Police have arrested a 20-year-old youth for the murder of a 65-year-old housekeeper in the Faleshwar area of Feni. At a press conference on Wednesday, Feni PBI Superintendent of Police (SP)Joyita Shilpi said the accused , Abir Al Rafi, was arrested  on Tuesday from the Hathazari area of Chattogram after conducting operations in different areas of Chattogram and Noakhali. Shilpi said that Rafi had gambled away the money his father had given him for purchasing a laptop. Woman found dead in Sylhet, family claims murder Unable to pay for his addiction, Rafi resorted to theft and robbery. On December 26, he went to steal from the house of Golam Kibria Bakul, brother of former municipal councilor Golam Faruk, in Faleshwar, where Masuda Begum saw him. When she attempted to stop him, Rafi stabbed her multiple times with a sharp knife and fled the scene immediately after the attack. Following the filing of a murder case by the victim's son, Md Zafar, on December 27, the PBI initiated an investigation, reviewing CCTV footage and conducting operations across Noakhali and Chittagong. During questioning, Rafi confessed to his involvement in the murder. Police recovered the blood-stained knife used in the killing along with the black shirt he wore during the attack.

Over 100 students of the Satyapur Government Primary School in Dagonbhuiyan upazila of Feni district, are risking their lives attending classes in a dangerously dilapidated building. The school building, constructed in 1987, is in a state of disrepair, with broken doors, shattered windowpanes, unsafe sidewalls and a tin roof that has been partially uprooted. During the rainy season, classes are often disrupted as water leaks through the roof, forcing students to stay home. Additionally, the school lacks a playground, hygienic washrooms and sufficient classrooms, creating a challenging environment for both students and teachers. Originally the school had four classrooms, but over the years, the old building became unsafe and was abandoned. In 2011, a new concrete structure with two classrooms was constructed 100 yards from the original site. However, the limited space has proven inadequate to accommodate the growing number of students, forcing them to use the hazardous tin-roofed building. Currently, the school has 103 students enrolled from nursery to fifth grade. Read: 6,704 govt primary school buildings are dilapidated: State Minister However, many guardians are reluctant to send their children to the school due to safety concerns and the lack of a proper learning environment. Students including Rudra Chandra Das, Jannatul Mawa and Sadika Akter shared their struggles. "When it rains, water drips onto us, soaking our clothes, books, and notebooks," they said. "The broken doors and windows make it impossible to concentrate in class. We feel unsafe, and it seems the building could collapse at any moment."  

Police arrested Omar Faruk Shuvo, an expelled coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement in Feni, on Tuesday in a case filed on charges of deception, extortion and defamation. Shuvo, son of Nuruzzaman, is a resident of Jagatjibanpur village in Forhadnagar union under Feni Sadar upazila. In August, Shuvo was expelled from his position as co-coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Feni district for engaging in activities that violated organizational discipline. RAB rescues abducted female dentist in Pabna, 3 arrested Despite his expulsion, Shuvo reportedly continued to identify himself as a “student coordinator” and participated in various programs and meetings over the past few months. Reports indicate that Shuvo allegedly demanded money from Maulana Mahmudul Hasan, the temporarily suspended principal of Feni Alia Kamil Madrasa, promising to reinstate him to his position. On Tuesday, a call record of his extortion demand went viral on social media.  According to the viral call record, Shuvo was demanding Tk 3 lakh from Mahmudul Hasan, and claiming to act on behalf of Abdul Kader and Hamza Mahbub, coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement. He mentioned the name of Azizur Rahman Rizvi of Feni, a student of finance department of Dhaka University, as a mediator.  Two snatchers arrested from Dhaka’s Babubazar According to police sources, Azizur Rahman Rizvi’s father, Siddiqur Rahman, filed a case against Shuvo at Feni Model Police Station on Tuesday night. Following the complaint, police conducted an operation and arrested Shuvo. Feni Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Marm Singh Tripura said, “Shuvo will be sent to jail through the court on Wednesday.”

Police recovered the body of a 10-year-old boy from a pond in Dewanganj of Feni on Thursday, four days after he went missing. Ahnaf Al Main Nashit, son of Main Uddin Sohag of Feni Academy area, was a third-grade student at Feni Grammar School. Police arrested three people in this connection, Feni Superintendent of Police (SP) Habibur Rahman said at a press conference. According to police, Ahnaf went missing on Monday after while he was returning home from his private tuitionon Atiqul Alam Road. Following his disappearance, unidentified people demanded a ransom of Tk 12 lakh from his father. Later, Main Uddin filed a kidnapping case with Feni Model Police Station. During the investigation, police detained Ashraf Hossain Tushar, 20, who later confessed to his involvement. Couple found dead in M’singh Acting on his information, authorities recovered  Ahnaf’s body, which had been tied with stones inside a school bag and dumped in a pond near the Dewanganj railway line. Police also arrested two more suspects- Md Mobarak Hossain Washim, 20 and Omar Faruk, 20. Feni Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mormo Singh Tripura said the body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy.

A youth from Feni’s Parshuram upazila was reportedly detained and tortured by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the border on Wednesday. The victim, Mohammad Yasin, 20, sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment under police custody at a hospital in India’s Tripura, said Lt. Col. Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, commander of the BGB’s Feni Battalion. “Yasin received initial treatment in Bilonia and was later taken to Tripura’s Shantirhat Hospital for advanced care. Indian police have detained him on charges of trespassing. The police are taking action against him according to the laws of their country,” he said. Nurul Islam, assistant commander of BGB 4 Battalion, said they learned about the matter through various sources. “After verifying the facts, they will provide further information and establish contact with the Indian BSF.” Students block Sonadanga bus terminal in Khulna Yasin, a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver and son of Mizan Mia from Baurkhuma village in the upazila, was allegedly detained while approaching the border around 5:30 am on Wednesday. Locals said BSF personnel severely beat him, causing serious head injuries, before handing him over to Bilonia police. Yasin’s mother, Rahela Akter, accused the BSF of torturing her son and appealed to Bangladesh authorities, including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), to bring him back. Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam, in a press release, said that Yasin was detained by Indian authorities while allegedly attempting to cross the border illegally. He was then handed over to Indian authorities, he added.

Almost three months after one of the worst floods in recent memory, 1,718 families in Feni are still grappling with the aftermath.  Having lost everything to the devastating flood, these families are forced to live in temporary shelters, struggling to rebuild their homes and lives. In August, a catastrophic flood swept through Feni, destroying 1,718 homes completely and partially damaging another 6,941. Although two months and 24 days have passed since the disaster, relief efforts have been insufficient, victims say. According to District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md. Mahbub Alam, “For partially damaged homes, we have received 400 bundles of corrugated iron sheets and 12 lakh taka, which have been distributed to nearly 150 families.” Read: Low-lying areas of Ctg, Feni, Cumilla and 5 other districts likely to be inundated: FFWC Some organisations, including the Bangladesh Army and UNDP have assisted these families, but the need remains overwhelming. The flood caused widespread destruction across Feni, with complete devastation reported in the following areas: Sadar Upazila: 675 houses Fulgazi Upazila: 295 houses Chagolnaiya Upazila: 293 houses Parshuram Upazila: 333 houses Sonagazi Upazila: 37 houses Daganbhuna Upazila: 85 houses  Additionally, partial damages were reported in the following areas: Sadar Upazila: 3,206 houses Parshuram: 333 houses Chagolnaiya: 313 houses Daganbhuna: 982 houses Sonagazi: 741 houses Fulgazi: 1,349 houses For families with partially damaged homes, the Bangladesh Army has distributed 4 bundles of corrugated iron sheets per family and provided a total of Tk 6.5 lakh in cash to 157 families. The Army, with assistance from the Navy, has also repaired 100 houses in Fulgazi. In addition, UNDP is distributing Tk 10 crore 35 lakh to repair the homes of 3,000 affected families. Other organizations, including BDRCS, Mastul Foundation, RIC, and YPSA, have also contributed with materials and financial aid. Amid this devastation, stories of hardship continue to unfold. Khokon Mia, an auto-rickshaw driver from Dakkhin Jagatpur village in Fulgazi upazila, lost everything to the flood, including his home. With nowhere to go, he now lives with his wife and children in a small room of a Water Development Board irrigation scheme. "Everything feels like a nightmare," said Khokon. Read more: Deaths during student protest: 4 students' bodies exhumed in Feni for autopsies “One flood has left me completely destitute. I couldn’t save anything. I had to take shelter with my wife and three young children. It’s been a month with no work. I don’t know how to rebuild my house. Three months have passed since the flood, and yet I have not seen any government initiative for our rehabilitation,” he added. Abu Taher, from Char Chandia village in Sonagazi, also recounted the flood’s devastation: "The floodwaters have ruined everything. I barely managed to get to a shelter. When I returned home, nothing was left. I am now living with my family on the roof of my cousin's house."  Shamsunnahar, a woman in her fifties from Birinchi area in Feni Sadar upazila, is facing the same fate. "The flood took everything, and I don’t have the means to build a new house. If I receive financial aid from the government, I will be able to repair my house; otherwise, I will have to stay in the broken house. I’ve made a shelter with plastic around and broken tin on top." The recently retired Feni Deputy Commissioner Musammat Shahina Akhter, sought urgent assistance for the affected families. "We have requested 20,000 bundles of tin and 6 crore taka from the relevant ministries for the aid of affected families," she said.   

Shafiqul Islam Samrat, a local Chhatra league leader, who was seen in a video footage firing on students during the recent student movement in Feni’s Sharshadi union, placed on a four-day remand. Senior Judicial Magistrate Nusrat Mostari passed the order after investigating officer SI Anwar Hossain produced Samrat before the court seeking a 10-day remand. Ex-IGP Mamun put on 43-day remand in 8 murder cases Tipped off, detectives arrested Shafiqul Islam Samrat, general secretary of Sharshadi Union unit Chhatra League, from Chattogram on Wednesday night. Maram Singh Tripura, the officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station, stated that Samrat is a suspect in six murder cases related to the firing and attacks on people during the anti-discrimination student movement.

The body of a member of Bangladesh Navy who went missing while taking a bath in the Muhuri River in Feni on Saturday (April 20, 2024) afternoon has been recovered after more than 8 hours. The deceased Abul Hasan was the son of Abul Khair of Dhanikunda village of Parshuram upazila. He was posted at Chittagong Naval Basecamp. Abul Hasan along with his friends went to take a bath at the ghat adjacent to Nazir's house on the Muhuri river around 2pm on Saturday for some relief from the scorching heat. Read more: Bangladeshi siblings drown in Sea of Oman Suddenly, Abul Hasan presumably drowned and went missing. Failing to find him, his friends informed the Parashuram Fire Service. Despite a lot of searching, the members of the Fire Service failed to rescue the missing Abul Hasan. Later, a diving team from Chattogram joined the rescue operation and managed to recover the body around 9:20pm. Mohammad Shahadat Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Parashuram Police Station, said the body would be sent to Feni General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Read more: No concrete bridge for 20,000 inhabitants in Feni, Noakhali for over 22 years

About 20,000 residents of Sonagazi upazila of Feni and Companiganj upazila of Noakhali district are in distress as no concrete bridge has been constructed over the Chhoto Feni River at Kazirhat since it collapsed 22 years back. The bridge, collapsed in 2002 due to high tide, was the only mean of crossing it for the people of two upazilas of Feni and Noakhali districts. Despite promises from public representatives and political leaders, the bridge has not been built even after 22 years. Sources said a Regulator-cum-bridge with 20 gates was built over the Chhoto Feni River in 1961-62 at Kazirhat in Sonagazi upazila during Pakistan era to protect the coastal areas of the district from tidal surge. Read more: Focus on rural dev along with infrastructure: PM Hasina tells ECNEC The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) got the task of management and repair work of the regulator. WAPDA conducted maintenance work till 1970 and later it was renamed as Water Development Board.

The sprouting teen gangs have emerged as a major concern in the capital and other cities and towns of the country, and Feni town is no exception. These misguided teens involved in theft, hijacking, drug abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, and murder, allegedly with the backing of local political leaders and public representatives, are now a new threat to society. Locals allege that local political leaders patronize the teens to establish dominance, grab properties, and threaten opposition political activists. 2 killed in road crash in Gaibandha  ‘Koshai’, ‘Himil’, ‘Shano’, ‘JK’, 'Pintu', and ‘Chakma Javed’ are among the 10 gangs of the district infamous for their crimes that have been extended even to the unions from the district town. Talking to UNB, some guardians expressed their worries over the dreadful offenses committed by the teen gangs and the future of their children, as the deteriorating social environment due to the gang activities has made it difficult for them to keep their children aloof from their influence. On Thursday, police arrested three ‘SDK’ group members, including their leader, for their involvement in various crimes, including the trade and buse of drugs, snatching, extortion, stalking, threatening people for extortion, showing arms, and clashing with rival groups. Preferring anonymity, a SDK group member said,” If the ‘leaders’ need them, they inform the ‘big brother’ who completes the operations involving teen gang members, and they get money in exchange.” A police official who preferred not to be named said if the teen gang members are arrested, they get phone calls from ‘big brothers’ or ‘leaders’ seeking their release. School teacher beaten and harassed by police in Natore