A massive fire has destroyed houses in Gazipur’s Konabari area.

The fire was reported from a colony in Baimail.

Four firefighting units initially worked at the spot. They were later joined by two more units.

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The six units contained the blaze around 10pm.

Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Director Md Hamid Mia said the fire was first reported around 8pm from a warehouse in the colony and spread rapidly to nearby tin-shed houses.

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The cause of the fire could not be known immediately.

At least 2 persons were killed in separate road crashes in Sitakunda.

The deceased were identified as Shams Tahiyat Maunota (16), a class 10 student of Bangladesh Military Academy High School and Touhidul Islam Jafor (51), an assistant teacher at Sadak Mastan (RA) High School in Fakrihat Upazila.

According to the highway police and locals, Maunota was hit by a minibus in Kasem jute mill area, while returning home in the morning. She was taken to the hospital by locals where she died at around 12 pm.

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Bar Aulia Highway Police Station SI Md. Babul Moiya said, We came to know after the accident. The bus was detained at the police station. The locals handed over the bus and its driver to the police."

Touhidul was killed as he was hit by a motorcycle on Saturday night. The incident took place at Sarij Bhuiyan Road in the upazila around 8pm on Saturday. Although he was rescued and rushed to a hospital in Chittagong, he died at 12:30 am.

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Abu Zafar Saad, the headmaster of the Sadak Mastan High School, said Tauhidul was hit by an unidentified vehicle as he was crossing the road from his home at night.

Police have arrested a leader Khulna Sramik, Krishak, Chhatra-Janata Oikya Parishad ‘for his Facebook post condemning the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed’.

Detectives picked up coordinator of Khulna Sramik, Krishak, Chhatra-Janata Oikya Parishad Ruhul Amin and its organizer Niaz Murshed from their residence on Friday night and later freed Niaz at 12:30 am.

Niaz Murshed told reporters that a team of DB police and KMP picked them up from their rented house and took to them DB office.

Deputy Commissioner of Khulna DB police BM Nururzzamn said a DB inspector filed a case against Ruhul Amin under the Digital Security Act(DSA) for various reasons including destabilizing the state.

Also read: Writer Mushtaq, arrested under DSA, dies in custody

He will be produced before a court with a remand prayer, he said .

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of Sramik, Krishak, Chhatra-Janata Oikya Parishad brought out a protest procession in the city protesting Ruhul Amin’s arrest.

Mushtaq reportedly suffered a heart attack inside his cell at Kashimpur prison on Thursday evening.

Also read: Panel to probe custodial death of writer Mushtaq

"He was rushed to Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College Hospital where he was declared brought dead," Senior Jail Superintendent Md Gias Uddin said.

An unnatural death case has been filed with the Gazipur Metropolitan Police's Sadar Police Station in connection with Mushtaq's custodial death.

The 53-year-old writer, who published the book "Kumir Chaasher Diary" under the pen name Michael Kumir Thakur, was picked up by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel from his Lalmatia home on May 2, allegedly for posts over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also read: Writer Mushtaq's death in custody triggers protests

On August 20, he was shifted to Kashimpur prison, Gias Uddin said.

Calls for Mushtaq's release were widespread and sustained throughout his time in prison. Soon after his arrest, more than 300 dignitaries in Bangladesh issued a joint statement demanding his release, including cartoonist Ahmed Kishore.

However, his bail applications were turned down on at least on four occasions.

Also read: Mushtaq’s death: Protests rage in Dhaka for 2nd day

Left-leaning student bodies, including Bangladesh Chhatra Front, Chhatra Federation and Bangladesh Students Rights Protection Council, on Saturday staged demonstrations on the Dhaka University campus for the 2nd consecutive day protesting the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed under police custody.

A seven-year-old girl has been raped allegedly by a brick kiln worker as she was alone at their Shotokhali home in Shalikha upaizla of Magura district.

The victim’s mother filed a case with Shalikha Police Station on Friday evening, a day after the incident, said Tariqul Islam, officer-in-charge of the police station.

According to the case statement, the parents of the girl went out of their home on Thursday morning for work at a brick kiln in Shotokhali, leaving behind their child alone.

Sensing the situation, Hanif, a brick kiln worker and son of Arshad Ali of Paikgachcha upazila in Khulna district, reportedly went to the victim’s house and violated her.

When the victim’s mother returned home, she found her girl crying and took her to a local hospital. The little girl is now undergoing treatment at a one-stop-crisis centre in the district, the OC said.

Later, the victim’s mother filed a case against Hanif.

Police said they are trying to arrest the accused.

Also read: Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape

Also read: Death penalty fails to deter rapes

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Rapes in Bangladesh

Rape cases are on the rise in Bangladesh although the government has introduced death penalty for the heinous crime.

According to data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a rights group, 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 cases were filed with police stations. Among them, 116 victims were 6 years old or below.

Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the victims were killed by the perpetrators after the crime while 14 took their own lives, the ASK data reveals.

In November last, Bangladesh introduced the death penalty for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women.

In October last, the country was rocked by huge protests after a woman was attacked and raped in Noakhali district. In another case in Sylhet a week later, a woman was gang raped at a hostel, triggering nationwide protests again.

Thousands of people who depend on public vehicles for their daily commute, have been hit hard by the 24-hour transport strike in Khulna.

Local transporter's association has said that the decision to suspend the movement of public transport on as many as 18 roads in Khulna from 6 pm on Friday has been taken to avoid any untoward incident during BNP's divisional assembly on Saturday.

Anwar Hossain Sona, joint secretary of the Khulna District Bus-Minibus-Coach Owners' Association, said, "There is a possibility of chaos at the BNP assembly. So, no public transport will either leave or enter the city from 6 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday."

Non-availability of launch and ferry services in the district since Saturday morning added to the woes of the commuters.

Khulna city unit president Nazrul Islam, however, alleged that the transport and launch services were halted in the district to foil BNP’s programme.

On Saturday, BNP is slated to hold its divisional assembly in Khulna led by former mayoral candidates in six cities of the country, in demand for free and fair civic elections and Begum Khaleda Zia's release.

BNP vice-chairman Barrister Shahjahan Omar Biruttam will address the assembly as the chief guest. BNP senior vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, vice-chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury and joint secretary-general Moazzem Hossain Alal will be special guests.

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