United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Assistant Personal Physician Dr ANM Monowarul Kadir Bitu on Wednesday visited Prof Dr Md Asadur Rahman at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Asadur Rahman, head of the ENT Department at DMCH, came under attack at Shantinagar in the capital on the night of August 17. During the visit, Bitu spoke to DMCH Director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman and doctors on duty about Asadur Rahman's overall treatment. Expressing deep concern, he said such barbaric attacks on doctors were unacceptable. "Such incidents seriously disrupt the normal healthcare environment in the country and create a sense of insecurity among doctors, which is deeply worrying," he said. Bitu also spoke to Asadur Rahman's family members and expressed sympathy for them. The family members strongly demanded that the Prime Minister immediately enact the Health Worker Safety Protection Act.

Three-month-old conjoined twin sisters from Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Wednesday. The babies, Zainab and Umme Kulsum, died around 5:30 pm while doctors were treating them at the hospital, according to their family. The twins were born at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) on May 4 to Nahid Hasan, a shop employee, and his wife Sanjida Akter, residents of Bilgathua village under Pragpur Union in Daulatpur. The babies were joined from the chest to the abdomen. After their birth, doctors kept them under close observation and said they could potentially be separated through surgery. However, the procedure would require multiple tests, specialised medical teams and prolonged treatment. The family was advised to bring the babies back to Dhaka after three months for further treatment. But their severe financial hardship prevented them from continuing the treatment. The issue came to public attention after reports were published in the media, prompting the Prime Minister to intervene. Following the Prime Minister’s directive, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare took responsibility for covering all expenses related to the twins’ treatment and possible surgery. As part of the government’s initiative, Health Minister personally called the twins’ father on Sunday afternoon and advised him to bring the babies to Dhaka as soon as possible. With the government’s assurance of financial support, the family left for Dhaka on Monday morning and admitted the babies to Dhaka Medical College Hospital the same day. Doctors subsequently conducted several necessary medical examinations. However, despite the efforts of the medical team, the two babies died. “We had the support of the Prime Minister and the government, and the doctors were also trying their best. We came to Dhaka with hopes of giving our children a new life,” Nahid Hasan said. “But I could not take my two beautiful babies back home,” he said. The bodies were taken to their home in Daulatpur late Wednesday night. Following a janaza at 9 am Thursday, the twins were buried at a local graveyard. The deaths have cast a deep shadow of mourning over the area.

An internet lineman died after being electrocuted at Kurarghat of Kamrangirchar in the capital on Thursday night. Victim Md Sumon, 18, was taken in an unconscious state to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 9:00pm, where the doctor on duty declared him dead. Sumon, son of Md Shahbuddin, hailed from Madhya Swarnabadh village in Bhola Sadar upazila. He used to live with his family in the Gonkatuli area of Hazaribagh. His colleague Al Amin said Sumon was working on an internet line beside the Kurarghat electricity office in Kamrangirchar around 8:00pm when he accidentally came in contact with a live electric wire and lost consciousness. “We rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital but the doctor declared him dead,” Al Amin said. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue and the matter has been reported to the police station concerned.

A young man was slaughtered at a workers’ hostel of Matador Group in the Kamrangirchar area of the capital early Thursday. The victim was identified as Md Yakub Ali, 25, son of Abdul Malek of Aralia village in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj district. He used to work at Matador Group and stay at its workers’ hostel at Lakepar of Kamrangirchar. Fellow workers found Yakub critically injured inside the hostel’s toilet with his throat slit around 1:15am, said police. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment. Assistant Manager of the company, Bazlur Rahman, said they rescued Yakub from the toilet after being informed and immediately took him to the hospital. “We do not know who did this and why,” he added. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

A young man was  electrocuted allegedly while attempting to steal electric wires at a house at Kalabagan in the capital on Sunday. The identity of the deceased could not be known yet. He was later taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College (DMCH) Hospital around 8:00 am in an unconscious state where doctors declared him dead. Kalabagan police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Iqbal Hossain said the young man got entangled in live wires while trying to steal them. The house owner called the national emergency number 999 and police rushed to the scene to rescue him. The body has been sent to the morgue of DMCH for autopsy and legal proceedings are ongoing.

An 11-year-old minor boy was killed when a truck ran over him in Jatrabari area of the capital early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Md Zahid, 11. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police camp, said the accident occurred around 12:30 am when the truck hit him while crossing the road, leaving him injured. Young man killed in a road accident in Feni Later, he was taken to DMCH where the doctors declared him dead.      

A dockyard security guard was stabbed to death allegedly  by muggers in  Bashundhara River View Balur Math area of South Keraniganj early Wednesday. The victim was identified as Ahmed Dewan, 60, son of late Mofa Dewan of South Pangaon, Keraniganj. He worked as a security guard at Pangaon Dockyard. His daughter Rekha said a group of muggers intercepted him in Balur Math area around 5:30 am and stabbed him in the left side of his abdomen before fleeing with his mobile phone. He was later taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 9:30am where doctors declared him dead, she said. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue and the death has been reported to Keraniganj South Police Station. 2 youths found dead in Atrai River in Dinajpur  

Hallmark Group Managing Director (MD) Md. Tanvir Mahmud, who had been serving a jail term in connection with the Hallmark loan scam, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Saturday night (November 29). He was 55. AIG (Development) of the Prisons Department Md. Jannat-ul Farhad confirmed that Tanvir Mahmud passed away around 10:30 pm. Tanvir had been imprisoned in cases filed with Ramna Police Station and Kafrul Police Station. Read more: HC rejects Hallmark chairperson’s bail plea in graft case Prison authorities said he had been suffering from multiple health complications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, diabetes, benign prostatic enlargement (BEP), bronchial asthma, chronic pancreatitis, vomiting, and urinary retention. As his condition deteriorated, he was taken from Dhaka Central Jail to DMCH at 1:35 pm on Saturday and admitted around 4 pm. He was placed in Bed No. 19 of ward number 602 under medical supervision. His health worsened rapidly after admission, and doctors later declared him dead at around 10:30 pm, the prison official said. Read more: Dhaka court sentences 9 including Hallmark MD Tanvir, wife to life imprisonment

Police have handed over the bodies of 16 victims, who died in the devastating fire at a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Rupnagar area to their families five days after the incident. The handover process began around 10:15pm on Sunday and continued until 12:30am, according to police.  The bodies had been kept in the cold storage of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue for DNA testing and identification. Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Rupnagar Police Station, said the forensic unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) provided them with the DNA results for 16 victims. After confirming the matches with their family members, they contacted them and all 16 bodies were handed over at the DMCH morgue, he said. Mirpur factory and chemical warehouse fire: 7-member probe body formed Each bereaved family received Tk 25,000 in burial assistance from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, disbursed through the Dhaka district administration. Tejgaon Development Circle Engineer Md Zakir Hossain handed over the financial assistance. The 16 victims were identified through DNA testing as Mahira Akter, 14, daughter of late Omar Faruk from Bamna upazila in Barguna; Nargis Akter, 18, daughter of Wazi Ullah from Daliganagar in Lalmohan upazila, Bhola; Md Sanowar Hossain, 25, son of Mizanur Rahman from Nalitabari, Sherpur; Nure Alam Sarkar, 23, son of Aminul Islam from Bhabanipur, Gaibandha Sadar; Al Mamun, 38, son of late Mojibur Rahman from Darikata village, Amtali upazila, Barguna; Rabiul Islam Robin, 20, son of Nazu Mia from Tilaknagar, Bancharampur, Brahmanbaria; Farzana Akter, 15, daughter of Ratan Mia from Golla Rajapur, Dharmapasha, Sunamganj; Khalid Hasan Sabbir, 29, son of Monirul Islam from Islambpur, Barguna Sadar; Abdul Alim, 14, son of Nur Islam from Krishnapur, Singra, Natore; Joy Mia, 20, son of Sabuj Mia from Nurulla village, Barhatta, Netrakona; Asma Akter, 13, daughter of Nayan Mia from Southkhali, Mohanganj, Netrakona; Muna Akter Samia, 16, daughter of Sonu Mia from Kadamshree, Madan, Netrakona; Mousumi Khatun, 22, daughter of Abdul Mannan from West Naodabas, Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat; Mukta Begum, 36, daughter of Musha Dewan from Sureshwar, Naria, Shariatpur; Tofayel Ahmed, 18, son of Joj Mia from Joypur, Mohanganj, Netrakona; and Nazmul Islam Riaz, 40, from Panti village, Kumarkhali, Kushtia. Death toll rises to 16 in Mirpur factory and chemical warehouse fire Earlier, forensic experts collected DNA samples from six bodies on October 15 and from ten more on October 16 for identification purposes. On October 14, the fire, which broke out in the Rupnagar industrial area, gutted the multi-storey factory and warehouse building, leaving 16 workers dead and several others injured. On October 16, the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) formed a seven- member panel to investigate the fatal fire incident. Lt. Col Mohamamd Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of FSCD headquarters, was made the head of the committee.  

Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur was discharged from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Monday after 18 days of treatment. Rashed Khan, general secretary of the party, said Nur was released around 4:30 pm. Although Nur has been discharged he will not be able to speak to the media and is scheduled to be admitted to another hospital for further treatment, he said. Nur may need 4–6 weeks to recover: DMCH Director Nur was admitted to DMCH on August 29 with multiple injuries  after a clash between activists of his party and Jatiya Party in front of his party office. He was initially treated at the One-Stop Emergency Centre (OSEC) before being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Once his condition stabilised, he was moved out of the ICU. He was given treatment under a six-member medical board.