Police have arrested a bus driver and his helper over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Chandgaon bus terminal area of Chattogram. The two —Lokman Tarek, 26, and Hanif, 36—were held on Wednesday. A third suspect, bus supervisor Mobarak Hossain, is on the run. According to police, the girl had been travelling from Cox’s Bazar to Chattogram on Tuesday when the accused reportedly misled her and took her to the terminal after other passengers got off the bus, where she was sexually assaulted throughout the night. Youth arrested for demanding extortion at Jigatola Following a complaint lodged by the girl, police conducted an overnight operation to detain the two suspects. During primary questioning, they reportedly confessed to their involvement, police said. The victim is now under medical care at the One-Stop Crisis Centre of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Efforts to arrest the remaining suspect are underway, said Chandgaon Police Station officer-in-charge Md Aftab Uddin.

A Jubo Dal activist, who was shot during a clash between two factions of the BNP over the installation of Eid greeting banners in Chattogram’s Kusumbag Residential Area, succumbed to his injuries after 12 days of treatment on Thursday. The victim, Md Jihad (27), a resident of Lalkhan Bazar, passed away in the morning while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Metropolitan Hospital in the city, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Khulshi Police Station Aftab Hossain. Jihad was known to be a supporter of Abdul Halim Shah Alam, Joint Convener of the BNP Chattogram city unit. The clash occurred on the night of March 21 at around 8pm between supporters of Abdul Halim Shah Alam and those of Shariful Islam, Member Secretary of the Chhatra Dal city unit. According to eyewitnesses and police, the two groups clashed over the installation of an Eid greeting banner at the GEC intersection. The situation escalated into a violent confrontation in the Kusumbag area, where both sides opened fire. BNP leader-led attack in Bagerhat injures four policemen; 17 arrested Jihad, who was shot during the incident, was reportedly a follower of Anwar Shah Alam, while another injured person, Ramiz, was known to be a supporter of Shariful Islam’s faction. “A case was filed the day after the incident by the family of one of the injured victims, naming 15 to 20 accused. The investigation is ongoing,” the OC added.

At least five people died and six others injured when a Saudia Paribahan bus and a minibus collided head-on in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram on Monday morning. The accident occurred around 7:25 am near Jangalia Mazar Gate in the upazila, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD). Mother, son die in Kushtia road accident A rescue unit from Lohagara Fire Station rushed to the scene and carried out the rescue operation, said Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of the FSCD headquarters media cell. The identities of the victims could not be confirmed immediately. Saudi expatriate's dreams go crashing in fatal Meherpur road accident

Workers of a factory blockaded a road and protested in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area on Saturday morning, demanding unpaid wages and Eid bonuses. Workers from JMS Garments Limited started demonstration around 11:00 am, disrupting vehicular movement on the Agrabad-Airport Road area, said police. According to the Industrial Police, JMS Garments Limited had earlier announced a layoff due to a lack of work and banking complications. However, as per labour laws, employees were supposed to receive their salaries and allowances during the layoff period, which remained unpaid. This led to workers’ outrage, prompting them to take to the streets in protest. Due to the blockade, goods-laden trucks and lorries were stranded on both sides of the road, causing congestion in the Chittagong Port area. Commuters faced  difficulties as transport services came to a halt. Highway robbery on passenger bus in Kushtia, driver injured Upon receiving the information, members of the Industrial Police, EPZ Police Station, Ansar, and BEPZA security forces arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control. By around 2:30 pm, vehicular movement resumed on the road.

Three people including two siblings were killed when a bus hit a battery-run autorickshaw from behind in Chattogram’s Chandanaish upazila on Thursday morning. The accident occurred around 8:30am in Dohazari area when the Chattogram-bound Purabi Paribahan bus rammed the autorickshaw, police said. The deceased were identified as Wakar Uddin Adil ,12, and Umme Habiba Rizvi ,15, both were students of Dohazari Public School and College and children of Jasim Uddin from Jamijuri while the other victim was Ruhul Amin ,45, the driver of the autorickshaw.   1.5-year-old dies after falling into water bucket in Jashore Kazi Fahmida Washima Tushin ,15, a ninth-grade student, sustained critical injuries in the accident.  Officer-in-Charge of Dohazari Highway Police Station Subaranjan Chakma, said they seized the bus but the driver and the helper managed to flee.   Following the accident, enraged locals blocked the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway in protest, disrupting vehicular movement in the area. As of the time of reporting, the protest was still ongoing.

Police on Friday arrested four individuals for kidnapping a senior official of a garment export company and his personal driver and demanding ransom in Chattogram. The suspects had introduced themselves as coordinators of the so-called "Anti-Discrimination Student Movement" (ADSM). The detainees have been identified as Nazmul Abedin, Noimul Amin, Arafat Hossain, and Rishti Bin Yusuf—all aged between 22 and 23. Akbar Shah Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Kamruzzaman said that the arrested individuals had long been falsely presenting themselves as coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. “However, no official records exist confirming their leadership roles in any such organisation,” he added. DMP arrests 188 in special drives According to a CMP press release, the incident took place on Thursday night when the assistant general manager of Pacific Jeans, Abedin Al Mamun, and his personal driver, Md Jewel, were abducted from Mamun’s residence in the CDA Residential Area opposite Probati School under Akbar Shah Police Station. The kidnappers took the victims to various locations, including Patenga Sea Beach, Colonel Hat in Pahartali, and Akbar Shah, while demanding a ransom of Tk 20 lakh from Mamun’s wife, Fatema Akter. The abductors reportedly collected Tk 500,000 in cash and took a bank cheque for the remaining Tk 15 lakh. Later, they released the victims near Apollo Imperial Hospital before fleeing. Upon receiving the report, police swiftly launched an operation using technology to trace the victims' location. The victims were rescued from the Apollo Imperial Hospital area, and subsequent raids at multiple locations led to the arrests of the four suspects from their respective residences. A joint operation by the Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s (CMP) West Zone, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Hussain Mohammad Kabir Bhuiyan, along with officers from the Pahartali Zone and the Detective Branch, led to their arrests.

The administration set the price of loose edible oil at different levels in Chattogram from importers to retail sellers in a decision at a special task force meeting on Tuesday. As per the decision, importers will sell loose soybean oil at Tk 153 per litre, traders at Tk 155, and retailers at a maximum of Tk 160 per litre. This pricing will be effective from Tuesday until April 10. The meeting held at the Chattogram Circuit house, aimed to stabilise the prices of essential commodities during Ramadan. The special task force committee warned that strict action will be taken against any seller who charges more than the fixed price. Business representatives present at the meeting agreed to the set pricing. Consumers suffer as soybean oil crisis still persists in Dhaka Chattogram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Farida Khanam presided over the meeting, while Chattogram City Mayor Shahadat Hossain attended as the chief guest. Farida Khanam said, “There is currently a shortage of edible oil in the market. To resolve this, discussions have been held with all stakeholders. According to the decision, retailers cannot sell loose soybean oil for more than Tk 160 per litre, although they may sell at a lower price if they wish. However, no one is allowed to charge above the fixed price. Any trader violating this decision, whether in wholesale or retail, will face legal action through the special task force committee, she added. Speaking at the meeting, Mayor Shahadat Hossain mentioned some other Muslim countries where governments provide subsidies on essential commodities during Ramadan to ensure affordability. He said that a handful of unscrupulous traders cause sudden price hikes in Bangladesh and due to these dishonest practices, essential commodity prices surge ahead of Ramadan. “Therefore, a fixed price has been set for edible oil, and any violation will result in strict legal action. Besides the district administration, Chattogram City Corporation will also monitor the market,” he added. Earlier on Monday, Mayor Shahadat Hossain and DC Farida Khanam visited Khatunganj, the country’s largest wholesale market, following reports of a supply crisis of bottled soybean oil. During the visit, they found evidence of an artificial shortage of edible oil, prompting a meeting with producers, importers, and wholesalers to address the issue.

Two individuals have been killed in a mob beating on suspicion of being dacoits in the Sonkhola area of Satkania upazila of Chattogram. The deceased were identified as Nizam and Salek, said Officer-in-Charge Zahidul Islam of Satkania Police Station on Tuesday. Two suspected robbers killed in Shariatpur lynch-mob attack The incident occurred around midnight on Monday when locals, angered by recent extortion activities, targeted the two men after an announcement was made over a mosque loudspeaker, declaring the suspects to be dacoits. According to locals, the area had been under the oppressive grip of an extortionist group led by Nezam. On the night of the incident, Nezam and several others entered the Sonkhola area, prompting worshippers returning from Taraweeh prayers to surround the group. The mosque’s loudspeaker announced that dacoits had entered the area, sparking panic. In response, Nezam’s group fired gunshots at the villagers, injuring five of them. The wounded were immediately rescued and taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Amidst the chaos, the mob captured Nezam and his accomplice, Salek, and beat them to death on the spot. Mob beat a youth to death in Gazipur The bodies of the deceased have been taken to the police station and will be sent for autopsy in the morning. Among the gunshot victims, four have been sent to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment, the OC also said. The cause of the incident is under investigation, he added.

District administration and the district livestock office of Chattogram have started the sale of milk, eggs, and meat at subsidised rates ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, aiming to provide the protein items at affordable prices.Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam inaugurated the sale programme at Metro Livestock Department in Kotwali on Sunday, according to a press release of Consumers Association of Bangladesh in Chattogram on Monday. CAB demands postponement of gas price hike hearingIn line with the theme "Strength in Protein, Liberation in Protein," the sale program was launched, with prices set at Tk 700 for per kg beef, Tk 80 for per litre milk, and Tk 110 for per dozen eggs. The sale is being conducted through mobile trucks stationed at key locations in Chattogram cit including Kotwali, Kazir Dewri, Ambagan (Zautla), and Chawkbazar. CAB demands withdrawal of VAT, SD to ease inflation The CAB Chattogram team expressed hope that the programme would continue throughout Ramadan, providing residents with affordable animal products and helping to mitigate the shortage of animal protein in the region.

A banker died in a collision between a passenger bus and a CNG-run autorickshw on Chattogram-Rangamati road in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram on Wednesday. The deceased was Kamrul-Ibne-Hasan, son of Mohammad Hasan in Chadarliahat area under Fatikchhari upazila of the district and an official of Dutch Bangla Bank’s Agrabad branch in the port city. 6-year-old dies in Cumilla road accident Md Asad, officer-in-charge of Gohira highway police station in Raozan, said Kamrul  was going to the city from his home when the bus and his autorickshaw collided in front of a private hospital near Hathazari Central Eidgaon, leaving him dead on the spot. Both the vehicles were seized and legal actions would be taken in this regard, the highway police official added.