United News of Bangladesh

The probe body formed to investigate the massive fire at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) Cargo Village has submitted its report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, concluding that the blaze was caused by an electrical short circuit. “It was not an act of sabotage. The fire originated from an electrical short circuit,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters on Tuesday, citing the findings of the probe report. Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul was also present at the media briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy. Home Secretary Nasimul Gani handed over the probe report to the Chief Adviser and the matter was discussed at the Council of Advisers’ meeting. The fire broke out at the HSIA Cargo Village on October 18. 7-member committee formed to probe Shahjalal Airport fire The inquiry committee found that 48 small iron-cage offices had been set up inside the courier shed for various agencies, but the facility lacked basic fire safety measures such as fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers and hydrants. The report also noted that highly flammable materials, including cloth rolls wrapped in polythene, chemicals, compressed perfume bottles, body sprays, electronics, batteries and pharmaceutical raw materials, were stored haphazardly in violation of safety regulations. The committee recorded oral and written testimonies from 97 witnesses and concluded that the fire started in the northwest corner of the extended courier shed due to an electrical arc that led to a short circuit. Experts from Turkey, BUET, fire safety professionals, and CID forensic units contributed to determining the cause of the fire.

A probe body, formed after the July jet crash, on Wednesday recommended that all initial trainings of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) will be conducted outside Dhaka city considering the public safety. "We have capacity to do (initial training) that," Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in the city. Quoting the investigation report, Alam said things went beyond the pilot when he was flying as there were faults during the time of take-off. "The key reason for the accident was the pilot's error during take-off. While flying during training, the situation went beyond his control. That is the conclusion (of the report),” he said. There were 31 recommendations and 10 recommendations came up prominently for discussions. Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan handed over the report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus with a set of recommendations. The Press Secretary said the probe body spoke to 150 people, including experts and victims and through these conversations; they gathered 168 pieces of information and made 33 recommendations. He said the school was not built with Rajuk's approved building code (Bangladesh National Building Code). The Press Secretary said the building was supposed to have minimum three stairs, but it had only one in the middle. The expert committee said that if there had been three staircases, the number of casualties would have been lower, he added, quoting the report. The July 21 jet crash at Milestone School and College in the capital's Uttara claimed 34 lives, including 28 students and three teachers, and injured over a hundred. Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahmmad and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi were also present.

The government on Thursday formed a six-member body, headed by a former Supreme Court justice, to investigate the recent violence centering a rally of the NCP in Gopalganj. The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification on Thursday. Former justice and freedom fighter Dr Md Abu Tariq will lead the probe body. Other members of the committee include Khondokar Md Mahabubur Rahman, additional secretary of Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs; Md Saiful Islam, additional secretary of the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Division; Brig Gen Shahidur Rahman Osmani, commander of the 21st Infantry Brigade in Jashore; Sardar Nurul Amin, additional inspector general of Police and Director of Central Police Hospital; and Dr Sazzad Siddiqui, chairman of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University. Gopalganj curfew extended till 6 am Sunday The committee will investigate the deterioration of law and order on July 16 in Gopalganj Sadar upazila, including attacks on the district jail and other government establishments, loss of lives and properties and threats to public security. The committee has been tasked with identifying the accused and organisations involved in the attack on the rally and public establishments and to recommend legal actions against them. It (probe body) will also suggest measures to prevent such untoward incidents in future. The Public Security Division will provide secretarial support to the committee. The committee has been asked to submit its report with specific findings and recommendations to the Ministry of Home Affairs within three weeks.  

A four-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the train accident on Kalurghat Rail Bridge on Friday that left three people dead, said Railway officials. Four railway staff members have been temporarily suspended in connection with the incident, said Rezaul Karim Siddique, public relations officer of the Ministry of Railways. The suspended staff are Sohel Rana, guard, loco master Golam Rasul, assistant loco master Amin Ullah and temporary gatekeeper Mahbub. Train rams auto-rickshaw on Kalurghat Bridge: 3 dead, 5 injured Headed by the Divisional Transportation Officer of Bangladesh Railway, Chattogram, the other members of the committee include the Divisional Mechanical Engineer (Loco), the Divisional Engineer-1, and the Divisional Medical Officer of Pahartali, Chattogram. The committee has been asked to submit the report within three days. At least three people were killed and five others injured when a Dhaka-bound train crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on the Kalurghat Bridge in Chattogram on Thursday night. According to locals, the ‘Parjatak Express’ train from Cox’s Bazar rammed into the auto-rickshaw at around 10:30pm on Thrusday when it just entered the bridge. The train subsequently collided with several other vehicles, including motorcycles.  

Firefighters brought a devastating fire in the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, under full control on Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after it broke out. The fire caused damages to four acres of the forest, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, forest officials said. A three-member body, headed by Dipen Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, was formed and asked to submit a report within seven working days, said Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Official (DFO) of Sundarbans East Division. The probe body also includes Bipuleshwar Chandra Das, an officer of Dhansagar Station, and Md Rafiqul Islam, in-charge of Kolomteji Patrol Outpost. DFO Nurul Karim said forest officials and local villagers worked tirelessly throughout Saturday night to extinguish the fire by using water from the Bhola River to douse the flames, with firefighters joining them on Sunday morning around 8am. A pipeline was set up to transport water from the Bhola River and the fire is now under control, the forest official said, adding that smoke can still be seen in some areas, By 11:30am on Sunday, there were no visible flames in the forest area, he said. Sundarbans fire: No water sprayed even 12 hours after detection due to lack of nearby source He informed that following recommendations from an earlier investigation into the Sundarbans fire on May 4, 2024, authorities had halted permission for honey collectors in Compartments 24, 25, and 27. But this year, the honey collection season is set to begin on April 1. The DFO suspected that illegal honey collectors might have entered the forest before the season officially began and the fire could have originated from their torches or discarded cigarette butts. Besides, herders who illegally bring their livestock into the Sundarbans by crossing the Bhola River might have also been responsible, as their discarded cigarettes could have sparked the fire, he suspected. ACF Dipen said that a fire-line spanning 1.5 kilometres was created in the affected area to prevent the flames from spreading further. The fire is now under full control, with only minor damages being reported to Balla and Nal forests. Aftab-e-Alam, officer-in-charge of Sarankhola Fire Station in Bagerhat, said that the fire is almost fully extinguished, with about 90 percent of it put out by 11:30am on Sunday. No flames were visible, though occasional smoke was seen, prompting immediate water spraying, he said. Sundarbans at stake as erosion shrinks forest land The fire service official said that three fire units from Bagerhat Sadar, Morrelganj, and Sarankhola, along with forest officials and local villagers, were actively involved in the firefighting efforts. The exact cause and extent of the damage will be determined once the Forest Department releases its investigation report, he said. Besides, some firefighters have been dispatched to the Gulisakhali area of the forest after receiving reports of another fire incident on Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 7am on Saturday in the Taper Beel area of Kolomteji Camp under the Dhansagar Station in the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Zone. This marks the 29th fire incident in the Sundarbans over the past 19 years. The last major fire occurred on May 4, 2024. Over time, nearly 85 acres of forest land in the Sundarbans have been destroyed by fires.

A two-member probe body was formed to look into the robbery attempt by digging a tunnel at a Sonali Bank branch in Lalmonirhat. Manager of Borobari Sonali Bank branch Raju Mia, said headed by Shaheen Akhter Bhuiya, Assistant General Manager of Sonali Bank, the other member of the committee is Senior Principal Shahin Islam. Probe launched after 2 patients die following alleged wrong treatment in Kishoreganj Earlier, on Monday, a group of robbers tried to commit robbery by digging a tunnel at Borobari Sonali Bank in Sadar upazila of Lalmonirhat district around 11:30 pm. The robbers tried to enter the bank by digging a tunnel behind the bank. Sensing a robbery attempt, an official of the bank raised a hue and cry for help. Shariatpur OC found dead: Police suspect suicide, probe committee formed Hearing the scream, Army, police and bank officials rushed to the spot, forcing the robbers to flee the scene. They are investigating whether any money was missing from the bank.  

A five-member committee was formed on Monday to probe the fire at the New Super Market, next to Dhaka New Market on Saturday morning. Headed by Md Wahidul Islam, director (administration and Finance) of Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters, the committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days. The other members of the committee are—Babul Chakrabarty, deputy director (planning), Senior Station officer of Palashi Fire Station, Warehouse inspector Golam Mostafa and Foysalur Rahman, deputy assistant director. Earlier, a massive fire that broke out at New Super Market on Saturday was doused on Sunday morning around 27 hours after it started. Also read; New Super Market fire: Traders risking lives to save valuables It burnt down several shops and establishments during this busy Eid shopping season. A total of 28 firefighting units and teams of Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force took part in the effort to douse the fire. Some 32 people, including firefighters, fell sick from the heavy smoke while firefighters were trying to douse the blaze.    

The Security Services Division of the Home Ministry has formed a four-member committee to probe the escaping of two death row convicts, also members of banned militant group Ansar al-Islam, from the premises of a Dhaka court on Sunday. The ministry issued a notification in this regard on Sunday (November 20). Read more: 2 militants who escaped from Dhaka court will be arrested any time soon: DB Chief The committee, headed by additional secretary (Prison sub-division) of the Security Services Division, has been asked to submit its report within seven working days, said the notification. On Sunday, two members of the banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam, who were sentenced to death in Jagriti Publications publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan murder case, escaped from the premises of Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Dhaka CMM Court). Read more: Five cops suspended over escape of 2 convicted militants The escapees are Md Abu Siddique Sohel alias Sakib alias Sajid alias Shahab and Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Samir alias Sifat alias Imran. Publisher Dipan, son of Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq of Dhaka University, was hacked to death in his office on the second floor of Aziz Supermarket at Shahbagh in Dhaka on October 31, 2015.

A probe body formed to investigate last month's horrific accident in Uttara that saw a massive girder of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project crush five members of a family to death in their car, has found the Chinese contractor responsible for the tragedy. Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division ABM Amin Ullah Nuri revealed this at a press briefing on the probe report at the Secretariat on Sunday. The probe body found the contractor firm, China Gezhouba Group Corporation, or CGGC responsible for the accident, he said. Separately, the probe body pointed to twelve circumstantial reasons behind the accident. These are as follows: Also read: 10 people remanded over Uttara girder crash · The authorities concerned were shifting the girder in the daytime for the first time, which is among the prime reasons behind the accident. · The authorities concerned were ignoring the government holiday without taking any prior permission from the higher authorities concerned. · The crane was driven by an assistant operator or helper of the crane’s main operator. · Even the operator had no licence. · The crane was found driving on a bumpy road. · There was no digital monitor on the crane. · The workers did not take any prior approval for the work. · There was no specific traffic management. Also read: PM orders to find out those responsible for Uttara girder crash · Ineptitude of the traffic management workers. · Lack of a safety engineer. · There was no emergency plan management · Those found working that day were not approved by the contractor firm. Few days after the accident, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said there would be no objections on their part if punitive actions is taken against those found responsible for the tragedy in an official probe. The probe body also provides some recommendations, including to continue the project work after ensuring safety as per the agreement; take prior approval for safety related issue; should be coordinated with the engineer, consultant, police, city corporation and other concerned for road related work; shifting heavy things like girder should take place from 8pm to 6am, after ensuring proper safety measure and must ensure emergency incident management plan and keeping standby capacity cranes or wrecker, ambulance, first aid and emergency doctor in the project area. The committee suggested bearing the cost of the victims injured in the accident as per prior consensus. On August 15, five members of a family, including two children, were crushed to death after a girder of the BRT project in Uttara fell from a crane on their private car. The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges formed the six-member probe committee to investigate the tragedy on the following day. Meanwhile, a police case has been filed in connection with the tragedy that occurred around 4.15pm when the girder of the Gazipur Expressway fell on the car from a crane while it was being moved in front of Gazipur Paradise Tower. The FIR for causing death due to negligence does not name anyone but lists the crane operator and the company responsible for the project, China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd, police said.

The probe committee, formed for looking into the incident of charged baton on the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) during an infighting in Barguna, recommended taking punitive action against thirteen police officials, said an official of Barishal range police. The committee headed by its chief Additional Deputy Inspector General Faruk submitted the report to the Deputy Inspector General of Barishal Range Police Aktaruzzaman on Sunday. However, the DIG refused to make any comment in this regard. According to the sources of Barishal range police, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Muharram Ali, who was withdrawn earlier and 12 others were made responsible in the incident. On August 15, at least 20 people were injured in the infighting between two factions of the BCL Barguna unit during a National Mourning Day discussion. The groups got into a scuffle following a heated argument during the discussion. Read: ASP withdrawn after cops charge baton on Barguna BCL activists 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 arrested from the spot, and several of them suffered injuries," Tariqul added. On August 16, ASP Muharram Ali was withdrawn from his duties. Muharram Ali was attached to Barishal Range DIG office, said Barishal range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SM Aktaruzzaman on August 16. Besides, five policemen were withdrawn and attached to Pirojpur and Bhola district police lines Later, a three-member probe body headed by Additional Deputy Inspector General Faruk was formed to look into the incident.