At least 15 individuals, including three police personnel, sustained injuries during a violent clash that erupted over "rules and regulations" of prayers in Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria on Friday night. The confrontation between members of the Charchhartala Mollah Bari and Kichhki Bari groups was sparked by a disagreement following the Taraweeh prayers, a key observance during the holy month of Ramadan.  A video capturing the tense moments went viral on social media the following day. Shab-e-Qadr: Night of divine blessings being observed nationwide At the heart of the conflict was a dispute initiated by Shafiqul Islam of Kichhki Bari, who raised questions regarding the prayer leadership of Mawlana Mohiuddin Mollah, the Imam of Charchhartala Jame Masjid. This dispute quickly escalated into violence, with participants wielding improvised weapons, according to police and eyewitness accounts. Imam Mohiuddin accused Shafiqul of issuing a “fatwa”, criticising the fidelity of the mosque's prayer practices, which he alleges directly led to the violent outbreak. He claimed that the assault by the Kichhki Bari faction left five individuals in critical condition. Shafiqul Islam, however, countered these allegations, arguing that his intentions were to offer constructive suggestions to Imam Mohiuddin following the conclusion of the Taraweeh prayers. He contended that it was the Imam and his followers who initiated the violence, resulting in injuries to eight people and the targeted destruction of property, including the vandalism of three vehicles. Chuadanga scorches: Highest temperature in the country this year at 41.2°C In response to the escalating violence, Ashuganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nahid Ahmed reported that law enforcement officers were compelled to discharge 35 rounds of rubber bullets to quell the disturbances. The clashes also resulted in injuries to three policemen.  Authorities have since increased police presence in the area to prevent further incidents and have initiated legal proceedings in response to the conflict.

Law Minister Anisul Huq bagged the Brahmanbaria-4 seat for the third time consecutively in the 12th national election held on Sunday. Anisul bagged 2,20,667 votes while his nearest rival, Shaheen Khan from the National People’s Party secured 6,586 votes. Nat'l Election: Hasan Mahmud wins for 4th time Annisul Huq was also elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in the 2014 and 2018 elections with the ‘boat’ symbol. The voter turnout in the constituency was 58.13 percent. Independent candidates Azad, Nixon win Faridpur-3, 4 The constituency has a total of 118 polling centres. Of these, 74 centers are in Kasba upazila and 44 centers in Akhaura upazila. Ferdous hits clean sweep in Dhaka-10 as debutant candidate from AL The law minister's father Sirajul Haque, a renowned lawyer of the subcontinent and a member of the Constituent Assembly and the constitution drafting committee, was also a member of parliament from this constituency.

A fish trader who was stabbed by muggers in Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria early Tuesday died undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Tinonath Das, 35, of Lalpur Kandapara village in Ashuganj upazila. He was a fish trader in Lalpur Market. BNM candidate for Brahmanbaria-3 fined for violating code of conduct Tarun Kanti Das, inspector (investigation) of Ashuganj Police Station, confirmed the matter. Family members of the deceased said Tinonath was going to Lalpur Bazar from his house at around 5:00 am on Tuesday, like every other day. A group of muggers attacked him in the area adjacent to Kandapara Satsang Ashram. At that time, the robbers stabbed him randomly and snatched about Tk 1 lakh from him. Trader crushed under train in Brahmanbaria Later, locals found him lying injured and took him to the hospital. As his condition deteriorated, the on-duty doctor referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Police have been stationed in the area since the incident. Efforts are on to identify and arrest those involved in the incident, said the inspector. 12th Parliamentary elections: BNP chairperson's adviser collects nomination paper for Brahmanbaria-1 seat

Four people were killed and three others injured when a covered van hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Sohagpur bus stand in Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Monday. The deceased were identified as Sohel Mia, 27, son of Farid Mia, Jilani, 8, son of Nazmul Mia, Askar Mia, 60 and Ujjal, son  of Rashid Mia of Kishoreganj district. Read: Mother, daughter die in Sylhat gas cylinder blast; 4 injured  Akul Chandra Biswas, officer-in-charge of Khatihata Highway Police, said the accident occurred in the afternoon when the covered van hit the stationary CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Shohagpur bus stand, leaving its three passengers dead on the spot and four others injured. Read: Truck, easy-bike collision leaves 2 dead in Chuadanga  Of the injured, another victim died on the way to Sadar hospital. The injured were sent to Dhaka for better treatment. Read: Road accident leaves youth dead in the city 

Missing independent candidate in the by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 Abu Asif Ahmed was traced in the city’s Bashundhara area five days after he went missing from his electoral area, police said on Thursday. Mohammad Shakawat Hossian, superintendent of police (SP) in the district, said they came to know about his whereabouts when they contacted victim’s wife Meherunnesa for their investigation over his disappearance on Thursday. “He (Asif) will be brought back from the capital and interrogated about his disappearance,” he said. Asif, who was expelled from the BNP for contesting in the election, went missing on January 27 after he had come out of his house for campaign. Read more: B’baria-2 by-polls: Wife submits application to find missing candidate Asif Later, his wife lodged a GD at the local police station in this connection while an application was also sent to the Chief Election Commissioner to find her missing husband on January 31. Asif is the former president of Ashuganj Upazila unit BNP and the former chairman of Upazila Parishad. In the Brahmanbaria-2 by-poll, he was the main opponent of the expelled leader of BNP and five-time Member of Parliament, Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan.

An appeal has been made to the authorities concerned for tracing the missing independent candidate of Brahmanbaria-2 by-polls Abu Asif Ahmed and ensuring a level playing field for a free and fair election. Asif Ahmed’s wife Meherun Nisa Meherin submitted the written letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Brahmanbaria and the returning officer of the by-election on Tuesday noon.The election will be held on Wednesday (Feb 1). Copies of this letter have been given to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police, Ashuganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Officer-in-charge of Ashuganj police station and the local press club. She said that the letter has also been emailed to the departments concerned. Read more: B’baria-2 by-polls: 3 independent candidates withdraw, clearing the way for ex-BNP leader Abdus Sattar Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner and by-election returning officer Md Shahgir Alam also acknowledged receiving the letter. Asif went missing on January 27. He is the former president of Ashuganj Upazila unit BNP and the former chairman of Upazila Parishad. In the Brahmanbaria-2 by-poll, he is the main opponent of the expelled leader of BNP and five-time Member of Parliament, Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan. Meherin said in the letter that there is no level playing field even for campaigning for the election. They are also facing threats in appointing polling agents for the voting. “Propaganda is being spread that a specific candidate will win the election anyway. We do not think that there will be a fair election in this situation. We believe that despite all this, if there is a fair and impartial vote, my husband Abu Asif Ahmed will win with a huge margin.” “When news in this regard was published in the media, we came to know that the Election Commission ordered an investigation to find my husband,” she added. She also mentioned in the letter that polling centres in Kuttapara East, Kuttapara West, Syedtula Garer Par, Habistula, Sarail Annada Government High School and Uchalia Government Primary School of Sarail Upazila are very risky. Meanwhile, Shafayat Suman, the brother-in-law of Abu Asif, the chief coordinator of the election campaign, who has been missing since January 25, returned home on January 30. On January 25, Asif's election campaign chief Musa Mia, 80, was picked up by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Later, the police arrested him in a case of a settled village feud and sent him to jail. Read more: Now Ashuganj BNP declares Abdus Sattar persona non grata On January 14, three independent candidates in the by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 withdrew their candidacy. They are joint secretary of Brahmanbaria district AL and general secretary of district Sports Association Mahbubul Bari Chowdhury Montu, former joint secretary of Brahmanbaria district AL Md Moin Uddin Moin, and former leader of Chhatra League Shahjahan Alam Saju. Later, three other candidates--Jatiya Party's Abdul Hamid Bhasani, Zaker Party's Jahirul Islam Jewel, independently running JP rebel Ziaul Haque Mridha—also withdrew their candidacy. On January 1, BNP expelled Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan from all posts for "violating party decisions and engaging in anti-party activities". Sattar resigned from all his posts within the party, including the Chairperson's Advisory Council, on December 31 last year. By-polls to five parliamentary seats will be held on February 1. More Elections on Wednesday The EC will also conduct by-polls to Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 on Wednesday. On December 11 last year, five out of seven BNP Members of Parliament (MPs) submitted their resignation to Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point demand that included dissolution of Parliament. Md. Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3 and the MP of Brahmanbaria-2 Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit resignation to the Speaker in person. The MPs sent their resignation through an email on December 10.

A policeman, who was attacked by a mentally-challenged youth with a knife, in Brahmanbaria is still not out of danger, doctor said on Sunday night. Dr Md Alauddin, a resident doctor at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said the victim sustained stab wounds in the chest, under his left arm and on the hand. He had to undergo an emergency surgery and he is still not out of danger. Read more: Sub-inspector injured in B'baria knife attack On Sunday, the policeman was injured after a mentally-challenged youth attacked him with a knife in Sadar upazila of Brahmanbaria. Police arrested the attacker, Saidul, son of Fazlul Haque in Behair village of Natai North Union of the upazila, from the spot. The injured police officer was identified as Atiqullah, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Sadar Model Police Station. Read more:  Md Shakhawat Hossain, superintendent of Brahmanbaria police, said Saidul locked his mother and father in a room and tried to set the house on fire. After receiving a 999 call, a police team along with the fire service went to the spot and rescued the confined parents. Later, when police tried to apprehend Saidul, he stabbed SI Atiqullah with the knife, leaving him seriously injured. At one stage, police managed to take the knife from Saidul and caught him, he added. Atiqullah was taken to Sadar Hospital and given first aid.  

Three independent candidates in the by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 have withdrawn their candidacy. The three independent candidates are: joint secretary of Brahmanbaria district AL and general secretary of district Sports Association Mahbubul Bari Chowdhury Montu, former joint secretary of Brahmanbaria district AL Md Moin Uddin Moin, and former leader of Chhatra League Shahjahan Alam Saju. The candidates, led by district Awami League General Secretary and district Council Chairman Al Mamun Sarker, withdrew their candidacy by going to the Deputy Commissioner and Deputy Returning Officer's office around 11:30 on Saturday, said Assistant Returning Officer and district Election Officer Md Zillur Rahman. Read more: Now Ashuganj BNP declares Abdus Sattar persona non grata There are now five candidates contesting in the by-elections, including lawyer Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan, who resigned from BNP. Four other candidates are: Jatiya Party's Abdul Hamid Bhasani, Zaker Party's Jahirul Islam Jewel, independently running JP rebel Ziaul Haque Mridha and local BNP leader Abu Asif. About withdrawing from the by-polls, Md Moin Uddin said, “We have withdrawn due to personal reasons.” Abdus Sattar was elected as MP from the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency five times. On January 1, BNP removed Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan from all posts for "violating party decisions and engaging in anti-party activities". Sattar resigned from all his posts within the party, including the Chairperson's Advisory Council, on December 31 last year. By-polls to five parliamentary seats will be held on February 1. The EC will conduct the by-polls to Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2. Read more: By-polls to 5 vacant seats: AL to start distributing application forms Wednesday On December 11 last year, five out of seven BNP members of the parliament (MPs) submitted their resignation to Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point demand that includes dissolution of parliament. Md. Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3, who is now in Australia and the ailing MP of Brahmanbaria-2 Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit resignation to the Speaker in person. The MPs sent their resignation through an email on December 10.

The High Court on Thursday summoned three lawyers including Brahmanbaria Bar Association president for misbehaving with the district Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Faruq. Those summoned are Bar Association president Advocate Tanvir Ahmed Bhuiyan, Secretary (Administration) Advocate Md Akkas Ali and Advocate Zubair Islam The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order on a suo moto move. The court asked the trio to appear before the court on January 17 to explain the matter. The court also issued a rule questioning as to why punitive action will not be taken against them on contempt of court charge. Read more: HC summons ACC IO over exemption of accused in Sonali Bank loan scam case On January 4,district Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Faruq sent a written complaint to the High Court to take action against those involved in this incident. Later, on the instructions of the Chief Justice, the Registrar General of the Supreme Court sent the written complaint of the judge to the HC bench. On January 2, Bar Association president advocate Md Tanvir Bhuiyan, Secretary Advocate Md Akkas Ali and around 10-15 lawyers including Zubair Islam came and rudely asked the judge to leave the courtroom. Advocate Tanvir  hurled abusive words at the court, as per the complaint. One of the policemen present at the courtroom videoed  the incident which was attached to the complaint. Read more: HC summons 3 Khulna lawyers to face contempt charges Considering the misconduct with a judge during the court session, it is necessary to settle the complaint in the interest of the safety of the judges and the image of the judiciary, reads the complaint.

Fourteen additional police teams have been deployed in Brahmanbaria district to avoid clashes during the final match of Qatar World Cup between Argentina and France on Sunday. Joynal Abedin, additional superintendent of Brahmanbaria Police, said 14 additional police teams have been deployed in the district to avoid possible clash between the supporters of France and Argentina over the world cup final match. Besides, the regular patrol team will patrol the district alongside the additional teams. Read more: Messi seeks glory, Argentina meets France in World Cup final Last year, the supporters of Argentina and Brazil locked into a fierce clash during the Copa America Final match at Kheuai village in Sadar upazila of Brahmanbaria district. A chase and counter chase took place during the clash.