United News of Bangladesh

A scrap trader sustained bullet injuries after being shot by a miscreant in Khulna city on Sunday night, apparently for refusing to comply with an extortion demand. The incident took place in front of Gallamari Ideal Nursing Home Clinic around 11 pm, police said. The victim was identified as Rafiqul Islam Manik, 40, son of Rustum Majhi, a resident of MA Bari Road in the town. He was initially taken to a local hospital and later sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment. Sonadanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Rafiqul Islam said the victim ran a scrap business in front of the clinic and was staying there at night when the incident occurred. He added that a man identified as Sayel had earlier attempted to extort the victim. Police suspect the shooting took place after the demand was not met.  

Two people were killed after a fire broke out at a high-rise building in Katabon area of Elephant Road in the capital early Saturday. The deceased were identified as Md Jony, 24, son of Babul Mia of Kishoreganj district and Abdus Salam, 20, son of Selim Sarkar of Kahalu upazila in Bogura district. Jony served as a clerk to Barrister Moazzem and Salam, a clerk of Prosecutor Abdullah Al Noman at the International Crimes Tribunal. The fire broke out on the 12th floor of the 14-storey Al-Baraka Tower on Elephant Road at around 1:05 am. On information, six firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control around 3:08 am, said Md Sihab Sarkar, an official of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room. The fire was completely extinguished at 5:40 am, he said. Firefighters rescued two people from the building and took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Md Nazmul and Sarwar, who accompanied the victims to the hospitals, said the fire broke out at around 1:05 am, filling the upper floors of the building with smoke. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the police camp at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said the bodies have been kept at the DMCH morgue The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage could not be immediately determined.  

Four people died in two separate incidents after entering septic tanks in Chattogram city and the district's Raozan upazila on Friday. In the city, two construction workers died after becoming trapped inside a septic tank while working at an under-construction multi-storey building in Dhaniyalapara under Double Mooring police station. The deceased were identified as Sakib and Hridoy. Double Mooring Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinur Alam said the incident occurred around noon at a building under construction near American Building and Lucky Mansion in the Choto Mosque by-lane area of Dhaniyalapara. The two workers reportedly suffocated after entering the septic tank on the ground floor of the building for maintenance work. Police and Fire Service personnel recovered the bodies and sent them to the morgue of Chattogram Medical College Hospital for autopsy, the OC said. In a separate incident in Raozan upazila, two workers died after entering a septic tank to clean it at a house under construction in Jhikuti Para of Noapara union. The deceased were identified as Pradip Das of Kochukhain area in Raozan and Samiran Das of Kodurkhil area in neighbouring Boalkhali upazila. Pradip was also the son-in-law of the house owner, locally known as Ratan Doctor. Raozan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Jasim Uddin confirmed the deaths. According to local residents, Pradip entered the septic tank around 12:30 pm and became ill after inhaling toxic gas accumulated inside the tank, which had remained closed for a long period. Samiran entered the tank in an attempt to rescue him but also lost consciousness after being exposed to the gas. Fire Service personnel later recovered both men and rushed them to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

A Bangladeshi student who went to Cyprus for higher studies was found dead in a forest there, claimed his family. The victim, Shahriar Ahmed, also known as Emon, 22, hailed from Lochanpur village in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district. He was the eldest son of Nasir Mia, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Greece. According to family members, Shahriar went to Cyprass around three months ago on a student visa after enrolling online at a university there. He had been living in Oroklini area of Larnaca and was sharing accommodation with another Bangladeshi, Raihan. His family said Shahriar had been looking for a job to reduce the financial burden on his family which had been sending him around Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 every month for expenses. On June 11, Shahriar informed his mother that he had secured a job and would begin work that night. He also shared the news with his father and the roommate. Before leaving for work, his roommate Raihan asked him to send his location upon arrival. At around 9 pm local time, Shahriar sent his location via WhatsApp and Raihan replied with an “OK” message, but Shahriar never viewed it, according to the family. About an hour later, a message was sent from Shahriar’s WhatsApp account to his father claiming that he had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of 35,000 euros for his release. The message threatened to sell his eyes and kidneys if the money was not paid. Initially, family members suspected that Shahriar’s WhatsApp account had been hacked. However, when he did not return from work the following day, Raihan filed a report with local police. The family said the WhatsApp account remained active and ransom demands continued for several days. Shahriar’s younger brother, Nayan Ahmed, said the family eventually agreed to negotiate with the kidnappers and settled on a ransom amount equivalent to Tk 5 lakh. “On Sunday, we went to the bank to send the money. We wanted to speak to my brother first using his phone which was with the kidnappers. But their behaviour and responses made us suspicious and we decided not to transfer the money,” said Nayan. Later that night, the family learned that Cyprus police arrested a Bangladeshi national, identified as Shahin Babu, 22, in connection with the case. According to family members, police recovered Shahriar’s body from a forest based on information provided by the suspect.   Investigators also recovered a knife believed to have been used in the killing.   The family said Cyprus police have not disclosed the suspect’s home district in Bangladesh.   Raipura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Masud Rana said he heard that a Bangladeshi national has been arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of a student in Cyprus.   “However, we have not yet received any official communication from the Cyprus Embassy regarding the matter, nor has the victim’s family contacted us for assistance,” he said.   “If the family seeks support, necessary measures will be taken through the ministry concerned,” said the UNO.  

A university student who was preparing to leave for Australia for higher education has lost his life in a road accident in the capital's Fakirapool area just days before his scheduled departure. The deceased, Arafat Rahman Shawon, 19, son of Md. Lutfor Rahman and a first-year BBA student at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). Shawon hailed from Baro Deora Ansar Ali Road area  in Gazipur. He used to live with his family in Madhubagh area of Moghbazar in Dhaka. His mother, Sultana Akter, said her son was preparing to pursue higher studies in Australia and his flight to Australia was scheduled for June 30. "He went out on a motorcycle with friends to watch a football match at night. While passing through Fakirapool, a pedestrian was crossing the road when the motorcycle collided with him around 12 am. The pedestrian was injured, and my son suffered severe injuries to his head, face, and other parts of his body," she said. He was immediately taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead, she said. Inspector Md. Faruk, in-charge of the police camp at DMCH, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue. The injured pedestrian is currently receiving treatment at the emergency department.

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect last October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry said on Wednesday that 1,005 people have been killed in Israeli military operations since the truce began, amid continued airstrikes, shelling and gunfire in various parts of the enclave. The latest casualties followed a series of Israeli drone strikes over recent days targeting towns, refugee camps in central Gaza and areas of Gaza City. In the latest incident, an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed two Palestinians and injured six others, according to health officials at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the strike, saying it targeted a “terrorist,” but provided no further details. Relatives of the victims told hospital authorities that the attack hit a group of people near the beach in the Mawasi tent camp, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Israel has maintained that it continues to conduct operations against Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza and has expanded the territory under its control inside the enclave. In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it had killed two militants belonging to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in strikes carried out over the weekend. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that the overall death toll from the Israel-Hamas war, which began in October 2023, has surpassed 73,000. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, though its records are generally regarded by international organizations as credible and are maintained by medical professionals.

Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed during a routine training mission in the northeastern Indian state of Assam on Saturday, officials said. The aircraft went down near Jorhat in Assam, the Indian Air Force said in a statement posted on social media platform X. Visuals from the crash site showed debris scattered across a field following the accident. The IAF expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said it stood in solidarity with them during this difficult time. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the crash, and further details are awaited. The incident comes months after two Indian Air Force pilots were killed in March when a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed during a routine training sortie in Assam.

Four people were killed and another was injured when a chicken-laden pickup van rammed into the rear of a stationary truck at Ghonar Chala area in Sakhipur upazila of Tangail early Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Nur Nabi, 64, son of Abul Hakim of Bakshiganj upazila in Jamalpur district; Rafiqul, 18, son of Md Palash of Patnitala upazila in Naogaon district; Sagar, 22, son of Md Ershad of Kendua upazila in Netrakona district; and Sumon, 26, son of Md Selim of Bhola district. Sumon used to live in Mirpur-1 area of Dhaka. According to local sources, bamboo was being loaded onto  the truck parked on the roadside when the speeding pickup van, coming from the Barachawna direction, crashed into the rear of the truck. Four people who were in the pickup van died on the spot, while a man on the bamboo-laden truck sustained serious injuries. The injured, Md Zahirul Islam, 40, son of Afsar Ali Mondal of Lakkhindar village in Ghatail upazila of Tangail, was rescued and admitted to a hospital. Sakhipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Helal Uddin said the bodies were recovered and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident. Necessary legal procedures are being carried out, he added.

A man was killed in a lynch-mob attack over theft allegation in Bandail (Jianagar) village in Singair upazila of Manikganj early Monday. The victim was identified as Rajib, 40, a resident of Dattakhand village in Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka district. Locals said a theft allegedly took place at the house of Mohammad Hakim Ali at around 2 am. Locals alleged that Rajib entered the house by cutting through a window grill, while several of his associates remained outside. Cash and gold ornaments were looted from the house and passed to the accomplices, who fled the scene, they claimed. When the homeowner became aware of the incident, he confronted the suspected thief, leading to a scuffle. Hakim Ali sustained head injuries during the scuffle and was later admitted to Singair Upazila Health Complex. Following the incident, locals caught Rajib and beat him, leaving him dead on the spot, said witnesses. Md Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Singair Police Station, said police recovered the body after receiving information about the incident. "The process of sending the body to the morgue for an autopsy is underway. The incident is being investigated and legal action will be taken accordingly," he said. Police are preparing to file a case in connection with the incident, the OC added.

Three people, including a woman, were killed and four others injured in separate lightning strike incidents in different parts of Habiganj district on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Rahela Begum, 45, wife of Altaf Ali of Kazirgaon village under Shaistaganj municipality; Rinku Debnath, 30, son of Suresh Debnath of Mirpur Chakfazil village in Bahubal upazila; and Sujon Mia, 16, son of Joydor Ali of Srimangalkandi village in Baniachang upazila. According to police and local sources, Rahela Begum was struck by lightning while working beside her house in Kazirgaon village of Shaistaganj in the afternoon and died on the spot. In another incident, Rinku Debnath had come to Chunarughat to visit his sister’s house. In the afternoon, he and his nephew Piyush Debnath were cleaning a water tank on the rooftop of a house when a thunderstorm began. A lightning strike hit the area, throwing both of them off the roof and leaving them seriously injured. Family members rescued them and took them to Chunarughat Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared Rinku dead. Piyush is currently undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, four youths were struck by lightning while watching a football match in a field at Srimangalkandi village in Baniachang upazila at around the same time. They were taken to Habiganj Sadar Modern Hospital, where doctors declared Sujon Mia dead. The injured Siam Mia, 17, Hafiz Uddin, 22, and Parvez Mia, 25, are receiving treatment at the hospital. The deaths were confirmed by Habiganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zahidul Haque, Shaistaganj Police Station OC Md Abul Kalam, and Baniachang Police Station OC Sheikh Nazmul Haque.