United News of Bangladesh

Ferry movement on two of the country’s vital waterways came to a halt on Saturday morning due to heavy fog on the Padma River, disrupting transportation for several hours. However, services resumed after a three-hour shutdown. While there was no fog overnight, a sudden fog engulfed the river basin early on Saturday. As a result, ferry services on Manikganj’s Aricha and Pabna Kazirhat routes were suspended at 6:20am. The shutdown lasted until 9:35am, when ferry operations resumed, according to The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC). Ferry services on Chilmari-Roumari route suspended for 17 days In addition, ferry movement between Manikganj’s Paturia and Rajbari’s Daulatdia was also affected. The fog caused ferries to stop operating from 7:20 am at Paturia and from 7:30 am at Daulatdia. Services on this route resumed around 10:15 am, nearly three and a half hours later. Aricha BIWTC Assistant General Manager Mohammad Salah Uddin said there was no fog on the river overnight, and it was only in the early hours of Saturday that the fog became dense, hampering ferry operations. At the Daulatdia ghat, approximately six ferries were stationed with loaded vehicles while four more ferries were anchored at Paturia. Zaman Paribahan Supervisor Monir Hossain said several buses, along with other vehicles, reached the ferry terminal around 7 am. Following the fog, authorities halted all ferry operations. As a result, at least a hundred Dhaka-bound vehicles were stranded at the ghat.

The academic community of the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) was struck by a tragedy late Friday evening when the lifeless body of a student was discovered in a dormitory at Fudkipara in Rajshahi city. The deceased, Mehdi Hasan, was a student of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) at Ruet. The discovery of his hanging body at the ‘Ebela’ dormitory has sent shockwaves through the university, raising concerns about student mental health and the pressures of academic life. RUET team clinches 3rd place in Huawei ICT Competition APAC Round in Indonesia Police were then alerted to the incident and they arrived at the scene around 11 pm. Officer-in-charge Mehdi Masud of the Boalia Model Police Station said the body was promptly recovered and sent to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital for a postmortem. “It appears, at first glance, to be a case of suicide. However, we cannot confirm anything until we receive the autopsy report,” OC Masud said. Ruet student found dead While the initial findings point towards suicide, the underlying reasons for this tragic event remain unclear. Investigators are waiting for further evidence and analysis from the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death. This tragic incident has left Mehdi’s friends, family and university peers reeling with grief.  

Twelve Bangladeshis, who had illegally entered India two years ago, returned home on Friday after serving time in prison there. The returnees, who were lured by brokers promising better job opportunities, crossed into India through various borders. Eleven of them are men, and one is a woman. According to the Benapole Immigration Police, the individuals were handed over by the Petrapole Immigration Police at around 9pm on Friday through a special travel permit. They were brought across the border to Bangladesh’s Benapole check post, where they were formally received. Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Imtiaz Bhuiyan said that the group was handed over to the Benapole Immigration Police around 9pm. BSF hands over body of Bangladeshi found on border After completing necessary paperwork, they were transferred to the Benapole Port Police Station. Today, a local NGO, Rights Jashore, took the returnees under their care, he added. The returnees are Ashiqur Rahman (25), Sumon Sarkar (30), Omar Faruk (25), Mizan Sheikh (28), Riazul Islam (25), Belal Molla (28), Sagari Fakir (28), Rabiul Hawlader (25), Moksed Hawlader (30), Rubel Gazi (25), Khalid Hossain (25) and Mosha Regina Khatun (25). They are residents of different districts, including Gazipur, Narsingdi, Chapainawabganj, Madaripur, Satkhira, Narail, Khulna and Bagerhat. Rights Jashore’s Psychosocial Counselor Md Mamun said that the individuals had been lured by brokers seeking employment opportunities, but once in India, they faced detention and imprisonment. With the cooperation of the Indian and Bangladeshi embassies, the Indian government issued special travel permits, allowing the Bangladeshis to return home. On Saturday morning, they were handed over to Rights Jashore, who will provide shelter and eventually reunite them with their families, said Mamun.

Slogan-chanting supporters forcibly freed a Jubo Dal activist who was being held in Srinagar Police Station in Munshiganj district, police said on Saturday. Additional superintendent of police in Munshiganj said Anisur Rahman said accused Tariqul Islam, 40, an activist of Jubo Dal was detained on Friday in connection with a previous incident of violence. Angered by the arrest about 200 supporters of Jubo Dal stormed into the police station and snatched Tariqul from the police station. Two accused snatched away after two cops stabbed in Rajshahi However, president of the upazila unit of Jubo Dal assured policr to return the accused, the police officer said.  

Two people were killed and another one was injured in a collision between a speedboat and bulkhead in the Meghna River in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj district, police said on Saturday. The incident iccurred on Friday night. The deceased were identified as Wadud, and Babul. Bomb blows off youth’s wrist in Munshiganj The accident occurred at Kalikapur ghat around 9:30 pm when the speedboat collided head-on with a bulkhead, anchored at the ghat, leaving three people injured, said Anwar Alam, officer-in-charge of Gazaria Police Station. The injured were taken to Gazaria Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared Wadud and Babul dead.  

Clashes erupted between two groups of BNP over dominance, leaving 25 injured in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj on Friday evening. Around 30 shops were vandalized during the clashes. According to locals, supporters of Syed Joynul Abedin Mesbah clashed with supporters of Selimuzzaman Selim. After the news spread, clashes escalated with stone-pelting and a counter-charge between the two groups. Shital Chandra Pal, Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) of Muksudpur Police Station, said that upon receiving the news, police from Muksudpur arrived at the scene and attempted to bring the situation under control. After several hours of effort, the situation became somewhat normal. The injured are receiving treatment at the Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex in Gopalganj.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) attempted to construct a barbed wire fence at the Dahagram border under Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, in violation of international law. BSF personnel and construction workers were seen constructing a barbed wire fence on Friday morning at 11 am along the zero line at the 8/41 pillar area in the Dahagram Club Para of Patgram upazila, without any agreement with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). According to international law, no country is allowed to construct a fence or any structure within 150 yards of the zero line, except for agricultural purposes. Upon learning of the incident, BGB personnel intervened, forcing BSF members to halt their work. However, shortly after, a larger BSF contingent arrived and forcefully resumed the construction of the fence. Jamil Ahmed, the commander of BGB’s Panbari Company under 51 BGB, said that patrols have been intensified and surveillance has been increased.

The police initially suspect that Al-Amin, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jazira Police Station in Shariatpur, committed suicide. Following the incident, the deceased's brother, Abul Kalam, filed an unnatural death case at the Police Station. Additionally, the district police superintendent has formed a three-member investigation committee. According to police sources, police officers on duty noticed Al-Amin’s body hanging from the window in his bedroom on the second floor of the four-story police station building at around 1:15 pm on Thursday. Later, the Dhaka CID forensic team conducted the preliminary investigation, and in the evening, the body was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by ambulance. Both the police and the family mentioned that Al-Amin had been suffering from depression for the past two years. He joined as the Officer-in-Charge of Jazira Police Station on September 14 last year. He had been performing his duties well for nearly four months. Prior to this, he was posted at the Gazipur Police Outpost in Barguna district. Dr. Monirul Islam Monir, the Medical Officer at Shariatpur Police Hospital, said, “Some medicines were found at the scene, which are typically used for depression and mental health issues.” Shariatpur’s Police Superintendent, Mohammad Nazirul Islam, confirmed that the matter of depression was kept confidential, but later, the family revealed that he had been struggling with it. A case of unnatural death has been filed, and a three-member investigation committee has been formed.

A local Awami League leader was attacked and hacked by miscreants in Charghat upazila of Rajshahi on Thursday night. The victim, Tozammel Haque, 42, is the general secretary of Ward No. 9 of Charghat municipality unit Awami League. He is the son of the late Azahar Ali Pramanik of Pirojpur village in the municipality. Afzal Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Charghat Model Police Station, said that the police were dispatched to the scene after receiving the report. Khulna AL leader shot dead at Cox’s Bazar beach However, before the police arrived, Tozammel Haque was already taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. As of Friday afternoon, no formal complaint had been filed with the police. The OC said that once a complaint is received, an investigation will be carried out to identify the culprits and take legal action. According to locals, a dispute had occurred earlier in the day between Rustam Ali of Pirojpur village and Mamunur Rashid from the same area. The two men had a confrontation at Kakramari market, and Tozammel Haque sided with Rustam Ali during the argument. This led to rising tensions between the two parties, which caused people at the market to intervene and remove them. Quoting locals, the OC said that later in the evening, as Tozammel Haque was returning home from Kakramari market on his motorcycle, miscreants blocked his path at the Echerer Battala area. They then attacked him, hacking him with sharp weapons before fleeing the scene. Jajira thana OC found dead at police station compound Later, locals took him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Shankar K Biswas, a spokesperson for the hospital, said that Tozammel Haque sustained multiple injuries, including to his legs, left hand, chest, and stomach. “Considering the severity of his condition, he was transferred to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in Dhaka on Friday morning for further treatment,” he added.

At least 12 people were injured in a clash between two groups over dominance in Boalmari upazila, Faridpur. The incident took place around 1:30 pm on Friday in Gunbaha village of the Gunbaha union. Nine of the injured were admitted to the Boalmari Upazila Health Complex, while three were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. According to locals, there had been an ongoing dispute between former councilor Farid Ahmed and Nasir Biswas over land. This conflict led to a verbal altercation between former councilor Farid’s son and Nasir Biswas’s nephew at a local shop around 12:00 pm on Friday. The argument eventually escalated into a physical altercation. Following this, both sides engaged in a clash with local weapons, which lasted for about an hour. The police from Boalmari police station later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Alamgir Biswas, the Union Parishad member from Ward 4 of Gunbaha union, said that he had heard about the clash on Friday afternoon. However, since he did not go to the scene, he did not have detailed information about the incident. Golam Rasul, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalmari Police Station, said that the police were dispatched after hearing about the clash in Gunbaha village at noon. However, the people involved fled after noticing the police presence. He added that since no one was found at the scene, no arrests were made. The situation in the area is currently calm. The OC also said that no complaints had been filed with the police until 5:00 pm on Friday. If a written complaint is received, it will be verified and action will be taken accordingly.