The mural of poet Rabindranath Tagore in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia district has been restored after miscreants blotted it with black ink. In addition to cleaning the mural, the name’s spelling has also been fixed. An artist worked on the restoration from noon until the afternoon on Friday, according to Assistant Commissioner (Land) of the Upazila Vijay Kumar Joardar. Upon receiving the information, a team, including an artist, visited the site that morning, and started the restoration efforts in the afternoon, Joardar added. "After receiving the information, we visited the site that same night. No written complaint has been filed so far," said Md Solaiman Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali Police Station. "The act may have occurred during the Eid holiday. The image and writing have now been restored. A thorough investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken," said SM Mikail Islam, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Trade through Benapole Port resumes after 8 days The incident came to light on Thursday night when a photo of the defaced mural, showing the black ink, spread on social media, sparking outrage among Tagore’s followers. But, the identities of those responsible for the act and the exact time and place of occurrence have not yet been determined. The mural is located at the entrance to Kumarkhali in the Zilapitala area along the Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway. Local residents expressed concerns that the mural had been neglected for some time, with its paint faded and CCTV cameras non-functional. They pointed out the lack of administrative oversight, which they believe contributed to the incident. Liton Abbas, a local poet and writer, commented, "Erasing the ink alone isn’t enough. We need to uncover who did this and why. The real culprits must be identified and held accountable."

Armed robbers looted cash from passengers and injured the driver of a bus in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early Saturday. The incident took place at around 4:30 am at Bhanga Bottola on the Kushtia-Meherpur highway, where the criminals blocked the road using a truck and tree logs, according to the victims. The injured driver, Amjad Hossain, is currently undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital. According to Amjad, he had departed from Dhaka for Meherpur at 10:45pm on Friday. Upon reaching Kushtia around 3:30am, he stopped for sehri and then resumed the journey. 6 arrested over robbery, murder at Ashulia gold shop "There were nine people on the bus at that time, including five passengers and four staff members. At around 4:30am, a gang of 10-15 armed robbers stopped the bus by placing a truck and tree logs across the road. They then attacked us with sharp weapons, looted cash, and fled," he said. The robbers took approximately Tk 25,000 from the bus and an estimated Tk 200,000 from the passengers, he added. "As I attempted to reverse the bus upon noticing the barricade, the robbers surrounded us and started striking the vehicle with sharp weapons. They then forced their way in, threatened us with weapons, and looted cash. When we protested, they physically assaulted us. They slashed my hand with a sharp weapon," Amjad added. Meanwhile, Mirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mominul Islam said, "We are investigating the incident and working to arrest those involved."

At least 25 students of Islamic University (IU), Kushtia were injured as a bus carrying them plunged into a roadside ditch in the district on Tuesday. The identities of the injured could not be known yet.    According to sources at the university, the students boarding the hired bus were heading towards the campus in the morning. The bus fell into the roadside ditch as the driver lost control while it was overtaking another bus on Kushtia-Jhenaidah Highway of Bittipara area under university police station around 10am. One killed in road accident in Faridpur The injured were taken to Kushtia General Hospital. IU proctor Prof M Shahinuzzaman said that they rushed to the spot minutes after receiving the information of the accident.

Eight brick kilns were fined Tk 12 lakh during a joint operation on Wednesday.Kushtia district administration and the Department of Environment conducted the joint operation across Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali upazilas, targeting kilns operating without proper authorisation or compliance with environmental regulations.Assistant Commissioner (Land) Rifatul Islam and Senior Chemist Habibul Basar from the Kushtia Department of Environment led the operation. Illegal brick kilns fined Tk 1.24 crore, 11 shut down, 15 ordered closedDuring the operation, officials not only collected fines but also issued strict instructions to halt all activities at the brick kilns. The largest fines were imposed on NSR Bricks (Tk 3 lakh), AFNR Bricks (Tk 2.5 lakh), Five Star (Tk 2 lakh), and HNR Bricks (Tk 2 lakh) in Kushtia Sadar’s Lakshmipur and Horinarayanpur areas.Meanwhile, in Kumarkhali upazila, four other brick kilns were fined Tk 2.5 lakh collectively. Kumarkhali Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) SM Mikail Islam said that the penalties were determined under the Brick Manufacturing Act, taking into account the scale of the kilns’ operations. HC orders immediate action to halt illegal brick kilns in CHTRifatul Islam said that stricter legal action would be taken if the kilns resume their activities in violation of the law.

Law enforcement officers seized a firearm, ammunition and an explosive device during a raid on a residence in Kushtia's Mirpur Upazila late Saturday night. According to a media statement issued by the Kushtia Army Camp, the operation was carried out following a tip-off at the home of Nur A Bulbul, the general secretary of the BNP’s Malihad Union unit. During the raid, officers recovered a shooter gun, two rounds of ammunition, and a bomb from the rooftop of the property, the media release added. Jubo Dal activist hacked to death in Barguna But the BNP leader was not present there at the time of the search. The seized items were handed over to Mirpur Police Station, and a case was filed  in this regard. Further investigations are underway to determine the origin of the weapons and any potential connections to criminal activities.

Migratory birds, a hallmark of winter in the Padma Char region of Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia, are facing a growing threat as unscrupulous hunters target them for sale in local markets, sparking concerns among environmentalists. Local activists and residents have reported that a variety of guest birds, including wild ducks, small and large cranes, sandpipers, green herons, ramghugus, nocturnal birds and kingfishers, have been arriving at the riverine char areas of Marichi, Philipnagar, Ramakrishnapur and Chilmari unions. However, hunters equipped with nets and indigenous tools are capturing these birds, often at night and selling them in local markets the following morning. When visiting the area, it was observed that hunters, often concealed in water, use large nets spread across the charlands to trap the birds. A local resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, shared that some hunters also consume the birds themselves. Dhaka enveloped in dense fog as winter deepens across Bangladesh Environmentalists have expressed alarm over the unchecked hunting. General Secretary SI Sohel of the Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Foundation and president of the Kushtia Bird Club condemned the practice as a serious threat to biodiversity. “Bird hunting is a punishable offense under the law. These migratory birds are a vital part of our ecosystem and must be protected. The Forest Department and local administration need to act decisively to stop this,” Sohel said. He also noted that with water levels in the Padma River receding, smaller fish and insects, such as puti and darkina, have become abundant, drawing birds to the area in search of food. In this issue, Daulatpur Upazila Forest Officer Abubakar Siddiq said, “We are aware of the situation and legal action will be taken against those responsible,” he assured. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdul Hai Siddiqui said that campaigns against illegal hunting are ongoing. However, he admitted that no specific awareness programs have yet been initiated to educate the local population about the importance of protecting these birds.

The interim government has appointed new deputy commissioners(DCs) in Kushtia and Narayanganj districts. The Public Administration Ministry issued two separate notifications in this regard on Monday. Kushtia deputy commissioner Toufiqur Rahman has been transferred and posted as deputy commissioner of Narayanganj district. Thakurgaon, Rangamati get new DCs Besides, Shamim Ara Rini, secretary of Gazipur City Corporation has been appointed as the deputy commissioner of Kushtia district.      

The body of a female police constable was found in her home in the Kamalapur area of Kushtia city on Wednesday evening. The deceased has been identified as Rubina Khatun, 28, a constable working in the General Record Office (GRO) of the Kushtia court. Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shihabur Rahman Shihab said that initial investigations suggest the incident may have been a suicide. "The cause of death will be confirmed after the autopsy report," he added. According to police, Rubina's body was discovered by colleagues after they failed to reach her by phone throughout the day. They alerted a neighbor, who, upon speaking with Rubina’s husband, learned that she had been unwell and had been keeping the door closed since morning. Floating body of a woman recovered from Buriganga River Later, after further attempts to contact her were unsuccessful, Rubina's colleagues arrived at the house and after forced entry, found her body hanging from a ceiling fan. Rubina Khatun was the daughter of Abdul Sheikh from Ramnagar village in Meherpur district. She was married to Alal Sheikh, 30, of Ratanpur village in the same district. The couple, along with their two children, lived in the Kamalapur area. On the day of the incident, the children were away at relatives' home and both Rubina and her husband were at home due to a holiday. Police have launched a thorough investigation into the matter while keeping all possible scenarios in mind and the body of the deceased has been sent to Kushtia General Hospital for post-mortem, the OC said.

Acting editor of Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman on Thursday filed a case against 66 people including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ex-IGP Mohammad Javed Patwary on charge of attacking him on a court premises in Kushtia around six years back. Kushtia Model Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Mahfuzur Haque Chowdhury said 46 people including leaders and activists of Awami League, Chhatra League, Jubo League and Swechhasebak League were named in the case and 15 to 20 were unnamed. Replying to a question, Mahmudur Rahman, who filed the case in person, said he demanded justice. Read: AL's Abul Hasanat Abdullah among 14 sued in murder case in Barishal According to the case statement, Mahmudur Rahman came under attack by the accused when he was coming out of the Kushtia court after securing bail in a defamation case on July 22, 2018. Later, he returned to Dhaka by an ambulance. In 2018, then district unit of Chhatra League president Yeasir Arafat Tushar filed a case against Mahmdur Rahman bringing allegation of making derogatory remarks about Tulip Siddiq, granddaughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and niece of Sheikh Hasina.

Journalist Brishty Khatun, a victim of the restaurant building fire on Bailey Road in the capital, has been buried beside her uncle’s grave  at the family graveyard in Kushtia. The ambulance carrying the body of Brishty reached her village home at Banagram Paschimpara of Ward No. 7 of Betbaria Union in Khoksa Upazila at 8:20 pm on Monday (March 11, 2024).  At that time, mourning relatives and villagers flocked to see her body. Fire at kitchen market in Dhaka’s Uttara doused Around 10 pm, it was announced through loudspeaker of a local mosque that her namaz-e-janaza will be held in the courtyard of her house. Hundreds of people of the village and nearby villages attended the janaza. A close relative of Brishty named Rabiul Islam conducted the namaz-e-janaza. After the namaz-e-janaza, Brishty was buried beside the grave of his uncle Mubarak Sheikh in the presence of administrative officials.       Brishty, also known as Ovisruti Shastri to her colleagues at The Report Live, was among the 46 people who lost their lives in the deadly fire on February 29 night. Bailey Road Tragedy: Brishty Khatun's body handed over to her family Due to identity complications, the body of journalist Ovisruti Shastri alias Brishty Khatun was handed over her father Sabuj Sheikh from the morgue of Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute on Monday afternoon, 11 days after the DNA test report of Brishty and her parents came.