The BNP's expelled Vice-Chairman and former State Minister for Law Major (retd) Shahjahan Omar has been declared wanted by the  Jhalakathi district unit of the party, as he has submitted his nomination paper from Awami League for the  Jhalakathi-1 constituency. District BNP Member Secretary Advocate Shahadat Hossain made the announcement in a video message on Friday morning. Jan 7 Election: BNP expels 15 leaders since schedule announced Shahadat said the central BNP, including  Jhalakathi district BNP, has become 'free from garbage' as a result of Omar's actions. "The former minister of the party has looted various benefits by using the party's post and designation when he was an MP and has always created discord and chaos in the party. The people of Jhalakathi are condemning him for being a boat's candidate," he said. 10 BNP leaders, activists detained in Chattogram The member secretary said he has already been expelled from the party for life. The  Jhalakathi  district BNP is also declaring him unwanted. Jhalakathi district BNP convening committee member Rafiqul Islam Jamal said, "The enemy of the party has been identified today. The leaders and activists are expressing their hatred for betraying the party." Shahjahan Omar got bail from Dhaka's First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on Wednesday afternoon after being in jail for nearly four weeks. After bail, Shahjahan Omar made the announcement of taking nomination paper from Awami League at a press conference at the UTC building in the capital's Karwan Bazar on Thursday evening. BNP, liked-minded parties demand cancellation of Jan 7 polls schedule He said Awami League has nominated him for Jhalakathi-1 constituency. He has submitted nomination papers online as a candidate for the boat. Later, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the decision to expel the former state minister from the party.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the driver of the bus “responsible for the deaths of 17 people” in Jhalakathi, from Ashulia in Savar early today (July 26, 2023). The arrestee was identified as Mohon Khan, 40. Based on information, a team of RAB-8 conducted a drive in Ashulia and arrested Mohon at the dead of night, said RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Khandaker Al Moin this morning. 17 die as bus plunges into pond in Jhalakathi; 35 injured Moin said that Mohon used to drive heavy vehicles despite being issued a license for driving light vehicles. Earlier on Monday, police arrested Md Foysal, supervisor of the bus, from Rajapur area of Jhalakathi district. 11 injured as another explosion rocks oil tanker in Jhalakathi’s Sugandha River On July 22, 17 people died and 35 were injured when a bus of ‘Smriti Paribahan’ plunged into a roadside pond at Chhatrakanda in Sadar upazila of Jhalakathi district while heading towards Barishal from Pirojpur district. Sub-inspector of Jhalakathi Police Station Sushankar filed a case against three people including the driver, supervisor and helper of the bus driver. Two more bodies found in Jhalakathi ship fire incident, one remains missing

Although a year has passed since the Barguna launch fire tragedy, families still mourn their missing loved ones.   A devastating fire broke out at Barguna-bound launch ‘MV-Avijan-10’ on December 24 last year. The launch, with 800 passengers on board, was heading towards Barguna and the fire broke out on Sugandha river in Jhalakathi.   Forty-nine people died in the tragedy while the exact numbers of passengers traveling on the launch and the missing passengers are yet to be known. One hundred people were injured in the incident.    Many did not get any compensation for what they lost during the fire. Besides, families of missing passengers say no financial assistance has been provided to them.   After the fire, the local administration of Barguna district handed over 25 bodies to their relatives while 23 people were buried in a mass graveyard in the district.   Khalil, along with his wife and three children, was heading towards Barguna by the launch. Khalil and his wife managed to survive but they still mourn their three missing children.   Meanwhile, Golam Mahbub’s offspring and elderly mother are inconsolable after losing him and his brother during the launch fire.   Criminal Investigation Department (CID) collected samples of 51 people for identifying the 23 unclaimed bodies that were buried in Potkakhali mass graveyard in the Sadar upazila of Barguna district. Sixteen eople have been identified through DNA test.   A case with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10, Hamjalal Sheikh, and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire on the launch has been lodged, said Shahidul Islam Milon, inspector (Investigation) of Barguna police station.  

A man has allegedly shaved the head of a 12-year-old boy for what he said keeping stylist hair at Amirabad in Nalchiti upazila of Jhalakathi district. The incident took place on Monday at Amirabad Bazar in the upazila. Faruk Hawladar, father of the boy lodged a complaint with Nalchiti Police in this connection, said officer-in-charge of Nalchiti Police Station, Ataur Rahman. According to the complaint, the boy went to a barbershop to cut hair. After seeing his haircut Haidar Hawladar, uncle of the local chairman forcefully shaved boy’s head as punishment. READ: 5 students pay price for protest against stalking; get heads shaved Enraged by the boy’s protest Haidar beat the boy before allowing him to go home. Faruk demanded that the tormentor of his boy be punished. He said Haider could have raised the matter with him instead of humiliating the boy.  Contacted, Haidar admitted that he had the boy’s head shaved as his haircut was objectionable and this could spoil other teenagers. Chairman of Magra Union, Enamul Haque, said if the incident is found to be true the offender will be punished.   The officer-in-charge of the local police station said they got a complaint in this regard. Legal action will be taken if any evidence is found.

The death toll from deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 rose to 48 on Sunday, as an 8-year-old admitted with over 30 percent burns succumbed to his injuries at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Tamim was kept on life support at the institute's intensive care unit (ICU) as his trachea got damaged. He expired at around 5:50 pm, said Resident Surgeon Dr SM Ayub Hossain. The toll reached 47 on Wednesday with the death of another 45-year-old at the institute. The deceased was identified as Shahinur, who suffered 40 per cent burns from the fire, said the hospital authority. Also read: Marine Court sends two drivers of MV Abhijan-10 launch to jail According to a list maintained by Red Crescent Bangladesh's Jhalakathi district office, at least 58 were still missing as of Wednesday. On Tuesday, the police control room set up at the launch terminal provided information about 41 missing passengers, said Md Salauddin, a sub-inspector at Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station. On Sunday, Dhaka Marine Court ordered to send the two drivers of the MV Abhijan-10 launch to jail in a case related to last month’s deadly fire. They are - the 8th accused in the case Abul Kalam ( in-charge driver) and the 7th accused Masum Billah (2nd driver). Also read: Launch tragedy: Probe committee gets 3 more days to submit report Earlier on December 28, the same court sent the two masters of the launch Riaz Sikder (master in charge) and the 6th accused Khalilur Rahman (2nd master) to jail when they surrendered before it. Advocate Billal Hossain, prosecuting officer of the Department of Shipping, said that the overall responsibility of the engine room rests with the engine drivers. Not only did they neglect their responsibilities, their role in the aftermath of the fire was presumptuous. The fire was initially reported to have started from the engine room, he said. If they had managed the engine room properly with perfect supervision, perhaps this horrible tragedy could have been averted, Adv Billal added. On December 26, the chief inspector of the Department of Shipping Shafiqur Rahman filed a case against eight people, including four owners of the launch, under the Marine Act with the Marine Court. The court took cognizance of the case and issued arrest warrants against the accused. The worst launch fire in memory occurred in the early hours of December 24 on Sugandha river off Jhalakathi town as Abhijan-10 packed with more than 800 passengers was on the way to Barguna from Dhaka.

As rescuers continued search for the missing or dead from the launch fire in Sugandha River on the third day Sunday the authorities could not determine the exact number of people still unaccounted for. Until filing the report at 6 pm no new bodies were recovered from the river nor any missing passenger found as anxious families kept waiting for their loved ones at Municipal Mini Park and on the bank of the river. The Jhalakathi unit of the Red Crescent Society has collected a list of 51 people missing from the information provided by their family members, said Imran, a volunteer from the organization to UNB. Also read: Fire likely from engine room caused launch tragedy: Probe committee Meanwhile, the police control room set up at the launch terminal reported getting information of 47 missing passengers so far, said Md Salauddin, Sub-Inspector of Jhalakathi Sadar police station. The divers from local fire service and Coast Guard resumed the search operation on Sunday morning and it was suspended for the day in the evening, said Khalulur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station in Jhalakathi district. Meanwhile probe bodies formed by the Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the district administration continued their investigation on Friday’s tragedy on MV Avijan-10 on its journey from Dhaka to Barguna. While visiting the spot Baharul Amin, director of the Barishal BIWTA and head of six-member probe body said, “There was not enough arrangement in the launch to extinguish fire.” He said most of the launches on Dhaka-Barishal route are luxurious but don’t have enough safety measures in the engine rooms. “If the launch was immediately moved to the shore after the fire broke out most of the lives lost could have been saved but the navigator did not do it,: said Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman, director of Jhalakathi Fire Service and Civil Defence. Also read: MV Avijan-10 owner, 24 others sued over Jhalakathi launch fire  Earlier, joint secretary of the shipping ministry Tofayel Hossain and convener of the seven-member probe body formed by the government said they suspect the fire originated in the engine room of the launch. He said, “We are investigating the Jhalakathi launch fire incident closely and we have visited the launch several times. Primarily, we suspect that the fire erupted from the engine room and then spread across it for other reasons.” Earlier, in the day, a case was filed with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10 Hamjalal Sheikh and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire in the launch that left 41 people dead and many more injured and missing. The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes. The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 41 on Saturday night. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

Expressing profound shock and sorrow at the loss of lives and injuries in the MV Avijan-10 launch fire, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday directed the authorities concerned to ensure quick treatment of the injured and hand over the bodies to their relatives promptly. She prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members, and the quick recovery of the injured. READ: Launch of US-Bangla flights strengthened Dhaka-Male air connectivity: PM Now in the Maldives on a state visit, the Prime Minister regularly enquiries about the incident, said a PMO press release. At least 39 passengers were charred to death and 72 others injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of a launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila. READ: PM greets female booters for clinching SAF U-19 Football trophy  The blaze broke out at 3am on the Barguna-bound Avijan-10 launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes. 

Incessant downpour triggered by Cyclone Nisarga swelled the water level of Sugandha and Bishkhali Rivers flooding 30 villages of Sadar, Nalchity, Razapur and Kathalia upazilas in the district.

Police arrested a young man as he allegedly beat his father to death in Kathipara village of Rajapur upazila on Monday.

Another person was diagnosed with coronavirus or COVID-19 in past 24 hours in the district, taking the total number of confirmed cases to six.