Chattogram
3-storey building in Chattogram tilts
A three-storey building along Majhirghat Parbarti Pukur (pond) in Sadarghat area of the port city of Chattogram tilted towards a nearby building on Monday night, triggering panic among locals.
According to the fire service control room, a rescue team from Agrabad Fire Service Station rushed to the spot around 11 pm to evacuate the residents of the building.
READ: Earthquake: 3 buildings tilt in Chattogram
Meanwhile, Assistant Director of the Fire Service (Ctg) Faruq Sikder, who was present at the spot, said the building tilted towards the adjacent building due to the ongoing excavation work of a drainage project.
READ: 5-storey building tilts in Chattogram: Residents evacuated
“We’ve already evacuated the residents of the building,” he said.
Arabian Corporation fined Tk 10 lakh for cutting hills in Chattogram
The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined Arabian Corporation Tk10 lakh for cutting 20,000 cubic feet of a hill at GEC in Khulshi area of Chattogram city.
Nurullah Nuri, director of DoE Chattogram office, imposed the fine after a hearing at the office on Sunday.
Read: Eviction begins on Chattogram hills to save lives during landslides
He said that the inspection team of the DoE found evidence of cutting 20,000 cubic feet of a hill visiting GEC area on December 17.
Arabian Corporation owner Md Nur Islam and his wife Amena Begum were fined Tk 10 lakh for causing damage to the environment by cutting hill. The couple was present during the hearing session.
DoE received Tk 5 lakh of the fine during the session while the court ordered the owner of Arabian Corporation to pay the remaining money by Monday.
Two brothers attacked in Chattogram, one dies
A 40-year-old man was killed while his brother sustained serious injuries when a group of assailants attacked them with sharp weapons in the district's Hathazari upazila Friday night.
Police and family members of the victims attributed the attack to a financial dispute pertaining to a local madrasa in the Kala Badshahpara area of Mirzapur union of the upazila.
The deceased was identified as Hossain Elahi, 40, son of Lotu Mistri. His brother, Momen Elahi, sustained serious injuries in the attack.
According to locals, the two brothers were having tea at a tea shop in the area when the assailants suddenly fired at them and then attacked them with sharp weapons.
Also read: Shariatpur journo attacked for shooting video of woman being thrashed
The two seriously injured brothers were rushed to Hathazari Upazila Health Complex from where they were shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Hossain died of his injuries at 10.30pm.
Mohsin, the brother-in-law of the deceased, said the attack came in the wake of a financial dispute at the local madrassa.
Hathazari Model Police Station officer-in-charge Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said that "efforts are on to nab the accused".
Also read: DU: JCD activists, campus journo attacked by BCL
Gold bars worth Tk 7 crore seized at Ctg airport
As many as 86 gold bars worth Tk 7 crore were found hidden under two passenger seats of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight that landed at the Chattogram international airport from Dubai on Saturday morning, Customs officials said.
Sumon Chakma, deputy commissioner of Customs at Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport, said they carried out a search operation as soon as the Biman flight (BG-148) landed from Dubai in the morning, acting on a tip-off.
READ: Gold bars worth Tk73 lakh seized at Shahjalal airport
"Some 86 gold bars weighing 10kg, the market value of which is Tk 7 crore, wererecovered from under two passenger seats. However, no one was arrested in this connection," the officer said.
READ: DBH wins gold at ICSB National Award
Trafficked teenager rescued in Dhaka, 3 arrested
Rab have rescued a teenage girl who was trafficked from Chattogram to Dhaka’s Fakirapul area and arrested three people in this connection, officials said on Friday.
The girl was rescued on Wednesday night from a parked bus of Hanif enterprise at Fakirapul.On the basis of the information given by her, a Rab team on Friday night arrested three traffickers from the capital’s Fakirapul and Gabtali areas.
Read: Ringleader of human trafficking syndicate among 8 held in city
The arrestees are Nayem, 22, son of Osman of Sukhan Dighi village in Chapainawabganj’s Gomstapur, Asaduzzaman Nur, 26, son of Wazed Mandal of Jayantipur village in Rangpur’s Pirganj and Fatema Begum, 30, daughter of Samchu Mia of Cumilla’s Dhola village, confirmed RAB-7 senior assistant director (Media) Flight Lieutenant Niaz Mohammad Chapal.
RAB sources said, on Tuesday RAB-7 received a complaint lodged by Md. Alam of Fatikchhari’s Bhujpur area regarding the disappearance of his daughter.
A man named Alam lodged a written complaint about the disappearance of his daughter at Chattogram’s Hathazari police station. According to the father’s statement, the girl left her house to work as a maid at a house in Hathazari but did not return.
Rab official Flight Lieutenant Niaz said that human traffickers have been trafficking underage girls for the lure of money and marriage.
Read: Trafficked to India 2 years ago 12 teenage girls return home from jail
He said the detainees confessed to trafficking the girl from Chattogram to Dhaka. They are active members of the human trafficking ring and have long been involved in trafficking in underage girls, taking advantage of their poverty and helplessness.
A case has been filed against them, he said.
Father, son land in jail for killing elephant in Chattogram
A Chattogram court on Tuesday sent a man and his son to jail for killing an elephant in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram district.
In the first such case in the country Mohammad Kamal, 50 and his son Nezam, 22 of Banshkhali upazila were found guilty of electrocuting the elephant on November 30.
Read: Another elephant found dead in Chattogram
They buried the elephant in the area.
The local forest department lodged a complaint against Kamal and Nezam in this connection.
When they were produced before the court by police, Banshkhali Cognizance Court Judge Mainul Islam sent them to jail.
In debt, Ctg garment trader 'ends life'
A local garment trader allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his factory office in the port city of Chattogram Monday night.
The deceased was identified as Nasir Uddin, 43, the owner of JNK fashion.
Sadekur Rahman, inspector (investigation) at Panchlaish police station, said the trader ended his life around 7.30 pm in his office inside Chowdhury Mansion.
Also read: Rohingya father ‘kills self’ after ‘poisoning’ 3 kids in Cox’s Bazar; 1 child dies
Locals rushed Nasir to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, said the Inspector.
Preliminary interrogation has revealed that Nasir took the extreme step as he was in huge debt, said Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Pahartoli police station.
"We will have a chat with his family members. The body has been sent for an autopsy," said inspector Sadekur.
Also read: School girl ‘kills self’ jumping off high-rise building in Dhaka
Motorcyclist killed in Ctg road crash
A motorcyclist was killed and another injured after a covered van hit a motorbike in Oxygen rail crossing area of Chattogram city on Sunday night.
The deceased was identified as Enayet Ullah Shah, 30, son of Nazim Uddin, hailing from South Madarsha village in Hathazari upazila.
Read: Biker killed in Thakurgaon road crash
Sadiqur Rahman, Inspector of Panchlaish Police Station (Investigation) said Enayet Ullah died on the spot and pillion rider Murad sustained injuries when a covered van hit Enayet’s motorcycle from behind.
Murad is currently undergoing treatment at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital, he said.
Dismantling of ‘Crystal Gold' ship begins after over 4 yrs
Dismantling of 'Crystal Gold', the vessel that ran aground at Chattogram's Parki Sea Beach over four years ago during cyclone Mora, finally began on Sunday with the clearance of the Department of Environment.
According to the Chattogram Environment Department, Bangladeshi-owned ship 'Crystal Gold' having capacity of about 40,000 metric tons ran aground on Parki Beach on May 30 in 2017 after being hit by Cyclone Mora.
Read:Survey ship drowns near Payra port: 10 Indonesian, 2 Bangladeshi crew members rescued
The owners failed to remove the vessel despite several attempts.
Later, Four Star Enterprise bought the ship and started dismantling the vessel but it was suspended in 2019 after the company was fined Tk 2 crore for doing the work without the permission of the Environment Department.
After the end of long legal complications, the company started the work as the Environment Department gave them permission to break the ship there on various conditions.
Director of Four Star Enterprise Amjad Hossain said, “We have got clearance from the court and the Environment Department for dismantling the ship. We have also paid the fine imposed by DoE for causing environmental damages.”
Read: Five missing as bulkhead ship sinks near Mongla port
The Environment Department also formed a seven-member monitoring committee in this regard.
Anwara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Jobayer Ahmed said the Environment Department has given permission to demolish Crystal Gold ship on various conditions. “I have been given the responsibility of chairing the seven-member monitoring committee.”
Half kilometer area of Parki beach has been covered with silt as the ship remained abandoned for a long time and it was causing harm to the environment. Then various organizations demanded removal of the ship.
Fire breaks out at slum in Chattogram
A fire broke out at a slum in the Agrabad DT area of Chattogram port city early on Saturday, officials said.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The blaze started around 4 am at the slum and spread soon, said Faruk Hossain Shikder, assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service.
Also read: 4 of a family suffer burn injuries in Narayanganj fire
On information, six fire tenders rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 6 am.
Also read: Rayerbagh coil factory fire under control
A probe will ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage, the official said.