United News of Bangladesh

A Class-X girl has allegedly been gang-raped in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur after being abducted from Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha. Police arrested one of the suspects on Thursday in connection with the incident, which took place on Tuesday. The arrestee was identified as Sakirul Islam, 24, a resident of Purba Bahial Palsha village of Ghoraghat upazila. According to the statement of a case filed at Gobindaganj Police Station, the victim was returning home from a local coaching centre on Tuesday morning. On her way, her classmate Humayun Kabir, 18, son of Harunur Rashid of Kamdia village in Gobindaganj, along with his associates, forced her into an auto-rickshaw. She was then taken to Sakirul's house in Dinajpur. The statement further alleged that Humayun, Sakirul and two others – Anik Mia, 18, and Sabbir Mia, 19, both from Kamdia – raped the girl in turns after confining her to a room. The victim later managed to escape and narrated the ordeal to her father, prompting him to file the case. Following the filing of the case, a police team conducted a drive on Thursday afternoon and arrested Sakirul from his residence. However, other accused went into hiding. Inspector (Investigation) of Gobindaganj Police Station Swapan Kumar Sarkar said drives were underway to apprehend the remaining suspects. He also said the victim was sent to Gaibandha General Hospital for a medical examination.

A Class-X student was hacked to death by alleged drug dealers in an attack that also left three other individuals injured in Senbagh upazila of Noakhali on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Arafat Hossain Fahim, 16, son of Shahjahan of Hajipur area under Ward No. 9 of Chowmuhani municipality in Begumganj upazila. According to locals, a group of youths had recently protested against alleged drug dealing at Debisinghpur village Nabipur union. They reportedly detained a drug user named Manna, who, during questioning, disclosed the involvement of several local drug traders, including Md Harun, 35, son of Zainal Abedin of Jora Bari in the same village. Following the incident, local youths began patrolling the area at night, forcing the alleged drug traders to remain inactive for several days. On Wednesday night, a group of alleged drug dealers, led by Harun, Jahangir, Momin and Abul Khayer, attacked several youths, including Ali Haidar Fahim, 18, Rifat, 20, and Sakib, near Baitun Aman Mosque around 8:00pm. They also attacked Arafat, who came to visit his grandparents and aunt in Debisinghpur village. The incident left four of them injured. Locals rescued and took them to 250-bed Noakhali General Hospital, where doctors declared Arafat dead. Officer-in-Charge of Senbagh Police Station Abdur Rahim Sarkar said preliminary investigations suggest the attack stemmed from a dispute related to drug activities in the area. He said they arrested Harun in connection with the incident.

A mobile court in Chuadanga has seized 210 kg of government-subsidised rice and 70 kg of flour under the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme and fined a dealer Tk 50,000. The drive was conducted in the municipality town's Jhenaidah Bus Stand area on Wednesday afternoon following a tip-off, officials said. The mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Alauddin Al Azad, recovered seven sacks of OMS rice and two sacks of flour from a van during the operation. According to district administration sources, the seized food items belonged to OMS dealer Sohel Malek Sujan, also organising secretary of Chuadanga municipality unit of BNP and dealer for Ward No. 7 of the municipality. Officials alleged that he was attempting to move the OMS items to an unauthorised location instead of taking them to the designated distribution point when he was caught by the authorities. The mobile court fined Sujan Tk 50,000 under Section 45 of the Consumers' Right Protection Act, 2009.

Two people were killed and eight others injured when a covered van rammed into a stationary truck on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Sadar upazila of Feni early Thursday. One of the deceased was identified as Jahangir, 40, while the identity of the other victim has yet to be confirmed. According to police, hospital authorities and witnesses, a truck carrying gas cylinders was parked on the roadside in the Khaiyara area after one of its tyres got deflated. While the driver and his helper were replacing the damaged tyre, several local residents gathered at the spot. At one stage, a Dhaka-bound covered van lost control and crashed into the stationary truck and the people standing nearby, leaving at least 10 of them injured. The injured were rescued and taken to Feni General Hospital. Dr Mosharraf Hossain Talukder of the emergency department at the hospital said one victim had already died before being brought to the hospital, while another died during treatment. Five of the injured were also referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, he said. Officer-in-Charge of Fazilpur Highway Police Rashed Khan Chowdhury said they seized the truck and covered van.

Two minor siblings drowned in a pond near their house while playing in Narail municipality's Bhatia village on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Abu Bakkar, 5, and his brother Omar Faruk, 2, sons of Majedul Sheikh of the village. According to family members, the two children, who were playing near their home, went missing for some time around 11:30am. Wife among 2 killed in Narail road crash while taking husband's body home As relatives began searching for them, they were later found floating in a nearby pond. The children were rescued and rushed to Narail Sadar Hospital, where the attending physician declared them dead. Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station Ajoy Kumar Kundu said police were sent to the spot after receiving information. Following legal formalities, the bodies were handed over to family members, he added.

Power generation at the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station in Kaptai faces total suspension due to a sharp decline in the water level of the Kaptai Lake, with three of its five generating units remaining shut. Production could be suspended entirely if substantial rainfall does not occur soon, officials said on Wednesday. Currently, only two of the plant’s five units are in operation, generating a combined 58 megawatts (MW) of electricity, far below the facility’s maximum generation capacity of 240 MW. Low water level in Kaptai Lake forces shutdown of 4 power units Manager of the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station Engineer Mahmood Hasan said the water level in the Kaptai Lake has been falling steadily during the dry season. Although the area experienced intermittent rainfall this week, it was insufficient to significantly improve the situation, he said. According to the plant authorities, the lake’s water level stood at 73.91 feet mean sea level (MSL) as of 9:00am on Wednesday, against the rule-curve level of 78.34 feet MSL, leaving it 4.43 feet below the desired level. Sources said the water level of 68 feet MSL is considered the danger threshold for power generation. If the lake's water level falls to that mark, electricity generation at the hydroelectric plant will have to be suspended completely. Kaptai Lake has a maximum water-holding capacity of 109 feet MSL. Engineers on duty at the plant’s control room said Unit-2 was producing 30 MW and Unit-3 was generating 28 MW, bringing total power generation to 58 MW as of Wednesday morning. Officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) said the remaining units could not be brought back into operation unless the region receives heavy rainfall in the coming days. The declining water level is also affecting thousands of people who depend on Kaptai Lake for transportation and livelihoods. Residents of remote upazilas, including Belaichari, Barkal, Juraichari, Langadu and Baghaichhari, are facing growing difficulties as navigability in several parts of the lake has deteriorated due to the emergence of shoals. Local sources said water transport services are being disrupted in many areas, increasing public suffering and adversely affecting trade and business activities.

A Rajshahi University (RU) student was found dead at a hostel in Rajshahi city on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Mahfuzur Rahman, a 2022-23 academic session student of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He hailed from Brahmanbaria district. According to his classmates, Mahfuzur had been staying at the hostel in the Amjad intersection of the city. He had been experiencing difficulties in a personal relationship for some time, they said, adding that he was speaking with a friend via video call around 2:00pm on Wednesday. During the call, the friend became concerned and contacted the manager of the hostel, requesting that he check on Mahfuzur. The manager and several other students went to Mahfuzur's room and found it locked from the inside. After entering the room breaking open it, they found him hanging. Police said they recovered the body from his room after being informed of the incident. Officer-in-Charge of Motihar Police Station Mohammad Golam Kabir said an investigation was underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. “Initially, it appears to be a case of suicide, but the exact cause of the death will be confirmed after further investigation,” he said. RU Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman said he visited the scene after learning about the incident.

At least 24 people, including 23 students of Uttara University, were injured after a bus carrying them overturned on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Rajendrapur in Gazipur on Wednesday. Uttara University Transport Manager Humayun Kabir said the bus, carrying around 30 students from the university's Uttara campus, was heading towards Mawna at noon when the driver lost control, causing it to overturn. The accident left 23 students and the bus driver injured. The injured were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Among them, a student and the bus driver were referred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment., Officer-in-Charge of Gazipur Sadar Police Station Aminul Islam said police removed the accident-hit bus from the highway after receiving information about the incident. In a Facebook post, the university authorities said they took prompt action after learning about the accident. A university medical officer was sent to the accident site and the hospital, while members of the proctorial body and transport team worked to identify the injured students and ensure necessary support. It was learnt that the accident took place when the university students were going on a picnic.

A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal was killed and a BNP leader injured in an attack by unidentified assailants in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Badal Morol, 40, president of Baruipara union unit of Krishak Dal in Sadar upazila. Abdullah Morol, 42, president of ward-1 unit of BNP of the union, was seriously injured in the attack. He was currently undergoing treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital. 3 killed in Bagerhat road crash According to police and witnesses, Badal Morol, Abdullah Morol and another person were travelling towards Baruipara on a van-rickshaw. When they reached the Niyotir Math area under Mulghar union, a group of miscreants launched a sudden attack on them with sharp weapons around 9:00pm. The attack left Badal Morol dead on the spot and Abdullah Morol critically injured. Officer-in-Charge of Fakirhat Police Station Sheikh Saiful Islam said the attackers arrived on multiple motorcycles and were already positioned at the location before the attack. He said police rushed to the scene after receiving information and launched drives to arrest those involved. The motive behind the killing has yet to be known, the OC added. Meanwhile, BNP leaders and activists held a human chain and protest rally at Aarpada Bazar in Sadar upazila on Wednesday, demanding justice for the killing of the Krishak Dal leader.

A young man died and another person was injured after lightning struck a trawler in the Meghna River in Sadar upazila of Chandpur on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md Sohel, 35, son of late Nur Islam of the Char Gendaria area in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka. Officer-in-Charge of Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station Md Foyez Ahmed said Sohel came to Chandpur on a leisure trip by trawler. As rain began suddenly, a thunderstorm hit the vessel near Company Char around 4:45pm, leaving him critically injured. Another person accompanying him also sustained minor injuries. Locals rescued the victims and rushed them to Chandpur 250-bed General Hospital, where the on-duty physician declared Sohel dead. The injured person received primary treatment at the hospital's emergency department, said Senior Staff Nurse Sabuj Mia.