A team of the Narcotics Control Department detained a union parishad (UP) member with yaba pills in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar on Thursday, the authorities said. Protesting the detention, a group of people from Hoaikang union blocked the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf highway for four hours, creating traffic gridlock and making the commuters suffer, they added. The detainee is Badsha Mia, 46, a member of Ward 7 of Hoaikang union parishad of the upazila, Md Kamruzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Teknaf, said. "The incident happened in the Noyabazar Station area of the union. The blockade started at 6pm and continued till 10pm." Nurul Alam, an inspector of Cox's Bazar Circle of the Narcotics Control Department, said they detained a person named Badsha for possessing yaba but they are yet to confirm the amount of pills seized from him. After hearing about the about the blockade, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control around 10pm, Abdul Halim, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, said. Read: Burmese Yaba worth Tk 2.7 crore seized from Cox's Bazar: BGB

Workers of a readymade garment factory put barricade on a road on Thursday morning demanding payment of their dues, disrupting vehicular movement in Bakolia area of Chattogram port city. Quoting witnesses, Selim Newaz, assistant superintendent of Chattogram Industrial Police said the workers of Dips Apparels found their factory closed in the morning. A closure notice was found hanging on the main gate of the factory. Then they gathered at Shah Amanat Bridge of Bakolia area around 9 am and staged demonstrations demanding payment of dues. They said the he factory authorities failed to pay their wages in the last five months. Read: RMG workers stage demo in Dhaka protesting sexual abuse Vehicular movement stretching from Shaha Amanat Bridge to Marine Drive Road and New Chaktai Road remained halted since morning, causing suffering to commuters. The factory owner said there is no work order at the factory now and owner is struggling to pay the wages of 600 workers of his factory, said ASP Newaz. The owner also decided to stop production of the factory. Police are trying to bring the situation under control, he said.

The protesting factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Chittagong University unit withdrew their indefinite blockade on Tuesday a day after enforcing it demanding posts in the full committee of the unit. Upon assurance from Chittagong City Awami League General Secretary AJM Nasir Uddin, the six sub-groups of CU BCL withdrew the blockade, said CU BCL vice president Rakibul Hasan Dinar. Another group, followers of Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, also withdrew the blockade, he added. Meanwhile, CU acting registrar Professor SM Monirul Hasan said the main gate of the university and the transport office cannot be put under lock and key from now on. The university administration will issue a notice in this regard. “The administration will take  action if anyone locks the main gate,” he added. A group of BCL leaders and activists started protest around 8 am on Monday and locked the main gate of the university, halting classes and exams of the university. Teachers’ buses could not leave the campus for Chattogram in the morning, university. Besides, the shuttle train service also came to a halt, he added. The agitated BCL activists placed a three-point demand including posts in the committee. Earlier on August 1, BCL activists, who didn't get any posts in the new committee, enforced a blockade programme halting classes and exams of the university following announcement of the full committee of the unit. After three years, the full committee of the CU unit of BCL was announced on July 31.

A faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Chittagong University unit on Monday enforced a blockade on the campus as they were ‘deprived of posts in the full committee of the unit’. A group of BCL leaders and activists started protest around 8 am and locked the main gate of the university, halting classes and exams of the university. Read: Protest rally at DU against BCL attack, BSF border killing Teachers’ buses could not leave the campus for Chattogram in the morning, university Assistant Proctor Shahidul Islam said. Besides, the shuttle train service also came to a halt, he added.

A faction of Bangladesh Chhatro League’s (BCL) Chittagong University unit on Monday enforced a blockade on the campus following announcement of the  full committee of the unit. BCL activists, who didn't get any posts in the new  committee, enforced the blockade programme, halting classes and exams of the university. Following the announcement of CU unit BCL committee on Sunday night, the leaders and activists got agitated and demanded reformation of the committee. The agitated students also demanded the removal of Mohammad Ilyas from the post of joint general secretary of the committee alleging him to be drug dealer. Read:CU student assault: 5 BCL activists remanded Shayan Das Gupta, who got the post of vice-president in the new committee, said those who were involved in BCL politics from the beginning have been deprived. Many outsiders got positions in this committee in exchange of money. “We do not accept this committee.” BCL leader Dolowar Hossain, who didn’t get post, said the committee has been announced depriving the qualified and dedicated BCL activists. The shuttle train service also came to a halt due to alleged abduction of three people including the loco master. Meanwhile, the railway authorities refused to operate shuttle trains due to security concerns. Sholoshohor station master Tanmoy Chowdhury said no train left for the university due to the blockade. “Also three people including a loco master and a guard were abducted from Jhautola railway station.” The full committee of CU unit of BCL was announced after three years on Sunday.

Agitated transport workers in Dinajpur have blocked the district’s Dashmail central truck terminal and adjacent roads, protesting the detention of two of their fellow workers over allegations of extortion and obnoxious comments made by the Officer In-charge (OC) of Kaharol police station about their organization. As a result, movement of all types of public transport has remained suspended in the district. According to Sadakatul Bari Sada, President of Dinajpur Truck-Lorry-Covered Van Workers’ Union, OC Rais Uddin detained two workers over allegations of extortion in Kaharol upazila. “We went to the police station to talk to the OC. But instead of giving us time, the OC termed our registered organization as illegal. The aggrieved workers are protesting the detention and the remark made by the OC by blocking various roads since 5:00pm today,” said Sada. Read: Rajshahi transport owners, workers call strike from Nov 1 OC Rais denied the allegations, saying that they detained two workers for questioning over extortion at Kaharol cattle market.   “I didn’t term the Union as illegal. Rather, I tried to talk to the leaders of the organization in the evening. I’m trying to mitigate the situation by talking with my high-ups,” Rais said.

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has started dismantling the risky parts of the two buildings that tilted at Majhirghat area under Sadarghat police station in the Port City recently. The work started on Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the locals blamed the CDA for the buildings getting tilted. They staged a day-long blockade in the Majhirghat Stand Road area demanding compensation. They said the buildings got tilted due to CDA's drain construction project. The excavation for the project caused the buildings to tilt as the soil by the base of the buildings was removed. CDA officials who visited the spot, said that the buildings were made occupying the canal’s designated area. When the canal was being expanded for the drainage project, the buildings tilted. READ: 3-storey building in Chattogram tilts CDA has already started breaking down the risky parts of the building, they said. Shahinul Islam Khan, CDA’s chief urban planner said, according to the CDA's policy, any infrastructures would have to be built 15 feet away from the canals. They were also informed about it when they got approval for this building. But the owners of the buildings didn’t follow the policy. Notice and time were also given to remove those from the side of the canal. Now these two buildings have tilted as the canal has been expanded for the drainage project. CDA would compensate them if they have valid documents regarding the land in canal area. But they could not show any papers, the officer said.

Amid demonstrations by the students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University (DU) protesting the postponement of their ongoing examinations, the Education Ministry on Wednesday announced that their examinations will continue maintaining the Covid-19 health guidelines.