United News of Bangladesh

An agent of an independent candidate was beaten to death by miscreants in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Shahiduzzaman Palash, son of Jamal Hossain and a supporter of independent candidate Ataur Rahman Bhuiya. Ataur was also a supporter of Awami League and Palash worked as an agent on January 7 supporting Ataur. Bakhtier Uddin Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri Police Station, said being informed by local people police recovered the body of Palash from East Mirzanagar village in Sonaimuri upazila around 10 pm and sent to Noakhali 25-bed Hospital morgue for autopsy. Miscreants might have hit him with heavy things on his head, said OC. Local people said Palash returned from Saudi Arabia five years back and he worked for the independent candidate in the election actively. However, it is not clear whether Palash's death is related to the wave of post-poll violence, said police. Meanwhile, family members of Palash said he went out from his house around 8pm on Saturday to join a party but his body was found near his house at night.

In the northern district of Kurigram, daily life has been severely disrupted by a cold wave accompanied by dense fog for the past five days. The extreme weather has led to a significant increase in health emergencies, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and low-income communities. Hospitals in Kurigram are witnessing a daily surge in patients suffering from diarrhea, pneumonia, shortness of breath, and other cold-related illnesses. "The number of cold-related patients, including those with diarrhea and pneumonia, is on the rise," reported Dr. Nazmul Islam, Resident Medical Officer of Kurigram General Hospital. He noted that most patients are from the more exposed char areas and that "children, women, and the elderly are more affected." Read: Kurigram shivers as temperature drops significantly  The dense fog enveloping the region from evening till morning forces residents to stay indoors, significantly impacting daily activities. Road traffic is heavily affected, with vehicles needing headlights even during daylight hours to navigate the thick fog. Rashid Miah, a local construction worker, describes the hardship: "Hands and feet become like ice when engaged in work. Fog is descending like rain at night and in the morning. Everyone who earns their livelihood daily is suffering." Kurigram’s Rajarhat Meteorological Office recorded morning temperatures hovering around 10-11 degrees Celsius, with predictions of no immediate rise in temperature until rainfall occurs. Subal Chandra Sarkar, a weather official, warns of the possibility of a cold wave sweeping over the district this month. The impact of the cold is notably more severe in chars within the district, with temperatures having fluctuated around 9.13 degrees Celsius over the past two weeks. Read: Dense fog coupled with cold disrupts daily life in Kurigram The relentless cold spell in Kurigram exemplifies the urgent need for adequate measures to support the affected communities, particularly as healthcare facilities face increasing pressure from the rising number of weather-related illnesses. 

Workers of Tarapur Tea Garden in Sylhet have initiated a work abstention since yesterday, demanding redress for a range of unresolved issues, including payment of the last two weeks’ wages. Among their seven-point demand, the workers are insisting on urgent repairs to their living quarters, the permanent appointment of medical staff, access to safe drinking water, establishment of a provident fund, and provision of a transport truck. Read: BGMEA, Helen Keller International to collaborate on providing eye health services to garment workers The work abstention, jointly orchestrated by the tea garden’s workers and the Panchayet Committee, reflects a deep-seated frustration. The workers have issued a stern warning: if their grievances are not addressed by next Tuesday, they will escalate their protests. This strike is significantly impacting tea production, especially critical in the dry season, exacerbating the financial strain on these workers' households. Mamata Roy, a worker, expressed her distress, “I haven't been paid for two weeks, leading to a severe food shortage at home. Out of sheer necessity, I've joined this movement.” Geeta Halder, another worker, shared her plight, “The absence of January's salary allowance forced me to deny my children school admission.” Read: CEPZ workers stage demo demanding adjustment of wages  Sunil Modi, the general secretary of the Panchayet Committee, criticized the management's repeated failures to pay salaries on time. “This negligence has plunged our families into multiple crises. Our festive spirit for Sankranti was overshadowed by this financial distress,” he lamented. “We seek an immediate resolution to this deadlock,” Modi added, emphasizing the dire need for a sustainable solution. 

An elderly man died after being crushed under the wheels of a train in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar's this morning. The deceased was identified as Shah Alam, a resident of Govindpur Paschim Para under Chakaria upazila. Read: Rohingya youth murdered over camp dominance in Cox’s Bazar  Cox's Bazar Railway’s Station Master Golam Rabbani confirmed the matter, saying that a witness saw the elderly man walking along the rail track around 8 am. The body was found on the track in the Baraitali area, he said, quoting the witness. Read: 3 policemen among 4 arrested over gold smuggling in Khulna  The Government Railway Police will look into the matter, the station master added.    

The residents of Chandpur are facing disruptions in their daily lives caused by the bone-chilling cold prevailing in the district for a couple of days. The minimum temperature in the district was recorded at 14.8 degrees Celsius at 6pm on Saturday. As a result, the cold-related illnesses are on rise in Chandpur, particularly affecting the elderly and children. Symptoms include cold, fever, cough, shortness of breath, pneumonia, diarrhea, and other related ailments. Read: Mild cold wave sweeping over parts of Bangladesh Nurses and doctors at Chandpur General Hospital are under increased pressure due to the surge in winter patients. The bed shortage has forced some individuals to receive treatment on the hospital floor.

An assistant sub-inspector died in a road accident in Mymensingh's Nandail upazila on Saturday morning. The deceased was Nur Ahmed, 38, an assistant sub-inspector of Nandail Police Station. The accident took place at around 11am in Bahadurpur area of the upazila. Nandail Police Station officer-in-charge Md Abdul Mazid said Nur was on his way to Char Betagoir area on his motorcycle. On the way, he rammed into a microbus coming from the opposite direction and died on the spot, he said. Police later recovered the body from the spot and seized both vehicles. Legal action would be taken in this regard, added the OC.

Cox’s Bazar, Jan 13 (UNB)-Miscreants stabbed and shot to death a Rohingya youth over reportedly establishing supremacy in a camp in Ukhiya upazila of Co’x Bazar on Saturday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Huzit Ullah, 34, son of Faizul Karim of C/6 block under the Number 19 camp in Palongkhali union of the upazila. Confirming the murder, Ukhiya police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Shamim Hossain said a group of six to seven terrorists wearing musk picked him up when he was chatting with locals in a tea stall in the camp around 4:40 pm. Taking a few yards off, the miscreants stabbed with sharp weapons indiscriminately and shot on his head to confirm death, he said, adding that they fled the scene leaving the body. Being informed, members of police and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) rushed to the spot and recovered the body, the OC said. Though the reason behind the murder could not be ascertained, establishing supremacy among groups might have led to the killing, the police officer said. Efforts were on to arrest the accused upon identification, he added. Several groups have been clashing among themselves over taking control of the camps, claiming lives frequently. End/UNB/Corr/SU/ssk

A 68-year-old woman was beaten to death over a family feud in the Tarash upazila of Sirajganj. The deceased was identified as Fatema Begum, wife of Hasmot Ali, from Borovatra village of the upazila. Tarash Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC), Md Nazrul Islam, confirmed the matter on Saturday. 3 policemen among 4 arrested over gold smuggling in Khulna Five days ago, on Monday afternoon, there was a quarrel between Reshma, Fatema's daughter-in-law, and Mim, the wife of the victim’s newphew, Nazrul Islam's son. At one stage, Nazrul, his son Arif, another nephew, Almas Ali, and his two sons, Badsha and Emon, attacked and beat Fatema’s daughters-in-law, Reshma and Meherjan, the OC said. At the time, Fatema, who was praying in the house, was also beaten and injured. Later, she was admitted to the 250-bed Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib General General Hospital. He added that she was brought home on Wednesday after two days of medical care. Two bodies recovered from separate places in Natore On Friday morning, Fatema fell sick again and was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to the morgue for an autopsy on Saturday, said the OC. The deceased’s son, Jahir Uddin, filed a murder case at the police station against seven people. Operation is underway to arrest the accused of this incident, said OC. Man beaten to death for ‘arguing’ with Swechchasebak League leader in Keraniganj

 Four people, including three policemen, were arrested in Khulna in a case filed over smuggling gold on Friday night. The arrestees are Basdev Dey, a gold smuggler from Khalishpur area in Khulna; Sub-inspector (SI) Mostafa Zaman; ASI Ahsan Habib; and Constable. All three were working at Lobonchora Police Station. SI Mokhlesur Rahman filed the case against them, confirmed OC Hafizur Rahman of the police station. According to the case statement, Basdev is a professional gold smuggler. On Friday afternoon, he was going to Satkhira on a Tungipara Paribahan bus to smuggle six gold bars to India. The three accused policemen stopped the transport, and Basdev tried to escape. The three policemen then caught him and snatched three of the six gold bars. The three stolen gold bars are worth around Tk 30 lakh. Basdev later complained to the higher authorities of the police about the matter. When the three policemen were interrogated by senior officials on Friday evening, they confessed to the incident, said the statement. "The arrestees will be produced before the court on Saturday," added the OC.

Police recovered the bodies of two men from two separate places in Natore on Saturday morning. One of the deceased was identified as Makrob Ali, 70, and the identity of the other man could not be known immediately. Read: Man beaten to death for ‘arguing’ with Swechchasebak League leader in Keraniganj  Harunuzzaman Rumel, officer-in-charge of Ishurdi Railway Police Station, said the body of the unidentified man, around 50 years old, was found lying on the platform at Abdulpur Railway Station at Lalpur upazila. Makrub Ali’s body was found underneath the Baral River bridge in the Par Bagodob area of Baraigram Upazila, said OC Shafiul Azam Khan of Baraigram Police Station. Read: Couple dead in Natore road accident  Makrob Ali was mentally handicapped, said the OC.