Brazil for advanced training. Besides, from 2021, 11 boys will be sent to Brazil and 11 girls will be sent to Spain or Portugal.
This event has been organised every year since 2018 with the aim of providing inspiration to the emerging players and improving the quality of football in the country.