United News of Bangladesh

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members detained a Nigerian national while he was attempting to enter India illegally through the Nijkalikapur border in Parshuram upazila of Feni on Monday. The detainee was identified as Austin, 39. According to BGB, a special team from the Nijkalikapur Border Outpost (BOP) under the Feni Battalion (4 BGB) conducted a raid in the evening based on secret information that a Nigerian national was staying at the house of a local resident named Rafik. During the operation, BGB members detained Austin. During preliminary questioning, he told BGB that he arrived in Bangladesh in March and later travelled from Dhaka to Nijkalikapur with the intention of crossing the border into India illegally. Commanding Officer of Feni Battalion (4 BGB) Lt Col MM Zillur Rahman said BGB remains on high alert to prevent illegal border crossings, smuggling and drug trafficking. He said intelligence surveillance and border patrols have been strengthened to ensure border security, prevent illegal infiltration and reduce border-related crimes. The detainee was later handed over to Parshuram Police Station for legal action.

A container vessel ran aground in the Chattogram port channel on Monday afternoon after a steering problem, port authorities said. The vessel, MV CNC Uranus, struck Red Buoy No. 2 near the entrance of the Karnaphuli River before becoming grounded against a retaining wall at around 2:30pm. Chattogram Port Secretary Sayed Refayet Hamim said the accident occurred when the vessel suffered a steering gear malfunction while entering the port channel. "The ship hit Red Buoy No. 2 due to the steering failure and later became stuck against the retaining wall," he said. Two port tugboats- Kandari-4 and Kandari-11 have been deployed to safely refloat and remove the vessel from the channel. The Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard are also working in coordination with the port authorities to ensure the safety and security of the navigation channel, the port secretary added. According to the Chattogram Port Authority, the 170-metre-long container vessel, built in 2017, has a maximum draft of 9.5 metres and was carrying 1,282 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of containers from Shekou Port in China. Despite the incident, vessel movement through the port channel remains normal, the port authority said.

A three-wheeler driver was killed and at least eight passengers, including four members of the same family, were injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a three-wheeler in Kalukhali upazila of Rajbari on Monday. The accident occurred around 1:30 pm in the Paikar Mor area on the Rajbari-Kushtia regional highway. 2 killed as detached freight wagons crash into vehicles in Rajbari The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman Bablu, 55, son of late Sadeq Ali Biswas of Paschim Phulkainar village under Majbari Union in Kalukhali upazila. According to witnesses and police, a Golden Line Paribahan bus travelling from Dhaka to Kushtia was overtaking another vehicle when it collided head-on with a Rajbari-bound Mahindra three-wheeler coming from the opposite direction. The impact left the three-wheeler mangled and thrown off the roadside, while the front portion of the bus was also damaged and veered off the road. With assistance from local people, members of the Fire Service and highway police rescued the injured passengers and took them to Pangsha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Bablu dead. Among the injured were four members of the same family. Three critically injured victims were later referred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, while the remaining injured are receiving treatment at Pangsha Upazila Health Complex. Syed Al Mamun, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Pangsha Highway Model Police Station, said police rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the information and carried out rescue operations. The injured were sent to hospital for treatment, while the damaged vehicles were removed to a safe location to restore traffic on the highway. Legal proceedings over the incident are underway.

Two teenagers went missing after being swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Jamuna River in Pabna's Bera upazila on Monday. The missing boys were identified as Binoy Roy, 15, son of Anutosh Roy of Dhaltosha village in Nagarpur upazila of Tangail, and his cousin Probhat Sarkar, 15, son of Mitulal Sarkar of Gazipur Sadar upazila. Both were ninth-grade students. The incident took place around 12:00pm at Kazirhat under Aminpur Police Station. Russian national killed, another injured in altercation at Rooppur According to police and locals, the boys came to visit their relatives at Khanpura Madhyapara of Aminpur. They went to bathe in the nearby Jamuna River around noon when they were swept away by strong currents and disappeared beneath the water. Local residents searched for them immediately after the incident but failed to locate either of the boys. Rescue efforts by the Fire Service and police were still underway. Officer-in-Charge of Kazirhat Naval Police Outpost Aravinda Sarkar said a naval police team reached the scene immediately after receiving the information. Divers from the Fire Service were also called in, and a joint search operation involving the police and Fire Service was continuing to locate the missing schoolboys.

A Russian national was killed and another injured following an altercation between the two at the residential complex for foreign workers engaged in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) project in Pabna's Ishwardi upazila on Monday. The deceased was identified as Kudrin Sergei, 56, an ultrasonic testing inspector employed by contractor Trest Rossem of the RNPP project. The incident occurred in the morning on the fourth floor of Building No. 6 at Rooppur Green City, the residential complex for foreign workers involved in the project. The identity of the injured Russian national could not be confirmed immediately. According to police and locals, the two men had been drinking alcohol before becoming involved in a heated argument. The dispute later turned violent, leaving both of them seriously injured. They were first taken to Green City Hospital for treatment. As Sergei's condition deteriorated, he was being transferred to Pabna Essort Specialized Hospital. However, he died on the way. Officer-in-Charge of Ishwardi Police Station Md Ashadur Rahman said police recovered the body and sent it to Pabna General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. School teacher found dead in Pabna septic tank "The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the investigation and post-mortem examination," the OC said, adding that legal proceedings are underway.

Students of Dahagram Government High School in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat have boycotted classes and launched a protest, demanding the immediate appointment of teachers as the school is operating with only one teacher for nearly 600 students. Students, guardians and local residents said the severe shortage of teachers has badly disrupted academic activities and is affecting the quality of education at the school. This School is the only secondary educational institution in the border-enclave union of Dahagram. Students have to cross the historic Tin Bigha Corridor to reach the school. Established in 1975 to ensure educational opportunities for local students, the school was brought under government management in 2013.

A 45-year-old man was burned to death and two others sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a house in Bhaina area of Magura district town on Monday. The deceased was identified as Kamrul Hasan Shiblu, son of Akbar Munshi of the area. Jahangir Ahmed, deputy assistant director of Magura Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire, which originated from a gas oven, broke out at Shiblu's house around 9:45 am and soon spread. Magura family feud turns deadly, leaving elderly bystander killed On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 10:15 am. They also recovered Shiblu’s charred body from the house. Shiblu’s wife Shahnaz Parvin, 38, and son Mehrab Hasan Pratik, 20, sustained burn injuries in the fire. The fire gutted valuables worth around Tk 10 lakh, including a television, refrigerator and furniture. Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station, said legal procedures are underway to ascertain the exact cause of death.

A suspected thief was killed in a lynch-mob attack at Mistripara Thandatola village in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district early Monday. The deceased was identified as Manik Hossain alias Sumon, 32, son of Boyen Mondal of Mahadebpur Aziztala in the upazila. Officer-in-Charge of Ishwardi Police Station Asadur Rahman said Manik tried to steal valuables from the shop of Habibul Mondal at the dead of night. School teacher found dead in Pabna septic tank Sensing the thief's presence, Habibul went to his shop adjacent to his house and tried to catch Manik. At one stage, Manik hit Habibul with a Chinese axe, leaving him injured. Hearing the screams of Habibul, two of his sons rushed to the spot only to be hit by Manik, leaving both of them injured. Later, local people managed to catch the youth and gave him a good beating, leaving him dead. Injured Habibul and his two sons were taken to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex. On information, police rushed to the spot and sent the body to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Three people were seriously injured in an explosion at a house at Dudholmou village in Bakerganj upazila of Barishal on Monday morning. The injured were identified as Hanufa Begum, wife of Shah Alam Howlader, their daughter Eti, and grandson Fahim of the village. The explosion occurred with a big bang around 6:00am at the house of Shah Alam, leaving three family members injured. Shah Alam’s son Jamal said the explosion originated from a sack of sand kept beside the house. The family had no idea how the sack ended up at the house, he said. The injured were taken to Bakerganj Upazila Health Complex from where they were referred to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barishal. The explosion triggered panic among local residents, while curious onlookers gathered at the scene. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, said Officer-in-Charge of Bakerganj Police Station Adil Hossain. He said they collected evidence from the scene and were investigating the incident with utmost importance.

Two more children have died with measles symptoms in Sylhet Division in the 24 hours until this morning, raising the total confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 116, the Divisional Health Department said on Monday. The two six-month-old children, Rezwan Ahmed and Ibrahim, died at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. One was from Jagannathpur upazila and the other from Sunamganj Sadar upazila in Sunamganj district. Meanwhile, 93 new patients with measles symptoms or suspected measles were admitted to hospitals across the division during the same period. Of them, 45 were admitted to Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital, 37 to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, seven to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital, two to Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital and two to North East Medical College Hospital. Currently, 254 patients with suspected measles are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the division. According to the latest report of the Divisional Health Department, 116 people have died from confirmed or suspected measles so far this year. Of them, six were confirmed measles cases, while 110 died with suspected measles. Since January 1, a total of 706 confirmed measles cases have been recorded in Sylhet Division.