Bagerhat
‘UP member’ who tortured Bagerhat housewife garlanding with shoes arrested
Police have arrested a UP member in a case filed against him for torturing a woman after garlanding her with shoes at Mollahat upazila in Bagerhat.
Kawsar Chowdhury, an elected member of Ward-1 of Chunkhola Union Parishad of the upazila, was arrested from Srigati village in the upazila on Friday afternoon, said Bagerhat Additional Superintendent of Police Md Asaduzzaman.
Earlier, a case was filed against nine people named and four to five more unnamed at Mollahat police station. Police said operations are underway to nab the other accused in the case.
Legal action will be taken against anyone found guilty in the investigation, said the ASP.
Meanwhile, before the arrest, UP member Kawsar held a meeting in the locality on Friday afternoon to resolve the issue. In the presence of dignitaries of the area, Kawsar confessed his crime and apologized to the housewife. And a video of him apologizing has already spread on social media Facebook.
Earlier on Tuesday, a 30-year-old Bagerhat woman was garlanded with shoes and then tortured reportedly by the UP member with a bamboo twig accusing her of having an extramarital affair with a close relative.
Read: Bagerhat housewife tortured, garlanded with shoes by ‘UP member’
The UP member along with his cohorts went to her house on the day and verbally abused her alleging that she has an illicit relation with her daughter’s father-in-law.
The UP member and his abettors then garlanded her with their shoes and tortured her, witnesses said.
The inhuman incident came in the limelight as a video of the vicious assault has gone viral on Facebook.
The housewife alleged that they also snatched her gold ornaments she was wearing and a cellphone set worth around Tk 95,000.
The woman told the UNB correspondent on Wednesday that she demands exemplary punishment of those who tortured and humiliated her.
Mollahat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Wahid Hossain told UNB on Thursday, “I’ve sent upazila assistant commissioner (Land) and women’s affairs officer to the woman’s house after seeing the video but she was not found there.”
He said what happened to this woman was a criminal offense and police were asked to take action after contacting her.
In Bangladesh, women and girls are facing growing violence in every stage of their lives as society thinks it is not that much of a serious issue.
According to a report of Human Rights Watch, this crisis comes as Bangladesh enters the final phase of its national plan to build “a society without violence against women and children by 2025.”
Bagerhat housewife tortured, garlanded with shoes by ‘UP member’
A 30-year-old Bagerhat woman was garlanded with shoes and then tortured reportedly by a UP member with a bamboo twig accusing her of having an extramarital affair with a close relative.
The inhuman incident came in the limelight as a video of the vicious assault has gone viral on Facebook.
Villagers said the incident occurred at Singati village in Mollahat upazila of Bagerhat and the video was uploaded on social media the following day.
Kawsar Chowdhury, member of Ward No-1 of Chunkhola Union Parishad, was said to be the man beating the woman.
The video shows another man who was whirling the helpless woman while Kawsar was beating her with a bamboo twig encircled by onlookers.
According to her neighbours, the ill-fated housewife lives alone with her four children at the village as her husband is a migrant worker.
On Tuesday morning, the UP member along with his cohorts went to her house and verbally abused her alleging that she has an illicit relation with her daughter’s father-in-law.
The UP member and his abettors then garlanded her with their shoes and tortured her, witnesses said.
Read: Housewife tortured to death in Shariatpur
Shocked by the incident, the woman had left the village to take shelter in an unknown place. She later came back and accused Sarwar of harassing her viciously.
The housewife also blamed some of her neighbours for the attack on her.
Intermittent showers inundate farms in Bagerhat
Intermittent showers over the past three-four days in the coastal district of Bagerhat have inundated some 739 hectares of farmland, officials said on Tuesday.
"The showers have affected mustard crops across 137 hectares, lentil crops across 193 hectares, winter crops like radish, cabbage, cauliflower and turnip across 35 hectares, and wheat crops across 17 hectares," said Md Azizur Rahman, the deputy director of the agricultural extension department.
Also read: 15,520 hectares of croplands inundated in Kurigram
Besides, boro seed beds across 207 hectares of farmland and Ropa Aman paddy fields across 150 hectares are suspected to have sustained damage due to the showers that began on Saturday, the official said.
Also read: Incessant showers damage lentil, wheat & mustard crops in Narail
From 6am on Monday to 6am on Tuesday, the district received 22.3 mm of rainfall.
Illegally exhibited animals rescued from Bagerhat Park
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Monday rescued 43 animals of 16 species and also seized several animal hides from Chandramohol Ecopark at Ranajitpur of Bagerhat Sadar.
Besides, a mobile court fined the Ecopark manager Md Ali Chakladar Tk 50,000 for illegally keeping wildlife.
Read: Woman hacked to death by husband in Bagerhat
Rab Khulna-6 Sadar Company Commander Al Asad Mahfuzul Islam said, tipped off, Rab members along with Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division rescued the animals conducting a drive in the Ecopark.
During the drive, two deer, a crocodile, a langur, five monkeys, a peacock, two ostriches, five Australian pigeons, two tortoises, seven herons and two Machhmutal birds were rescued.
Read: 'Festival of poaching' endangers bird life in Bagerhat beel
Besides, Rab seized six deer hides and six horns, a bear hide, a kangaroo hide and a whale skeleton.
All these animals and hides were being maintained illegally. And the Ecopark authority could not show any valid documents in this regard, the official said.
Woman hacked to death by husband in Bagerhat
A woman was allegedly killed by her husband over a family feud in Shambagat village of Bagerhat's Fakirhat upazila on Monday night.
The victim was identified as Arifa Begum, 18, wife of auto driver Helauddin of Dighlia upazila of Khulna district.
Read:Missing madrasa student found dead in Bagerhat
Police have arrested the woman's mother-in-law and stepmother in connection with the case, said acting officer-in-charge of Fakirhat Police station, ANM Khairul Anam.
According to Khairul, Helal went to Arifa’s house on Monday night and hacked her to death, before fleeing from the spot.
Police said that Helaluddin got married to Arifa in 2013. They have a one-year-old son.
Family sources said Helaluddin used to physically assault his wife almost regularly.
Read: Two 8-year-olds drown in Bagerhat
"The body has been sent to the Bagerhat sadar hospital morgue for an autopsy, the OC added.
The woman's mother Amena Begum has filed a complaint against five, including the Helaluddin in this connection. "An FIR has been lodged. We are trying to arrest all the accused," said the OC.
Missing madrasa student found dead in Bagerhat
Bagerhat, Nov 07 (UNB)-Police recovered the body of a madrasa student in Kochua upazila of Bagherhat district on Sunday morning, two days after he had gone missing.
The deceased was identified as Mehedi Hasan, 25, son of Monir Sheikh of Tengrakhali village and a student of Madhobkathi Madrasa in the localily.
Read: Valuables stolen from UNB Bagerhat Corr house
Quoting family members, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Kochua Police Station Iqbal Hossain said Mehedi went missing on Friday evening.
Local people spotted the body in a ditch in a banana orchard of Tengrakhali village and informed police.
Several injury marks were found on the victim’s body.
Read: Khaleda to return home from hospital this afternoon
However, the reason behind the killing could not be known yet.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC added.
Man to die for killing wife in Khulna
A court in Khulna on Sunday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2020.
The convict is Rafiq Sheikh of Fakirhat upazila in Bagerhat district. The court also fined him Tk 50,000.
Read: Faridpur man to die for killing wife in arson attack
The court also sentenced Rafiq to seven years imprisonment under another section of the case and fined him Tk 25,000, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment.
Khulna District and Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury handed down the verdict.
According to the prosecution, Mariam Begum, 25 of Fakirhat upazila got married to Rafiq in 2017 and the couple used to fight over family .
Rafique used torture Mariam suspecting that she had extramarital affair.
Rafique took Mariam to a betel leaf field where he killed her hitting with a brick and set her ablaze by pouring kerosene on August 12, 2020.
Police recovered the charred body of Mariam, two days after the incident on August 15.
Read:Feni man to die for killing wife on Facebook live
Halima Begum, mother of the victim, lodged a complaint with Rupsha Police Station.
A case was filed against four people in this connection.
On December 31, 2020, police submitted a chargesheet accusing Rafique.
After examining the records and 15 witnesses, Khulna District and Sessions Judge handed down the verdict.
Valuables stolen from UNB Bagerhat Corr house
Thieves stole valuables from the house of the UNB Bagerhat district correspondent at Shaltala in Bagerhat district town early Monday.
The thieves entered the house of Bishnu Proshad Chakrabortty between 5:30 am and 6:30 am and stolen the mobile phone, four ATM cards, driving licence and wallet of the correspondent, said KM Azizul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station.
On information, police and Rab visited the spot and they are investigating the theft, he said.
2 smugglers held with 18 deer hides in Bagerhat
Rapid Action Battalion has arrested two members of a smuggling syndicate with 18 deer hides from Bagerhat.
The arrest was made during a raid at Kashem Plaza Market in Barakpur Bazar of Bagerhat Sadar on Thursday night.
Read: 4 ‘deer poachers’ held in Sundarbans
The arrestees are Abdul Hakim, 50, son of Rafiz Uddin of Baharbunia village in Morelganj upazila of Bagerhat and Kamrul Islam, 35, son of Ali Mia Hawladar of Sonatala village in Sharankhola upazila.
According to RAB, they are members of a syndicate of deer meat and hide smugglers.
Two smartphones, Tk 2,000 cash and 18 deer hides were seized at from the smugglers, said a RAB-6 media release on Friday
Khulna RAB-6 Assistant Director (Media) ASP Bazlur Rashid said that the RAB on a tipoff trading deer hides, raided the market. Sensing the presence of the RAB, the members of the syndicate tried to flee. However, RAB team managed to arrest the two smugglers and found 18 deer hides in two large plastic bags, he said.
The ASP further said that the smugglers over primary interrogation admitted that they used to collect deer hides and meat from the Sundarbans and sell it in different parts of the country.
The two smugglers, including deer hides, have been handed over to Bagerhat Sadar Model Police Station for legal action, he added.
Read: Father-son arrested with deer meat in Bagerhat
Earlier on January 23 this year, Bagerhat district police raided Sharankhola and arrested two poachers with 19 deer hides.
Deer hunting has increased in the Sundarbans since the time of the Covid pandemic. Poachers use traps and poison baits to hunt deer. Slaughtering those inside the forest they sell the meat at the locality and the hides are smuggled.
Covid fear deprives Bagerhat of its legendary Shikdar Bari’s Puja
With the fragrance of Shiuli ( the flowering night jasmine) in the air, autumn has spread the word - goddess Durga is coming among the mortals once again, sparking the celebrations unique to the biggest Hindu festival - Sharadiya Durga Puja.
But in Bagerhat this year, the puja will be a bit bland without the famous Shikdar Bari’r Puja celebration, that is always a grand affair full of hundreds of idols gathered on a single stage.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the elaborate puja celebrations organised by the Shikdar family have been suspended for a consecutive second year. Instead a 'Ghot Puja' (worshipping an urn symbolising the goddess) will be held to maintain the religious traditions and formalities.
Tarun Dash said, “This news broke the hearts of local worshippers like me, as for a year we were waiting in hope for the spectacular Shikdar Bari’s puja.”
“The scene on the mandap used to be so surreal. It almost felt like all the deities had really landed among human beings,” said Nikhil Chandra, another local.
The legend of Shikdar Bari’s Durga Puja
In 2011, Dr Dulal Krishna Shikdar in his ancestral home at Hakimpur village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila started a grand celebration of Durga puja garnishing 251 idols. His motive for the grand puja was to make society aware of the significance of worshipping deities according to sanatana dharma (traditional religion, or Hinduism).
Read: Security beefed up for Durga puja celebration: DMP Commissioner