United News of Bangladesh

Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Barrister Kayser Kamal on Saturday called on all stakeholders to work together to strengthen the rule of law, saying the legal community has always stood for justice and against injustice. He made the remarks while addressing an exchange of views with members of the Bagerhat District Bar Association at its auditorium. "We believe a democratic system of governance has now been established in the country. The next challenge is to ensure the rule of law, and everyone must work together to achieve that," he said. The Deputy Speaker said many people had been subjected to harassment in the past solely because of their political beliefs, while others were deprived of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights. "Many political activists who struggled while facing what they claimed were false cases were subjected to harassment, and measures were taken to deny them legal remedies," he said.

An HSC examinee died at a private hospital in Dhaka on Friday morning after he was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons after raising his voice against drug consumption in Sirajganj's Raiganj upazila. The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 20, son of Md Firoz, a sack trader at Dhangara Bazar under Raiganj Municipality. He was a student of Raiganj Business Management and Technical College. His elder brother, Md Hasan, who was injured in the same attack, is now receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura. According to family members, Abdur Rahman and Hasan had an altercation on Tuesday night with Titon Sheikh, son of local trader Md Tara Sheikh, after they tried to stop him from consuming drugs in the area. During the dispute, Titon allegedly attacked the two brothers with a machete and a Burmese knife, leaving them critically injured. They were first taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura. As Abdur Rahman's condition worsened, he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in the capital. Despite doctors amputating one of his hands in an attempt to save his life, he succumbed to his injuries at around 8 am on Friday. Meanwhile, Hasan remains in the ICU at the Bogura hospital. Raiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Ahsanuzzaman said police have inspected the scene and legal proceedings are underway.

Two workers died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning an under-construction Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) tank at a ceramic factory in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on Saturday. The incident occurred around 10am at Excellent Ceramics in the Paragaon area of Habirbari Union. The deceased were identified as Shafiqul Islam, 28, a mechanical welder and son of Faruk Gazi of Noksa village in Koira upazila of Khulna, and Rumel Mia, 25, a civil helper and son of Kuhil Mia of Balli village in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrokona. According to fellow workers, Shafiqul entered the ETP tank to clean it but failed to respond after some time. Rumel then climbed into the tank to rescue him, but he also lost consciousness after being exposed to the toxic gas. Hearing the workers' cries for help, others rushed to the spot and rescued the two unconscious workers. They were taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where the attending doctors declared them dead. Police visited the factory after being informed of the incident. Officer-in-Charge of Bhaluka Model Police Station Zahidul Islam said factory authorities had already taken the injured workers to the hospital before police arrived. "The bodies are now at the morgue of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital," he said. Superintendent of Police of Mymensingh Industrial Police-5 Md Ansar Uddin said legal action would be taken against those responsible if the investigation finds negligence by the factory authorities or any lapse in the rescue operation.

Hundreds of people affected by river erosion formed a human chain and held a rally in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila on Saturday, demanding urgent measures to protect the area from the continued erosion caused by the Brahmaputra River and calling for the establishment of a separate ministry for the country's char regions. The programme, held at the erosion-hit Bishalpara area, drew more than a thousand participants, who also urged the government to rehabilitate affected families and take long-term steps to prevent further riverbank erosion. The rally was chaired by Prof Shafiqul Islam Bebu, president of the Kurigram District Char Development and Implementation Council. Among those who addressed the gathering were freedom fighter and Chilmari Upazila BNP Convener Abdul Bari Sarkar, Council Senior Vice-President Principal Khaza Sharif Uddin Ahmed Rintu, Chilmari unit President Assistant Professor Abu Hanifa, Member Secretary Assistant Professor Fazlul Haque, Sonali Otit Football Club Kurigram General Secretary Wazed Ali Jhinuk, Chilmari Union Parishad Chairman Aminul Islam Kazi, women's leader Shahnaz Sultana, and local erosion victims Asir Uddin and Shahjahan Ali. Speakers said vast areas of Chilmari are being swallowed by the Brahmaputra every year, leaving thousands of families homeless after losing their houses, farmland, educational institutions and other infrastructure. They urged the authorities to construct permanent embankments and implement effective erosion-control measures without delay. In his address, Prof Bebu claimed that river erosion is currently occurring at at least 42 locations along the district's 16 rivers and that nearly 200,000 people have lost their homes over the past decade, forcing them to relocate. He alleged that no government agency has comprehensive data on the actual number of people affected by river erosion. "Floods and river erosion do not only destroy land and property; they also erase people's childhood memories, social ties and sense of belonging," he said, adding that many families still do not know where they will seek shelter or keep their children and livestock safe during floods.

Two individuals, including a seven-month-old infant, were killed and 12 others, including a newlywed couple, were injured after a microbus carrying wedding guests plunged into a roadside ditch in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari early Saturday. The accident occurred around 3am in the Shaltibari area on the Kishoreganj-Tenganmari road. The deceased were identified as seven-month-old Jibon Islam, son of Zikrul Islam of Bandarpara in Kochukata area under Nilphamari Sadar upazila, and Riyad Islam, 18, son of Moja Mia of the same area. Riyad was an HSC examinee. Couple found dead in Bagerhat According to police and local sources, the wedding of Morsalin, son of Sirajul Islam of Bandarpara, Kochukata Union, and Sumaiya Akter, daughter of Sharif Mia of Keshaba village in Kishoreganj Upazila Sadar Union, was held on Friday night. After the ceremony, the bride, groom and other wedding party members were returning to the groom's home in a microbus carrying 14 passengers when the vehicle lost control and plunged into a roadside ditch in the Shaltibari area. All 14 passengers were injured in the crash. Locals rescued the victims and rushed them to Kishoreganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Jibon and Riyad dead. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Nil Ratan Dev said 14 critically injured people were brought to the hospital during the night. "Two of them were declared dead on arrival, while the remaining 12 were referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital," he said. Officer-in-Charge of Kishoreganj Police Station Abdul Gafur said the bodies were handed over to their families after completion of legal formalities.

An autorickshaw driver and his passenger were killed in a road accident in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur early Saturday. The accident occurred around 3am in the Sannyasibhita area on the Sherpur-Nalitabari road. The deceased were identified as Kamrul Hossain, 40, an autorickshaw driver and son of Ekdil Hossain of Khariapara village under Baghber Union, and Shahidul Islam, 40, son of Abdus Sattar of Salehabad Krishnapatti village. According to police and local residents, Shahidul arrived in Nalitabari from Dhaka around 2:30am and hired Kamrul's autorickshaw to travel to his in-laws' house in Sagaradi Krishnapatti under Pachgaon. On the way, the autorickshaw met with an accident in front of the Baghber Union Parishad office in the Sannyasibhita area. Locals found the mangled three-wheeler beside a pile of sand stacked along the roadside, with the bodies of the two victims lying nearby, and informed police. Police recovered the bodies and the wrecked autorickshaw and took them to Nalitabari Police Station. Police suspect the autorickshaw may have crashed into the roadside sand pile in the darkness or was struck by an unidentified heavy vehicle. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated. Nalitabari Police Station Second Officer Sub-Inspector Abdul Hannan said police are investigating how the crash occurred. He said the bodies were handed over to their respective families on Saturday after inquest reports were prepared, following applications from the families seeking burial without post-mortem examinations.

Police have recovered the body of a farmer from the Sati River in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat. The deceased was identified as Shishu Barman (50), son of Tarek Nath Chandra of Harram area of the upazila. Locals said that Shishu Barman left his house on Friday morning to plant rice seedlings. He did not return home after that. Family members searched for him in various places but could not find him. On Saturday morning, locals saw a body floating in the Sati River in Harram Purbapara village and informed the police. Later, Kaliganj police reached the spot and recovered the body. Local UP member Sohel Rana said, ”Shishu Barman had been missing since Friday morning. On Saturday morning, locals informed the police after seeing his body floating in the Sati River. Locals believe that Shishu Barman died after drowning while crossing the river.” Kaliganj Police Station OC (Investigation) Osman Gani said that based on the information from the locals, the police went to the spot and recovered the body. Since the family had no complaint, the body was handed over to the family after talking to the locals.

Police recovered the body of a trader from a jute field at Rokman Khar Dangi village in Sadar upazila of Faridpur district on Saturday, two days after he went missing. The deceased was identified as Yusuf Fakir, 45, wholesale onion trader and son of Seken Fakir of the village. Local people spotted the body of Yusuf with his hands and legs tied and informed police who recovered the body around 7 am. A bottle of pesticide was recovered near the body. Quoting family members, police said Yusuf left home on Thursday afternoon, saying he was going to Momin Khar Hat to have his blood sugar level checked at a local dispensary as he was feeling unwell. He had been missing since then. Aziz Khan, father-in-law of the victim, said the easy-bike driver confirmed dropping Yusuf off in front of his house. "We phoned several times that evening but he kept disconnecting the calls. Around 9:00 pm, his phone was switched off," Aziz said. Saiful Fakir, nephew of the victim, filed a general diary (GD) with Faridpur Kotwali Police Station over his disappearance. Aziz Khan said the family received a phone call on Friday afternoon from Yusuf's mobile phone, during which the caller demanded Tk 30,000 for his release. "The caller said Yusuf would be released unharmed if we pay the money. Later, the phone was switched off, and we received two more calls from an internet-based number repeating the same demand," he said. "The body was lying about 300 meters from Yusuf's house with his hands and legs tied. There were signs of pesticide poisoning around his mouth, and a bottle of pesticide was found nearby," said Local Union Parishad member Ali Moddin Fakir. Md Mahmudul Hasan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Faridpur Kotwali Police Station said the body was sent to Faridpur Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Robbers looted valuables from a house after killing a man in Madhabdi upazila of Narsingdi district early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Shahjahan Mia, 50, a resident of Bholbhadradi area of the upazila. Kamal Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Madhabdi Police Station said a group of 8-10 armed robbers stormed into the house of Milon Mia in the Bholbhadradi area after breaking open the door at the dead of night. Later, they broke open a cupboard and looted cash and gold ornaments worth Tk five lakh after keeping the family members hostage at gunpoint. When the family members tried to resist them, the robbers attacked them with sharp weapons, leaving Shahjahan dead on the spot and Suruj Mia, 60, injured. Suruj was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to the Narsingdi Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. "We have collected CCTV footage from the house and are trying to identify the robbers," the OC said.

The Counter Terrorism Department of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) has arrested a youth for allegedly hacking into the National Board of Revenue's (NBR) customs server and helping an organised syndicate attempt to smuggle foreign liquor and cigarettes through Chattogram Port. Sheikh Sejan, 26, was apprehended on July 15 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka with assistance from the Immigration Police while allegedly attempting to flee to Nepal, CMP Additional Police Commissioner Md Faisal Ahmed disclosed the information at a press briefing on Friday. He said Sheikh Sejan's involvement emerged during the investigation into two cases filed with Bandar Police Station. According to police, one case involves the alleged attempt to import 11,676 litres of foreign liquor from China by falsely declaring the consignment as duty-free fabric imported under bonded warehouse facilities. The second case relates to an alleged attempt to import around five million sticks of foreign cigarettes and secure their release from Chattogram Port through fraudulent customs clearance. Investigators said the syndicate illegally accessed the NBR's ASYCUDA World System and the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) online portal by using other users' credentials, changing passwords and manipulating customs processes. Police estimate the alleged fraud could have resulted in revenue losses of Tk 10–12 crore. According to CMP, Sheikh Sejan was identified based on information gathered during the interrogation of seven suspects arrested earlier in connection with the two cases. Police said Sejan, who is skilled in information technology, admitted during preliminary interrogation to providing technical assistance in gaining unauthorised access to the customs and port servers. Investigators also found digital evidence indicating that on May 20, 2024, an unauthorised login was made to a customs officer's account using a mobile internet connection. The same account was allegedly used later to complete LC-GI registration and other customs procedures related to the cigarette-smuggling attempt. Police said a previous raid at Sejan's house in Lohagara upazila of Narail failed to arrest him as he had gone into hiding. However, officers seized a Samsung mobile phone allegedly used to access the ASYCUDA World System and carry out LC-related activities. CMP also said Sejan had previously been arrested in a joint operation by CMP and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on charges of cloning government websites and forging digital government documents, including national identity cards, land development tax receipts, birth registration certificates and vaccination certificates. He is facing seven cybercrime and fraud cases filed at different police stations across the country, police said. Earlier in the investigation, police arrested Hafez Trading Private Limited Chairman Bakir Hossain, Director Khaled Hossain Mamun, company employees Khorshed Alam Ripon and Mizan, along with alleged syndicate members Ashraf Hossain Raju, Khayez Ahmed alias Arif and Boro Raju. They have all been produced before the court.