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JCD leader’s death: BNP calls hartal in Bhola for Thursday
Bhola unit BNP has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district for Thursday protesting the death of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) district unit president Nure Alam in a clash between police and BNP men.
The strike will be observed from 6am to 6pm in the district on the day, BNP’s Bhola unit Joint General Secretary Humayun Kabir Sopan told UNB on Wednesday.
Nure Alam suffereded bullet wounds during a clash with police on Sunday.
Read: Bhola BNP-Cops clash: Injured JCD leader dies in Dhaka
Humayun Kabir said Nure Alam was taken to Comfort Diagnostic Centre in the capital on the same day where he succumbed to his injures around 3:15 pm Wednesday. He had been on life support at the hospital.
As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on Sunday.
At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11:30 am, triggering a clash.
Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left local Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party injured.
Bhola BNP-Cops clash: Injured JCD leader dies in Dhaka
A leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal(JCD), who sustained bullet wounds during a clash between police and BNP activists on Sunday, died at a hospital in the capital on Wednesday, raising the death toll from the incident to two.
The deceased was identified as Noor-e-Alam, the president of district unit JCD.
Humayun Kabir Sopan, a joint general secretary of Bhola district unit BNP, said Noor-e-Alam suffered bullet wounds during a clash with police on Sunday.
He was taken to Comfort Hospital the same day where he succumbed to his wounds around 3:15 pm.
Noor-e-Alam had been on life support at the hospital as he was hit in the head by a bullet during the police firing at BNP’s rally on Sunday.
Demonstration at Nayapaltan
Several hundred leaders and activists of BNP and JCD gathered in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in the afternoon and staged a demonstration there, protesting the death of Noor-e-Alam.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke at the programme and criticised the government for killing the two leaders of their party’s two associate bodies in a police firing in Bhola.
Read: JCD leader’s death: BNP calls hartal in Bhola for Thursday
The BNP leader said the blood of the slain leaders of the party will not go in vain.” “We’ll restore democracy, being imbued with the spirit of the sacrifices of Noor-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim.”
He said a namaz-e-janaza of the Chhatra Dal leader was scheduled to be held in front of the BNP office around 6 pm today (Wednesday), but his body was not discharged from the hospital for autopsy.
Fakhrul said Noor-e-Alam’s Janaza will be held in front of the BNP central office at 11am on Thursday.
Dawn-to-dusk hartal in Bhola
Meanwhile, BNP’s Bhola district unit on Wednesday called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district for Thursday protesting the death of Noor-e-Alam.
The strike will be observed from 6am to 6pm in the district, Humayun Kabir Sopan told UNB.
Fakhrul denounces the killing
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir strongly denounced and protested the killing of the JCD leader in police firing.
In a statement, he said the current ‘usurper’ Awami government has established terrible 'misrule' in the country by snatching people’s freedom of speech and opinion.
“The government has introduced a culture of fear in the entire country by taking an imprudent decision like killing people, getting unnerved by people's protests and demonstrations. The government must take responsibility for it,” the BNP leader said.
Also read: BNP to probe Bhola police firing, console victims’ families
Fakhrul alleged that law enforcers are being ordered to indiscriminately attack BNP’s programmes and take the lives of the party leaders and activists. “The firing of law enforcers at the BNP's peaceful programme in Bhola is part of an evil plan by the government.”
He alleged that two leaders of BNP’s associate bodies—Abdur Rahim and Noor-e Alam--were killed in police firing in Bhola in a planned way to suppress BNP’s democratic movement and divert people’s attention to a different direction from power, energy and economic crisis.
“The incident of taking two fresh lives through such a barbaric attack on BNP's peaceful programme has shaken the conscience of the global community…Such killings by police will hasten the downfall of the government," the BNP leader observed.
Fakhrul expressed deep shock at the death of Noor-e Alam and prayed for the salvation of his departed soul.
He also conveyed his profound sympathy to the bereaved family members of the slain JCD leader.
As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on July 31.
At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11:30 am, triggering a clash.
Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left local Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party injured.
BNP on Tuesday formed a 12-member committee to probe the police firing during the party’s demonstrations.
Boatman’s body fished out of Buriganga
The body of a boatman was fished out of the Buriganga river at Bashpatti in Keraniganj early Wednesday, nearly four hours after he went missing, said police.
The deceased was identified as Md Sohrab.
Mamunur Rashid, officer-in-charge (OC) of Keraniganj Model police station, said Sohrab fell into the river when Monir Hossain, a passenger, hit him on his head with a piece of wood following an altercation around 9pm on Tuesday.
Later, divers of the Naval police fished out the body from the river around 12:30 am.
Read:Missing BUET student’s body fished out of Padma
After the incident, the locals thrashed Monir and handed him over to the police station, the OC added.
Besides, about one hundred enraged boatmen besieged the police station with the body demanding justice.
Police sent the body to the Mitford Hospital morgue for autopsy on Wednesday.
A case was also filed at Keraniganj Model police station, said the OC.
Madrasa student drowns in Chandpur pond
A madrasa student allegedly drowned in a pond on the premises of Chandpur Sadar Upazila Cooperative Office on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Md Zubair Ahmed, 10, son of Zakir Hussain of Rahmatpur Colony in the district town. He was a student of Jamia Islamia Fazlul Uloom Madrasa.
Read: Tourist found dead in Cox’s Bazar hotel
Madrasa teacher Belal said, "As there was no water in the tank of the madrasa, some 20 students went to take a bath in the pond of the neighbouring cooperative office on Tuesday noon. Zubair suddenly went missing."
Later, assistant teachers of the madrasa, Belal and Alamin, fished out Zubair's body from the pond. "He was rushed to Chandpur General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival," Belal said.
Read: Ferry gets stuck in Meghna shoal, passengers rescued
Tourist found dead in Cox’s Bazar hotel
A 26-year-old tourist was found dead in a hotel room at Kolatoli in Cox’s Bazar municipality on Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Kawsar, son of Mofazzal Hossain of Joypurhat district.
Selim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said Kawsar checked into the hotel on Tuesday afternoon.
Read: Ferry gets stuck in Meghna shoal, passengers rescued
At 11pm, the hotel authorities informed the police after getting no response from inside despite repeated knocks on the door.
"We rushed to the hotel and recovered the body. A suicide note purportedly written by him was found in the room, in which he blamed no one for his death," the OC said.
Rezaul Karim, additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Tourist Police, said, "It seems Kawsar consumed poison. Anyway, the actual reason behind his death will be ascertained after an autopsy."
Ferry gets stuck in Meghna shoal, passengers rescued
More than 400 passengers have been rescued from a ferry that ran aground in a shoal in the Meghna river in Chandpur district, officials said on Wednesday,
The passengers of the Barishal-bound ‘Sundarban-11’ were actually rescued by another vessel ‘MV Surovi-7’, according to the officials.
Alam Sardar, master of the stranded ferry, said that ‘Sundarban-11’ carrying over 400 passengers experienced a technical glitch around midnight on Tuesday while heading towards Barishal.
"When it reached near Mohonpur in Chandpur, I steered it to a nearby shoal to avoid any untoward situation," he said.
Faruk Hossain, a passenger on the ferry, said it experienced the technical glitch around 11pm and got stuck in the shoal around 12am, creating panic among the passengers.
Meanwhile, ‘MV Surovi-7’ that was passing by spotted the ill-fated ferry and rushed to its rescue, officials said. "All the passengers were rescued around 2am on Wednesday."
Sherpur farmer killed in wild elephant attack
A 65-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the Patrachhila Mayaghasi hill area of the upazila.
Read: Journalist attacked in Faridpur; one held
"Somed Ali of Mayaghasi village of Ramchandrakura union, was attacked by the wild elephant while cutting grass in his field for cattle," said Bachir Ahmed Badal, officer-in-charge of Nalitabari police station. "He was killed on the spot."
When he did not return home even after sunset, his family members launched a search operation and spotted his body. "We were subsequently informed," the OC said.
Thursday daylong strike called for in Bogura for vandalising CNG filling station
Rajshahi Divisional Committee of CNG Filling Station Owners’ Association called for a dawn to dusk strike for Thursday in Bogura demanding for arrest of accused who vandalised a CNG filling station in the district for not getting gas on Sunday.
The decision to enforce the strike came from an emergency meeting of the organisation on Monday night. The meeting was chaired by the organisation’s president Shamsul Hoque.
Mizanur Rahman Ratan, general secretary of the organisation, said they will enforce the daylong strike from 6am to 6pm in the district if the accused are not arrested soon.
Read: Attack on interns: Osmani Medical College students suspend strike
Mentionable, a group of youths numbering 5 to 6 thrashed a security guard of M/S Bogura Filling Station for not giving gas to their auto-rickshaw around 10pm on Sundnay as the filling station remained closed as per government order from 6pm to 11pm.
The youths allegedly also looted Tk 70,000 from the organisation and vandalized it. A case related to the incident was filed with the concerned police station later.
Eviction drive starts to free Sitakunda hill
Chattogram district administration started a drive on Tuesday to evict people living illegally on the hilly slopes in Sitakunda upazila in the district.
The drive led by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman was carried out in remote Alinagar area under Salimpur union of the upazila.
A good number of establishments including dwelling houses and shops were bulldozed during the drive conducted by police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar members.
Mominur said that the eviction drive was conducted as part of a mega plan taken by the government.
He said Alinagar area will be freed from the clutches of criminals within one month as they turned the area into their den.
The DC also said that those who have been living illegally in the area by setting up establishments will be evicted soon.
Read: Eviction begins on Chattogram hills to save lives during landslides
He, however, said those who are actual landless will be enlisted for their rehabilitation and the drive will continue.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district SM Rashidul Hoque, Additional DC (Revenue) Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan, Additional DC (LA) Masud Kamal and Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Shahdat Hossain among others were present during the drive.
Patients suffer as MAG Osmani Hospital interns resume strike
Medical services at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital have been disrupted since Tuesday afternoon as interns of the hospital resumed strike protesting the attack on two interns by the relatives of a patient.
The interns resumed strike around 5 pm hours after suspending their movement after a meeting with the administration and hospital authorities.
Meanwhile, two separate complaints were lodged—one by the hospital authorities and another by the college authorities-- with Kotwali Model Police in connection with the attack, said Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station.
During the meeting, the hospital authorities assured of meeting their five demands. Later the interns decided to continue their strike as no initiative was taken to arrest three other identified attackers.
Read: Parts of Sylhet city to experience 13-hour load shedding per day
Dr. Matiur Rahman, general secretary of Intern Chikitshak Parishad of the hospital, said they will continue their strike until the arrest of all culprits involved in the attack and visible steps are taken for the security of the interns.
On Sunday, two relatives of a patient misbehaved with a female medical intern at the hospital. They were later handed over to the police.
To take revenge, relatives of the patient entered the college campus and stabbed two intern doctors—Emon Ahmed, 24 and Rudra Nath, 22--- on Monday night.
On Monday, at 10 pm, all intern doctors of the hospital suspended their services and announced to go on strike until all the attackers were arrested. They closed all the hospital gates and took position on the main road in front of it creating a blockade.
They also confined the director of the hospital Brig. General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiya to his room for one hour in the early hours of Tuesday.
Earlier, in the day, the interns suspended their movement around 3 am on Tuesday and threatened to go for movement again if their demand goes unheeded by 2 pm on today.
Around 1 pm, police arrested two people—Syed Hasan Rabbi, 27, general secretary of no 3 ward of Sylhet Metropolitan unit Chhatra League and Ehsan Ahmed, 22.
However, the protesting students claimed that the two arrestees were not present during the attack.