A Chattogram court Wednesday sentenced a woman and her brother to life imprisonment for attacking their two cousins with acid in 2010. Convicts Sharmin Farzana Latif Saki, 33, and her brother Muhammad Iftekhar Latif, 30, were also fined Tk30,000 and Tk50,000. In case of non-payment, they will receive an additional prison sentence of one year. Chattogram Fifth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Nargis Akhter passed the order. Iftekhar and Sharmin were taken to jail after the judgment was delivered, Advocate Taslim Uddin, an additional prosecutor at the court, told UNB. They threw acid on their cousins Muntaha Karina, 31, and Salsabil Tasnim, 27, at their residence in Chawkbazar's Joynagar area in Chattogram city. Muntaha and Salsabil's father Anwarul Mubin filed a case over the incident. On December 14, 2010, the police filed a charge sheet against Iftekhar and Sharmin. Also read: Man throws acid on ex-wife for divorcing him

Khulna, Aug 25 (UNB) - Acid, lead and other harmful chemicals from over 3,00,000 expired batteries, used in auto-rickshaws and motorised three-wheelers, are posing a serious threat to human health and environment.   There are at least 25,000 easy bikes and 11,000 auto-rickshaws in the city, according to Khulna Easy Bike Kallyan Samity and Easy Bike Chalok Samity. An easy bike uses five batteries while an auto-rickshaw has four.   These batteries remain usable for about eight months. This means, every year, an estimated 2,41,000 batteries are discarded.   Arman Munshi, an easy bike driver, said he sells six to seven expired batteries every year, each weighing 18-19 kg, to businesses at Sheikhpara Batterypatti at Tk 95 to Tk 100 per kg.