United News of Bangladesh

A 10-year-old boy was killed and his elder sister seriously injured after a truck ran them over while they were walking to a local maktab in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Al Amin, son of Shamim of Bhaduria area in the upazila. His sister Sumona, 12, sustained critical injuries in the accident. According to police and locals, the siblings were on their way to attend Arabic lessons at a nearby maktab when a Dinajpur-bound truck hit them from behind in the Bhaduria area, leaving Al Amin dead on the spot and Sumona injured. The injured was taken to hospital. Locals caught the truck driver and seized the vehicle before handing both over to police. Sub-Inspector Sajedul of Nawabganj Police Station said the truck and its driver were taken into police custody.

A video allegedly showing several local BNP leaders playing cards in a government primary school classroom in Cumilla's Brahmanpara upazila has gone viral on social media, sparking criticism and prompting local authorities to launch an investigation. According to local sources, the alleged gathering took place inside a classroom of Dulalpur Government Primary School. A video recently shared on social media appears to show several individuals sitting inside the school premises and playing cards. One person can also be seen smoking in the footage. Residents claimed that those present in the video included Dulalpur union BNP Senior Vice-President Masud Alam, Jubo Dal leader Mahbub Member, BNP activists Ershad Zaman and Rubel Mia, among others. Repeated attempts to contact Masud Alam for comment were unsuccessful. The acting head teacher of the school, Syed Mosharraf Hossain Sumon, and the school's night guard, Jewel Mia, could not be reached for their statements either. Amir Hossain, general secretary of Brahmanpara upazila BNP, said the party had taken note of the video. "The video has come to our attention. We will verify the authenticity of the allegations and take necessary organisational action if the claims are found to be true," he said. Brahmanpara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahmuda Jahan described the allegations as alarming. "Such allegations involving an educational institution are very concerning. The matter is being investigated, and instructions have been given to the police to take necessary legal action," she said. Officer-in-Charge of Brahmanpara Police Station Md Faruk Hossain said police became aware of the video after it spread on social media. "Before the video went viral, police had already received information about the matter and sent a team to the spot. However, no one was found there when officers reached," he said. The OC added that police had learned the individuals were reportedly at the school to settle accounts related to a local cattle market lease ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

At least seven people, including a woman and her son, were killed in separate lightning strikes in Gaibandha, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat and Mymensingh districts on Wednesday. In Gaibandha, a woman and her son were killed after being struck by lightning in Saghata upazila in the evening. The deceased were identified as Kalpona Rani, 55, wife of Shailen Chandra Das of Mandura village, and their son Sohag Chandra Das, 32. Locals said Sohag, who works in Dhaka, had returned home on leave. When the weather turned stormy in the afternoon, his mother asked him to bring in straw that was left to dry outside the house. Shortly afterwards, the mother and son went outside and were struck by lightning, leaving them injured. They were taken to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital, but doctors declared them dead on arrival, said Varotkhali Union Parishad Chairman Md Faruk Hossain. In Chapainawabganj, two people were killed in as many lightning strikes in Sadar upazila in the afternoon. The victims were identified as Miraj, son of Md Babu of Bhabanipur village, and Munirul Islam, son of Md Mangal Hossain of Shiala Colony village under Chapainawabganj municipality. Family members said Miraj was packing mangoes in an orchard around 4:00pm when lightning struck him. Locals rescued and took him to Chapainawabganj District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. In a separate incident around 3:00pm, Munirul was struck by a thunderstorm while standing near his house. Relatives rushed him to the same hospital, where he was also pronounced dead. Officer-in-Charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station Md Ekramul Hossain said police visited the locations after receiving the information and were taking necessary legal steps. In Joypurhat, two people, including a woman, were killed in separate lightning strikes in Sadar and Panchbibi upazilas. Joypurhat Sadar Police Station OC Noor Alam Siddiqui said Jahanara Begum, wife of farmer Harun Sheikh of Thiat Bilpara village in Dogachhi union, was struck by lightning while returning home after cutting paddy stalks. She succumbed to her injuries on the way to Joypurhat 250-bed General Hospital. In another incident, 59-year-old farmer Shamsuddin, son of late Mofiz of Kuatpur village in Panchbibi upazila, was killed by lightning during a sudden strike. In Mymensingh’s Dhobaura upazila, a teenage boy from an ethnic minority community was killed and another was injured in a lightning strike in Langaljora village. The deceased was identified as Orko Hajong, 18, son of Oshil Hajong. The injured was identified as Arkoddo, 14. According to local sources, the two friends went out to play football when lightning struck them during sudden rain. Locals rescued them and took them to Dhobaura Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Orko Hajong dead. The injured was later sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Dhobaura Police Station OC Shafiqul Islam said the body was handed over to the family following an inquest on request.

A rare Bengal slow loris, locally known as Lojjabati Banor, has been rescued in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla. The endangered animal was spotted on Tuesday afternoon at Baidderkhil village, a border-adjacent area under Chauddagram municipality. According to local sources, resident Abdul Momin first noticed the animal and safely captured it before informing the authorities. Following the report, Arafat Hossain, team leader of the Chauddagram Quick Response Team (QRT), took custody of the slow loris through the upazila administration. On Wednesday morning, the animal was handed over to the Upazila Livestock Office for examination and treatment. Following medical care, it was returned to the upazila administration, which subsequently transferred it to the local Forest Department, said Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Abdullah Al Mamun Shagar. "We suspect the slow loris may have suffered an electric shock," he said. Chauddagram Forest Officer Md Shahin Alam said the animal is currently under the department's care and is now in good health. “It will be released into a suitable habitat once it is fully cured," he added. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Shahadat Hossen said the endangered animal was handed over to the Forest Department after necessary treatment and that the department would take further steps regarding its release.

Two people were killed in separate lightning strikes in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila on Wednesday afternoon. The victims were identified as Miraj, son of Md Babu of Bhabanipur village, and Munirul Islam, son of Md Mangal Hossain of Shiala Colony village under Chapainawabganj municipality. Family members said Miraj was packing mangoes in an orchard around 4:00pm when lightning struck him. Locals rescued and took him to Chapainawabganj District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Two farmers killed in lightning strikes in Mymensingh In a separate incident around 3:00pm, Munirul was struck by a thunderstorm while standing near his house. Relatives rushed him to the same hospital, where he was also pronounced dead. Officer-in-Charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station Md Ekramul Hossain said police visited the locations after receiving the information and were taking necessary legal steps.

Over 50 people were injured in a clash between two groups in Sadar upazila of Habiganj on Wednesday following a dispute stemming from a local friendly football match between two teams named after Argentina and Brazil. The incident took place around noon at Kashipur village under Lokra union. According to locals, two groups of youths from the village played a friendly football match on Tuesday afternoon, with the teams competing under the names "Argentina" and "Brazil." The Argentina team won the match 2-0, prompting celebrations by its supporters. 9 shops gutted in Habiganj fire The celebrations led to an argument between supporters of the two sides. Local elders intervened and settled the matter at night. However, both groups again became involved in a heated exchange on Wednesday morning, which later escalated into a clash. A chase and counter-chase took place during the melee that continued for nearly an hour, leaving more than 50 people injured. The injured were taken to Habiganj Sadar Hospital, from where several of them were sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Officer-in-Charge of Habiganj Sadar Model Police Station Md Jahidul Haque said the situation in the area remained under control.

The body of a teenage girl was found in a sack with her hands tied in the Padma River in Sadar upazila of Pabna on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Riya, a resident of Raghabpur area in Sadar upazila of the district. The body was recovered from the river at Balrampur-Pirpur under Bharara union of the upazila around 10:00am. Police said the victim was believed to be aged between 14 and 16 years. A silver chain was found around her neck, while a shopping bag was tied around her neck before the body was placed inside a sack. Locals said farmers heading to work in a nearby char area spotted a sack floating in the river. Out of suspicion, they approached it and discovered the body inside before informing police. Locals also reported seeing an unidentified private car in the area around 10:30pm on Tuesday.  They claimed four young men were inside the vehicle, which reportedly broke down while leaving the area and had to be pushed to the Balrampur embankment with the help of local residents. Locals alleged that the girl was raped and murdered before her body was dumped in the river using the vehicle seen in the area on Tuesday night. They said the circumstances surrounding the incident could become clearer if CCTV footage from nearby Char Balrampur High School is examined. Police, however, have not yet confirmed the allegations. Officer-in-Charge of Pabna Sadar Police Station Tariqul Islam said the motive behind the killing remains unclear. "We are investigating the incident and working to uncover the mystery behind the murder," he said.  

Local administration on Wednesday relocated the lone crocodile from the historic pond of Khan Jahan Ali's shrine in Bagerhat to a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Khulna following the death of an eight-year-old girl in an attack by the crocodile. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting convened by the district administration on Tuesday night to review safety measures at the shrine and its surrounding areas. Body of girl recovered hours after crocodile attack in Bagerhat A specialised team from the Forest Department removed the female crocodile from the pond on Wednesday afternoon and transported it to the Khulna Wildlife Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre, officials said. According to the Forest Department, the crocodile is about 45 years old, weighs around 600 kilograms and measures 9 feet 3 inches in length. Deputy Commissioner Golam Mohammad Baten said the crocodile was the last one remaining in the pond and was removed considering public safety following the fatal attack. “At the emergency meeting, we discussed public safety and decided to relocate the animal to prevent any recurrence of such incidents,” he said. He added that the crocodile could be returned to the pond in the future if a secure enclosure is constructed based on expert recommendations. Earlier on Monday, Fatema Akter was attacked while bathing at the women's ghat of the pond Local residents later recovered her body from the pond early Tuesday. Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division, said the crocodile was taken from the eastern bank of the pond and shifted to the rehabilitation centre in Khulna in line with the district administration's decision. “The crocodile is healthy and will remain at the rehabilitation centre until a suitable protected facility is established at the shrine pond. Subject to expert opinion, it may be brought back in the future,” he said. The pond at the Khan Jahan Ali shrine, believed to be nearly 600 years old, has long been a major attraction for visitors from home and abroad. For decades, pilgrims and tourists visiting the shrine have regarded the crocodiles as part of the site's cultural and religious heritage. Many visitors traditionally offered food including ducks and chickens to the reptiles after making vows at the shrine. According to Forest Department sources, two crocodiles had lived in the pond since 2005. The male crocodile died in October 2023. The crocodiles were among a group of freshwater crocodiles gifted to Bangladesh by the Indian government in 2005 to support conservation and breeding efforts. Six of them were released into the Khan Jahan Ali shrine pond, while others were sent to Dhaka Zoo and Dulahazra Safari Park.

A fire gutted two shops that broke out at Jaliapara Bazar in Guimara upazila of Khagrachhari district early Wednesday. The fire broke out at the bazar around 3:45 am and engulfed two shops, said Jane Alam, acting in-charge of Matiranga Fire Service and Civil Defence. On information, a firefighting unit from Matiranga Fire Service and Civil Defence, along with army personnel from the Sindukchhari Zone, rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze after some time. The fire gutted valuables at a restaurant and an oil shop. The affected shop owners claimed that valuables worth around Tk 50 lakh were damaged in the fire. The blaze might have originated from an electrical short circuit, said Jane Alam.

A woman and an ambulance driver were killed and four others injured when a bus rammed into an ambulance carrying the body of her husband on the Narail–Jashore Highway in Sadar upazila on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Nurjahan Begum, 45, wife of Ismail Hossain of Jashore district, and Akbar Hossain, 32, an ambulance driver from Lakshmipur district. Nurjahan, along with other family members, had hired an ambulance to take the body of her husband, Ismail, to their home village from Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital, said Ajay Kumar Kundu, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. When the ambulance reached the area near Badshah Garage, a Kalna-bound bus hit it at around 9 am, leaving Nurjahan dead on the spot and injuring five others. The injured were taken to Jashore Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared Akbar dead. On information, police recovered the bodies and seized both vehicles.