Chattogram
16 sued over Sitakunda oxygen plant fire
A case was filed last night, implicating 16 people including three managing directors of Seema Oxygen Plant in connection with the deaths of seven employees of the plant in a massive fire in Chattogram district’s Sitakunda upazila on Saturday.
Rokeya Begum, widow of victim Abdul Quader, filed the case against the 16 people at Sitakunda Model Police Station around 11:30 pm on Monday, Tofail Ahmed, officer-in-charge of the police station confirmed.
Read more: Sitakunda oxygen plant fire: Death toll rises to 7
He said the investigation into the case will be launched very soon.
The accused include three MDs of the oxygen plant — Mamun Uddin, Parvez Uddin Santu and Ashraf Uddin Baffi — and Manager Abdul Aleem, plant operator in-charge Samsuzzaman Shikdar, plant operators Khurshid Alam and Selim Jahan, among others.
According to the case statement, victim Quader, who worked at the oxygen plant for around 13 years, died due to “negligence and irresponsibility” of the accused, including the owners.
Read more: Probe committee formed over Sitakunda oxygen plant fire
At least seven people died in the fire that erupted from an explosion in Seema Oxygen Plant in the Keshabpur industrial hub of Sikakunda on Saturday.
Apart from this, over 50 people sustained burn injuries in the devastating fire.
Meanwhile, the Chattogram district administration formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the fire and asked to submit a report within five working days.
Read more: Govt announces financial aid for Sitakunda oxygen plant fire victims
Bangladesh-England series tickets to go on sale in Chattogram Sunday
The port city of Chattogram is set to host Bangladesh-England's third ODI and first T20 matches, and the ticket prices have been announced for the event.
All the matches will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
The grandstand and rooftop hospitality tickets have been priced at Tk1,500, international stand tickets at Tk1,000, club house at Tk500, eastern stand at Tk300, and western stand at Tk200.
Also Read: Bangladesh's ODI series winning streak at home ends with a massive defeat to England
Tickets can be purchased from the Shagarika Ticket Counter near Bitac Circle and the MA Aziz Stadium Ticket Counter. The tickets for each format of matches will be available on the previous day of the match (March 5 and 8) and on the match days (March 6 and 9) from 9:30am to 7:00pm.
Bangladesh lost the ODI series with consecutive defeats in the first two matches in Mirpur. However, the Tigers will look to win the last ODI to end the series on a high note.
After the ODI series, both teams will compete in a three-match T20I series. The last two matches of the series will take place in Dhaka.
4 members of militant group ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya' held in Chattogram
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested four more members of the newly formed militant outfit ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’ from Chattogram’s Patiya.
They were arrested in a drive conducted by RAB in Patiya’s bypass area on Tuesday night, the elite force told a news conference on Wednesday.
The law enforcement agencies have been conducting an anti-militancy operation throughout the country since October last year.
The arrested 4 militants are – Hossain Ahmed (22), Nihal Abdullah (19), Al Amin (22), and Al Amin alias Partha Kumar Das (21).
Among them, Hussain Ahmed's home is in Dasmina in Patuakhali, Nihal and Al Amin's in Sadar in Cumilla and Al Amin alias Parth's home is in Dumuria in Khulna.
The arrestees left their home as part of ‘Hijrat’ under the influence of newly introduced ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’ and took part in armed training in Chattogram Hill Tract, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, RAB’s Director (Law and Media).
In the press conference at Chandgaon RAB-7 Media Centre in the city on Wednesday morning, Commander Moin said that eight young men went missing from Cumilla Sadar area on August 23 last year.
Later, their families filed general diaries at the city’s Kotwali Thana police station. During their investigation, RAB got information about their affiliation with a new militant organisation called 'Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.'
At the same time, RAB also learned that the members of that organisation were receiving armed training with the help of separatist organisations in Chattogram Hill Tract area.
Based on the information, the elite force conducted an operation and arrested 10 people including seven members of the newly launched militant outfit and three members of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) from Bandarban and Rangamati.
Since then, RAB has conducted dozens of operations across the country and arrested more than 30 members of the militant outfit as well as the separatist organisation.
“We’ve arrested five members of the new militant outfit during an operation in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari and Thanchi on January 11,” Commander Moin said.
“On January 23, we arrested the head of the military wing, Ranbir -- also a Sura member in the militant organisation -- and the explosives expert, Bashar, from an area adjacent to the Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar,” he said.
RAB has so far arrested 55 members and leaders of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. At least 17 members of KNF, which is based in the Chattogram Hill Tract, were also arrested for assisting the militants in training and other activities in the hills.
2nd Youth Games: Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi make semi-finals of girls' hockey
Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, and Rajshahi divisions reached the semifinals of the girls' hockey of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games 2023 after winning their matches at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium in the capital Sunday.
Chattogram Division crushed Barishal Division 8-0 and Dhaka outplayed Sylhet 8-1 in today's last two matches.
Earlier in the day's first match, Khulna beat Rangpur 5-4 in the penalty shootout as the match ended 4-4 after regular time.
In the day's second match, Rajshahi defeated Mymensingh 3-1 in the penalty shootout as the match ended 1-1 after regular time.
Four boys' group matches will be held Monday at the same venue.
2 dead as wall collapses in Chattogram city’s Jamal Khan
Two people were dead as a wall collapsed at Jamal Khan in Chattogram city on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Jashim and Rounak.
Zahidul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said some workers were demolishing an old building near Shikdar Hotel in the area.
Read more: 2 workers killed, 5 hurt as under-construction building's roof collapses in Gazipur
Around 4 pm, a portion of the wall of the building collapsed on two pedestrians, leaving one dead on the spot and another injured.
The injured man were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 7 pm.
Freedom fighter tied to tree, tortured over land dispute in Ctg
A freedom fighter was tied to a tree and tortured allegedly by his neighbors over a land dispute in Hathazari upazila of Chattogram.
The attackers ransacked freedom fighter Ahmed Hossain’s house and later built a boundary wall on his land.
Police have arrested Ahmed’s neighour Nahida Sultana in this connection. Her husband Lokman, and other main accused went into hiding.
After a video on his torture caused a stir in social media, police and the UNO of Hathazari upazila went to the victim’s house.
Also read: Son masterminded freedom fighter's killing in N'ganj for money: PBI
Shahidul Islam, the UNO of Hathajari upazila, said, “Upon receiving information, I, along with police officers and other freedom fighters, went to the spot. The boundary wall was demolished at my command.”
Also Read: Freedom fighter in Lalmonirhat murdered
Ruhul Amin Sabuj, officer-in-charge of Hathajari Model police station, said a case was filed.
“We detained the main accused’s wife. Steps are being taken to detain Lokman and his cohorts,” he said.
By-election to Chattogram-8 constituency on April 27
By-election to the Chattogram-8 constituency – left vacant following the death of Awami League MP Moslem Uddin Ahmed – will be held on April 27, 2023.
Election Commission (EC) Secretary Jahangir Alam announced the schedule of the by-election today.
Read more: All parties should assist to conduct a participatory election: Hasan Mahmud
According to the schedule, the last date for submitting nomination papers is March 27, while the date for scrutinising nomination papers is March 29, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 5.
Voting will start at 8 am on April 27 and will continue till 4 pm.
Moslem Uddin, a freedom fighter and also president of Chattogram South unit of Awami League, breathed his last at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on February 6. He was 75.
He was elected as an MP on January 13, 2020 – in the vacant seat following the death of former Chattogram-8 MP Moinuddin Khan Badal.
Bank official killed in Ctg road crash
A youth was killed in a collision between a CNG-run autorickshaw and a truck in Rangunia area of Chattogram-Kaptai road on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Junaed Rifat Hossain, 25, son of Md. Putul of Lalnagar union of Rangunia. He was an officer of One Bank’s Chandraghona branch.
According to the family of the deceased, when Rifat and some of his friends were going to Kaptai on the autoricksaw a speedy truck hit it at Chandraghona eco park area, leaving Rifar seriously injured.
Severely injured was taken to the city’s Park View Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Mahbub Milki, officer-in-charge of the Rangunia police station, said the truck driver fled the scene of the accident, and they are trying to identify the truck.
Man arrested from Ctg after bodies of wife, daughter found in Cox’s Bazar hotel
Tourist police early today arrested a man from Chattogram city after the bodies of his wife and daughter were found in a Cox’s Bazar hotel room on Friday noon.
The arrestee is Dulal Biswas from Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.
Shaheen, an additional SP of Cox’s Bazar Tourist Police, said Dulal went into hiding soon after the bodies of his wife and daughter were found, and police arrested him from Chattogram city around 12am today.
Dulal is being interrogated, he said, adding that legal actions will be taken in this regard later.
Whereabouts of his two sons are not known yet, he said.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, police recovered the bodies of 35-year-old Suma Dey and her two-year-old daughter from Hotel Sea Alif in Cox’s Bazar.
Read more: Mother, daughter found dead at Cox's Bazar hotel
Police said the couple booked a room at the hotel on February 14 with their two sons and a daughter.
A hotel employee saw the door of the room open and found the bodies of the mother and daughter on the floor. Later, police recovered the bodies from the room after getting a call from the hotel.
8 injured in gas pipeline blast in Chattogram
Eight people were injured in blast apparently from leakage in a gas pipeline at Balirhat in Chattogram port city early Thursday.
Bahar Uddin, senior station officer of Kalurghat Fire Station, said the explosion occurred in a semi-pacca building in the area near the residence of one Makbul Haji around 3 am, leaving eight people injured.
A portion of a wall was blown away during the explosion.
On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and rescued the injured victims.
Later, they were taken toa local hospital and given first aid.