United News of Bangladesh

The district administration has announced the schedule for the collection of mangoes by variety in Chuadanga for this season. The decision was taken at a meeting on ‘Mango Collection and Market Management’ held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference room on Tuesday afternoon. According to the schedule, the seasonal mango collection activities will start from May 15 with the collection of Gutti and Bombay varieties of mangoes. After that, Himsagar will be allowed to be collected from May 22, Langra from May 28, Bari-4 varieties of mangoes from May 28, Amrapali from June 5 and Fazli mango from June 15. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahirul Islam said that no one will be allowed to collect mangoes before the specified time and use of any harmful chemicals on mangoes is completely prohibited. A Sweet Legacy: Traditional molasses-making flourishes in Jhenaidah village "Strict legal action will be taken against anyone who violates this instruction," he added. He also said that the district administration, agriculture department and law enforcement agencies will be jointly on the field to ensure safe and healthy mango marketing. In addition, market monitoring and supervision activities will be strengthened at every level.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced four people to death and two others to life imprisonment in a case filed for killing a hawker in 2021.Judge of the Narayanganj Additional Session Judge Court-4, Mohammad Akteruzzaman Bhuiya handed down the punishment.The condemned convicts were identified as Md Iqbal Hossain, son of Abdus Samad Munshi of Barumdi area of Sonargaon upazila and Md Swapan, 49, son of Nur Islam and Saiman alias Yunus Mia, 26, son of Abdul Mannan, Anwar Hossain Sunny, 27, son of Muhitur Rahman of Barumdi area in Sonargaon upazila. Husband accused of killing wife and child over suspicion of infidelity in NarayanganjThose who got life imprisonment were identified as Hasan Al Mamun, 22, son of Kabir Hossain and Russel Hossain, 27 of Cumilla district. Russel tried in absentia.According to the prosecution, the hawker named Zubayer, 30 was brutally killed by the convicts over setting up a stall on footpath in front of Balaka Petrol Pump on Bangabandhu Road in Narayanganj city on October 14, 2021.Mukta Begum, mother of Zubayer, filed a case against eight people with Sadar Model Police Station.Police submitted chargesheet against six people in this connection.After hearing records and witnesses, the court handed down the punishment and acquitted two more accused in the case as allegations brought against them could not be proved.  

A student of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) drowned in a pond on the campus on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Shantanu Karmakar, a student of the 23rd batch of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Kuet and son of Sukumar Chandra Karmakar, a resident of Raja Dewri in Old Dhaka. Deputy Police Commissioner (North) of Khulna Metropolitan Police Abul Bashar Mohammad Atikur Rahman said Shantanu drowned in the campus pond in the afternoon. SSC examinee drowns in Padma River in Rajshahi A fireman from Khulna Sadar Fire Station said, “We received the information around 3 pm. We responded immediately and were able to locate and recover the body within three minutes.” Professor Dr Abdullah Ilias Akhtar, Kuet’s Director of Student Welfare, said the fire service personnel rescued the student and he was then rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital by the university's ambulance. Khanjahan Ali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kabir Hossain said Shantanu went to the pond for bathing. As he did not return after a while, his fellow students started searching around the pond, he said. The fire service was informed and they recovered the body around 3:45 pm. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. His body was kept at Khulna Medical College Hospital.

A Cox’s Bazar court on Tuesday sent three people including a local leader of National Citizen Party (NCP) to jail in connection with their alleged involvement in the murder of a young man in Sadar upazila of the district. District and Session Judge Hakeem Akhter Zabed passed the order when they were produced before the court on Tuesday, said Additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police Jashim Uddin. Those sent to jail were identified as Raian Kashem, a coordinator of Cox’s Bazar unit Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and son of Jahangir Kashem of Baharchara area, vice-president of central committee of AB party, Mohammad Hossain and Mohammad Mizan—two workers of Kashem. Rickshaw puller, passenger jailed for obstructing traffic police in Dhaka A young man identified as Ali Akbar, son of Ali Ahmed of Sadar upazila of the district, was beaten to death allegedly by the trio at Khurushkul Old Bridge near Allawala Hatchery, owned by Kashem, on Sunday midnight. Police arrested four people at night, said Additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police Jashim Uddin. Raian Kashem was handed over to police after being beaten by the local people. However, no complaint was lodged in this regard.

A Sylhet court on Tuesday sentenced three people, including a man for killing his father Advocate Shamsul Islam Chowdhury in 2011. The convicts were Masud Ahmed Chowdhury, son of Shamsul Islam, Zaher Ali and Ansar Ahmed. Sylhet Divisional Special Judge Shahdat Hosain Pramanik handed down the punishment. The court also sentenced Borhan Uddin, a microbus driver, to three years in jail and fined him Tk 5000. According to the prosecution, Advocate Shamsul along with his younger son Munna used to live in a house in Mirboxtula of Sylhet city while four daughters and one son lived in different places including Dhaka. On July 17, 2011, Advocate Shamsul went missing on the day of Shab-e-Barat. A general diary was lodged with Kotwali Police Station. On July 22, 2011, Munna went into hiding. Mahmud Ahmed Chowdhury, elder son of Advocate Shamsul,  filed a murder case against five people including his younger brother Munna on August 4, 2011. Court orders freezing ex-minister Saifuzzaman’s assets Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested three people including Ansar, Borhan and Ranu in connection with their involvement in the case. Among them, Ansar and Borhan gave their statement under section 164 in the case. According to the statement, Munna first hit his father with a heavy stone while he was offering his prayers on July 17, 2011 as he denied to give the front portion of their house in the  name of Munna. When Advocate Shamsul got unconscious he pushed sedative injection and threw the body in the Surma River after taking him by an ambulance. Later, police recovered the body of Shamsul at Brahmangaon village in Sunamganj district. Driver Borhan and two others assisted Munna in the murder. After examining the records and witnesses, the court handed down the punishment and acquitted another accused Ranu in the case as allegations brought against him could not be proved.  

Four people, including three schoolgirls, were killed in lightning strikes in Pakundia and Mithamain upazilas of Kishoreganj district on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Faria Jannat Irina, 15, daughter of Jalal Uddin, Audrita Islam Priya, 15, daughter of Badal Mia, and Barsha, 15, daughter of Borhan Uddin, and Katu Mia, 40, son of late Abdul Motaleb. They were class nine students of local Charteki Girls’ School and College and going to the school to attend the scheduled an exam from 1pm. Lightning strike kills 2 siblings in Bogura The institution’s Principal Md Aminul Islam said a streak of thunderbolt struck them around 12:30pm on their way to the school, leaving them critically injured. Pakundia Upazila Health and Family Planning Official Dr Md Nur-e-Alam said Irina and Priya were brought dead and Barsha was shifted to Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries there, he said. UNO Md Billal Hossain said the upazila administration provided the families with financial assistance for burial. Besides, farmer Motaleb was killed in lightning strike when he went to a field to fetch cattle amid the thunderstorm during the same time, said Officer-in-Charge of Mithamain police station Shaiful Alam.  

Coast Guard members have detained two suspected members of notorious ‘Karim-Sharif Gang’, a Sundarbans-based robbery gang from Adasgi area along Shibsha River in the Sundarbans on Monday. The arrestees were identified as Saddam Khan, 20 and Abbas Molla, 40, two associates of Karim-Sharif Gang. Poaching surge threatens deer population in Sundarbans Tipped off, a team of Coast Guard members conducted a drive in the area and arrested them with two guns, one short gun, one play gun, arms making equipment, 23 rounds of cartridges, 204 rounds of blank cartridges, nine local weapons, four axes, seven saws, ten iron rods, five hammers, one solar panel, 28 mobile phones, 11 wakitaki chargers and two boats, said a press release of coast guard issued on Tuesday.  

In the tranquil village of Khandakbaria under Shailkupa upazila, a plume of sweet-scented steam curls into the air as a rustic factory hums with life, a symbol of heritage and resilience that has defied time for nearly six decades. Here, amidst lush sugarcane fields and the gentle murmur of rural life, the art of traditional molasses-making continues to thrive, unfazed by the passage of generations or the march of modernity. Tucked along the roadside like a well-kept secret, this humble facility has been producing pure, unadulterated sugarcane molasses—known locally as ‘gur’—through a time-honoured process that blends old-world charm with contemporary adaptations. Operated by brothers Rezaul Islam and Mizanur Rahman, the factory stands as a testament to their late father's vision and devotion, his legacy preserved in every drop of the golden syrup they lovingly craft. “We’re simply carrying on what our father began,” said Mizanur, his hands stained with cane juice, eyes glowing with pride. “Long before the Mobarakganj Sugar Mill rose in Kaliganj in 1965, he was boiling molasses in clay pots right here, using cattle-driven crushers to extract the juice,” he said. Today, though the bulls are gone, replaced by belt-powered shallow engines, much of the process remains deliciously traditional. Target set to collect 3,000 mts molasses from date palm trees in Chuadanga The sugarcane—harvested fresh from nearby fields—is fed into machines that crush the stalks, releasing a stream of green-gold nectar. The juice is then filtered through coarse cloth and poured into enormous pots set over open, wood-fired stoves. Flames dance beneath six clay ovens, coaxing the liquid to a boil until it thickens and darkens into a deep reddish hue, redolent with caramelised sweetness. The bubbling syrup is stirred with care, shifted between stoves to perfect its consistency, then ladled into tin vessels and cooled in clay pots—a ritual as rhythmic as the seasons. The result: molasses of remarkable flavour, colour and purity, beloved in kitchens far and wide for sweet treats such as pitha, payesh, semai and suji. Once a staple of rural households across Jhenaidah, such molasses-making units have become increasingly scarce, giving the brothers' factory a near-mythic status in the area. With its tin-roofed shelter, soot-darkened walls, and the ever-present scent of burning wood and cane, it is more than a workplace—it is a living museum of rural craftsmanship. Production typically spans the cool months from December to March, with around one kilogram of molasses extracted from every ten kilograms of sugarcane. Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh “In our heyday, we could make 400 kilograms a month. These days, the yield is lower, but we remain committed to quality over quantity,” he said. Rezaul added, “This year, we hope to produce about 30 maunds—roughly 1,200 kilograms. We’re selling each kilo for Tk 200. Some farmers bring their own cane and use our facility to make molasses for home use. It gives them better value than selling raw cane at low prices.” The molasses, once cooled and packed, travels beyond Jhenaidah, sweetening meals in distant districts while kindling a sense of nostalgia among those who know its roots. Additional Agriculture Officer Abul Hasnat praised the factory's efforts, noting that local authorities are fully supporting such initiatives to ensure safe and high-quality production. “This is a shining example of how traditional industries can survive and prosper with the right guidance,” he said. Sarojganj Bazar in Chuadanga goes upscale with ‘quality’ molasses Indeed, as long as the fires burn beneath the clay stoves of Khandakbaria and the cane fields yield their bounty, the brothers' syrupy legacy is set to endure—thick, golden and unforgettable.  

The body of a female jujube farmer has been recovered from the Tindu area of Thanchi upazila in Bandarban district. Police recovered the body from the side of the road near a Khyang community neighborhood in the area on Monday afternoon, said Md. Nasir Uddin,  officer-in-charge  (OC) of Thanchi Police Station. The deceased was identified as Chingma Khyang, 27, wife of Suman Khyang of Mongkhyang Khyang neighborhood in Ward No. 8 of the area. BU students stage protests demanding VC’s removal Locals suspect that the woman may have been raped and killed. OC Nasir Uddin said that the police visited the spot after receiving the information. They are now investigating the entire matter. Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdullah Al Faisal said that those involved in the incident will be brought to justice. Meanwhile, Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) has issued a statement condemning the incident. In a statement signed by the Central Committee's Information and Publicity Secretary Anwesh Chakma, they said that the workers engaged in road work killed the woman after raping her. PBI arrests man for reportedly killing mother-in-law The organisation demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and bringing them to justice. It also called for protest rallies in Thanchi, Bandarban Sadar and in front of the Raju Bhaskarja near the Dhaka University TSC on Tuesday.

Barishal University students on Monday staged a protest on its campus demanding the resignation of its Vice-Chancellor Dr Shuchita Sharmin. The students staged a sit-in and held a rally in front of the administrative building before bringing out a protest procession in the afternoon. Wahidur Rahman and Mainul Islam from the Law Department and Shahedul Zaman from the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department, among others, addressed the rally. Barishal University students stage protest, block highway for 1hr They said although the students had previously demonstrated with a 22-point demand, the Vice-Chancellor failed to meet those demands. Instead, they alleged, she tried to suppress the movement by filing cases against protestors. The students also accused VC Sharmin of establishing a fascist environment on the campus and were forcing demonstrators to sign undertakings under pressure. In light of these allegations, the students declared that the removal of the Vice-Chancellor is now their one-point demand. Following the sit-in, they brought out a procession, chanting slogans calling for her resignation. The demonstrators also vowed to continue their movement until their demand is met.