An army personnel was dead and three others were injured when a bus hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Lichutala in Shahjahanpur upazila of Bogura district on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Keramat Hossain, 45, a soldier of Majhira Cantonment of Bogura. The accident occurred around 8:30 pm when the Rangpur-bound ‘Agamani Paribahan’ hit the CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying five people, leaving four injured, said Abdullah Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Shahjahanpur Police Station. The injured were taken to Bogura’s Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared Keramat dead. Also read: Father-son duo killed in Kushtia hit-and-run accident Keramat met the tragic incident while he along with three of his family members were going to Majhira in the CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Police seized the bus but could not arrest its driver and helper.  

Army personnel detained a member of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) from Naniarchar in Rangamati in connection with the 2006 murder of Captain Gazi on Tuesday. The arrestee is Gyanomoy Chakma alias Progoti Chakma, alias Kanungo alias Poritran alias Jidong alias Gombhir, 52, secretary of the Central Committee of UPDF and an active member of ‘Black Panther Platoon’. He was made an accused in the chargesheet of Captain Gazi murder case. Read: 2 killed in JSS-UPDF gunfight in Rangamati An official of an intelligence agency in Rangamati district told UNB requesting anonymity that a team of Ghagra Army Camp in Rangamati region, tipped off, arrested Gyanomoy conducting a special drive in Hajachhari of Naniarchar around 3am. Three to four of his associates escaped the spot, sensing the law enforcers' presence. They also seized a short gun, a mega phone, three cell phones, national identity card (NID) and other documents from the accused’s possession. According to the investigation, Gyanomoy Chakma joined the Shanti Bahini at the age of 16/17. Though, during the Hill Tracts Peace Accord, the force surrendered on December 2, 1997, he did not surrender and for some time went into hiding and re-engaged in the armed activities of the Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS). Later, he joined the UPDF's armed forces in January 2003 as a sub-post director in the Ghilachhari area. Being a UPDF member, he directly led the assassination of Captain Nurul Gazi in 2006, said the source. On December 27, 2006, a case was filed at Naniarchar Police Station where Gyanomoy was shown as an accused. Read: Arms recovered at UPDF hideout in Khagrachhari He is also an accused in another case filed at Longdu Police Station of Rangamati, said the source. He has been involved in several crimes, including extortion, kidnapping and murder, since 2006 keeping himself in hiding. The arrestee was handed over to Naniarchar Police Station around 12:30pm today. The source added.

Two army personnel were killed in a head-on collision between an army pickup  and a cement-laden truck at Simato Bazar  in Kamarkhand upazila of Sirajganj district on Monday evening. The deceased were identified as Corporal Mehedi Hasan, 36, son of Mozaffar Hossain of Naodashalua village in Raiganj upazila and Dipankar Dutta, 21, son of Shyamal Dutt of Jhalmalia village in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district. Read:Barguna road crash kills two Chinese and their Bangladeshi interpreter Four others were injured in the accident. The injured are sergeant Firoz, 35, soldier Mainul, 21, lance corporal Imran, 30, and soldier Mehbub, 24. Mosaddek Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Bangabandhu Bridge West police station, said the army pickup collided with the cement-laden truck in the border market area on the way back from Hatikumrul, leaving seven army personnel injured. The injured were rescued and taken to Sirajganj Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital, where doctors declared two of them dead. Read:Habiganj road crash kills 6 Among the injured, Sergeant Firoz was taken to Dhaka at night by a helicopter for better treatment. However, the helper and the driver of the truck managed to flee the spot. A case has been filed in this regard, the OC added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked members of Bangladesh Army to stay ever-prepared to face any disaster alongside safeguarding country’s sovereignty like they did in the past. She also directed them to attain professional excellence and discipline keeping pace with the changed world order. The Prime Minister was addressing a function on inclusion of “Tiger Multiple Launch Rocket/Missile System (MLRS)” in Bangladesh Army at Savar Cantonment. She spoke from her official residence Ganobhaban through video conference. Sheikh Hasina said the modern MLRS system can very quickly and effectively launch simultaneous attacks on multiple targets and it will add a new dimension in increasing the Army’s operational capability. The MLRS system is included in the Army on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of the Country’s independence. The Prime Minister termed the day as memorable for the step taken in modernizing the country’s Armed Forces. Also read: Hasina to Army: Help people improve their lifestyle This new system will also increase mental strength and self confidence of the members of the Army alongside strengthening their institutional capability, she said. Terming Bangladesh Army as pride of the nation, Sheikh Hasina said, members of the force are making highest sacrifices during any crisis moment as well as protecting independence and sovereignty of the country.