United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (Ansar-VDP) members have joined the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in border areas of Chapainawabganj to help prevent illegal infiltration or push-ins from India. Confirming the matter on Sunday morning, Chapainawabganj district Ansar-VDP Commandant Mohammad Arifur Rahman said the initiative was taken to assist BGB in strengthening border security and preventing push-ins. 4 Indian cattle seized at Chapainawabganj border He said, alongside raising public awareness, Ansar-VDP members have been working in coordination with BGB in different border areas of the district since Thursday night. The members are assisting in intensifying surveillance along the border and monitoring suspicious movements in frontier areas, Arifur added. Commanding officers of different BGB battalions deployed in Chapainawabganj also confirmed the involvement of Ansar-VDP personnel in the joint efforts.

A case has been filed against five leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies on charges of gang-raping a 46-year-old woman in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi. Police have arrested one suspect in connection with the incident. The case was filed at Puthia Police Station around 12:30 am on Friday. Following the filing of the case, police arrested BNP activist Mohammad Murad, 32, a resident of Dhopapara Karigarpara village. The other accused in the case are: Jiupara Union Sramik Dal President Mohammad Firoz, 35; Jiupara Union Swechchhasebak Dal Member Secretary Saiful Islam, 40; BNP activist Mohammad Bulbul, 28; and Jubo Dal activist Mohammad Suman, 32. Several unidentified individuals were also accused. The suspects, however, denied the allegations, claiming the case was fabricated. According to police sources, the victim, originally from Naldanga upazila in Natore, has been living in rented houses in different areas of Puthia for a long time. The victim was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Saturday for a medical examination. In the case statement, the victim mentioned that she rented a house in the Dhopapara Karigarpara area on June 1 and moved in on June 4. At around 9:00 pm that night, the accused spotted a teenage boy in front of her house, detained him, and accused the woman of involving in illicit activities with him. The statement further alleged that the accused then entered her house and looted Tk 25,000 in cash, silver anklets worth Tk 22,000, and a mobile phone valued at Tk 40,000. Following this, Saiful Islam allegedly raped her. The victim claimed that Firoz then offered to take her to a safer location on his motorcycle but instead drove her to an isolated field in Ujalpur village. He then called Murad over the phone. Murad arrived at the spot around 11:00 pm and raped her, according to the statement. Later, Firoz dropped her off at Bashbari Bazar, from where she took a van back to her village in Naldanga. When contacted, Jiupara Union Sramik Dal President Firoz claimed that a youth had gone to the woman's house for illicit purposes and locals detained them. "It was later decided that the woman would have to leave the village that very night. I only dropped her off at the local market on my motorcycle," he said. He further claimed that no looting or rape took place and a false case was filed against them over the expulsion from the village. Faridul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Puthia Police Station, said it is too early to comment on whether the allegations are true or false, as the truth will emerge after a thorough investigation. "One suspect was arrested immediately after the case was filed and has been sent to jail through the court. The victim's medical examination has been arranged, and drives are underway to arrest the remaining suspects," the OC added.

At least 20 passengers, including women and children, were injured after a bus lost control and overturned on the Narail-Jashore highway on Saturday night. The accident occurred in front of the Passport Office near the New Bus Terminal area in Narail town. The identities of the injured could not be confirmed immediately. Md Humayun Kabir, Station Officer of Narail Fire Service, said firefighters rushed to the spot and rescued the injured passengers. They were later taken to Narail District Hospital for treatment, he said. Locals said the bus was travelling from Jashore to Bhatiapara when the driver reportedly lost control near the Passport Office. The vehicle veered off the road and overturned, leaving at least 20 passengers injured. Local residents, along with Fire Service personnel, carried out rescue operations and transported the victims to the district hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Sheikh Sekendar Ali,  Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tularampur Highway Police Station, said legal action would be taken regarding the accident.

Police recovered the body of a motorcyclist from a roadside in Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Md Hedayetul Islam Iqbal, 24, son of late Abdul Munaf of Momarizpur village under Matubhuiyan Union. According to police and local residents, villagers found Iqbal lying on the road beside his motorcycle in front of his house at a place known as Notun Barir Dorja in Momarizpur village on Saturday morning and informed police. Police later recovered the body and sent it to the morgue of Feni 250-bed General Hospital for an autopsy. A bamboo pole was also seized from the scene. Iqbal’s wife, Marjina Akter Hasna, alleged that her husband had been murdered in a planned manner, though she could not immediately name any suspect. Daganbhuiyan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Faizul Azim Noman said Iqbal was participating in a motorcycle procession carrying Bangladesh and Argentina flags attached to a bamboo pole. According to the OC, the motorcycle reportedly skidded on a slippery road, causing Iqbal to fall and become entangled with the bamboo pole, leading to his death. However, police said it was too early to determine whether the death resulted from an accident or foul play. "The actual cause of death will be known after receiving the autopsy report," the OC said, adding that police have already launched an investigation into the incident. No formal complaint had been filed in connection with the case as of Saturday night, police said.

Fire Service personnel recovered the body of a student from the Bangali River in Sonatala upazila of Bogura on Saturday morning. The victim, Tirtha Saha, 17, was the son of Dipak Saha of the Notun Bandar area in Sonatala upazila. Quoting locals, police said Tirtha went to the Bangali River at Ariar Ghat in Madhupur union on Friday afternoon with his family members for bathing. Pry school headmaster killed in Bogura road crash At one stage, he was swept away by the strong current and went missing. On information, members of the Sonatala Fire Service immediately launched a rescue operation. A diving team from Rajshahi also joined the search efforts. Later, his body was recovered from beneath the Ariar Ghat Bridge at around 7am on Saturday. Md Mobarak Hossain, Sub-Inspector of Sonatala Police Station, said police visited the scene and prepared an inquest report.

Police have arrested an easy-bike driver on charges of abducting and raping a 13-year-old speech-impaired girl in Lohagara upazila of Narail. The arrestee was identified as Selim Sheikh, 27, of Boyra village under Laxmipasha union of the upazila. According to the case statement and police sources, the speech-impaired girl had been residing at her maternal grandfather’s house in a village under Lohagara upazila. At around 4:00 pm on Friday, Selim allegedly lured the girl into his easy-bike from a road near the house and took her to an undisclosed location, where he raped her. Woman commits suicide in Narail Later in the evening, the accused dropped the victim off near Lutiya Bazar under Dighalia union and fled the scene. Upon being rescued by her family, the victim detailed the ordeal to her relatives, who then brought her to the local police station. The victim’s mother filed an abduction and rape case against Selim Sheikh at Lohagara Police Station at around 11:30 am on Saturday. Following the filing of the case, a police team conducted a drive and arrested the accused from his residence within a short period. Lohagara Police Station Inspector Ajit Kumar Roy stated that legal proceedings against the arrestee are currently underway. "The victim has been sent to Narail District Hospital for a medical examination," the police official added.

Ten people, including women and children, remained stranded at the zero line along the Panchagarh border for more than 36 hours on Saturday after efforts by border forces of Bangladesh and India failed to resolve a standoff over an alleged push-in attempt. According to local sources and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) attempted to push the group into Bangladesh through the Barabari Pradhanpara border area in Harivasa union of Panchagarh Sadar upazila early Friday. However, BGB personnel prevented their entry and refused to accept them, maintaining its stance against any form of push-in. The BSF also did not take the group back, leaving them stranded at the border. A flag meeting between BGB and BSF officials was held on Saturday in an effort to resolve the situation, but no agreement was reached. The group has been staying near the zero line on the Indian side of the border since Friday morning. After enduring intense heat during the day, they spent the night in heavy rain under the open sky. Local residents expressed concern over their condition, particularly that of the women and children. "It was difficult even for people indoors to cope with the heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the night. They had to remain outside with no shelter," said a local resident, urging the authorities concerned to find a quick solution. BGB sources said patrol members stopped the alleged push-in attempt soon after it began on Friday. A company commander-level flag meeting was later held, but the issue remained unresolved. Commanding Officer of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, Lt Col Md Sirajul Islam, said BGB would not accept any kind of push-in. "Border surveillance and patrol activities have been strengthened round the clock," he said.

A total of 51 people were killed and 65 others injured in 42 road accidents in Sylhet division in May, marking the highest monthly death toll from road crashes this year, according to a report. Of the deceased, 20 were motorcycle riders or passengers. The highest number of fatalities was reported in Sylhet district, while the lowest was recorded in Moulvibazar district. Elderly man killed in Sylhet road crash The Sylhet divisional committee of Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA) revealed the data in a report published on Saturday. According to the report, 17 road accidents occurred in Sylhet district in May, leaving 21 people dead and 40 injured. In Sunamganj, 13 accidents killed 16 people and injured 20 others. In Moulvibazar, five accidents left five people dead and two injured, while in Habiganj, seven accidents killed nine people and injured three others. The report said nine people were killed in nine Eid-related road accidents. Altogether, 42 road accidents occurred in the division during the month. It identified reckless driving, competition among drivers, overtaking, the failure of motorcyclists to use standard helmets, a lack of awareness among pedestrians, and flaws in road design as the major causes behind the high number of fatalities. Zahirul Islam Mishu, joint organising secretary of NISCHA's central committee, said the report was prepared based on information gathered from five local newspapers, online news portals, two national dailies, presumed unreported incidents, and data collected by NISCHA sub-branches in Sylhet. The report also said that in April, 15 people were killed and 58 injured in 19 road accidents across Sylhet division.

A case has been filed with Goalunda Ghat Police Station in Rajbari over the incident in which a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River from a pontoon at the Daulatdia Ferry Terminal on Friday morning. Abuzar Gifari, Sub-Inspector of Daulatdia River Police Station, filed the case late Friday night. The accused include bus driver Md Jhantu Ali, 48, of Alampur in Kushtia Sadar upazila; supervisor Md Ajmal Hossain, 38, of Sugribpur in Kushtia; and helper Shakib Hossain, 22, also from Alampur. Unidentified officials of SB Super Deluxe (Non-AC) Paribahan, the bus operator (registration number Dhaka Metro-B-15-5649), were also named in the case. According to the complaint, the accident caused damage to ferry infrastructure and passengers’ belongings estimated at around Tk 3 lakh. It said that the members of the Daulatdia River Police Outpost were on duty at the terminal on Friday morning when the Dhaka-bound SB Super Deluxe bus, travelling from Gangni in Meherpur, arrived at the ferry ghat. Following government directives, officials from the River Police and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) instructed the driver to disembark all passengers before boarding the ferry. Around 37 to 40 passengers got off the bus and proceeded on foot toward the ferry. The complaint alleges that driver Jhantu Ali then started the bus and drove it recklessly. Instead of boarding the designated ferry, Bir Shrestha Jahangir, he reportedly crossed the pontoon and entered another ferry, Karbi Oxfam. The bus then struck the ramp at speed, snapping its chain and safety belt before plunging into the Padma River. River Police said the bus supervisor and helper managed to jump onto the ferry before the vehicle fell into the river. The driver swam to the pontoon and was rescued by police personnel and locals before being taken to Goalundo Upazila Health Complex. The sunken bus was salvaged at around 11:55 am with assistance from the rescue vessel Hamza. It was later seized and taken into River Police custody. The vehicle sustained extensive damage, including twisted bodywork and broken glass. The complaint also states that the ramp, cable and chain of the Karbi Oxfam ferry were damaged. In addition, passengers reportedly lost or damaged luggage and personal belongings in the incident. Md Shafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Goalandaghat Police Station said the three named accused were arrested and sent to court on Saturday. River Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. Goaland Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sathi Das said belongings recovered after the accident had been verified and returned to their owners. Earlier, the incident occurred at about 9:25 am on Friday in the Daulatdia ferry ghat area.   END/UNB/Corr/SIS/ssk

A young girl has allegedly been raped by four people at Gachabari Madhyapara in Shaghata upazila of Gaibandha district early Saturday. Mahbubur Rhman, Officer-in-Charge of Shaghata Police Station, said the victim, daughter of a Bangladeshi expatriate in Saudi Arabia, had an affair with local Muktar Hossain. Around 1:30 am, Muktar asked the girl to come out from her house and met him. 12-year-old schoolgirl found 5 months pregnant in Chandpur; elderly neighbour accused of rape At one stage, some miscreants chased them and managed to catch the girl while her lover managed to flee. Later, they took the girl to a bamboo bush owned by Gafur Ali and violated her in turns overnight, said police. The victim raised hue and cry for help and local people then managed to catch three people—Nirob Mia, Labu Hasan and Rahmat Ullah—from the spot. While another one Shwadhin Mia managed to flee. A case was filed with Shaghata Police Station, said OC Mahbub.