Cox's Bazar
Auto-microbus collision kills 2 in Cox's Bazar
Two persons were killed and three others injured in a head-on collision between a microbus and an auto-rickshaw on Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive in the district early Thursday.
However, the identities of the victims are yet to be established, police said.
Read: Father-son killed in Khagrachhari road crash
The accident occurred when the microbus hit the CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Marine Drive this morning. The crash left two passengers of the auto-rickshaw dead on the spot.
The injured occupants of the auto-rickshaw were rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, said Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station. "Their condition is said to be critical."
Both the vehicles have been seized, the OC added.
Two 'criminals' detained in Cox's Bazar
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained two alleged criminals from Office Para in the district's Maheshkhali upazila.
The detainees have been identified as Khairul Alam, 25, son of Omar Ali, and Saiadul Karim, 33, son of Nuru Mia of the upazila.
Read:Huge haul of drugs in Cox’s Bazar, no arrest
Acting on a tip-off, a Rab-15 team conducted a drive in the area and detained the duo around 4.30am on Wednesday, said senior assistant director of the unit.
Four guns and four bullets were seized from their possession, the officer said, adding that three of their accomplices managed to escape
The detainees were involved in many criminal activities, said the elite force.
One to die, 4 get life term for killing man in Cox’s Bazar
A court here on Thursday sentenced a person to death and four people to life imprisonment for killing a man in Larpara area of Cox’s Bazar town in 2002.
The condemned convict is Abdul Khaleq, 48, while the lifers are Md. Kajol, Amir Hamza, Selim Ullah and Abdul Goffar.
Read: Tortured for 3 days over loan default, 30-yr-old dies in Lalmonirhat
The court also fined the lifers Tk 100,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more in jail.
According to the prosecution, Akter Hossain, 35, son of Zamir Ahmed, hailing from Ratnapalong of Ukhiya upazila, was shot dead on June 29, 2002 over a trifling matter.
Later, the victim's elder brother Abbas Uddin filed a police complaint.
Read: Verdict in Sinha murder case on Jan 31
After examining all the records and witnesses, Cox’s Bazar Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdullah Al Mamun handed down the judgment.
Three people were acquitted.
Turkey to continue efforts to repatriate Rohingya: Enamur
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md. Enamur Rahman said Turkey is working for the repatriation of Rohingyas and it will talk to different countries so that they can be returned to Myanmar with dignity.
The minister said this to reporters after a meeting with Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu at a hotel in the city on Saturday.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has reaffirmed his country’s continued support to Rohingyas and their host community in Bangladesh, the minister added.
The Turkish Minister praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for providing shelter and humanitarian assistance to about 1.1 million Rohingya in the country. He expressed hope for any kind of cooperation from his government and said that the ongoing cooperation would continue.
The Turkish Minister expressed willingness to share experience about disaster management between the two countries and we agreed, the state minister said.
As a result, “we will be able to cooperate with each other in dealing with disasters in the future”, he added.
He also appealed to the Afad organization, Turkey's disaster and emergency management authority which has a branch in Cox's Bazar, to continue their cooperation in Bhasan Char and gave the responsibility to the head of Afad.
State minister Enamur also said that a memorandum of understanding would be signed between the two countries in this regard.
Secretary of Disaster Management and Relief Md. Mohsin and Hasan Sarwar, head (joint secretary) of the refugee cell of the relief ministry were present at the meeting.
Cox's Bazar Rohingya camp fire: Teams working 24/7 to regain normalcy
Soon after the sudden fire at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)-run Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) Treatment Isolation and Treatment Centre at the Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhiya Sunday night, field teams started working round the clock to regain normalcy in hospital facilities and camp lives.
Health services will be resumed soon at the hospital of which one-third was burnt with zero casualties, said the IOM Monday.
IOM teams are now on the ground to assess the damage and assist those in need.
Earlier, IOM teams, volunteers, and the government response services rushed to the hospital and worked hard to put out the fire and assist those in need of support.
READ: Cox's Bazar Rohingya camp fire burns health compound, houses
The IOM teams are also working to inform the refugees about how to act in such sudden fire situations.
A fire ravaged the extended Rohingya camp at Kutupalong in Ukhiya upazila, Cox's Bazar Sunday, burning at least 20 houses and the IOM-run health centre, officials said.
However, no injuries were reported from the fire.
The fire that burned the houses and the health compound started at around 7pm at Camp-20 Extension.
The cause of the fire at Block D of the camp was not immediately known, said Naimul Haque, commander of Armed Police Battalion (APBn-14). "However, no casualties have been reported in the fire so far."
At first, Ukhiya fire service rushed to the camp, and later two units of firefighters from Cox's Bazar fire service joined them, Md Abdullah, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar fire service, said.
The IOM hospital staff and patients were evacuated to a safer area, while the organisation's staff and Rohingya volunteers, assigned to the disaster management unit, immediately started to contain the fire, Tarek Mahmud, national communication officer at IOM Cox's Bazar, said.
"By around 7:35pm, the fire brigade arrived on the spot and could tame the flames by 8:10pm. One of the three main areas of the compound sustained fire damage. The reason for the fire is unknown."
READ: Japan announces $1 million emergency aid for Rohingya camp fire victims
The fire damaged one of the three areas in the compound. However, no areas around the compound were damaged, Tarek said.
Must-Try Food Items in Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar is undoubtedly one of the top vacation places in Bangladesh. The spellbinding scenic beauty of the crushing waves in this magnificent beach appeals to many travelers every year. Thousands of tourists flock to the coastal region year-round making it a central tourist hub in its own right. But as the saying goes – Cox’s Bazar isn’t just for the eyes but for its feasts too. There are a few delectable and must-try local cuisines exclusive to the coastal region. Here’s a checklist for what foods to try in Cox’s Bazar during your next trip down there.
Must-Try Food Items in Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar is a coastal city. Needless to say, it is heavy on seafood. Most of the items in this list will focus on different seafood items. Fresh and abundant seafood has shaped the food culture of this region in a unique way. And that is as much an attraction as the seemingly endless beaches.
Spicy Crab
Want to try fresh crabs? Downtown Cox’s Bazar should be the go-to location. Virtually every eatery here has a crab dish. Try the spicy crab item as it's more authentic to the Bengali taste. In this dish, whole crabs are covered in spice mixes and are either slow-cooked or grilled to perfection. Depending on the restaurant the name should be different. But a quick look at the pictures in the menu should point it out. Be sure to check out Salt Bistro and Café for some authentic spicy crab.
Read Healthy Salad Ideas with Recipes to Try at Home
Loitta Fry
The Bombay duck isn’t actually a duck. Rather it’s the genealogical English name for a very popular local fish, the Loitta. Its soft and meaty texture has made this sea fish a cult dish in Cox’s Bazar. And the city’s Poushi Restaurant has made it a staple try for any tourist coming here. Cubed Loitta fish is marinated in a mix of local spices and fried with onion. This simple is guaranteed to leave a lingering taste for a long time.
Cox's Bazar gang rape: Another accused held
Tourist Police have arrested another accused in the case over the gang rape of a woman in Cox’s Bazar.
Esrafil Huda Joy was arrested from Chakaria Bus stand area of Cox’ Bazar on Tuesday morning, said Additional DIG of Tourist Police of Chattogram division Mohammad Moslemuddin.
Read: Female tourist in Cox’s Bazar was gang raped for extortion money: Rab
So far, six people have been arrested in this connection.
Police will produce Esrafil Huda Joy before the court on Wednesday and seek remand for him, said Moslemuddin.
He said process is going on for bringing Ashiqul Islam Ashiq, the prime accused in the case arrested by the Rab in Madaripur, from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar.
Ashiqul Islam Ashiq was arrested from Madaripur district on Sunday night.
Cox’s Bazar Tourist Police arrested three more accused in the case- Rezaul Karim Sahabuddin, 25, Mehedi Hasan, 21, and Mamunur Rashid, 28, from different areas in Cox’s Bazar district on Sunday morning.
On Monday, a court in Chattogram placed the three accused on a 2-day remand each.
On Saturday, Riaz Uddin Chhotan, manager of a hotel that was one of two locations where the woman was raped, was arrested and remanded for four days.
On December 24, the court recorded the victim’s statement, said inspector Ruhul Amin, investigation officer in the case.
Read:Cox's Bazar gang rape: 3 more arrested, although not prime accused
On December 23, the woman’s husband filed the case under the Prevention of Women & Children Repression Act at Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station accusing seven people.
On December 22, the 22-year-old woman was taken to Zia Guest Inn and there the three accused again took turns to rape her for hours following an altercation with her husband. They released her in the early hours on the following day and allegedly threatened to kill her family if she discloses the matter to anyone.
Coast Guard rescues 7 fishermen from Bay
Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) have rescued seven fishermen stranded in a fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal.
Lt. Commander Khandaker Munif Taki, a media officer at the Bangladesh Coast Guard headquarters, on Tuesday said the fishing boat named “MV Maiyer Doa” left Cox's Bazar with seven fishermen for fishing in the Bay of Bengal on December 21.
Read: Trawler sinks in Bay: 13 Bhola fishermen go missing
On December 26, the engine of the fishing boat went out of order at around 10:00 pm when it was staying some 10 nautical miles west off Sonadia Island.
The boatmen contacted the BCG at around 5:45 pm and sought help.
Responding to the call, a rescue team from BCG Station Cox's Bazar rushed to the spot and rescued the seven fishermen from the fishing boat. The rescued fishermen were brought to BCG station Cox's Bazar and provided with first aid and food, said the media officer.
Read:13 stranded fishermen rescued from Bay
He added that the rescued fishermen and the fishing boat were later handed over to the fishing boat owner.
Housewife’s rape in Cox's Bazar; seven sued
A case was filed against seven people on Thursday in connection with Wednesday’s gang rape of a woman in Cox's Bazar.
The woman's husband filed the case under the Prevention of Women & Children Repression Act at Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said Cox's Bazar police super Md Hasanuzzaman.
Names of four accused and three unidentified men have been mentioned in the case. The four accused are Ashiqul Islam Ashiq, Abdul Jobbar Joy, Babu and Riaz Uddin Chhoton.
The 22-year-old woman came to Cox's Bazar with her husband and their eight-month-old baby on Wednesday morning and checked into a hotel.
In the afternoon, the family went out for a stroll on the sea beach. At Laboni point, the woman's husband had an altercation with one of the accused after he accidentally bumped into the latter.
What started as a small argument soon snowballed into a major altercation and the young man called his accomplices to the spot. They kidnapped the family in two auto-rickshaws and took them to a desolate place near the golf club where three of them allegedly violated the woman.
The woman's ordeal did not end there. The family was taken to Zia Guest Inn from the golf club area, where the three accused again took turns to rape her for hours. They released her in the early hours of Thursday and allegedly threatened to kill her family if she narrated her ordeal to anyone.
Read: Mother-daughter gang raped; 2 arrested
Lieutenant Colonel Khairul Islam Sarkar, commanding officer of Rab-15, said their team rushed to the family's rescue soon after they got the call from the woman.
Mother, children found dead in Cox's Bazar
Police recovered the body of a young woman and her two children from a house in Islampur union of Cox's Bazar's Eidgaon upazila Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Jahanara Jisan, wife of salt trader Shahidul Haque, and her two daughters Jabin, 5, and Jerin, 2, Eidgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Halim said.
Read:Tourist dies after hot water shower at Cox's Bazar hotel
"On information, we went to the house and found Jahanara hanging herself from the ceiling and the children lying on the bed. It is suspected that the mother committed suicide after poisoning her children," the OC added.
Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Rafiqul Islam said, "The incident may have occurred due to a family feud. However, the cause of the deaths can be confirmed after an autopsy and investigation."