Two policemen were closed on Friday night from the Companiganj police station on a charge of extortion from drivers of stone-laden trucks at Companiganj upazila in the district.The policemen are Md Suman Miah and Shahriar Hossain of the Companiganj police station.They were withdrawn from the Companiganj police station and attached to the district police line in Sylhet, according to a letter signed by Sylhet Additional Superintendent of Police Shahriar bin Saleh.Local people said that the drivers of stone-laden trucks in association with the local residents chased off Suman and Shahriar on December 24 night in Kalabari area under Companiganj upazila as they demanded extortion money from the drivers after stopping their stone-loaded vehicles.Bholaganj police outpost in-charge Shahab Uddin filed a general diary in this regard with the Companiganj police against constable Suman and Shahriar following a complaint from the local people.Later, the district police administration issued an order on Friday night asking for the withdrawal of the two constables from their workplace and to attach them to the police lines after the allegation brought against them was found true in the primary investigation.Read more: Consider police stations as 'service delivery centres' to provide better service: IGP

Police detained 12 Rohingyas, including four children, from Noakhali's Companiganj Friday while they were fleeing Bhasan Char of the district's Hatiya.  Locals spotted them at Dakkhiner Ghat of Ward 3 of Char Elahi Union in the morning. During interrogation, the Rohingyas admitted that they had escaped Bhasan Char on a rented boat at the dead of night Thursday to go to one of the camps in Cox's Bazar, according to locals. Also read: Govt. urges international community to do more for Rohingyas On information, Companiganj police went to the spot and brought the 12 Rohingyas to the police station. Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Md Abul Kalam Azad said, "The detained Rohingyas have been kept in police custody and arrangements are being made to file a case against them." Since December last year, the government has moved around 20,000 Rohingyas to Bhasan Char and plans to relocate 100,000 refugees to the island. Also read: 2 Rohingyas killed in landslide at Rohingya camps Bhasan Char is seen by Dhaka as a solution to the severe overcrowding found in the camps dotting the two southern-most upazilas of Cox's Bazar, itself the country's southern-most district, on the border with Myanmar's Rakhine state.    Dhaka has also consistently denied accusations that some of the refugees may have been moved there under duress, or involuntarily at least.

At least six people were shot when an Awami League procession was attacked on Saturday evening by a rival group  in Basurhat of Companiganj in Noakhali. According to witnesses, supporters of Basurhat municipality Mayor Quader Mirza, brother of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader brought out a procession on Saturday evening which was attacked by a rival group near ward no 9 of Basurhat at 7pm. Six people were shot during the incident and were later admitted to Noakhali General Hospital. Five of the wounded have been identified as, Sabuj(40), Mohammad Sunny (28), Delwar Hossain (26), Didar (35) and Jisan (23). Companiganj Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mir Jahedul Haque Rony confirmed the news to UNB. Also read: 2 killed, 15 hurt in Barishal Awami League factional clash He also said that all the victims were supporters of Mayor Quader Mirza. Supporters of Quader Mirza blamed Companiganj upazila unit Awami League Organising Secretary Mizanur Rahman Badal and his group behind the attack. There has been a fierce rivalry between the supporters of these two local AL leaders which resulted in deadly factional clashes multiple times in the recent past. An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was killed on March 9 and 30 other AL activists were injured during a clash between the same groups. These casualties came within three weeks of the killing of journalist Muzakkir during the factional clash of ruling Awami League in Basurhat of Companiganj in Noakhali. On Feb 20, at least 50 people were injured in a clash between the very same groups in Noakhali's Companiganj upazila.

Freedom fighters held a human chain protesting the attack on Companiganj Awami League president and former deputy commander Khizir Hayat by municipality mayor Abdul Quader Mirza 

A Bangladeshi expatriate died from coronavirus at a hospital in Milan, Italy on Friday night.   The deceased was identified as Golam Mawla, 56, son of Hafez Ali Akbar of Companiganj upazila in Noakhali.   Golam Mawla had been suffering from fever, cough and respiratory problem and breathed his last around 8pm Friday night at a hospital in Milan, Rampur Union Parishad Chairman Iqbal Chowdhury said quoting his family members.   He was tested positive for coronavirus, the family sources said.     He is the first Bangladeshi patient died from coronavirus in Italy.  

A local Awami League leader was killed by unidentified miscreants at Char Amzadpur village in Companiganj upazila on Saturday night.