Khulna District Chhatra Dal President Abdul Mannan has remained misding 48 hours after he was picked up from his house allegedly by detective police, his family said on Friday. On Wednesday afternoon, some people in plain clothes picked him up from his rented house in the Nirala residential area of the city, said his niece Munni Khatun. Countrywide blockade: Long-route bus services from Khulna suspended She said, “Eight men in plain clothes entered his rented house on Wednesday afternoon. They all had weapons. They picked up Mannan saying he would be released after questioning. We haven't been able to find him since then.” Meanwhile, Manna’s family members and Chhatra Dal leaders went to different police stations and DB offices in Khulna to find the whereabouts of Mannan, said Gazi Shahidul Islam, organising secretary of Khulna District Chhatra Dal. Khulna-Mongla rail line to be inaugurated on Nov 1 He said, “All those arrested before and after the blockade were sent to court within 7-8 hours. But the district Chhatra Dal president has not been sent to court even after 48 hours and that’s why we are concerned.” Hasan Al Mamun, the officer-in-charge of Khulna Sadar Police Station said there has been no arrest of anyone by the name of Abdul Mannan. Miscreants set BNP office on fire in Khulna Deputy Police Commissioner (DB) of Khulna, BM Nuruzzaman, also provided the same information.

The railway network of Bangladesh is set to see a major development next month, as the newly-constructed Khulna-Mongla track will be inaugurated on November 1. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially inaugurate this railway line virtually, Ahmed Hossain Masum, chief engineer of the project, told media. Read: Kaptai hanging bridge in Rangamati opens to tourists after over one month Before the official opening, a trial train will go from Khulna’s Phultala to Mongla this afternoon, he added. Some final works will be completed soon, said the chief engineer. Rafiqul Haque, assistant engineer of the project said, local people living on both sides of the rail line were informed on Sunday about the trial train movement today (October 30, 2023). Read: Chinese-built railway opens via Bangladesh's Padma Bridge The project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on December 21, 2010. Work began in November, 2016.

BNP says 25 leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies have been arrested from different parts of Khulna district in 48 hours till this morning, ahead of BNP’s October 28 grand rally. Ehteshamul Haque Shaon, member of Khulna’s BNP media cell, said so far police have arrested 25 leaders and activists centering the grand rally. BNP’s rally must be held at Nayapaltan: Rizvi Contacted, Saidur Rahman, superintendent of district police, said police are arresting those who were wanted in different criminal cases and they were “not arrested centering BNP’s grand rally.” If BNP’s rally is peaceful, government has nothing to do with it: Home Minister On October 18, BNP announced a grand rally in Dhaka on October 28 as part of the party’s final phase of programme under their ongoing movement against the government. BNP fighting to destroy democracy, not protect it: Quader BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

The Forest Department of Bangladesh will install nylon fence at critical locations in the Sundarbans and provide awareness training, aiming to resolve tiger-human conflicts, and increase the tiger population in the world’s largest mangrove forest. These initiatives are part of a special project of the Forest Department named 'Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project'.The implementation of the project, with a budget of Tk 35.90 crores, began in April 2022 scheduled for completion in March 202, according to the project director’s office. Read: Govt measures boost hilsa production in Khulna Under this project, various activities were planned including a survey of the tigers and prey animals in the Sundarbans, the construction of high dunes and watchtowers, research on canine distemper virus in tigers, and awareness training for VTRT and CPG members, it said. To prevent tigers from entering nearby localities from the Sundarbans, nylon fence will be erected in 4 to 5 km critical locations initially. If this proves successful, 60 km area will be brought under fencing. The Forest Department expressed hopes that the successful implementation of this project will resolve tiger-human conflicts, reduce human-induced tiger killings, and increase the tiger population. Read: Khulna fuel traders start indefinite strike with 3-point demand The primary focus of the project is the survey of tigers and prey animals. So far, camera trapping surveys have been completed for tigers, prey animals, and canals in the Khulna and Satkhira ranges under Sundarbans West Forest Division. The survey in the Sharankhola and Chandpai ranges under East Forest Division is set to commence in November, with the report expected to be published in July 2024. Abu Nasser Mohsin Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarbans West Forest Division and Project Director of the Sundarban Tiger Conservation Project, said camera trapping work for the tiger survey in Satkhira and Khulna ranges has been successfully completed. All officers and employees of the Sundarbans East and West Forest Divisions will undergo training to enhance their tiger conservation skills. Read: Rail link with Khulna restored after 7 hours “Training sessions for CPG and VTRT members will start soon. Additionally, several activities are planned for tiger conservation and increasing their numbers,” he said. “All project activities will be documented on video, and these recordings will be used to create documentary films. These films will later prove valuable to officials and volunteers dedicated to Sundarbans and tiger conservation,” he added. According to the project plan, 12 high dunes will be constructed inside the Sundarbans to offer shelter to tigers during floods, storms, and high tides. A tower will also be installed in the Dhansagar area of the Sarankhola range tiger sanctuary to monitor fires. From this tower, forest guards and volunteers will be able to swiftly manage fires in the Sundarbans in that region. As part of the project, research will be conducted on the canine distemper virus. Tiger feces will be collected from the Sundarbans, and domestic researchers will study the virus infection in the tigers' teeth through these fecal samples. Read: Onion prices soar in Khulna market after India slaps duty on export On the other hand, 340 members of the Village Tiger Response Team (VTRT) and 184 members of the Community Patrol Group (CPG) will receive training to resolve human-tiger conflicts in the Sundarbans. Additionally, two tigers that often enter the locality will be fitted with satellite trackers. Forest officers will provide apps to CPG and VTRT members for tracking tigers' movements, allowing them to monitor tiger activity on their mobile phones. Consequently, if a tiger approaches the locality, they will be able to quickly guide it back to the Sundarbans. Furthermore, for the project's implementation, various equipment such as drone cameras, satellite trackers, nylon fences, GPS devices, tranquilizing agents for tiger sedation, cameras, VTRT equipment, and various auxiliary materials, including clothing and training materials for CPG members, will be procured. Read more: Save Sundarbans, save Bangladesh: Environmentalists call for protecting largest mangrove forest

Over 500 farmers of several villages in Rupsa upazila under Khulna district are living amid fear of losing their cropland as no initiative has been taken in the last three years to construct the broken Shreerampur embankment to protect their land. Farmers said there is around 525 hectares of croplands in Shreerampur char and over 500 farmers cultivate vegetables, rice and fruits on the fertile land three times a year. Read: Teesta riverbank erosion in Lalmonirhat: Fear of losing homes grips locals But three years ago about 1.5 km of the embankment from Shreerampur Palpara to Idris Jamaddar’s brick kiln collapsed due to erosion by the Rupsha River, leaving the cropland under threat. Local MP Abdus Salam Murshedi took an initiative to solve the problem but no visible progress was made in the construction of embankment due to some complexities that created resentment among the local people. Read: River erosion washes away road in Sunamganj;  thousands  suffer AHM Kamal, a farmer of the upazila who has land in Sreerampur char, said “We have been cultivating this land for generations. After meeting the region’s demand the rest of the crops are exported. We are in a great anxiety because of the river erosion which started three years ago. We are always afraid that the river water would enter the cropland and damage our crops. So I urge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and local MP Abdus Salam Murshedi to save the farmers of the area by constructing an embankment as soon as possible.” Read: Rising river waters trigger flooding, erosion concerns in Kurigram Md Jahangir Hosen Mukul, a member of Khulna district Awami League, said, “ this dam has a great significance in the life of the farmers of this area. If the embankment collapses due to erosion, thousands of people will be affected .Croplands will be destroyed and there will be shortage of food. So I think it is very important to construct this embankment.

An indefinite strike called by fuel traders in Khulna is underway since this morning (September 03, 2023) to realise their three-point demand including hiking commission on fuel sales. Moving fuel from Padma, Jamuna and Meghna oil depots has remained suspended since 8 am. Bangladesh Tank-Lorry Owners’ Association, Bangladesh Fuel Oil Distributors Association, Khulna Divisional Tank-Lorry Workers’ Union and Padma, Meghna and Jamuna Tank-Lorry Workers’ Welfare Association are observing the strike. Their demands include raising commission on fuel sales to at least 7.5 percent, setting the tank-lorry economic life to 50 years, and issuing a gazette notification mentioning fuel traders as commission agents as per previous pledges. Read: Khulna fuel traders threaten strike from Sept 3 if demands not met As news of the strike surfaced earlier, a huge number of motorbikes and private vehicles were seen forming queues at fuel pumps in Khulna on Saturday night. Claiming their demands as logical, Md Muraduzzaman, a leader of petrol pump owners’ association, said they were forced to start the strike from Sunday morning as their demands were not met by August 31. The strike will end when their three-point demand is met, he said. Read: Sylhet’s Osmani hospital’s intern doctors call off strike

Patients at Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) have been struggling to receive proper treatment due to overcrowding and manpower shortage. The authorities of KMCH have been scrambling to provide treatment due to bed shortage as the number of patients is three times higher than the capacity of the 500-bed hospital. Besides, physicians at the outdoor department of the hospital are also having a difficult time with 1500 patients on average every day seeking medical treatment. 3 KMCH doctors missing since Friday Deputy director of KMCH, Dr Niaz Mustafi Chwodhury, said a record number of patients are thronging at the hospital as the authorities have expanded healthcare services after opening new departments. “Though we are struggling a lot to provide medical services to the record number of patients, we are trying our best,” he said. Clash with medicine traders: KMCH students boycott classes During a recent visit to the hospital, this UNB correspondent found that the floors, veranda, and staircases near the entrance of the hospital building are overcrowded with patients. Many were receiving treatment, resting on mats on the floor, close to the bathroom and staircases due to shortage of beds. Jahangir Alam, who came to the hospital with his father from Rupsha upazila, said, “I brought my father with respiratory problems. He has been receiving treatment on the floor of the veranda for the past seven days. My father is suffering a lot due to the heat as there is no fan in the veranda.” The staff of the hospital are also responding slowly as they are unable to cope with the overwhelming number of patients. According to hospital sources, 81 posts under 31 wards of 16 departments at KMCH have remained vacant for a long period — forcing staff to deal with patients with inadequate manpower. KMCH intern doctors call for work abstention over clash between students and medicine traders

A 22-year-old woman was found hanging at her residence at Ramnagar village in Rupsa upazila of Khulna district on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Shanta Begum, 22, wife of Sohag Talukdar of  Ramnagar village. Read: Man killed ‘by daughter’ in Chuadanga, wife, daughter held Quoting locals, police said the woman might have killed herself following a family feud. Officer-in-Charge of Rupsa Police Station Md Shahin said the body was sent to KhulnaMedical College Hospital for autopsy. Read: 2 children drown in a pond while trying to pluck guavas in Gaibandha Shanta’s mother Salma Begum filed a case of unnatural death, he said.

Onion prices have gone up in Khulna market just after the India's imposition of 40 percent duty on its export which came into effect from Sunday (August 20). The prices of onion have increased by Tk 10-15 per kg in the local market just in a day. On Sunday, Indian onions were being sold at Tk 65-70 per kg, while local onions at Tk 90 per kg. But on Saturday, per kg of Indian and local variety onions were sold at Tk 55-60 and Tk 75 per kg respectively. Read: India imposes 40% duty on onion exports effective today Sujan and Kawsar, traders of Mylapota Sandhya Bazar in the town, said that there is no shortage of onion in the market. However, they are paying Tk 10-15 more for buying per kg of onion. As a result, onions have to be sold at a higher price, they added. On August 19, the Revenue Department of the Indian Finance Ministry imposed a 40 percent duty on onion export to check price hike. Read: Indian onions start arriving through land ports as import resumes Importers said earlier they paid no tax for importing onions from India. Due to the 40 percent duty, an extra Tk 15-19 per kg will have to be counted. An Indian gazette notification signed by Amreeta Titus, deputy secretary of the Revenue Department under the Finance Ministry, said the duty will remain effective till December 31 this year. Indian exporters said onion prices are soaring in the country and the government has imposed the duty to discourage exports. Read: Proper preservation of onions to end instability, crisis: Agriculture Minister  Buyers said that the prices of onion have increased compared to the last few days. Onions may be stockpiled by unscrupulous traders on the pretext of import duty that may cause further rise in prices, they feared. Ibrahim Hossain, deputy director of the Khulna divisional office of the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection,  said that they are monitoring the market.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police have arrested a doctor, in connection with his suspected involvement in the medical college admission question leak, from Khulna district on Friday (August 18, 2023). The arrestee was identified as Dr Yunus Khan Tarim, owner of Three Doctors Coaching Centre in Khulna. Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said a team of CID arrested Dr Tarim and took him to Dhaka for further interrogation in the afternoon. Man arrested from Dhaka over rape of 4-year-old in Chapainawabganj According to CID, Dr Tarim has been involved in leaking medical college admission test questions for 16 years. He has earned substantial wealth from selling question papers to students of the coaching centre, at Tk 35-40 lakh each, they said. Member of ‘dope gang’ arrested at Dhaka airport So far, CID have arrested 12 members of a “question paper leaking racket”. Among the arrestees are seven physicians including Dr Tarim. Two men arrested over beating 'drug addicted' nephew to death in Dinajpur