United News of Bangladesh

A mobile court fined two supporters of independent candidate for Faridpur-2 (Saltha-Nagarkanda) constituency, Advocate Jamal Hossain Miah, for violating electoral code of conduct. They were using loudspeakers for campaigning beyond the stipulated time set by the Election Commission (EC) in Saltha upazila of the district last night. Faridpur SP bowed to money, alleges Kazi Zafarullah Saltha upazila’s Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Shahadat Hossain confirmed the development to UNB this morning (Monday), saying that each of the men was fined Tk 2,000.  The campaigners were identified as Akkas Matubbar and Md. Badal. Sugarcane crushing begins in Faridpur Sugar Mill According to the sources, the duo carried out electioneering for the candidate through miking in Saltha Bazar area at 9 pm last night. Later, the upazila administration conducted a mobile court in the area and punished them for breaching the rules. Faridpur 3 constituency: Candidates of Boat and Eagle symbols promise development As per the electoral code of conduct, candidates and their supporters can carry out election campaigns using mikes from 2 pm to 8 pm every day.

Export and import activities between India and Bangladesh through Benapole land port remained suspended since Monday morning, on the occasion of Christmas. Benapole C&F Agents Association president Alhaj Shamsur Rahman said import-export between the two countries remained suspended due to the public holiday on the occasion of the main religious festival of the Christian community. China can be an export market for Bangladeshi mangoes and jute products: Chinese Ambassador said to FBCCI Import-export activities will resume from Tuesday morning, he added. Kamruzzaman Biswas, officer-in-charge of Benapole Check Post Police Immigration, said movement of travelers between the two countries is happening as usual even though import and export through Benapole-Petrapole land port is suspended for the day. Kalim Ullah, revenue officer of Benapole Check Post Customs House, said import and export through Benapole port remained suspended due to the official holiday on the occasion of Christmas. North Korean and Russian officials discuss economic ties as Seoul raises labor export concerns However, Indian trucks are returning after unloading goods at Benapole port, he said.

Two murders were committed within two hours in different areas of Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram on Sunday night. 2 die as train hits truck in Jashore  The deceased were identified as Md Alamgir, 36, son of Afazullah of Gamaritala village under Sonaichhari union of the upazila and Nur Mostafa Bazal, 58, son of Mujibul Haque of West Lalnagar village of the upazila. Md Alamgir was stabbed to death by miscreants in Shitalpur area of Sonaichhari union on Sunday night.  Nur Mostafa Bazal was killed by his cousin at Lalanagar village in Baroiardhala union of the upazila around 7 pm on Sunday over land dispute. He was the vice-president of Chattogram district north Jubo Dal. Helper dies as bus runs him over in Dhaka's Sayedabad Md Kamal Uddin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sitakunda Model Police Station, said a man was killed by his cousin over a land dispute. The operation to arrest the perpetrator is underway. On the other hand, a tea shopkeeper was killed by miscreants in the Shitalpur area, police said. It is believed that hijackers stabbed him to death. Detailed information will be known subject to investigation.

Police arrested three young men red-handed while they were allegedly trying to hurl bombs targeting rail tracks ‘in a bid to sabotage’ at No 2 Narayanganj Railway Station on Sunday. The identities of the arrestees are Joynal, Habibur and Hasan. Sramik League leader arrested with yaba in Narayanganj Mokhlesur Rahman, sub-inspector of Narayanganj Railway Police, said a team of police guards the rail tracks at the station to check any possible attack on railways. At one stage, policemen noticed some young men trying to hurl bombs targeting the rail tracks in the afternoon. Narayanganj-4: This may be my last election, says Shamim Osman Later, police caught them red-handed, said SI Mokhlesur. However, it is not clear whether the arrestees have any involvement with any political parties. 4 family members burnt in gas explosion in Narayanganj Cases will be filed against them under the Sabotage, Explosive Act and Speedy Trial Act.

Awami League Presidium member Kazi Zafarullah, also the Awami League backed candidate for the hotly-contested Faridpur-4 constituency, on Sunday said the superintendent of police of Faridpur has bowed to money. “Those who are the owner of huge money in the four constituencies of Faridpur district, have become independent candidates and the district superintendent of police bowed to the money," said Zafarullah, co-chairman of the party's election steering committee, while talking to reporters in front of AL Sadarpur upazila office. Faridpur 3 constituency: Candidates of Boat and Eagle symbols promise development “If any activist of ours was attacked by independent candidates, the officer-in-charge of different police stations in the district did not lodge any complaint. Our allegations are ignored, which is not acceptable. The role of the police administration is not satisfactory. It is the duty of police to ensure equal rights to all during elections,” he said. Referring to the independent lawmaker from the Faridpur-4 constituency, Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury alias Nixon Chowdhury, Zafarullah said Nixon even politicised his (Zafarullah's) illness. "You cannot become a big person by belittling someone else," he said. Independent candidate’s supporter ‘hacked’ while pasting posters in Faridpur “How much money does he have that he wanted to buy us? If he owns illegal money, he can do a lot of things, I may be poorer than him, but I am an honest man,” he added. “I assure you that I want to provide service to the people of the country through honesty and I will not be involved in illegal sand dredging, collecting extortion from buses and harassing people through false cases, which all was done by Nixon,” he added.  

A Sreemangal-bound freight train carrying fuel oil derailed on Akhaura-Sylhet route in Habiganj's Madhabpur upazila on Sunday morning. However, the train movement remained normal, said Ataur Rahman Khadem, station master of Mantala station. Read: 2 die as train hits truck in Jashore   He said the compartment of the train coming from Akhaura veered off the tracks around 9:15am at Mantala station due to technical fault. As two other sets of tracks were open at the spot where the train derailed, it did not disrupt the schedule of any other train, the station master said. Read: Helper dies as bus runs him over in Dhaka's Sayedabad  Rescue operation is being carried out to remove the derailed compartment, he added.

A devastating fire that broke out at a warehouse of a textile mill at Tarabo of Narayanganj’s Rupganj upazila gutted cloths of the mill early Sunday.Senior Station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense, Demra, Osman Goni said the fire broke out at the warehouse of HH Textile Mill at 3 am and spread soon.On information, six firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 5 am. Bus set on fire in Gulistan on eve of return to blockadeHowever, no casualty was reported as there were no workers at the mill in the night.A huge quantity of fabric was gutted in the fire, said Manir Hossain, Deputy General Manager of the textile mill. Bus set on fire in Dhaka’s TejgaonA probe body will be formed to probe the fire incident, said Osman Goni.

A truck driver and his helper died as a train hit the vehicle on  Churamoni level crossing in Chougachha upazila on Sunday. Road accident leaves two dead in Barishal The deceased were identified as truck driver Parvez, 45, of Kagmari area in Kotchandpur upazila and helper Nazmul, 38, from Azampur area of Maheshpur upazila. According to witnesses, the fodder-carrying tuck was heading towards Chougachha upazila and Khulna-bound Rocket train hit it when it was passing the level crossing around 5am, smashing the truck and leaving the duo dead on the spot. The gate of the level crossing was not lowered as the gateman was asleep, they alleged. Helper dies as bus runs him over in Dhaka's Sayedabad However, gateman Sajal denied the allegation and said the truck driver ignored the signal. Later, fire service workers recovered their bodies and sent those to Jashore General Hospital morgue, said  Kotwali Police Station’s Officer-in-charge Abdur Razzak.

Two people were killed and 10 sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a bus and a three-wheeler on Dhaka-Barishal highway in Wazirpur upazila of Barishal this morning. The deceased were identified as Sohrab, 38, and Rubel, 40. Both were residents of Wazirpur upazila. Helper dies as bus runs him over in Dhaka's Sayedabad Witnesses and passengers of the bus said that the Sakura Paribahan bus collided with a three-wheeler coming from the opposite direction when it reached Attipara area of Wazirpur upazila. After hitting the three-wheeler, the bus hit a roadside tree that caused the deaths of two passengers and left 8-10 with injuries, including the helper of the bus. The injured were admitted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.  Bodies of two youths recovered from Padma River in Rajshahi Firoz Alam, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Wazirpur Police Station, said the accident may have been caused due to dense fog. The bodies were sent to Barishal morgue for autopsy.

A helper of Hanif Super Service bus died after another bus ran him over at Sayedad Bus Terminal in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md Shanto, 25 of Baulpara village of Narsingdi Sadar upazila. Police, quoting witnesses, said the incident happened when a Saint Mertin Paribahan bun ran over him while Shanto was working on his bus around 1:30 pm on Saturday. He rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 2:50 pm. Later, he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital at around 3:30 pm, said DMCH Police Outpost in-charge Inspector Bachu Mia. The body has been kept in the DMCH morgue for autopsy, he said.