A fire that broke out in the medicine department building of Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) has been brought under control within an hour. The fire broke out in the warehouse of the building, located on the ground floor of the hospital, on Sunday morning. Witnesses said smoke billowing from the building engulfed the hospital building. Panic gripped the patients and their relatives, forcing them to flee the building immediately. 31 rescued after fire breaks out on LNG-carrying vessel off Ctg port The fire was first reported after a local resident noticed smoke coming from the hospital's medicine building and immediately alerted the fire service, said Assistant Director Dr. Moniruzzaman Shahin of SBMCH. Upon receiving the information, seven firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control with the help of local volunteers after an hour. It is initially suspected that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit, said Deputy Assistant Director of Barishal Fire Service and Civil Defense Belal Uddin. The fire spread rapidly due to the presence of explosive materials inside the warehouse, he said. Another BSC ship catches fire in Ctg; one dies However, the firefighters are still working to control the smoke as of the filing of this report at 4 pm. No casualties have been reported immediately, and there are no details about the extent of the damages. The hospital authorities managed to evacuate the patients.

Police detained three people including an Indian woman from Wazirpur upazila election office in Barishal while trying to get national identity cards on Thursday. The detainees were Sabitri Baria, 29, daughter of Shyam Sundar Baria of Bankavihar village in Patnanagar upazila of India’s Odisha state, Ebaidul Hawlader, 26, and his elder brother Enamul Hawlader, 29, sons of late Abdus Salam Hawlader of ward No-6 under Satla union under in the Wazirpur upazila. Shop employee burnt to death in Barishal fire The detainees including the Indian national tried to make the NID card with the certificate and birth certificate issued by Satla Union Parishad Chairman Md Shaheen Hawlader and UP member Md Harun. The detainees said Ebaidul married Sabitri seven years ago though they could not show any documents of this marriage. JCI Barishal distributes warm clothes to 150 children Changing name as Halima Khanam, the Indian national submitted fake documents to the Wazirpur Upazila Election Office. Suspecting their movement and fake documents, Election Officer Abdur Rashid detained them and handed them over to police. BPL 2024: Chattogram Challengers beat Fortune Barishal, march to second spot UP Chairman Md Shaheen Howlader said the certification was taken by misunderstanding. Md Jafar Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge of Wazirpur Model Police Station, said an interrogation was underway while legal actions would be taken against them.

The Awami League won a comfortable two-thirds majority for a fourth election in a row on Sunday (January 07, 2024), in 299 out of 300 constituencies, and a strong showing by independent candidates as predicted. Ruling party candidates won in 222 seats in Sunday’s election, while independent candidates — most of them belonging to AL — won 62 seats. Read more: Election 2024: List of winners from Rajshahi division Here’s the list of candidates from Barishal division who won in the National Election 2024:

Awami League candidate in Barishal-4 constituency, Shammi Ahmed, and independent candidate for Barishal-5 and also former mayor of Barishal City Corporation, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, are out of the election race. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today turned down a leave-to-appeal petition lodged by Awami League candidate Shammi Ahmed, seeking withdrawal of Election Commission's cancellation of her candidature. Read: Local AL leader arrested with firearm in Chattogram  The Division also upheld the cancellation of the candidacy of Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah. A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, passed the orders after hearing. Lawyers, including Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Advocate Momtaj Uddin Fakir, Advocate Shah Monjurul Haque and Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju, stood for Shammi Ahmed in court today. On December 15, Awami League candidate for Barisal-4 constituency Shammi Ahmed's candidacy was cancelled by the Election Commission on the allegation of dual citizenship. Later, on December 18, the High Court dismissed the writ petition filed by Shammi Ahmed against the cancellation of her candidature. On December 19, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order rejecting another writ petition filed by Shammi Ahmed challenging the cancellation of her candidature. On December 22, Shammi Ahmed filed a petition with the chamber judge court of the Appellate Division seeking allocation of election symbols. On the other hand, the returning officer declared the independent candidate for Barishal-5 constituency, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, valid. Read: Rajshahi-4: 15 injured as AL supporters attack independent candidate's procession  But Awami League-nominated candidate for the same constituency, Zahid Faruk, appealed to the Election Commission, seeking cancellation of Sadiq’s candidacy on the allegation of dual citizenship. On December 15, the Election Commission (EC) cancelled the candidature of Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah. Later, Sadiq filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the EC’s order. On December 18, the High Court stayed the Election Commission's order after hearing a writ petition filed by Sadiq. The next day, Zahid Faruk filed a petition with the chamber judge of the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court order. After hearing the petition, the chamber judge stayed the High Court order. Sadiq filed a petition seeking withdrawal of the stay order issued by the chamber judge. The regular bench of the Appellate Division dismissed the petition today. 

Two Jatiya Party candidates in Barishal and Barguna have announced their withdrawal from the upcoming 12th parliamentary election.  Engineer Iqbal Hossain Taposh, the Jatiya Party candidate for Barisal-5 (Sadar) and Barisal-2 (Banaripara-Wazirpur) constituencies, announced his withdrawal at a press conference held at a community center in the city on Sunday morning.  Read: BNP leader Alal among eight sentenced to 3 years jail in arson case Meanwhile, Khalilur Rahman, the Jatiya Party candidate for Barguna-1 (Sadar-Amtali-Taltoli) constituency, announced his withdrawal at the same press conference. Iqbal Hossain Taposh said, "The Election Commission claims they are determined to hold a neutral and fair election. But in action and other behaviors, it seems that they are toothless controlled by a party and the government.”  He accused Awami League of crossing the electoral barrier by bribing some seats between the 14-party and other political parties. "All in all, it seems to me that a farcical election is going to be held again on January 7. The general public has no involvement in the election. There is only one party and its activists are going to participate in this election. So, considering the overall consideration, our leaders and activists think it is better not to participate in this election,” said the Jatiya Party-nominated candidate.  “So I want to say in front of everyone that I have decided to step aside from the election of January 7," he added.  Meanwhile, election campaign for other candidates is ongoing as the country gears up for 12th parliamentary election.  Read: Bangladesh High Commission celebrates ‘National Expatriates Day’ in Canada  Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, who is contesting the Barishal-5 and Barishal-2 seats, campaigned in the constituency on Sunday.  Besides, independent candidate for Barishal-4 (Hijla-Mehendiganj) constituency Pankaj Nath campaigned with the eagle symbol in Bidyananda area of Mehendiganj. 

The southern riverine district of Barishal has been in a festive mood marking the visit of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her first to the area in five years. Hasina, the president of ruling Awami League, is visting Barishal as part of her campaign tour ahead of January 7 general election. Also read: Make January election festive, competitive: PM Hasina at campaign rallies Thousands of AL leaders, including party's candidates and actvists, shouted slogans in favour of its election symbol, boat, as the party chief arrived here in the morning. Hasina will address an election rally at the historic Bangabandhu Udyan in the divisional headquarters. Decorated with banners, posters and flags the city welcomed the PM.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Saturday urged candidates to strictly follow the electoral code of conduct. “Follow electoral code strictly and to come out of the belief that irregularities must be done in the voting field,” he said while speaking at a view exchange meeting with the election candidates at Returning Officer’s auditorium in Barishal. EC orders withdrawal of Barishal, Sylhet police commissioners, 1 DC and 5 SPs “We want to ensure a free, fair and neutral election and won’t spare anyone if they try to obstruct it,”the CEC added. If there is an allegation of vote rigging in any polling booth then the Election Commission will suspend balloting in the polling station, he said. Police foil BNP’s human chain in Barishal Barishal Divisional Commissioner Shawkat Ali presided over the meeting while Election Commission Secretary Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Barishal Range Deputy Inspector General Jamil Hasan, Police Commissioner Jihadul Kabir, returning officer and Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam were present there. UP member hacked to death in Barishal

Launch services beteween Barishal and other parts of Bangladesh resumed on Saturday (November 18, 2023) morning after 24 hours of suspension due to the cyclonic storm Midhili. Abdur Razzaque, river port official of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said the operation of launches resumed at 7 am after the affect of cyclone Midhili ended. Barishal Engineering College students say BCL activists beat them up for not attending ‘political programme’ Earlier, BIWTA suspended operations of all types of river vessels from 10:00 am on Friday due to inclement weather caused by the cyclone. Meanwhile, the roads in different parts of Barishal city have been inundated due to the rainfall triggered by the cyclonic. JCD leader, another arrested in Barishal for ‘planning sabotage’ The residents of Battala, Srinath Chatarjee Lane and Bogura Road have been trapped in 2-feet of water since the cyclone hit the country’s coastal areas. Khokon Serniabat takes charge as Barishal mayor

Thirteen arson attacks have been reported across Bangladesh from 6 am on Wednesday (November 08, 2023) till 9 am today (November 09, 2023) during the ongoing 48-hour blockade. Read: 21 arson incidents reported in 38 hrs till Monday evening: Fire Service Of these, five arson attacks were reported in Dhaka City Corporation areas, three in Gazipur, one in Khagrachhari, one in Bogura, two in Barishal and Barguna, and one in Noakhali, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense's media cell. A total of seven buses, four covered vans, and two trucks were burned during this period. Read: 7 incidents of arson occur Tuesday: Fire Service

Three workers died in separate road accidents in the west Kaunia and Jatrabari areas of Barishal city. The deceased were identified as Yunus (59) and Habib (38) and Mizan Howladar (48). In one of the incidents, two workers died after being crushed under the wheels of a sand-laden truck in west Kaunia. The incident happened on the road adjacent to Hazera Khatun School in West Kaunia around 1:00 am on Friday. Father, son die inhaling toxic gas in septic tank in Barishal According to police and locals, Yunus, Habib, and some other workers were working to move the truck that got stuck in the sand. As the truck reversed suddenly, they (Yunus and Habib) were crushed under its wheels and died on the spot. "We rushed to the spot and found the two workers dead under the wheels of the truck," said Rabiul Alamin,senior station officer of Barisal Sadar Fire Service and Civil Defence. Delay ban on catching hilsa by a month: Barishal fishing community "No one could say whether the truck was reversed by its driver or whether it went backwards on its own," he added. "The bodies were sent to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for autopsy," said Shahidul Islam, sub-inspector of Kaunia Police Station. First consignment of 19 tonnes of Hilsa leaves Barishal for India ahead of Durga Puja Meanwhile, Md Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kaunia Police Station, said a complaint has yet to be filed over the matter. In the other incident, a mahindra driver died on his way to Barishal city. The vehicle lost control and hit a tree in Jatrabari’s Uttar Korapur area on Friday morning.