United News of Bangladesh

The largest traditional festivals of Chakma and Tanchangya communites have begun in Bandarban with the ceremonial offering of flowers in a river to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. The festivals formally started on Sunday morning as young men and women from the communities gathered at the Sangu River and floated flowers on the water. Participants from different villages came together for the ritual, symbolically washing away past sorrows and welcoming the new year. Children, men and women of both communities dressed in traditional attire offered flowers and prayers to the water deity, seeking blessings for peace, happiness and prosperity in the coming year while letting go of past hardships. Bandarban, one of the three hill districts, is home to 11 ethnic minority communities alongside Bengalis, making it culturally diverse compared to other districts of the country. The blend of ethnic traditions and cultural practices adds a unique dimension to such festivals in the hill region. A series of programmes have been arranged to celebrate the festivals across different communities. A traditional Ghila game Gold Cup tournament of the Tanchangya community will be held this afternoon at Roangchhari upazila. Other events include the Sangrai rally on April 13, Buddha statue bathing on April 14, and water festival, cultural programmes and traditional food preparations on April 15 and 16. Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan is expected to attend the main water festival event as the chief guest on April 15 at Bandarban Rajar Math.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained two individuals and recovered firearms and ammunition during a special operation in Naikhongchari upazila of Bandarban on Saturday. According to BGB sources, acting on intelligence provided by DGFI, a patrol team from Naikhongchari Battalion (11 BGB) conducted the operation in the Baganghona area of Sadar Union in the evening. During the drive, law enforcers detained Md Faruk, 21, a Rohingya youth from Camp-13, and seized one 9mm TT pistol (made in Yugoslavia), another pistol of unidentified type, and 42 rounds of live ammunition, BGB said in a media statement. Over 10.59 lakh Yaba seized in Cox’s Bazar, largest single-day haul in BGB history Based on information obtained from Faruk, another suspect, Md Nurul Alam, 30, was later detained from the Chakdala Bazar area of the upazila. During initial interrogation, the detainees reportedly confessed that they were planning to hand over the arms to another party at a local hotel named Cafe-13 for Tk 20,000, following instructions from an individual named as Ayatullah. They are currently in BGB custody, and legal proceedings are underway. Naikhongchari Battalion Commander Lt Col Md Faizul Kabir said BGB has intensified patrols and intelligence activities to maintain law and order and prevent illegal arms smuggling in border areas, adding that such operations will continue.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has strengthened surveillance and launched coordinated drives to curb illegal hoarding, black marketing and cross-border smuggling of fuel in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban. The move comes amid a recent rise in illicit stockpiling and trafficking of petroleum products in the border area, prompting authorities to take special measures. Under directives from the BGB headquarters, a joint operation was carried out by Naikhongchhari Battalion (11 BGB), the upazila administration and police in Naikhongchhari market and surrounding areas. As part of the drive, BGB personnel on Wednesday conducted inspections at fuel stations, shops, warehouses and other suspected locations within their respective areas. Commanding Officer of 11 BGB Lt Col Md Faizul Kabir said illegal hoarding and smuggling of fuel pose a serious threat to the country’s economy and energy security. He said BGB remains firm in its stance against such crimes and warned that no one involved in illegal storage, smuggling or black marketing in border areas will be spared. The official stressed that discipline in the fuel sector can be ensured through coordinated efforts and urged people to inform the nearest BGB camp if they notice any suspicious activities related to fuel in border areas. He added that BGB has already intensified patrols and intelligence surveillance, and such operations will continue in the future. Local businessman and conscious citizens welcomed the initiative, saying regular monitoring will significantly reduce illegal hoarding and black marketing of fuel.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a Rohingya man and seized 330,000 Yaba  tablets in separate anti-narcotics operations along the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban. The arrestee was identified as Bashir Ahmed, 50, a Rohingya resident of Balukhali Camp-09 in Ukhia. He is the son of Abu Siddique. BGB’s Cox’s Bazar Battalion (34 BGB) conducted the operations in Ghumdhum and Baishfari border areas under Ghumdhum Union. According to BGB, at around 5:30 am on Saturday, a patrol team from the Ghumdhum BOP carried out a special operation based on intelligence information at Kankra Bridge, about 1.1 kilometres inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar-31.  During the raid, the team arrested Bashir Ahmed with 80,000 Yaba pills. Earlier, on Thursday night at around 9:40 pm, another patrol team from the Baishfari BOP conducted a separate operation at a bamboo grove area, about 200 yards inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar-36. The team recovered 250,000 Yaba pills in an abandoned condition. No one was arrested in that operation. BGB brings back 73 fishermen held by Arakan Army The total seizure from the two operations stood at 330,000 Yaba pills. Confirming the incident, Cox’s Bazar Battalion Commander Lt Col SM Khairul Alam said BGB remains committed not only to guarding the border but also to preventing drug trafficking and smuggling. “Such operations will continue in the future,” he said. BGB said legal action is underway to hand over the arrested Rohingya man along with the seized Yaba pills to police, following the filing of a case under existing laws.

Bandarban district administration has taken necessary measures to prevent any rain-related incidents, including landslide, as the district has been experiencing downpour intermittently since Thursday night under the influence of the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.    Meanwhile, 220 shelter centres have been opened to accommodate people, said District Disaster and Relief Officer Asif Raihan.   Heavy rainfall, landslides, waterlogging likely parts of country in 48 hrs: BMD Of them, there are 46 in Bandarban Sadar, 28 in Ruma, 19 in Rowangchhari, 15 in Thanchi, 55 in Lama, 15 in Alikadam and 42 in Naikhongchhari. The district administration has opened a control room to help people with the mobile number 01309744923. Those living in hilly pockets have been advised to take shelter at the centers as the administration made publicity through miking in the morning.   Prolonged rainfall causes severe waterlogging in Kurigram A police team led by an additional superintendent of police has been formed to extend support to the people. District police also formed a control room and the mobile phone number 0 1320-110898 to contact them. Meanwhile, vehicular movement on Lama-Alikadam road remained suspended for a while in the morning as a tree fell on it.  

Police have detained eight people in connection with the looting of Tk 1.72 crore from a depot office of Abul Khair Tobacco Company in Bandarban. Moreover, Tk 52.57 lakh of the looted amount has been recovered from the detainees. Superintendent of Bandarban police Mohammad Shahidullah Kawsar disclosed this at a press briefing at his office on Friday morning.  Woman killed, 23 hurt as jeep falls into hill stream in Bandarban On May 9, a group of 15 to 20 muggers looted the amount from the officials of the depot at the gunpoint in Lama upazila, he said. Later, the authorities filed a case in this connection, the police official said, adding that they initially detained two suspects. Based on their information, the police detained six more accused, he said. Taking the detainees, police conducted drives in four locations of the Lama and nearby Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar and recovered Tk 52.57 lakh, said the SP. During the preliminary interrogation, the detainees admitted that they were members of an inter-district robbery gang and their mastermind Abdul Karim had been freed from jail on bail around seven days before the mugging. During the drive, various weapons, including three local guns and six rounds of bullets, were seized, he said.  Bangladeshi man’s leg severed in landmine blast near border in Bandarban Legal action will be taken against the detainees accordingly, he added.  

A woman was killed and 23 others were injured after a jeep fell into a hill stream in a remote area of Alikadam upazila in Bandarban district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Tanoya Murong, 25, daughter of Kralai Murong, resident of the 26-kilometre area on Thanchi road. The accident occurred around 11:30am in the Jobiram Para area along the Kalarjhiri–Marma Para road, said Mirza Zahid Uddin, officer-in-charge of Alikadam Police Station. A group of people from Thanchi upazila was travelling to attend an event in Kalarjhiri Marma Para when the driver lost control of the vehicle.  3 killed, two injured as freight tractor overturns in Rangamati The jeep veered off the road and fell into a nearby hill stream, leaving Tanoya dead on the spot. All the victims are residents of Thanchi upazila. Upon receiving the information, members of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, with the help of locals, rescued the injured and took them to Alikadam Upazila Health Complex. Of the injured, 11 were later shifted to Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

A group of armed assailants abducted 26 workers from rubber plantations in the remote Murungjhiri area of Fasiakhali in Lama upazila, Bandarban, on Sunday. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lama Police Station Md Shahadat Hossain said the incident took place around 10:30am when armed miscreants raided several rubber plantations in Ward No 1 of Fasiakhali union. 7 workers ‘abducted’ in Bandarban The assailants took 26 workers hostage at gunpoint before fleeing the scene. According to the plantation owners, the names of 20 abducted workers have been identified. They are: Md Faruk (26), Ayub Ali (26), Md Siddiq (40), Abdul Khalek (20), Abdul Majed (17), Monirul Islam (30), Ziaur Rahman (45), Md Mobarak (25), Md Harun (30), Romiz Uddin (32), Syed Nur (28), Md Kaysar (38), Monir Hossain (35), Md Imran (17), Md Manjurul (30), Abshar Ali (25), Khairul Amin (30), Abu Bakkar (28), Abdur Razzak (33), and Md Mobin (25). 15 families return to homes in Bandarban after 23 months: ISPR The identities of the remaining six workers are yet to be confirmed. Md Shahjahan, a plantation owner in Murungjhiri, said that 26 workers were kidnapped from six plantations, with 12 being taken from his plantation alone. He further revealed that the abductors called him in the afternoon using a phone belonging to one of the kidnapped workers. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Tk 50,000 per worker, amounting to a total of Tk 600,000 for his 12 workers. OC Shahadat Hossain said that law enforcers, including police and the army, have launched a rescue operation. He suspects the involvement of hill-based armed groups, who were also responsible for the abduction of tobacco field workers in Sarai Union’s Bamukhali area a few days ago.

Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have detained 58 Rohingyas, including women, children, and elderly individuals, during an illegal entry attempt through the Buchitong border in Alikadam Upazila’s Nayapara Union, Bandarban. The operation was conducted by the Alikadam Battalion in the early hours of Saturday. According to police and local sources, the detentions were made following a tip-off about Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar with assistance from several Bangladeshi nationals. Acting on the information, BGB personnel launched a raid in the border area and held the group at around 4am. They were intercepted while being transported on a truck, a private car, and several motorcycles. Besides, five people accused of facilitating the illegal crossing were also detained during the operation. Saving lives must be first priority, says UNHCR as more Rohingya flee by sea Legal proceedings against them are underway, and cases are being prepared at Alikadam Police Station. The Rohingyas, meanwhile, are expected to be pushed back to Myanmar as part of the authorities' ongoing efforts to prevent illegal crossings. Alikadam Police Station’s officer-in-charge, Mirza Zahid Uddin, confirmed receiving information about the detainees but said that no case had yet been filed. “Appropriate measures will be taken once the case is lodged,” he added. The attempted crossings come amidst a protracted conflict in Myanmar, where disputes between the government and rebel groups have intensified, forcing many Rohingyas to flee the region in search of safety. Bangladeshi authorities have been vigilant in monitoring the border and check the influx of refugees and maintain security.

The interim government has strongly condemned the arson attack on the homes of the Tripura community in Lama upazila of Bandarban district. Bandarban police said they have sent their officers to the spot. Police have also carried out raids to arrest the culprits, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said in a statement on Thursday morning. An FIR has been filed over the incident, he said. Chief Adviser greets Christian community on Christmas Eve The Deputy Commissioner of the district and its police chief will visit the village on Thursday morning. They have been instructed to extend all-out assistance for the reconstruction of the torched houses. Police have also stepped up security measures in the area, Azad said.