At least 20 people were injured in rough-and-tumble fighting between two factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Barguna unit during a National Mourning Day discussion Monday. It happened around 11am at Barguna Shilpakala Academy premises when district BCL President Rezaul Kabir Reza, General Secretary Taushikur Rahman Imran, Senior Vice-President Sabuj Mollah and Central BCL Member Rishat Hassan Prince and their followers came to attend the programme.  The groups got into a scuffle following a heated argument during the discussion. Read: 6 charred bodies retrieved from Old Dhaka plastic factory: Fire Service At one stage, they started hurling brick chips at each other and vandalised a police vehicle, SM Tariqul Islam, additional superintendent of Barguna police, said. "Later police had to use batons to bring the situation under control." "Two BCL activists were held from the spot, and several of them suffered injuries. Also, four sharp weapons were recovered from a room of Barguna Launch Terminal," Tariqul added. Since July 24, after the new committee of the Barguna BCL was announced, there have been sporadic clashes between BCL activists and leaders who were included in and excluded from it.

Police in a drive arrested two people along with 25 sacks of rice  meant for sale to the poor at Tk 10 per kg under a government programme  from a house at Nimtoli in Khetlal upazila on Saturday midnight.   The arrestees are Tota, son of Tozammel Hossain and Abdul Majid, son of Taslim Uddin of the upazila.   Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive at the house of Tota and seized the rice sacks, weighing 50 kg each, from the house around 12 pm, said ASM Siddiqur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Khetlal Police Station.   Later, police arrestedTota and his associate Abdul Majid in this connection.  

Sifat Ali took up arms and fought gallantly in the Liberation War in 1971, but his battle is far from over as he continues to fight for recognition as a freedom fighter.   The 65-year-old from Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila took part in the Liberation War from Sector Five and received a certificate from General Osmani shortly after independence.   His world turned upside down when his name was dropped from the list of freedom fighters and his allowance was stopped.   Sifat, who has difficulty in walking, has since been going from one government office to another hoping to regain his lost freedom fighter status and dignity.   “I fought for the country responding to the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. My brothers in arms have been recognised as freedom fighters but I’ve been left out. It’s really upsetting,” he told UNB.   He said he had gone to Dhaka with former Tahirpur upazila Muktijoddha Commander Mojahid Uddin and applied for inclusion in gazette in 2014. But there has been no progress.   “I got recognition after independence. But I was stripped off my status and allowance when my name was dropped from the list recently,” he said.   His son Emran Hossain said his father’s last wish is to die as a recognised freedom fighter.   Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Bijen Bannerjee said he was willing to recommend Sifat Ali after scrutinising his papers. “The ministry will make the final call,” he added.   Muktijoddha Commander Mojahid said that there was no doubt that Sifat Ali is a freedom fighter.   “Everyone knows that he fought in the Liberation War. I hope that he gets his due honour and recognition as a freedom fighter during his lifetime,” he said.

Two girls have allegedly been raped in Satkhira and Barguna districts.

Dhaka, Sept 7 (UNB)- A teenage girl was raped in Chattogram on Thursday while a housewife gang-raped by neighbors in Khulna on Friday night.