Moulvibazar, June 24 (UNB) – Whenever a tragic incident takes place someone from nearby surely comes forward with a helping a hand. In Sunday’s crash in Moulvibazar , it was Shahan Mia.

An emergency call to 999 came from Shahan Mia’s cellphone on Sunday midnight which prompted members of the police to reach the spot where the fatal train accident had taken place. This, actually, helped the police save the lives of many passengers.

Shahan Mia, a student of Kulaura Degree College, made the phone call hearing the screams of passengers while he was returning home at night.

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.

Shahan said, “I heard a big bang and hue and cry of people while returning home from our local bazaar.”

He said, “I started walking towards the spot following the bang and found Baramchal Bridge broken and two rail coaches lying in the canal. Right away, I called 999 and fortunately the call was received immediately. I told the police what I had seen.”

“The death toll could have been much higher had the police not reached the spot in time, Shahan added.

The death toll from the train crash rose to 5 while the number of injured to over 200, police said.

Kulaura Police Station officer-in-charge Yardous Hasan said, “Shahan informed us by calling 999 around 12 am about the rail accident. After receiving the information, we rushed to the spot, recovered the bodies and took some 200 injured to nearby hospitals.”

The rescue operation has been called off already, the OC said.

Members of the Fire Service, Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) and locals helped the police rescue the injured.

Dhaka, June 24 (UNB) - Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh rose by 68 percent to $3.62 billion in 2018 from $2.1516 billion in the previous year, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) World Investment Report 2019.

Bangladesh was on the top position in FDI inflow among South Asian countries while Nepal remained in the second position in 2018. Actual inflow of FDI reached the highest-ever level in the history of Bangladesh at $3,613.30 million, according to the report.

The information was disclosed at a media briefing organised by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at a city hotel on Monday.

Policy Research Institute (PRI) executive director Ahsan H Mansur presented the report while BIDA executive chairman Kazi M Aminul Islam presided over the function.

According to the report, Bhutan is in the lowest position in the foreign investment. However, the rate increased 24 percent in Nepal, 17 percent in Sri Lanka, 12 percent in the Maldives, 6 percent in India. On the other hand, the investment rate decreased 160 percent in Bhutan and 27 percent in Pakistan.

“Bangladesh saw the positive position in FDI inflow because of significant investments in major sectors that include $1012.01 million in power generation, $729.69 million in food, $408.08 million in textiles and wearing, $282.54 million in banking and $219.87 million in telecommunication,” it said.

As per the report, the FDI inflow from major countries in 2018 arranged in descending order of magnitude were - China ($1029.90 million), the Netherlands ($691.92 million), the UK ($ 370.58 million), the USA ($ 174.25 million), Singapore (US$ 171.06 million), Hong Kong ($ 169.78 million), India ($ 121.46 million), Norway ($ 108.10 million), Malaysia ($ 92.74 million) and South Korea ($ 72.97 million) which were 28.50 precedent, 19.15pc, 10.26pc, 4.82pc, 4.73pc, 4.70pc, 3.36pc , 2.99pc , 2.57pc and 2.02pc respectively towards the contribution of total FDI inflows.

Prime Minister’s adviser on private industries and investment Salman F Rahman expressed the hope that Bangladesh will improve its position in the ease of doing business index by the next one year.

Abul Kalam Azad, principal coordinator (SDG Affairs) at the Prime Minister’s Office, said, “We’re earlier busy with export and import but now we’re busy with investment.”

Kazi M Aminul Islam said, “It’s good that Bangladesh is doing well in economy while global economy is sluggish. Bangladesh is an immeasurable potential country.”

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Sheikh Fazle Fahim said a revenue-friendly investment is necessary in the country for attracting more FDI.
 

Dhaka, June 24 (UNB) – British High Commission in Dhaka has saidthey are in touch with the local authorities “seeking further clarification” on whether any British nationals are affected in the “serious train accident” in Moulvibazar district.

“We are aware of a serious train accident in Moulvibazar. Our thoughts go out to all affected by this serious accident,” said the High Commission in a message posted on its official Facebook page on Monday.

The death toll from Sunday night’s train accident at Baramchal in Kulauraupazila rose to five.

Police recovered five bodies from the spot, said Moulvibazar civil surgeon Shajahan Kabir Chowdhury.

Over 200 passengers were also injured in the fatal train accident.

Thakurgaon, June 24 (UNB) – Detectives arrested two people, including a sub-inspector of police, reportedly along with 8,000 Yaba tablets and 2 kg hemp in Pirganj upazila on Sunday.

The arrestees are Helal Uddin Pramanik, an SI of Thakurgaon court police, and Sweeper Manik of the area. 

Mostafizur Rahman, assistant superintendent of police (Pirganj circle), said on the basis of secret information, a team of district Detective Branch of police, led by officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam, conducted a drive at Helal’s house around 1:30pm and arrested the duo. 

They also seized the contraband drugs during the drive.

Moulvibazar, June 24 (UNB) – An intercity train derailed at Baramchal in Kulaura upazila on Sunday night, killing at least four passengers and injuring over 200 others.

Yardous Hasan, officer-in-charge of Kulaura Police Station, said six bogies of Dhaka-bound ‘Upaban Express’ train from Sylhet veered off the tracks around 11:40pm after a culvert over the Barochhara Canal, 200 yards off Baramchal Railway Station, broke down.
 
Two of the bogies fell into the canal and one of them overturned, he said.

Sub-inspector Harunur Rashid, duty office at the police station, told UNB around 1:45am on Monday that they recovered four bodies from the spot.
 
The injured were taken to Kulaura Health Complex, Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and some local hospitals, he said.

The accident also snapped Sylhet’s rail communications with other parts of the country, including the capital.
 
On information, firefighters and police rushed in and conducted the rescue operation, said officer-in-charge of Kulaura Government Railway Police Station Md Abdul Malek.