United News of Bangladesh

Two people were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles in the Jalalpur area of Pabna Sadar upazila on Thursday night. The deceased were identified as Nayon Mia, 20, son of Abdul Matin Mridha of Shalaipur village under Gayeshpur union, and Selim Mahmud, 40, son of late Mozaffar Hossain of Jalalpur village. The accident occurred around 8:00pm near Jalalpur Bazar, said Monirul Islam, Sub-Inspector of Pabna Sadar Police Station. Citing locals, police said the two motorcycles collided head-on while travelling at high speed on the road between Jalalpur and Gayeshpur, leaving two people dead and two others injured. The injured persons were initially taken to Pabna General Hospital. Later, one of them was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated. On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies.  

A daylong joint drive led by Chandpur-3 MP Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik on Thursday freed around 400 acres of agricultural and government khas land from illegal grabbers in Ibrahimpur union of Chandpur Sadar upazila. The operation in Mukhaddi and Chaltatoli areas targeted an influential gang that had illegally dug nearly 50 fish enclosures on ancestral and government land, selling the topsoil to brick kilns. During the drive, an excavator was seized and embankments were cut to release farmed fish into the Meghna River. S M N Jamiul Hikma, Chandpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said the administration previously conducted nearly 40 drives, but culprits repeatedly resumed soil cutting during turbulent river weather. Three cases have been filed against 48 individuals, with drives underway to arrest them. Highlighting long-term plans, MP Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik said initiative will be taken to establish a planned solar power project on the vast land to safeguard agricultural resources. He also assured that government khas land would be allocated to local landless farmers in accordance with official regulations. Assistant Commissioner (Land) Protoy Hashem, police personnel, and local political leaders were present during the drive.    

At least 27 people were injured in stray dog attacks over two days in Barura upazila of Cumilla, health officials said Thursday. The attacks occurred across Noyantola, Pathanpara, and Dewatoli areas under Barura municipality. Two rabid dogs launched sudden attacks on pedestrians, biting 13 people between 10:00pm and 11:30pm on Wednesday, and another 14 people between 9:00am and 12:00pm on Thursday, said Dr. Mujahidul Islam, acting residential medical officer of Barura Upazila Health Complex. The identified victims include Farhana, 35, Monu Mia, 72, his son Iqbal, 28, Tania, 48, Fahima, 20, Saiful Islam, 16, and Anwar Hossain, 35. The names of the others have yet to be identified. All 27 victims received treatment at the health complex. Local residents expressed severe anxiety over safety, particularly for children and the elderly, as panic spread across the municipality.

Two construction workers died while working inside a septic tank of an under-construction building in Banaripara municipality of Barishal on Thursday noon. The deceased were identified as Jamal Hossain, son of Majid Molla of Saliabakpur village, and Md Sohagh, son of Md Chunnu Mia from ward No. 9 in Banaripara municipality. The two workers fell ill while working inside the septic tank of the under-construction building owned by Riaz Hossain in ward No. 6 of the municipality, Officer-in-Charge of Banaripara Police Station Mujibur Rahman said. Upon receiving the information, Banaripara Fire Service personnel rushed to the scene, rescued the unconscious workers, and took them to Banaripara Upazila Health Complex. Attending physicians declared both workers dead after examination, he said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Barrister Andaleeve Rahman on Thursday said the Awami League is trying to build a new narrative abroad that there is no democracy in Bangladesh, stressing that there is no scope for such a narrative to gain ground in the country. “Democracy is a process. It is taking time to recover from the system destroyed over the past 17 years. People have voted us, we have been elected, and we have an opposition. I believe democracy will improve further and reach a better position,” he said. The minister made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists during a visit to Bankerhat Bazar in Bhola Sadar upazila in the evening. Andaleeve, also chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), exchanged greetings with party leaders and activists. He said the Awami League had previously claimed that Hindu religious festivals would not be held in the country if the BNP came to power. “However, Hindus celebrated their religious festivals this year peacefully and amid festivities.” The minister said he had never before witnessed such a beautiful and secure celebration of Durga Puja in Bangladesh as he saw this year. He said shortly after the Awami League was ousted, a campaign began claiming that Hindus were being persecuted in Bangladesh, alleging that some Indian media outlets were also trying to spread such claims. Andaleeve said nearly 5 crore people aged between 15 and 35 were directly or indirectly involved in the fall of the Awami League. Given the involvement of such a large number of people, it will be very difficult for the Awami League to regain public support through its narrative, he added.

Kamal Ahmed, president of Jaintiapur upazila unit of the Awami League and a former upazila chairman, was detained by immigration police at the Tamabil immigration checkpoint in Sylhet on Thursday. He was detained at 12:05pm when he arrived at the checkpoint to travel from Bangladesh to India. Jaintiapur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla said four members of the Tamabil police outpost under Gowainghat Police Station arrived at the checkpoint after the authorities concerned were informed of his detention. Later, a police team led by Sub-Inspector Didarul Islam of Jaintiapur Police Station took him into police custody at around 12:50pm, he said. The OC said Several cases are pending against Kamal Ahmed at Jaintiapur Police Station. Police will take further legal action after reviewing the cases. Earlier, on the night of September 7, 2024, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained Kamal Ahmed and his younger brother Sadek Ahmed from the Goabari border area under Nijpat Union of Jaintiapur upazila. They were later handed over to Jaintiapur Model Police Station. Legal action was reportedly taken against them in connection with several cases, including those related to the violence of August 4, 2024, as well as allegations of illegally crossing the border.

A 25-year-old housewife was hacked and shot to death by miscreants allegedly over a drug-related dispute at Jindapara in Khulna city on Thursday evening. The deceased was identified as Khushi, wife of Sumon Sardar, also known as “Blade Babu, of Jindapara 7th lane in the Labanchora area. According to police and locals, Khushi and her husband were alleged drug traders and had been embroiled in a long-standing feud with a local gang over narcotics trading. Around 6:45pm on Thursday, two miscreants arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them hacked and shot Khushi before fleeing the scene. Locals rushed her to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where attending doctors declared her dead. Officer-in-Charge of Labanchora Police Station Syed Mosharef Hossain said police visited the scene and launched drives to arrest the perpetrators.

A fire caused by an electrical short circuit at Rangpur Medical College Hospital early Thursday disrupted power supply to the hospital for around six hours, causing suffering for patients and their relatives. The fire broke out at a switchboard near the hospital’s administrative section around 6am, said Kaniz Sabiha, assistant director (Administration) of the hospital. A duty nurse noticed the fire and informed the Rangpur Fire Service. Firefighters rushed to the hospital and brought the blaze under control. The fire damaged the switchboard’s circuit breaker and electrical wires, cutting off power to the entire hospital. The incident triggered panic among patients and their relatives, with many rushing out of the wards with patients. They returned to their respective wards after the fire was brought under control. Hospital staff worked for around six hours to repair the damaged electrical lines. Power supply to the wards was restored around noon, allowing normal hospital operations to resume. Emergency medical services, including dialysis and intensive care unit (ICU) services, also resumed fully after power was restored. However, electricity supply to the administrative building was restored later following repair work. Kaniz Sabiha said there was no other damage to the hospital in the fire.  

Two people were killed and at least three others critically injured in a head-on collision between a speeding truck and a battery-powered auto-rickshaw on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj on Thursday noon. The accident occurred at around 2.30pm. The deceased were identified as Shahnaz Begum, 55, and Rifat Hossain, 20, son of Jasim Uddin, both residents of the Maikuli area in Rupganj. According to police and locals, the accident occurred around Thursday noon in the Maikuli area when a passenger-laden auto-rickshaw bound for Rupsi collided head-on with a fast-moving truck, leaving the auto-rickshaw completely mangled. Two occupants died on the spot, while three others sustained severe injuries and were admitted to local hospitals for treatment, Bhulta Highway Police Station In-charge Jasim Uddin said. Police seized the killer truck and legal procedures are currently underway, In-charge Jasim Uddin added.

Two brothers were electrocuted while trying to save their father after he came into contact with a snapped live electric wire in Burhanuddin upazila of Bhola on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Abdur Rahim, 40, and Md Rakib, 30, sons of Md Alam Boktar of Shibpur in Shambupur union of Tazumuddin upazila. According to locals, Alam Boktar went to cut trees in a garden near Aiyub Ali’s house in ward No. 5 of Kachia union of Buhanuddin around 12:45pm when he came into contact with a snapped live electric wire. As Rahim and Rakib rushed to save their father, they also came into contact with the live wire and died on the spot. Alam Boktar survived the incident. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Burhanuddin Police Station Md Ashrab Ali said police prepared inquest reports and handed over the bodies to the family members as there was no complaint.