United News of Bangladesh

Cauliflower, a staple winter vegetable in Naogaon, is selling at nearly double the price for consumers compared to what local farmers receive, highlighting the price gap that farmers face in the market.  As cauliflower gains popularity in winter kitchens, often paired with potatoes, pumpkin bori, and fish curry, demand rises. Yet, farmers bringing their cauliflower harvests to the Daktarter Bari intersection market in Sadar upazila earn significantly less than the final retail price.  In the retail market, small cauliflowers are selling at Tk 80 per kilogram (approximately 4 pieces), while farmers only earn Tk 30 for the same amount. Similarly, three medium cauliflowers, averaging one kilogram, fetch Tk 90 in retail, though farmers receive just Tk 40. Large cauliflowers, weighing around a kilogram for two pieces, are sold to consumers for Tk 100, but only yield Tk 50 for farmers.  Land acquisition for Chandpur Science and Technology University cancelled amid allegations of irregularities Abul Kalam Azad, Deputy Director of the Naogaon Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), explained the disparity, noting, “Farmers are typically field-focused and sell quickly to return to their work, often enabling traders to purchase at lower prices. This allows middlemen to profit more significantly.”  Azad urged authorities to create a direct market for farmers to sell their produce to consumers, minimizing the role of middlemen. “Ensuring fair prices for farmers would not only benefit them but also offer consumers more affordable options,” he added.  This season, approximately 250 hectares in Naogaon have been dedicated to cauliflower cultivation, with an estimated production target of 6,750 metric tonnes, according to the DAE.

Eight members of the fisheries department were injured in the early hours of Wednesday when they were attacked by a group during a hilsa conservation drive near Babur Char on the Padma River in Jazira upazila.  The injured officials include Field Assistant Riad (28), Driver Md. Sagar (30), speedboat operator Sekendar Hossain (29), and team members Habib (22), Zillur Rahman (45), Mushfiqur Rahman (27), Jamil Hossain (28), and Sekandar Hossain (35).  According to Jazira upazila Fisheries Officer Md. Rezaul Sharif, department personnel had deployed multiple speedboats in key areas such as Sidarchar, Babur Char, and Charatra to monitor and protect the seasonal hilsa population. Around dawn, a group of attackers, arriving on 18 to 20 engine boats, targeted two of the department's speedboats near Babur Char, swiftly initiating a violent assault.  165 fishermen jailed for defying hilsha ban Nearby fisheries personnel, led by Naria upazila Fisheries Officer Zakir Hossain, arrived in time to rescue the injured and transported them to Jazira Upazila Health Complex. Due to the critical condition of two officials, they were later referred to Dhaka for specialized medical treatment.  District Fisheries Officer Hadiuzzaman said they have reported the attack to senior fisheries officials and will notify the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police. An investigation is underway, and appropriate actions will follow, he said.

Three men were beaten to death early Wednesday morning in the Tularampur area on the Narail-Dhaka-Benapole highway, as locals suspected them of being cattle thieves. Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. 2 cops go missing after jumping into Padma River    According to local sources, residents of Tularampur have been grappling with frequent incidents of cattle theft. The latest attempt occurred just before dawn today, when three men allegedly attempted to steal cattle from the property of Bakhtiar Hossain Hannan. Awakened by the barking of his dogs, Hannan quickly alerted nearby villagers who rushed to the scene. The gathered crowd chased down the suspects and the three men were fatally beaten.  Preliminary investigations revealed that two of the deceased suspects were from the Shibganj area in Bogura district. Villagers identified the suspects’ origins by examining conversations on the mobile phones recovered from their bodies. Authorities are still working to confirm the identity of the third victim.  Officer-in-Charge Sajedul Islam of Narail Sadar Police Station confirmed the incident.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has formed a five-member committee to monitor the ban on polythene shopping bags. This initiative, spearheaded by the ministry's Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan, aims to ensure the effective implementation of the polythene ban. The committee is chaired by the Additional Secretary (Environment Pollution Control and Law Division) of the ministry. Other members include the Joint Secretary (Environment-1), Deputy Secretary (Environment Pollution Control-1 and 2), and the Senior Assistant Secretary (Environment-3). Strict enforcement of ban on polythene shopping bags from Nov 1 Starting November 1, the committee will monitor the nationwide enforcement operations to enforce the polythene ban. It will maintain communication with relevant field officials and, if necessary, conduct field inspections. Additionally, the Department of Environment will form a separate committee. This committee will send daily updates on enforcement activities to the ministry’s committee after 5 pm. According to a press release.

A Habiganj court on Tuesday sentenced three people to death in a case filed for killing a woman and her daughter in 2021. Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Yeasir Arafat handed down the punishment. The condemned convicts are Manir Mia, 22, son of Mahib Ullah, Amir Hossain, 35, son of Alamgir Mia and Abdul Hannan, son of Tenu Mia of Bahubal upazila of the district. According to the prosecution, the convicts stormed into the house of Sanjit Chandra at Putijuri in Bahubal upazila in a bid to commit robbery on March 17, 2021. Being resisted, they killed Anjalai Malakar, 35, wife of Sanjit, and her eight-year-old daughter, Puja Malakar and managed to flee the scene. 3 awarded capital punishment for murder in Narail Sanjit filed a case with Bahubal Police Station the following day. Meanwhile, Prajit Sarkar, investigating officer of the case submitted a chargesheet against the three accused.    

Due to multiple complaints and alleged irregularities, Chandpur district administration has cancelled the proposed land acquisition for Chandpur Science and Technology University. The land acquisition was originally planned for the Bohoria area, approximately three to four kilometres south of the district headquarters. The original landowners, whose land was forcibly taken, are now demanding its return. Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mohsin Uddin, confirmed the cancellation on Monday evening, stating that, "The cancellation was already in effect before I joined Chandpur." The initial acquisition involved 62 acres in Bohoria village of Lakshmipur Model Union.Reports alleged that close associates of former education minister Dipu Moni, along with Selim Khan, a sand-grabber, coerced families into selling their land at less than the market rate. Following extensive complaints and media attention, the government cancelled the acquisition, bringing relief to the affected landowners.Kalu Khan, one of the displaced landowners, expressed his frustration: “Selim Khan took around 50 decimals of my land forcibly under the pretext of building a university. I was unwilling, but they threatened with weapons and forced me to transfer the land. The value was Tk 37 lakh , but they gave me only Tk 12,000 lakh. I want my land back.”Residents from Lakshmipur, Md Kajol and Habibur Rahman, also expressed grievances, they had their homesteads here. But under the influence of Dipu Moni, Selim Khan ,they were evicted and forced to leave their homes. But now, the university didn’t happen. And they want their lands back.They noted that many families were evicted and their homesteads and farmland were filled with sand to prepare for the university, but these lands now lie abandoned.Currently, the university operates from a rented building near the Chandpur-Cumilla highway in Khalishaduli, with 270 students enrolled across three departments. The students are calling for a permanent campus. Due to corruption by former education minister Dr Dipu Moni and her brother, the government cancelled the land acquisition, said students Md Siam and Nihal.They demanded an immediate solution for a permanent campus and land allocation.DC Mohsin also mentioned plans to acquire new land for the university, stating, “New land will be acquired soon. The previously proposed site has been cancelled. There will be no university on that land.” However, he noted that further acquisition depends on directives from the Ministry of Education.Bangladesh government approved the Chandpur Science and Technology University Act in 2019, and the establishment bill was passed in 2020. Since May 2023, the university has been functioning at a temporary campus.

Bus services on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj route have been suspended as transport workers of the two districts went on a strike following the alleged assault on a bus staff of Chapainawabganj on Monday. Transport workers of both Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj halted bus operations on Monday morning, causing suffering to passengers. Transport workers said a driver of Al-Mahi Transport of Rajshahi, Syeed Hasan, was allegedly assaulted by some transport workers in Chapainawabganj. However, leaders of Chapainawabganj Bus Owners' Association claimed that the bus staff of Rajshahi was harassed by passengers. Monthly gas crisis hits CNG filling stations in Sylhet Rafiqul Islam Pakhi, acting general secretary of the Rajshahi Motor Workers' Union, said that on Saturday night when a transport worker of Chapainawabganj, who was travelling on a Rajshahi bus, got involved in an altercation over a fare with the conductor. When the bus entered Chapainawabganj, the bus driver was assaulted. Anwarul Islam, general secretary of the Chapainawabganj Motor Workers' Union, said  both parties want to resolve the issue soon.

CNG filling stations in Sylhet are coping with their usual end-of-month gas crisis, leading to the temporary closure of many pumps. At those that remain operational, long queues of vehicles waiting to refuel are common, causing significant headaches for CNG filling station owners, drivers, and passengers alike. The gas shortage typically intensifies at the end of the month, a problem that has persisted for over a decade. Owners of CNG filling stations have reported that due to the lag in gas supply, they are unable to meet demand during the last ten days of each month. Gas supply to remain off for 12 hours in Narsingdi Wednesday Despite repeated written and verbal requests to the Jalalabad Gas authorities for a resolution, the situation has only worsened. In light of these ongoing issues, CNG filling station owners are contemplating organized protests to address their grievances. Since 2007, gas has been supplied to vehicles from CNG filling stations in Sylhet, which currently number 56 in the division. However, no new stations have been approved in the past decade. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles on the road has quadrupled since 2007, yet gas supply remains based on outdated quotas. Filling station owners have stated that Jalalabad Gas authorities have set specific quotas for each station, with fines imposed on those who exceed their allotted supply. Since these quotas often get used up before the end of the month, this is another factor leading to the crisis at the end of each month. On-the-ground reports confirm that many CNG filling stations in Sylhet were closed on Sunday, including the Ambarkhana Jalalabad CNG Filling Station, Independent Filling Station, Shahjalal Filling Station, and Tamekhi Shafaatullah Filling Station. United Group power plants getting gas at concessional rate, but selling electricity at commercial rate to EPZs CNG auto-rickshaw drivers expressed their frustration, noting that the gas crisis at the end of each month causes severe hardship for both drivers and passengers. They have urged the government to resolve the gas supply issue in Sylhet. Zubair Ahmed Chowdhury, the divisional president of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents, and Petrol Pump Owners Association, stated that they have repeatedly requested an increase in gas allocations from Jalalabad Gas. However, the authorities have not taken the matter seriously, citing national shortages as an excuse for inaction.

Despite a ban on the catching and selling of hilsa, the popular fish was found being sold openly in a market in Faridpur adjacent to the Padma River. A mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Fazle Rabbi conducted a raid on Monday evening at Lal Khar Bazaar in Char Madhabdia Union, leading to the seizure of 5.5 maunds of hilsa based on secret information (each maund is approx. 38kg). During the operation, one fisherman was arrested and sentenced to four days in prison, while a buyer was fined Tk 5,000. Many others managed to flee upon hearing of the raid. The seized hilsa was subsequently taken to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, where it was distributed to local madrasas and orphanages. Executive Magistrate Fazle Rabbi stated that regular operations are ongoing to combat illegal fishing, although some unscrupulous fishermen continue to catch and sell hilsa. "The operation would continue for public interest," he added.

Begum Rokeya University authorities  have suspended two teachers and seven staff members in connection with their alleged involvement in the death of Abu Sayeed, a student of the English department of the university who became one of the first as well as iconic martyrs of the Anti-Discrimination Students movement in July. The decision was taken at the 108th Syndicate meeting held at the administrative building of the university on Monday morning with its vice-chancellor Prof. Md Shawkat Ali in the chair. Two cops accused in Abu Sayed killing in Rangpur arrested The meeting also took a number of decisions including to stop politics on the campus, reopening the activities of Chhatra Sangshad and to form a probe body over the allegation of irregularities in teacher recruitment process of the university. When briefing, Prof. Shawkat Ali said the authorities concerned have decided to impose a ban on all kinds of criminal activities including extortion, tender manipulation, seat trade in residential dormitories, illegal occupation of halls and tail-wagging politics in order to supervise and control the moral, academic discipline of the students. As per the university law, no teachers and staff will be the members of any political organisations, he said, adding “Action will be taken against those involved in such activities.” Besides, the meeting decided to file a case against the teachers and staff of the university allegedly involved in the killing of Sayeed. It also decided to not to accept the leave of those teachers and staff who were absent and a show-cause notice will be issued for their absence.