Chattogram's Rangamati has many houseboats – big and small. The double-decker wooden houseboat "Royal Adventure'' recently entered the fray in the district's Kaptai Lake. "It is the largest houseboat in Rangamati and has eight rooms. Of them, two rooms are 'super premium' ones with balconies," Royal Adventure CEO Md Mohiuddin Majumder Ananda said. "Each room has washroom facilities. Four people can stay in each room. We have our restaurant on board where local and traditional dishes are served. If a tourist wants, all arrangements can be made according to his needs because the kitchen is on our boat." Royal Adventure Director Farooq said: "Since all usual tourist spots of Rangamati are situated on the banks of Kaptai Lake, tourists can visit them by boat. There is no need for a tourist to book a separate resort as there is an overnight stay facility." "Tourists will get all the facilities – room stay, dining and sightseeing – from one boat."  Read more: J-K administration organizes craft safari tour to boost Kashmir art, handlooms

Three police officers suffered bullet injuries during annual firing training at Betbunia Police Training Centre in Kawkhali upaizla of Rangamati district on Tuesday. The injured were constables Minu Ara, Ovi Barua and Sumon Kanti of Chattogram Metropolitan Police. Read more: Man suffers bullet wounds in Natore clash over removing rain water Parvez Ali, officer-in-charge of Kawkhali Police Station, said the accident occurred around 11 am when bullets fired from the gun of female constable Nargis Akter hit the three police officials as she fell on the ground due to vertigo during firing. The injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital.  Of the injured constables, Minu is posted at Akbar Shah Police Station while Ovi and Sumon are posted at Bakolia Police Station of Chattogram city. Read more: Cop injured in blade attack at Munshiganj court

A tourist was killed in a head-on collision between ‘Chander Gari’( a vehicle that usually carries tourists) and a motorcycle on his way back from  Sajek of Baghaichari Upazila in Rangamati.   The dead was identified as Hridoy, 30.  Details about him are yet to be known.  The accident occurred around 1:15 PM.   Officer-In-charge (OC) of Sajek Police Station Nurul Haque confirmed that the collision occurred in the Machalong area.  Read more: Tourist killed in Rangamati road accident After the accident, the seriously injured Hridoy was rescued and sent to Dighinala Upazila Health Complex with the help of locals.   He died while undergoing treatment there.   Jerry Lusai, General Secretary of Sajek Resort and Cottage Owners Association, said, they are struggling to keep up with the influx of tourists and additional traffic.   “Sajek's resorts and cottages are fully booked for the New Year”, he said.  

An activist of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) was shot dead allegedly by rivals at Rangipara in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Subahu Chakma alias Giri, 55, son of Biraj Mohon Chakma of the upazila and assistant director of UPDF. Quoting local people, Sujon Haldar, officer-in-charge of Naniarchar Police Station, said some members of UPDF opened fire on Giri around 9 am, leaving him dead on the spot. A team of police has been sent to the spot to investigate the incident, he said. Also read: Youth killed in gunfight between 2 UPDF factions in Khagrachhari The motive behind the killing could not be known immediately.  

A Rangamati court on Thursday sentenced a music teacher to eight years imprisonment for sexually harassing a female student for two years. Rangamati Women and Children Tribunal Judge AEM Ismail Hossain also handed the teacher a Tk5 lakh fine, Md Saiful Islam, the public prosecutor of the court, said. The court asked the district's deputy commissioner to give the fine to the student after taking it from the convict, he added. Read: 3 get life imprisonment for ‘gang rape’ of 2 girls in city According to the case statement, Ranajit sexually harassed his 18-year-old student at least three times from April 2020 to March 2022 while teaching her at her home. Later, the girl's father filed a case accusing the teacher under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 at the local police station.

As many as 15 houses were gutted in a massive fire in Reserve Bazar Mohsin Colony area of Rangamati town on Saturday, officials said. The fire broke out at a house in the Mohsin Colony around 12:30pm on Saturday and soon engulfed  adjacent houses, said Md Iqbal Hossain, station officer of Rangamati District Fire Service. Read more: 16 shops gutted in Khulna market fire On information, three fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after an hour, he said "The reason behind the fire could not be known immediately." No injury or casualty was reported. Read more: 15 shops gutted in Natore fire However, it's not possible to immediately assess the extent of damage caused by the fire.

Overgrowth of water hyacinth in Kaptai Lake has been hampering water transport operation in Rangamati. Movement of trawlers and boats is being disrupted due to overgrowth of water hyacinth in many parts of the lake in Kaptai upazila, Shahid Shamsuddin Ghat, and Kengrachari of Bilaichari upazila in Rangamati. Students and HSC candidates living around Kaptai Lake are suffering the most. Especially, HSC examinees are often not reaching exam centre on time as commute through the lake is taking much longer. Visiting the area this week, this UNB correspondent found a large swathe of the scenic Kaptai Lake covered with water hyacinth. Seen from a distance, one could mistake this as a lush, green field. Also read: Speedboats collision in Kaptai lake: Bodies of 2 missing students recovered HSC candidates Anand Tanchangya, Subir Chakma and Minti Chakma said water hyacinth has accumulated in the lake like every year. It takes three hours to reach a destination that used to take about three minutes before, they complained. Ujjal Das, another HSC candidate, said it is difficult to reach the exam centres on time. If authorities don’t take measures to remove water hyacinth from the lake immediately, local HSC candidates’ commute woes will continue. Boatman Shah Alam said, “Overgrowth of water hyacinth spells trouble for us too, causing engine fan to break often.” Also read: 7 injured, 2 missing after collision between two water vehicles in Kaptai Lake Over the last week, water hyacinth accumulated at the upstream jetty gate. As a result, it takes two to three hours, by boat, to reach the jetty from the island area, which normally takes two to three minutes. The unabated growth of the invasive aquatic plant is not only hampering operation of water transport but also threatening fish and marine resources – polluting Kaptai Lake’s water as well.

The bodies of two students, who went missing after a collision between two speedboats in Kaptai lake on Friday, have been recovered. The deceased were Liton Chakma, 20, and Elina Chakma, 20, residents of Baghaichhari and Borokol upazilas respectively and students of Higher Secondary Certificate level of Open University. The body of Liton was recovered by fishermen early Sunday while and the body of Elina by fire service workers on Sunday morning. Read more: 7 injured, 2 missing after collision between two water vehicles in Kaptai Lake Ariful Islam, officer-in-charge of Langadu police station, said they in association with the fire service men carried out search operation till Saturday evening since Friday afternoon but failed.   On Friday afternoon, seven people were injured and two others went missing in a head-on collision between a passenger carrying speedboat and a goods-laden boat in Kaptai Lake. Read more: Death toll from Karatoa boat capsize rises to 68 The passenger carrying boat was heading towards Langadu upazila from Rangamati Sadar.  Seven out of total nine passengers of the boat managed to swim ashore while the reset went missing.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to build a house for Rupna Chakma, goalkeeper of Bangladesh women’s football team who clinched the title of SAFF Women’s Championship 2022, in her hometown Rangamati. Sheikh Hasina, who is in New York at the moment to attend the 77th UNGA, gave the directive after a picture of Rupna Chakma's dilapidated house went viral on social media and came to her notice. Read: Naniarchar ready to embrace its daughters Rupna, Ritu Porna after brilliance in SAFF Women's tournament

Parbatya Chattogram Nagorik Parishad on Monday called a 32-hour hartal in the district town from Tuesday to press home their seven-point demand including cancellation of Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act. The hartal will remain in force from 6 am on Tuesday  to 2 pm on Wednesday. Mujibur Rahman, chairman of the executive council of Nagorik Parishad, announced this at a press briefing held at a restaurant in Rangamati town. Processions will be brought out in support of the hartal, he said. Read:BNP supports left alliance’s hartal on Aug 25 Representation from all ethnic groups in the resolution commission, completing land survey before the work of Land Dispute Resolution Commission, introducing the land dispute settlement in CHT according to the existing laws of the country, allowing local administration to settle land disputes and taking steps for rehabilitating individuals if affected while settling the land dispute by the commission were among their demands.