Dhaka, June 24 (UNB) - The rail communications with Sylhet that remained suspended following a train crash will resume by this (Monday) evening, said Railways Secretary Mofazzal Hossain.

Six coaches of Dhaka-bound ‘Upaban Express’ from Sylhet veered off the tracks on Sunday night after a culvert over the Barochhara Canal broke down, leaving five people dead and many more injured.

The accident disrupted Sylhet’s rail communications with other parts of the country, including the capital.

Mofazzal told UNB that a probe body with chief mechanical engineer (Railways East Zone) was formed to investigate the incident.

Chuadanga, June 24 (UNB)- Five policemen have been closed to the district police lines for reportedly taking ‘illegal facilities’ from some job seekers of police constable post. 

Police Super Mahabubur Rahman said the action was taken against reserve officer inspector Shahiduzzaman, a sub inspector and three constables based on information provided by Detective Branch of police and they were attached to the District Police Lines on Sunday night.

Recruitment test to the police constable post began on June 22 and the five policemen allegedly took ‘illegal facilities’ from the job seekers, he said.

A probe body was formed with Additional Police Super (Sadar Circle) Abul Bashar as its chief.
 

Moulvibazar, June 24 (UNB) – The death toll from Sunday night’s train crash at Baramchal in Kulaura upazila here  rose  to  five.

Police recovered the five bodies from the spot and those were kept at Osmani Medical College and Hospital morgue, said civil surgeon of the district Shajahan Kabir Chowdhury.

Sixty-seven of the injured were taken to Kulaura and Moulvibazar hospitals and among them 20 were sent to Osmani Medical College and Hospital, he said.

Among the deceased, two were identified as Monwara Pervin, 48, wife of Abdul Bari of Kulaura municipality area, and Fahmida Akhter, 20.

The accident took place when six coaches of Dhaka-bound ‘Upaban Express’ from Sylhet veered off the tracks around 11:40pm after a culvert over the Barochhara Canal, 200 yards off Baramchal Railway Station, broke down, said Yardous Hasan, officer-in-charge of Kulaura Police Station.

Two of the coaches fell into the canal and one of them overturned, he said.

The OC said the train has already left the accident spot for Dhaka with seven coaches.

Moulvibazar Police Super Mohammad Shahajalal said two platoons of BGB members were engaged in rescue operation.

He said a number of ambulances from government and non-government hospitals of the region carried the injured passengers to hospitals with the help of the district administration and police.

On information, 27 units of fire service members, police and locals rushed in, and conducted the rescue operation, said officer-in-charge of Kulaura Government Railway Police Station Md Abdul Malek.

Kulaura Rail Station local in-charge Dulal Chandra Das said the train was overloaded with passengers as the bus services on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway remained halted since June 18 as a bailey bridge at Shahabajpur in Sarail of Brahmanbaria district collapsed.

Kulaura Upazila Health Complex health officer Dr Nurul Haque said 20 seriously injured passengers were taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital while some others to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital.

The accident disrupted Sylhet’s rail communications with other parts of the country, including the capital.

Meanwhile, a three-member probe body, including Railway’s east-zone engineer Mizanur Rahman, was formed to probe the incident.

Bogura, June 23 (UNB) – The by-election to Bogura-6 constituency will be held on Monday.

Voting will begin at 9am and continue till 5pm without any break.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has completed all the preparations to smoothly hold the by-polls using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). 

The constituency was declared vacant as BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who was elected from the parliamentary seat in the December 30 general election, did not take oath as MP within the 90 days from the date of the first meeting of parliament.

Golam Mohammad Siraj of BNP, T Zaman Niketa of Awami League, Nurul Islam Omar of Jatiya Party, Dr Mansur Rahman of Bangladesh Congress, Mufti Rafiqul Islam of Muslim League and independent candidate Md Minhaz Mondal are there in the election race.

Besides, another independent candidate Syed Kabir Ahmed Mithu quit the election race after the expiry of the deadline.

There are 387,458 voters -- 191,668 males and 195,790 females – in the constituency.

Returning officer Mahbub Alam Shah handed over the election materials to the presiding officers on Sunday morning at Shaheed Chandu Stadium in the district town.

The EC has identified 111 out of total 141 polling centres as important.

Five policemen and 12 Ansar members will remain deployed in every important polling centre while four policemen and 12 Ansar members at a normal centre.

Besides, 12 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh, 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and 12 executive magistrates will be there in the field apart from 12 teams of striking forces to ensure security.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller expressed the expectation that there will be a good election in Bogura-6 constituency.

He came up with the expectation while talking to reporters after a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Foyez Ahmed in the afternoon.

The US envoy made a stopover in the district on his way to Rangpur to witness a six-day combined exercise titled "Exercise Pacific Angel-2019-1" jointly organised by Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and US Pacific Air Force that began in Lalmonirhat on Sunday. 

Lalmonirhat, June 23 (UNB) - A six-day combined exercise titled "Exercise Pacific Angel-2019-1" jointly organised by Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and US Pacific Air Force began here on Sunday.

Air Officer Commanding of Birsreshto Matiur Rahman BAF Base Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Nazrul Islam formally inaugurated the exercise at Kadamtala High School as the chief guest. The BAF Area Commander and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Lalmonirhat and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Some 250 BAF members under the command of Group Captain Abbas Ali and 100 US Pacific Air Force men under the command of Major Christofer Falmer are participating in the exercise.

Six physicians from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are also taking part in the exercise, said an ISPR release.

In the exercise, 2000 people living adjacent to the BAF Maintenance and Care Unit, Lalmonirhat are being provided with free medical treatment along with knowledge on post-disaster medical care during the combined exercise.

Engineers from both the countries are providing assistance in renovating and repairing damaged and weak structure of selected five schools in the area.

Earlier, a seminar was held at the conference room of RDRC in Lalmonirhat on June 19-20 on Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) programme.

At the seminar, heads of different government and non-government organisations based in Lalmonirhat and Rangpur districts, specialists of the BAF and the US Pacific Air Force gave presentation on medical treatment and health care which are required to be addressed in post-disaster situation.

It is expected that the exercise will enhance mutual cooperation between military and civil organisations as well as strengthen friendly relationship between armed forces of both the countries.