United News of Bangladesh

Eleven people were killed and three others were injured by lightning strikes in Cumilla, Chandpur, Shariatpur, Habiganj, Netrakona and Kishoreganj districts on Monday. Among the deceased, four were killed in Cumilla, three in Kishoreganj and one each in Shariatpur, Habiganj, Chandpur and Netrakona district. In Cumilla, four people, including two schoolboys, were killed by lightning in Barura and Muradnagar upazilas. Witnesses said Fahad Hossain, 13, son of Khokon Mia of Poyalgaccha village and Saimon Hossain, 13, son of Abdul Barek, were killed when a streak of thunderbolt struck them while flying kites at noon in Barura upazila of the district. Both of them were class VI students of Boroharipur High School. In another incident, Nikhil Debnath, 64 and Jewel Bhuiyan, 30, son of Jashim Uddin Bhuiyan, were killed by lightning while working at their paddy fields at Korbanpur Purbapara in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla district in the morning. In Kishoreganj, three people were killed as lightning struck them in different places. Witnesses said Fulesa Begum, 65, wife of Asrab Ali of Raniganj Kewarjor in Mithamoin upazila was killed by a thunderbolt while working outside her house at Shantiganj Haor around 8 am. Besides, Indrajit Das, 36, son of Jatindra Das of Halalpur village, was killed when a thunderbolt struck him while working at a paddy field at Halalpur haor amid rain in the morning. Meanwhile, Swadhin Mia, 14, son of Idris Mia of Khayerpur village in Astagram upazila was killed when a streak of thunderbolt struck him while cutting paddy at Khayerpur haor, said Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge of Austagram Police Station. In Chandpur, Bishakha Rani Sarkar, 35, wife of Haripodo Sarkar of Nahara village in Kachua upazila of Chandpur district, died during rain coupled with thundershowers while collecting paddy from the field. Sohel Rana, Kachua Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, said Bishakha might have died after being panicked by the lightning strike. In Shariatpur, Shefali Begum, 35, wife of Sorhab Bepari of Bepari Kandi village in Bhedarganj upazila of the district, was killed when a thunderbolt struck her while she along with her husband were returning to home after collecting grass amid rain in Shakhipur area of the upazila. She was taken to Bhedarganj Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared her dead. In Habiganj, Durbas Das, 35, were killed and three others were injured in separate incidents of lightning strike in Baniachang upazila of the district. The injured were taken to Sylher MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital, said Azadur Rahman, District Relief and Disaster Management officer. In Netrakona, Arafat, 10, a Madrasha student and son of Abdus Salam of Triosree in Madanpur upazila of the district was killed when a thunderbolt struck on him while going to the Madrasha after fazar prayer in the morning, said Motahar Hossain, member of Triosree Union of the upazila.

Police on Saturday arrested the prime suspect in connection with the rape of a housewife in Cumilla’s Nangalkot upazila. The arrestee, identified as Imam Hossain, 24, was sent to Cumilla jail following a court appearance, said AK Fazlul Haque, officer-in-charge of Nangalkot Police Station. According to police sources, the incident took place in a village under Nangalkot upazila. The 22-year-old victim lodged a written complaint the following day, prompting police to launch an investigation. Based on preliminary findings, the allegations were deemed credible and a formal case was recorded. The case named two people, with another remaining unidentified. Imam Hossain was arrested the same night. Natore man stabs a woman after failed rape attempt The victim alleged she was tied with iron chains and raped. Her attackers also cut off her hair during the brutal assault. In her statement, she said the accused had previously threatened to rape her. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the remaining suspects, OC Fazlul Haque added.

Three people died and at least 25 others were injured as  a passenger crashed into an electric pole and a tree in Chandina upazila of Cumilla on Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Tuesday evening. Baharul Islam, station master of Chandina Fire Service, said that a ‘Tisha Plus’ passenger bus was traveling from Dhaka to Cumilla when it lost control in Indrarchar around 6:30 pm. The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into an electric pole and a tree, leaving one dead and 27 others injured. Two of the injured succumbed to their injuries at a hospital. 2 die as bus hits autorickshaw in Gazipur The identities of the deceased have not been confirmed yet, but all three were male. The injured were initially treated at Chandina Upazila Health Complex before being referred to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for further treatment. Dr Subal Debnath, a physician at Chandina Upazila Health Complex, said that two of the injured passengers were declared dead upon arrival.

Just two days after the paving of a road in front of the Chandina Municipality office in Cumilla, multiple cracks developed on the road, raising questions over the quality of the development work. Though the concerned engineer of the municipality and the contractor claimed that the cracks would not impact the durability of the road, locals blamed the use of substandard materials behind the faults that surfaced. Attempts were made to cover the cracks with a layer of cement, but those remained noticeable. The municipality developed the road with reinforced cement concrete (RCC), costing around Tk 2 crore, funded from its own revenue and Asian Development Bank (ADB). The road carries significance as it connects the municipality office from various parts of Chandina. Despite the visible damage, Chandina Municipality’s Assistant Engineer Md. Sajjad Hasan defended the contractor, claiming the cracks were minor and referring to them as “hairline cracks.” He asserted that all materials had been used in the correct proportions. Neglected and Forgotten: Road woes plague five villages in Cumilla's Chandina According to locals, the road connects Chandina-Rammohan and Chandina-Srimantapur roads, making it a vital link for residents. Last year, the municipality invited tenders for its development while one Sumi Enterprise won the contract, letting them begin the construction work following the country’s political changeover. The 1,480 ft long and 18 ft wide road was paved on February 19 and 22 with a 10 inch thick concrete layer. A site inspection revealed that after the paving, the road was covered with water and water hyacinths—a common practice to prevent rapid drying. However, despite the precautions, cracks still appeared. Expressing concern over the road’s longevity, local Abul Hossain said, “It’s a brand-new road, and it has already cracked. I doubt it will last long.” Preferring anonymity, a local tile shop owner observed that a heavy 10-tonne covered van often unloads tiles near his warehouse by the road. “If it’s already cracking, how will it withstand heavy vehicles?” he questioned. Refuting the allegation, the contracting farm’s owner Md. Selim claimed that there is no way the road could crack within three to four days. These are minor surface cracks caused when the concrete absorbs water. A simple layer of cement will fix them. Echoing Selim, municipality’s engineer Sajjad said that Tk 1.91 crore had been allocated for the project and that the cracks were only superficial. “Applying a cement and water layer will resolve the issue. This road will last 25–26 years without any problems,” he claimed. Slow pace plagues Gollamari Steel Arch Bridge construction in Khulna However, Chandina Municipality Administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazia Hossain acknowledged the issue, saying, “Yes, there are cracks. Some areas need to be redone. The upazila engineer is monitoring the situation, and we will ensure proper work before clearing any payments.”

A six-year-old girl died after being hit by a battery-run autorickshaw in the Kathalia area at Homna upazila of Cumilla on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Maliha, daughter of Sagir Ahmed from Munshikandi Mathabanga village, said Sub-Inspector (SI) Md Ehsanul Hasan of Homna Police Station. According to locals, Maliha and her twin sister Maisha were playing on the road in front of their house when an auto-rickshaw hit Maliha and fled the scene. 2 schoolboys’ death in road crash sparks protest in Kishoreganj Maisha rushed home and informed their parents, following which family members and relatives rescued Maliha and took her to the upazila health complex, where doctors declared her dead upon arrival, the SI said. The body was handed over to the family without an autopsy as they did not want to file any complaint, the SI added.

A court in Cumilla has acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 35 others in a sabotage  case filed around 10 years back. Judge of Cumilla Additional Sessions Judge Court-1 Afroza Jesmin passed the order on Monday, said the court’s Public Prosecutor Advocate Kaimul HaqueRinku on Wednesday. Petition filed at HC challenging presidential pardon to convicts According to the case statement, a covered van was vandalised and torched amid a countrywide strike on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Haiderpul area in Chauddagram upazila of the district on January 25, 2015. Later, police filed the case under the Special Powers Act against 32 people including Khaleda Zia. 2 men sentenced to 10 years for harassing minor, inciting suicide Police submitted chargesheet against 42 people in the case.

Five people were killed and several others injured in separate  road accidents in Daudkandi upazila of Cumilla district on Saturday. Two brick kiln workers were killed as a bus hit a tractor on Dhaka-Kachua road near Shayestanagar, said Kaushik Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Eliotganj Highway Police..The deceased were identified as Borhan, son of Gias Uddin of Lakshmipur village, and Mohammad Ali, son of Syed Ali of Jamalpur Sadar upazila. Narsingdi clash leaves 2 UP members killed    In another accident, a Dhaka-bound Anirban Paribahan bus collided with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw near Daulatpur bus stand on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the same upazila, leaving Dolly Akter, a passenger, dead on the spot. Man found dead in Shahbagh area Other injured passengers and drivers were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where two more victims- Jiana Akter and Jahanara Begum- succumbed to their injuries. All the victims of this accident were residents of the nearby Basra village, said Sub-Inspector Md. Helal of Gauripur police investigation center. Police seized the bus involved in the accident, he said.

Police have arrested former railway minister and former Cumilla-11 constituency’s member of parliament Mujibul Haque’s nephew in a case over killing  eight bus passengers in a petrol bomb attack. Chauddagram Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Abdullah said the ex-minister’s nephew Tofail Hossain, 50, son of late Ambar Ali of Busyara village, is a member of the executive committee of Chauddagram Thana Awami League. He was arrested from his house in Basuara village of Sreepur Union of the upazila on Wednesday and was sent to Cumilla court on Thursday morning. After the fall of Awami League government in a mass uprising on August 5, bus owner Abul Khair filed the case in the court of Cumilla Senior Judicial Magistrate Judge Abu Bakar Siddique on September 11. The others accused in the case are former railway minister Mujibul Haque, former mayor of Chauddagram Mizanur Rahman, former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, former director general of RAB Benazir Ahmed, former superintendent of police of Cumilla Tutul Chakraborty, the then officer-in-charge (OC) of Chauddagram Police Station Uttam Kumar Chakraborty. Earlier in 2015, eight passengers were killed in a petrol bomb attack on a passenger bus in Chauddagram during the hartal-blockade called by the 20-party alliance led by BNP.   Chauddagram Police Station’s then Sub-Inspector (SI) Nuruzzaman Howladar filed a case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Md Taher and 64 others.

Flood situation in Cumilla district deteriorated further with the flooding of fresh areas in the past 24 hours till Saturday, leaving seven lakh people stranded. The water level of Gumti River is flowing 80 cm above its danger mark during this period. The volunteers are seen struggling to distribute relief materials in the flood-hit areas due to lack of boats as roads were submerged. 1235 mobile towers out of order in 10 flood-hit districts: BTRC According to the local administration, a total of 726 shelter centres were opened in the district and some 50,000 people took shelter in those centres. A total of 340 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 15 lakh cash have been allocated for the flood-affected people in the district while a total of 225 medical teams were kept ready to provide medical treatments. Severe flooding devastates Fatikchhari

Grief has engulfed the Sylhet house Abu Saleh Md Yusuf Jhony who was gunned down in New York’s Buffalo city on April 27. Another Bangladeshi named Babul Uddin, hailed from Cumilla, was also shot dead by gunmen at the same time. Yusuf's family was shattered upon receiving the death news. Yusuf, son of Nurul Haque, a former member of Tinchati village under Kanaighat Jhingabari Union, moved to the US 10 months back with his wife and two daughters for permanent residency. He used to work for a painting company there and his family members have been living in Majortila area of Sylhet city. Read more: Tipu-Prity murder: AL leader Ashraf, 32 others indicted His parents got fainted several times after hearing the news of the tragic death of Yusuf, the eldest among three brothers and one sister. According to Bangladeshi expatriates living in Buffalo city of New York, Yusuf and Babul Uddin were working as painters in a house in 100 blocks on Jenner Street in Buffalo. At that time, some miscreants demanded extortion from Babul Uddin. Being rejected, when the terrorists attempt to attack Babul, Yusuf came forward to save him. At that time, the gunmen shot and killed the duo. Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. De George said they responded to a report of shots fired in the 100 Block on Jenner Street, according to reports of local media. The expatriates said that they will take various protest programmes demanding justice for the killing of two Bangladeshis. Read more: Momen slams Bangladeshi expat's killing in US, denounces hate crime