United News of Bangladesh

Three people suffered burn injuries in an explosion apparently from accumulated gas due to leak in gas pipeline at a house at Paikpara in Mirpur area of the capital early Saturday. The injured were identified as Miraz, 26, Sujon, 24 and Biplab, 24. Dr Shaown Bin Rahman, resident surgeon of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said the explosion occurred around 4:30 am when lighting a cigarette, leaving three young men injured. Among them, Miraz received 15 percent burn injuries while Sujon and Biplab were admitted with 24 percent and 10 percent burn injuries, respectively at the hospital, he said.

Rows of mango trees laden with fruit stretch across the horizon in Naogaon, Bangladesh’s one of the largest mango-producing districts. In orchards across Sapahar, Porsha and other upazilas, farmers are now busy with the final stages of care, hoping for a profitable harvest after overcoming weather-related challenges. The district’s signature Amrapali mango, which accounts for the largest share of local production, is expected to hit markets by mid or late June. But despite producing a substantial portion of the country’s mangoes, Naogaon still lacks large-scale processing industries or preservation facilities that could protect farmers from market volatility and post-harvest losses, said farmers. Growers said rising production costs and labour wages continue to squeeze profit margins, while traders often dictate prices during peak harvest periods. When supply surges, they allege, groups of traders work together to push down prices, leaving farmers with little bargaining power. The absence of mango-based industries has compounded the problem. According to local traders, mangoes worth an estimated Tk 300-400 crore spoil every season due to inadequate storage and processing facilities. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), mango cultivation has expanded to 30,310 hectares in Naogaon this season, with a production target of 450,000 tonnes. Last year, mangoes were grown on 30,300 hectares, yielding around 375,000 tonnes. “We have only 25 to 30 days to sell Amrapali mangoes after they start ripening,” said Redwanur Rahman Mun, a grower from Kuchkurilia village in Sapahar upazila. “Farmers cannot keep the fruit on the trees beyond that period. When the market is flooded with mangoes, traders lower prices, forcing us to sell at reduced rates. A large cold storage facility or mango-based industry could save farmers from such losses,” he said. Motour Rahman, a farmer from Amoir village in Porsha upazila, said weather conditions had been less favourable for mango cultivation this year compared to previous seasons. “Almost all orchards have fewer fruits this season. Last year, I sold Amrapali mangoes at Tk 1,500 to Tk 4,000 per maund depending on quality. This year, if prices fall below Tk 3,000 per maund, it will be difficult even to recover production costs,” he said. He added that a mango processing zone could help stabilise prices and ensure fair returns for growers. Sapahar, home to what traders describe as the country’s largest mango market, attracts thousands of buyers from across Bangladesh every season. Imam Hossain Rifat, general secretary of the Sapahar Mango Traders Association, said the seasonal market handles mango transactions worth Tk 6,000-7,000 crore annually. “Nearly 20 percent of our mango production goes to waste every year, representing losses of around Tk 300-400 crore,” he said. “Establishing large-scale processing industries would benefit not only farmers but also traders. It would create a sustainable market for surplus production and reduce wastage significantly.” Agriculture officials acknowledge the need for infrastructure to support the sector. Humayra Mondal, deputy director of DAE in Naogaon, said the issue has been raised at various coordination meetings involving government agencies. “We have proposed the establishment of cooling houses and packing houses in  Sapahar region under a project focused on producing export-quality mangoes,” she said. “These facilities would help preserve fruit quality, reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers’ profitability.” For now, however, Naogaon’s mango growers continue to rely on a short marketing window and uncertain market prices. As production continues to rise, stakeholders said investment in processing industries, cold-chain infrastructure and export-oriented facilities is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has recovered over 1 lakh yaba pills during a special operation at the Jaruliacchhari border area in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Friday morning. The operation was conducted at around 7:30am under the directive of the battalion commander by a special patrol team of Jaruliacchhari Border Outpost (BOP) under Naikhongchhari Battalion (11 BGB). BGB foils attempt to push in 17 through Naogaon border During the patrol, the team conducted the raid in Poabun area, approximately 200 yards inside Bangladesh territory from border pillar 46/4-S. Sensing the presence of the patrol team, smugglers fled towards nearby hilly forest leaving behind two bags. Later, the abandoned bags were searched and a total of 1,00,841 pieces of yaba tablets  were recovered. The estimated seizure value of the drugs is Tk 3,02,52,300. Lieutenant Colonel Md Foyzul Kabir, commanding officer of Naikhongchhari Battalion (11 BGB), said BGB operations are being conducted continuously to ensure border security, prevent smuggling and human trafficking, control illegal infiltration, recover illegal arms, and curb drug trafficking and to implement the government’s “zero tolerance” policy against drugs, while strict surveillance and intelligence activities continue along the border areas.

A farmer was killed after being struck by lightning during thunderstorms in Faridganj upazila of Chandpur on Friday noon. The deceased was identified as Nabi Hossain Mizi, 27, son of Monir Hossain Mizi of Noa Bari in Saishanga village under Gupti West Union.   Lightning strikes leave 9 dead in four northern districts Md Jilon, local UP member, said that thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain began before Friday’s Jumu’ah prayers. At that time, Nabi Hossain Mizi was returning home after finishing work from Bhotal village. As he was walking home through a path beside a paddy field near his residence, he was suddenly struck by lightning and collapsed on the spot. Locals rushed him to the Upazila Health Complex, where the attending doctors declared him dead.

A tractor driver died after his vehicle overturned and plunged into the Padma River while ploughing farmland in Charbhadrasan upazila of Faridpur. The deceased was identified as Joy Biswas, 20, son of Golam Ali Biswas of Shahbazpur village in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah district. His body was recovered around 11am on Friday from the riverbank area of Balurghat village under Char Jhaukanda union with the assistance of the Fire Service, police and local residents said. According to police and local sources, Joy was employed as the driver of a TAFE tractor owned by Mohammad Ali, a resident of Balurghat village. He had been ploughing agricultural land in the area for the past two days. The accident occurred around 1am on Thursday night while Joy was cultivating a field near the Padma River embankment. The tractor reportedly went out of control and overturned into the river, leaving the driver trapped underneath. As no one else was present at the scene at the time, the incident went unnoticed until Friday morning when locals spotted parts of the tractor, including a wheel, floating in the river and informed police. A team from Charbhadrasan Fire Service launched a rescue operation and recovered Joy's body. Wahidul Islam, station officer of Charbhadrasan Fire Service, said the tractor had partially sunk near the riverbank. “We suspect the driver may have fallen asleep or that a portion of the riverbank collapsed, causing the accident,” he said. Confirming the incident, Sub-Inspector Mozammel Haque Biswas of Charbhadrasan Police Station said an inquest report had been prepared and the victim’s family had been informed. Further legal steps will be taken after discussions with the family members, he added.

A madrasa teacher was beaten by a mob and subsequently handed over to the police on Friday morning after allegedly attempting to sexually assault a student in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha. The accused, Rabiul Islam, is a teacher at Jamia Qawmi Darul Uloom Madrasa in the Bonarpara area of the upazila. He hails from Boalia village under Gaibandha Sadar upazila and joined the institution about a month ago. According to eyewitnesses and local sources, taking advantage of the Friday weekly holiday when the campus was deserted, Rabiul called the student from his home over the phone. Once the student arrived, the teacher took him inside the madrasa's office room and attempted to sexually assault him. Following a scuffle, the student managed to scream for help. Hearing his cries, locals rushed to the spot, rescued the boy, and caught Rabiul red-handed. The agitated crowd then dragged the teacher out of the room and administered a mass beating before turning him over to the Bonarpara police investigation centre. The madrasa is located adjacent to the Railway Banmari field in Shimultair village under Bonarpara union of Saghata upazila. Mahbubur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Saghata Police Station, confirmed the incident, stating that the accused teacher is currently in police custody. "The process of filing a formal case against Rabiul Islam is underway,’’ the OC added.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) thwarted an attempt by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to push 17 people, including women and children, into Bangladesh through the Sapahar border in Naogaon district on Friday morning. According to the Naogaon 16 BGB Battalion, the incident took place around 7:30am through the Hapania border area under Sapahar upazila, near border pillar 238/MP. BGB sources said personnel of the 88 BSF Pannachhara camp allegedly attempted to push the 17 individuals into Bangladesh. The group included six men, six women and five children. Upon receiving information, a patrol team from Hapania BGB Border Outpost (BOP) rushed to the spot and identified the group while they were positioned near the zero line inside Indian territory. Following the intervention, the attempt was unsuccessful, and the individuals remained at the zero line, officials said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Jhenaidah Md Mahafuj Afzal has been withdrawn. An order, issued by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir on Thursday, instructed him to hand over his responsibilities to a senior district police officer and report to Police Headquarters by Friday. The order, however, did not mention any reason for his withdrawal. Earlier, Police Headquarters withdrew police chiefs of three other districts. They are Feni SP Mohammad Mahbub Alam Khan, Panchagarh SP Md Mizanur Rahman and Moulvibazar SP Md Riazul Islam.

Four people, including a woman and her son, were killed in separate road accidents in Sadar and Sarail upazilas of Brahmanbaria district on Friday morning. According to local and hospital sources, Kawsar Mia, a resident of Bahadurpur village in Kasba upazila, was travelling towards Sarail Bishwa Road with his wife and children in a CNG-run autorickshaw. On the way, a fish-laden pickup van hit it from behind in the Biyallishwar area of Ramrail union in Sadar upazila on the Cumilla-Sylhet highway around 8:30am, leaving autorickshaw driver Mahbub, 45, passenger Josna Begum, 40, and her five-year-old son Ashraful dead on the spot. Kawsar, 50 – Josna’s husband – and their daughter Adiba, 4, were injured in the accident. The injured were first taken to Brahmanbaria General Hospital and later referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Officer-in-Charge of Khatihata Highway Police Station Md Abu Taher Dewan said police were sent to the spot after receiving information. However, the pickup driver and his assistant managed to flee immediately after the accident. In a separate accident, a man was killed in a head-on collision between a private car and a CNG-run three-wheeler in the Bariura area of Sarail upazila on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway around 6:00am. The deceased was identified as Md Oli Mia, 55, son of Haji Mohammad Idon Mia of Boribari village under Panishor union of the upazila.  

A massive fire burnt down 95 shops in a bazaar in Bhurungamari upazila headquarters in Kurigram on Friday morning. Local sources said the fire broke out at a clothes shop on the southern side of Bhurungamari Bazar around 6:30am. Within moments, the flames spread to adjacent shops, triggering panic among traders and locals. Shopkeepers and residents attempted to douse the fire, but it quickly went out of control due to the presence of flammable materials. Station Officer at Nageshwari Fire Station Khalilur Rahman said two firefighting units rushed to the spot and worked for about two hours to bring the blaze under control. He added that the fire was initially suspected to have originated from an electrical short circuit. Most of the affected shops were clothes outlets, with around 80 completely destroyed. In addition, 15 other shops, including those selling fruits, shoes, cosmetics and books, along with a nearby Zaker Party office, were also gutted. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Amrita Deb Nat visited the scene shortly after the incident. He said preliminary estimates suggest that 95 shops were burnt down, causing losses of about Tk 15 crore. The UNO also said instructions were given to prepare a list of affected traders and that the matter of rehabilitation was forwarded to higher authorities. The fire, which broke out just days after Eid-ul-Azha, has left many traders devastated, severely affecting their livelihoods. Tutul Mia, president of the Small Clothes Traders’ Association of the bazaar, said most traders took loans from banks and NGOs to run their businesses and stocked new goods before Eid. “Everything has been destroyed in the fire. We are now left with nothing. Government support is urgently needed for rehabilitation,” he said.