United News of Bangladesh

The drug trade has spread across Khulna city, with drug sales reportedly taking place in all 31 wards from evening until late at night, according to a report of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). The DNC has identified 272 people allegedly involved in drug trading in the city and listed 117 drug-selling hotspots. The list has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking necessary directives to curb the illegal trade. According to the DNC report, drug smugglers bring Phensedyl and Yaba from Satkhira and Jashore by road and rail. The drugs allegedly enter the city in cargo vehicles through Pather Bazar and Zero Point. Commuter trains from Benapole are also allegedly being used to transport drug consignments, with traders getting off at Daulatpur and Khulna railway stations, it said. The report identified 117 drug hotspots across the city, including Tutpara, Gachhtala, Mohirbari Khalpar, Greenland slum, Joragate, Hospital Road, Nirala Residential Area, Sonadanga bus terminal, Labanchhara, Zero Point, Kaiya Bazar, Islamnagar, Khulna University campus, Giletala, KUET Road, Daulatpur, Khalishpur, Boyra Bazar, Baikali Bazar, Customs Ghat and Maheshwarpasha Kalibari. An official holding the rank of deputy director at the DNC also sent a copy of the list to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The report said the hotspots were identified based on information from three intelligence agencies. The report alleged that before the political changeover in 2024, some senior leaders of the Sramik League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League had directly or indirectly been involved in the drug trade. It further alleged that some political and student leaders had invested money to encourage drug sellers and collected monthly payments in exchange for allowing drug sales in specific areas. The drugs included cannabis, Phensedyl, Yaba and codeine phosphate, according to the report. It said drug transactions worth around Tk 400,000 took place in the city every day at the time. The report also said the people controlling the drug trade changed following the political transition. Meanwhile, in a meeting of the law-and-order committee last month, Khulna General Hospital Superintendent Dr Rafiqul Islam Gazi said 137 people underwent dope tests during the month when eight of tested positive for drugs. Most of those who tested positive were users of morphine and cannabis, he said. Additional Deputy Commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police Amit Kumer Bormon said police conduct drives every day to make the city free of drugs. He said drug dealers were on the run but remained under pressure, adding that Yaba is in particularly high demand among drug users in the city.    

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a listed criminal, Momi, and three of his associates from the Dattabari area of Khulna city on Wednesday. The arrestees are Md Mehedi Hasan Momi, son of Shamim Jamaddar of Dattabari Pabla area; Jamil Hossain, son of Md Nasir Uddin; Md Liton Sardar, son of Mannan Sardar; and Sujoy Roy, son of Bimal Roy. All are residents of the Dattabari area. They were apprehended during a raid on a house at around 11am, according to a press release issued by RAB-6. RAB said acting on a tip-off, a team conducted the raid at the rented house of a tenant at Jafar Sheikh's house on Tarun Sena Road in Ward 5 of Dattabari under Daulatpur Police Station. Momi is a listed criminal of Daulatpur Police Station, it said. The RAB press release said multiple cases have been filed against Momi and his associates at different police stations in connection with arms, drugs, attempted murder and theft. The arrestees were later handed over to the concerned police stations, RAB said.

The dengue situation has deteriorated in Khulna division, with 215 new patients hospitalised with the viral disease in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Although no dengue-related death was reported during the period, a total of 575 dengue patients are currently undergoing treatment at hospitals across the division, said Khulna Divisional Director of Health Dr Sheikh Md Mosharraf Hossain. Khulna district is the worst affected area in the division, according to health officials. Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of Khulna city BNP demanded that Khulna be declared a dengue epidemic-affected district, alleging that the city corporation has failed to play an effective role in preventing the spread of the disease. The participants expressed concern over the worsening dengue situation and called for stronger measures to contain the outbreak. Three free medical camps have been opened in Khulna city from Tuesday. The camps will provide free primary medical treatment to women, men and children suffering from dengue and other fever-related illnesses. The initiative was taken to establish the medical camps near the residences of low-income families, enabling them to access treatment. The camps have been set up at Sonadanga Abu Bakkar Khan Adarsha Government Primary School in Ward No. 17, Abu Madrasa and Orphanage in the Rupsha embankment area of Ward No. 22, and Tutpara Taltala Matrisadan Hospital in Ward No. 30. Patients suffering from fever can receive primary medical consultation and treatment services free of charge at the camps.

Unidentified criminals opened fire at a group of journalists in Khulna city early Wednesday though no casualties were reported. The incident occurred around 12:30am in front of a tea stall on the western side of the United Nations Shishu Park in the city. According to witnesses, several journalists had gathered at the tea stall after work, as they regularly do, when two young men arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at them. The bullet missed its intended target and struck the leg of a chair. Fragments from the bullet reportedly grazed the chest of journalist Awal, causing a minor injury. He is now out of danger, fellow journalists said. SA TV correspondent Mati said six journalists were chatting at the spot when the attackers suddenly fired at them before fleeing the scene. Senior Staff Reporter of the Daily Khulanchal, Syed Rana Kabir, said the bullet lodged in a chair after missing the journalists, while a fragment lightly injured Awal. On receiving information, police rushed to the scene and recovered part of a bullet. Officer-in-Charge of Khulna Police Station Md Shafiqul Islam said no casualties were reported. “We recovered part of the bullet from the scene and are investigating the motive behind the shooting,” he said, adding that police are trying to identify those involved.

Large parts of Khulna city remained submerged after 184 millimetres of rainfall over the past 51 hours, causing severe waterlogging and widespread disruption to daily life, while residents questioned the effectiveness of a Tk 823-crore drainage improvement project. According to the Khulna Meteorological Office, the city received 184 millimetres of rainfall over the past 51 hours. The persistent rain inundated roads, lanes and low-lying areas, leaving many areas under knee-deep water and causing widespread suffering for commuters, students, transport workers and residents. The worst-affected areas include Mujgunni, Royal Mor, Tutpara, Jinnah Nagar, Daulatpur, Atra, Giltala, Dilkhola, Banargati and Sheikhpara. Water also entered many homes in these localities. Residents and environmental activists said waterlogging has become a recurring problem during the monsoon due to inadequate drainage planning, despite years of infrastructure development under the city's drainage improvement project. They alleged that although seven canals have been excavated and more than 200 drains constructed or renovated over the past five and a half years, the measures have failed to provide a lasting solution. Mustafa, a businessman in Mujgunni, said even light rainfall leaves the intersection under knee-deep water. "We urge the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) to take effective measures to resolve this problem permanently," he said. Hamim, a resident of Karigorpara in Pabla, said rainwater regularly floods the ground floor of his house because newly constructed roads and drains were raised without ensuring proper connections for water to flow from nearby homes. Anup Kumar, resident of Pabla Sahapara, blamed the crisis on poor urban planning rather than only inadequate drains. He said many natural canals have been narrowed and converted into concrete drains in recent years, reducing their water-carrying capacity and disrupting the city's natural drainage system. "Simply building new drains will not solve the problem unless natural canals are restored, drains are cleaned regularly and proper links with rivers and canals are established," he added. Easy-bike driver Hafiz said he had no choice but to continue working despite flooded roads. "Even after spending hundreds of crores of taka on roads and drains, our suffering has not decreased," he said. According to KCC, the city has around 1,165 kilometres of drainage channels. Under the "Khulna City Waterlogging Mitigation through Drainage System Improvement (Phase-1)" project worth Tk 823 crore, canal excavation, drain construction and other infrastructure works have been carried out over the past several years. Sheikh Mohammad Masud Karim, Project Director and KCC Executive Engineer said 169 covered drains with a combined length of 147 kilometres have been constructed under the project. Md Anisur Rahman, KCC Chief Conservancy Officer said drain-cleaning activities are carried out regularly but have been temporarily suspended due to the ongoing rainfall, as mud removed from drains is being washed back by rainwater. He also noted that the city corporation lacks modern equipment to clean newly built covered drains efficiently, forcing workers to remove heavy concrete slabs manually. Equipment for mechanised drain cleaning has been included in the ongoing project and is expected to improve maintenance once procured. Nazrul Islam Manju, KCC Administrator attributed the persistent waterlogging to multiple factors, including poor drainage planning in previous years, incomplete drainage works, an inoperative pump house on the Rupsha River and dysfunctional sluice gates. He said the city's drainage system has also been affected by raised drain beds, leaving many residential areas at lower elevations than surrounding roads. "We assumed responsibility only three months ago and are working day and night to remove obstacles to water drainage and clean the city's drains," he said. He also urged residents not to dispose of waste into drains, asking them to use designated dustbins to help keep the drainage system functional.  

A bank manager was seriously injured after an armed gang stormed his house in Phultala upazila of Khulna and looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth around Tk 20 lakh early Tuesday. The victim, Sheikh Hajjaj Imtiaz, also known as Farid, is the manager of Madhumati Bank's Khulna branch. According to police and family members, a gang of seven to eight armed robbers entered the two-storey house in Paigram village around 2:15 am by climbing to the roof with a ladder and cutting through the window grille. The robbers held family members hostage at gunpoint, tied them up and attacked Imtiaz with a sharp weapon, leaving him critically injured. The gang ransacked the house and looted Tk 8 lakh in cash and six bhori of gold ornaments worth around Tk 12 lakh from a locker and iron safe before fleeing, taking valuables worth an estimated Tk 20 lakh in total. CCTV footage showed the robbers remained inside the house from 2:25 am until 4:07 am. They were wearing masks and carrying locally made weapons, family members said. Imtiaz was initially admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital but was later shifted to a private hospital in Dhaka as his condition deteriorated. Officer-in-Charge of Phultala Police Station Md Margub Touhid visited the scene around 5:30 am, while Khulna Superintendent of Police Md Tajul Islam inspected the house later in the morning. The OC said no case had been filed and police had yet to arrest any suspects or recover the looted valuables.

A schoolgirl was shot and injured in an attack by miscreants at Rupsha Beribadh in Khulna city on Friday. The victim was identified as Eti, 17, a class X student of Rupsha Multipurpose High School and daughter of Zulficker Rahman of Rupsha Beribadh area. Abdus Sattar, Sub-inspector of Khulna Police Station, said when Eti was standing in front of her house three miscreants riding on a motorbike appeared there and opened fire on her, leaving the girl injured in the evening. Eti was taken to a local hospital with bullet injuries in her leg. Police are trying to arrest those involved in the attack, said SI Abdus Sattar. Motive behind the attack is yet to be known, police said.

Police have recovered the bodies of three members of a family from a rented house in the Sonadanga area of Khulna city. The deceased were identified as Baby Begum, 55, and her grandsons Mustakim, 4, and Shamim, 13. Officer-in-Charge of Sonadanga Model Police Station Md Rafiqul Islam said they recovered the bodies from the house in the Darus Aman neighborhood on Tamizuddin Road on Saturday evening. According to Fatema Begum Mary, 35, the mother of the two children, her second husband Rafiqul Islam did not treat her children from her previous marriage well. She stated that Rafiqul came to the house on Friday night and stayed there. The following morning, he allegedly locked the house from the outside and left. When Fatema could not find her mother and two children, she searched for them in various places. Later in the afternoon, she noticed a foul odour coming from a nearby room and alerted locals. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Teams from the Detective Branch (DB) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) also visited the scene and collected evidence. Sources said Fatema divorced her first husband Masum Bepari four years ago. Since then, their two children – Shamim and Mustakim – had been living with their mother. Fatema later married truck driver Rafiqul although she frequently stayed at her mother Baby Begum’s residence. Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner Md Zahidul Islam said three bodies were recovered from the rented house in the Darul Aman area under Sonadanga Police Station. He further stated that the children's mother Fatema was taken into police custody for questioning. Based on information she provided, police suspect that her second husband Rafiqul might have been involved in the incident. Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are conducting operations to arrest Rafiqul, son of Alamgir Hossain of the Maheshwarpasha area of the city. Meanwhile, a case was filed over the incident early Sunday. Fatema’s first husband Masum Bepari filed the case against her second husband Rafiqul Islam.

A man was killed and his wife injured  in an attack by burglars who broke into their house by cutting through the mud wall in Madhya Maheshwaripur area of Maheshwaripur union in Koyra upazila of Khulna early Monday. The deceased, Bhabatosh Mridha, was a local businessman. He ran a pharmacy in Gilabari Bazar of the same union. According to local Union Parishad member Mizanur Rahman, a group of miscreants entered the couple’s mud house around 1:30am. When Mridha tried to resist them they attacked him with sharp weapons , leaving him critically injured. His wife was also injured while trying to intervene. Locals rescued the couple in critical condition and took them to Koyra Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Mridha dead. His wife is undergoing treatment and is said to be out of danger. Md Shah Alam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Koyra Police Station, said police were sent to the scene immediately. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved. Locals said incidents of theft and break-ins have increased in the area in recent months, with organised gangs targeting homes at night.

Frequent power outages amid a supply shortfall have made daily life increasingly difficult for residents in Khulna as prolonged load-shedding continues in the city and surrounding areas. Amid intense heat, repeated power cuts have left people frustrated, with little relief even during nighttime. Local people electricity outages often begin just as temperatures remain high, depriving them of sleep for hours. Children, the elderly and the sick are facing the worst of the situation, they said. Many residents alleged that sudden, unannounced power cuts are disrupting their daily activities, while also affecting businesses. Quoting the central control room of the West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL), Chief Executive Engineer Rokon Uzzaman said power demand in Khulna stood at 653 megawatts at 10am on April 16, against a supply of 550 megawatts, resulting in a shortfall of 103 megawatts. Earlier, on April 15 at 1pm, demand was 750 megawatts while supply was 572 megawatts, leading to load-shedding of 178 megawatts. The same day at 9pm, demand was recorded at 686 megawatts against a supply of 542 megawatts, causing a deficit of 144 megawatts. Md Solaiman, a resident of Sheikhpara, said, “Load-shedding is continuing round the clock. Electricity goes off every hour. Children are suffering badly in this heat.” Residents urged the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure stable power supply and reduce load-shedding during the intense heat.