At least four people were killed and 19 others injured after two buses crashed into each other on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Mugi area of Magura Sadar upazila on Friday afternoon.

Police could not immediately confirm identities of the deceased.

Officer-in-Charge of Magura Police Station Joynal Abedin said a bus of Shohagh Paribahan collided head-on with a Khulna-bound bus of Chakladar Paribahan at 1:30pm leaving three people dead on the spot.

Another man died after being taken to the hospital, the OC said.

After the accident, the Chakladar Paribahan bus plunged into a roadside ditch as another bus of Highest Paribahan hit it from behind, he said.

Vehicular movement remained suspended for two hours after the accident, the OC said, adding that the injured were admitted to the Sadar Hospital.

Police seized the three vehicles but their drivers are on the run, he added.

Also read: Accidents killed 553 in August

At least 459 people were killed and 618 others injured in 388 road accidents last month, according to a report prepared by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.

According to it, motorcycles were responsible for 28.98 percent of the accidents, trucks and covered vans 21.61 percent, buses 16.12 percent, auto-rickshaws 8.74 percent, battery-run rickshaws and easy bikes 9.77 percent, human hauler 7.71 percent and jeep and microbus 7.03 percent.

Also read: 4 of a family among 6 killed in Barishal road crash

Four striking forces have been formed to ensure security of the Kashimpur Central Jail at the directive of the prison administration.

Jail Super of Kashimpur Central Jail-1 Ratna Roy said the striking forces have been formed in all four jails in Kashimpur following a high alert issued by the prison authorities. Jailer of the central jail will be the head of each striking force.

The other members of the force include a deputy jailer, a chief prison guard and five prison guards, she said.

Besides, the authorities concerned are monitoring the jail round the clock.

The boundary walls have been secured while alarm systems are kept ready at the jail.

On September 15, all prisons across the country were put on high alert after some unidentified miscreants issued threats to snatch militant prisoners.

The threats came over phone and in writing, said a letter signed by Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brig Gen AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha on Sunday.

He instructed forming a striking force to prevent any possible attack.

The striking force will monitor the movement of inmates, especially the militants and others accused of sensitive cases.

At the entrances of the jails, prisons guards were asked to wear bullet-proof vests and helmets and use metal detectors to check visitors.

The IG directed them to use armed sentries and ensure the security of weapons and arsenals and constant monitoring.

Also read: Jail authorities on high alert after threats of prison break

Four people were detained after a worker of Akij Textile factory was killed allegedly by his co-workers who pumped air into his rectum in Manikganj Sadar upazila on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Julhas, 39, a cleaner of Akij Textile and son of Abdus Samad of Kandapara village in Saturia upazila.

Police did not identify the detainees.

Bhaskar Saha, additional superintendent of Manikganj Police, said Julhas became sick after four of his co-workers pumped air into his rectum on Wednesday night.

Later, he was taken to Manikganj Sadar hospital from where he was shifted to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

He died around 3pm on Thursday at the hospital.

Also read: Air pumped into boy’s stomach in Keraniganj

Mentioning that more than 170 countries have expressed interest in joining the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to join before Friday.

The countries, which have not signed on to a global mechanism that has pledged to provide fair and timely access to a COVID-19 vaccine, have been requested to do so before Friday, reports UN News.

 “I urge those countries that have not yet joined COVAX to do so by tomorrow’s deadline for submitting your commitment agreements to Gavi”, Tedros said on Thursday.

It is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and WHO. The COVAX Facility aims to deliver two billion doses by the end of next year.

Last month, there were nine vaccines in its portfolio and another nine under evaluation.

The WHO chief underlined his agency’s support for efforts to develop a vaccine to defeat the coronavirus disease. 

Cases near 30 million

As of Thursday, there were more than 29.7 million cases worldwide, including more than 937,000 deaths.

“Vaccines will be a vital tool for bringing the pandemic under control. But we have no guarantee that any one vaccine now in development will work,” Tedros told the meeting.

 “The more shots we have on goal, the higher the chance we will have a very safe and very efficacious vaccine. That’s why we’re working to foster global solidarity and collaboration in vaccine research.”

Tests, treatment, vaccines for all

The COVAX Facility is one of four pillars under the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims to speed up the development and production of tests, medicines and vaccines that will be available to all people, everywhere.

The ACT-Accelerator was launched in April and so far, has received around $2.7 billion towards meeting the goal of producing the two billion vaccine doses, as well as 245 million treatments and 500 million tests.

Last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for a “quantum leap in funding” to meet the $35 billion still needed.  

Also read: India in talks to join 'COVAX' vaccine scheme: WHO official

Two teenage boys drowned in Karnaphuli River in Chattogram on Thursday.

The deceased were identified as Jitu Das, 16, son of Dolon Das, and Kankan Das, 15, son of Bandona Das of Firingibazar Alkoron area. 

Also Read- Two teenagers drown in Nilphamari

Md Jahid Chowdhury, station officer of Agrabad Fire service, said that the boys drowned while they went to the river for taking bath around 12:30pm. 

On information, police recovered the bodies.