Kurigram
15,520 hectares of croplands inundated in Kurigram
About 15,520 hectares of cropland have gone underwater in Kurigram district till Monday morning as the water level in the rivers has started rising again.
The water level in Dharla river has increased by 10 cm and in Brahmaputra river by 5 cm in the last 24 hours.
Read: Flood in Kurigram getting worse
Kurigram Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md Ariful Islam said water level in the Dharla River has risen to 34 cm above the danger level and 23 cm in the Brahmaputra river’s Chilmari Point on Monday morning. However, increased water has reduced erosion.
The low-lying areas and sandbars of the district have gone under water.
Till Monday, 15,520 hectares of crops have been submerged in the district. Of these, Aman is planted 15,115 hectares, vegetables are 270 hectares and seedbed is 95 hectares.
Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless
Over 100 families in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district have lost their homes to erosion by the Teesta River in just one week.
Villages like Arjun in Daldalia Union and Gorai Pier, Dalal Para, Hokdanga and Doctor Para in Thetrai Union of the upazila have been hit hard by the turbulent river.
Read:Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help
Five educational institutions, two community clinics, roads and one hundred acres of arable land now stand threatened due to the gushing water from the river, locals said.
At least 500 families of these areas have turned paupers as they lost their homes and lands in this monsoon alone, the UNB correspondent reported after visiting the affected areas.
Ziaur Rahman, a resident of Arjun village in Daldalia union, said,” Although much of the village was devoured by the river, no visible steps have been taken in this regard by the authorities concerned.”
The residents of other affected villages also made the same allegations.
Read: Riverbank erosion leaves Gashial residents on the edge
Solar village launched in Kurigram's Char Goynar Patal
A solar village was launched in Char Goynar Patal, an island in Kurigram's Chilmari, Sunday.
According to officials, the project was named "Friendship solar village" as Friendship, an NGO, helped install the system.
A 54-kilowatt solar microgrid will receive electricity from a solar plant and illuminate 100 families and a local bazaar, primary school, legal booth, and flood shelter centre.
However, 471 families are living on the remote island.
Read:Is solar power the solution to Bangladesh's growing energy needs
The Power Division officials said the consumers will get an uninterrupted power supply from the solar microgrid.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid inaugurated the launching of the village through a virtual function from Dhaka. Friendship CEO Runa Khan presided over the event.
So far, 6 million solar-home systems have been installed to provide electricity to people in the off-grid areas as part of the government's plan to bring everyone under power system coverage, Nasrul Hamid said.
Read: Renewable energy: 40% target 'ambitious, but roadmap absent'
"The share of renewable energy sources in power generation is increasing steadily. Some remote islands have been connected with electricity networks through submarine cables," he added.
"Now rooftop solar and net metering system has become a profitable business model”, he said, adding that the emphasis is now being laid on improving the quality of service that consumers are getting.
Nine Rohingya refugees detained in Kurigram
A mobile court in Kurigram detained nine Rohingya refugees on Wednesday night for flouting the Covid-19 lockdown norms.
The refugees have been identified as Faia Salam, 27, Ismail Hossain, 18, Sabika Khatun, 50, Nasim, 15, Riaz, 10, Asmira Khatun, 18, Tasminara Khatun, 7, Rumajan Khatun, 5, and Ismail Hossain, 3.
Read: Floods, landslides hit Rohingya camps hard: UNHCR
All of them are the residents of different Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, police said.
Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Bhurungamari Police Station, said during regular patrolling, the mobile court of the local administration intercepted a battery-run three-wheeler carrying 12 people amid the ongoing countrywide lockdown.
While two occupants of the vehicle managed to escape in the dark, the nine others were detained. The remaining person, a Bangladeshi national, was the driver of the vehicle. He was let off with a warning.
Read: Govt to vaccinate Rohingyas gradually starting with above-55s: Foreign Secretary The nine were subsequently handed over to the police after they revealed their identities and claimed that they had plans to sneak into neighbouring India.
"We have initiated the process to send them back to their respective Rohingya camps," the OC said.
Banglar Tiger: The big bull that's a big buzz in Bangladesh!
It's common for celebrities to have fans. But meet Banglar Tiger, who now has more admirers than a human celebrity.
Well, Banglar Tiger isn't any other ordinary bull -- technically a steer, a neutered male popular for its meat -- one finds strolling down the roads. But it's a pure Australian-Friesian variety cattle that weighs around 1,000 kg.
Read: Authorities disperse an illegal cattle market in Panchagarh
And for some reason, this giant steer has grabbed the spotlight in a remote Kurigram hamlet ahead of Eid-ul-Azha -- making news all over the country.
The four-year-old steer is owned by Rajikul Islam, a resident of Paschimdebattar village in Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila. The asking price of Banglar Tiger is Tk 4 lakh, but its owner expects a lakh more for the animal.
Read Digital Haat and more Qurbani Cow online shops targeting Eid-ul-Azha in Bangladesh
"I have decided to sell the steer as it is now suitable for sacrifice. In case the lockdown ends, I'll take Bengal Tiger to a marketplace and auction the animal," Rajikul says.
This is despite potential buyers flocking to his house every day.
"Such a giant cattle is usually not seen in the marketplace. So I have come to see him after hearing his story. I was surprised to see that such a giant steer could be raised at home," says Altaf Hossain, one such potential buyer.
Read:Authorities permit 3 makeshift cattle markets in Chattagram, set 17 conditions
Rajikul says the steer comes with a high cost of ownership. "I spend Tk 400 daily on Banglar Tiger. The bull consumes German grass, rice husk and maize, and is fully vaccinated," he adds.
According to Rajarhat Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Jobaidul Kabir, Rajikul gets expert advice from the livestock department. "The good thing is that he has managed to raise the bull successfully," he says.
Read:1.5 lac cattle ready for slaughter in Chapainawabganj, but will Covid-19 stand in the way?
Cattle smuggling on amid concern about Indian Delta variant
Residents of the border areas of the district are growingly worried about highly contagious Delta variant of Covid infection as smuggling of Indian cattle has reportedly increased ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
The cattle smuggling has become rampant through the porous frontier of the district, alleged the local people.
Also read: Record-high cattle arrivals from Myanmar Wednesday
The smugglers bring the Indian cows during the night using both land and river routes, they said.
In the local haats the Indian cattle are available and traders from different districts throng there as the demand has spiked because of upcoming Eid festival of sacrifice.
Bill placed in JS to set up Agricultural University in Kurigram
Kurigram Agricultural University Bill, 2021 was placed in Parliament on Monday to develop agriculture in the northern districts through research.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination.
Read: Bill placed in JS to provide better healthcare services to children
The Committee was asked to submit its report within one month.
It’ll be a prototype of the existing agricultural universities. Now there are 153 universities – 46 public and 107 private —in the country.
Read: Medical College (Governing Bodies) (Repeal), Bill 2021 placed in parliament
The President of the country will be the Chancellor of the university.
Person involved in agricultural education and research or professor of any university will be appointed as Vice-Chancellor for four years. But the VC will not be appointed for more than two terms.
Read:Medical Degrees (Repeal) Bill placed in JS
The same rules will be followed in appointing pro-VC and Treasurer. Person having 20 years experience of teaching or administrative or financial management will be appointed as treasurer.
BCL leader among 2 held for attack on govt official in Kurigram
A local leader of Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL) and another member of the student wing have been arrested in connection with an attack on a government official in Kurigram’s Char Rajibpur upazila. Police picked up Jewel Rana, BCL general secretary of Char Rajibpur Sadar, and Abdur Rahman Biswas from their houses in the upazila late on Thursday night on charges of assaulting project implementation officer (PIO) Souvrata Das.
Souvrata was distributing Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) money on Char Rajibpur Union Parishad premises on Wednesday morning when Upazila Chairman Akbar Hossain Hiro and Upazila Awami League President Abdul Hai went there, along with party activists.
Also read: Rajshahi University BCL locks up VC
As Souvrata did not stand up while talking to Abdul, Jewel Rana and his supporters suddenly started beating him. Later he was rescued by his colleagues and the local police and rushed to Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
Souvrata said, "I was attacked because I couldn't give proper attention to the Upazila Chairman while distributing money to the local people." Later he registered a complaint with police.
Char Rajibpur Police Station officer-in-charge Nabiul Hasan confirmed the arrest of the two BCL leaders and said a case was registered last night in connection with the attack on the government official.
Also read: Journalists condemn BCL attacks on colleagues covering anti-Modi protest
Jewel Rana and Abdur Rahman Biswas were produced in a court that sent them to judicial custody, he added.
Kurigram man arrested for raping 7-year-old girl
Police on Friday arrested a man for allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl in Char Sitaijhar village of Mughalbasa union in Kurigram Sadar upazila.
The arrestee was identified as Alam Mia, 40, son of late Omar Ali of the village, an employee of a tea stall.
Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Shahriar Khan said tea stall worker Alam was accused of raping the girl when she was alone on May 3. The girl did not tell anyone about the incident for three days. Later, due to severe pain and bleeding, she told her mother about the incident. The girl was later treated by a local doctor.
Also read: Out to relieve herself, woman kidnapped & gang raped in Gaibandha
In this connection, the mother of the minor girl filed a case with the Kurigram Sadar Police Station on Friday morning.
On Friday noon, the Police arrested the accused Alam and he was sent to jail after being presented in court.
Bangladesh's rape epidemic
Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing the death penalty for rapes last year.
Earlier last month, a police headquarters report said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years.
Also read: Rape epidemic: 2 held over gang-rape of Pabna woman
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below.
Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data.
However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape.
In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali.
Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019
In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country.
But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, and the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in society.
Nor’wester lashes across the country; 1 killed
A fisherman was killed at Ulipur Upazila in Kurigram as a nor'wester lashed across the country on Friday night into early hours of Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Momir Uddin, 42.
Police and local sources said a tree crushed Momir near Shyampur Kumar Para area as he was returning from Bazar amid the storm.
Hearing his cries locals rescued him and rushed to Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor announced him dead.
Also read: 12 killed in Gaibandha, Faridpur as nor’wester lashes country
Ulipur police station’s Officer-in-Charge confirmed the incident.
Nor'wester also caused immense damage in several districts of the country including Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Bhola.
In Panchagarh, nor'wester hit with heavy rain and wind around 9pm on Friday.
Moreover, hailstorm was seen in some places of the district.
Also read: Nor’wester destroys 250 houses in Bhola
The Meteorological office recorded 47 Km per hour velocity of the wind during the storm which caused a long power cut in the district.
Many houses and crops were destroyed during this time.
Ferry services were suspended for a long time at Ilisha Ferry Ghat in Bhola due to the storm.
Many vehicles were stranded on both sides of the ghat due to this.
Also read: Nor’wester sweeps Joypurhat; 4 killed
On the other hand, a partial part of a boat carrying passengers sank at Dhal Char Union under Charfashion Upazila because of the storm.
However, no casualties were reported.