Rangamati
Mission Inoculation: Military chopper takes jabs to remote Rangamati hills
The Bangladesh government's Covid-19 mass vaccination drive reached the Rangamati hills Tuesday, all thanks to the local administration and the Bangladeshi armed forces.
Barathali union of Bilaichhari upazila in Rangamati is one of the remotest parts of the Chattogram hills.
Read: 1.7mn Sinopharm vaccine doses to arrive soon
Despite beginning on August 7, the Rangamati health department struggled to take the benefits of the mega Covid-19 inoculation drive to this remote place.
Member of Parliament Dipankar Talukdar, in collaboration with the local administration and the Bangladeshi armed forces, came forward to ensure helicopter support for a team of the health department so that jabs could reach the Barathali union residents.
A helicopter of the Bangladesh Air Force took off for Bilachari on Tuesday morning from the Rangamati air base with vaccines and healthcare staffers, said Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Rashmi Chakma.
“Around 600 adults of the union will get their first Covid jab on Tuesday itself,” said Dr Rashmi. “Besides, the required medical equipment to treat Covid patients will also be provided."
Bilaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mizanur Rahman said his team repeatedly failed to vist the remote union because of security and communication concerns.
Read: 2 held over taking vaccine at home in Chattogram
He thanked the local MP and the Army for finally making it possible and hoped that the collaboration would continue.
As the ruthless Delta variant of Covid-19 keeps spreading like wildfire, Bangladesh on Saturday kicked off another phase of its mass vaccination drive aimed at inoculating 35 lakh people in six days.
Monk killed in Rangamati elephant attack
A Buddhist monk was killed by a wild elephant at Raikhali Union in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati district early Monday.
The deceased was identified as Bhadanta Ajnadhamma Ther, principal of Tambaghona Buddhist Monastery in Karigar Para of the Union.
Read: Garo man trampled to death by elephant in Sherpur
Witnesses said a wild elephant attacked the monk when he came out of the monastery around 5:30 am, leaving him dead on the spot.
Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Chandraghona Police Station, said police recovered the body.
7 killed, 22 injured in three road accidents in Chattogram, Rangamati
At least seven people, including women and children, have been killed in three separate road accidents in Chattogram and Rangamati on Friday. About 22 more people were injured in these accidents.
The accidents occurred in EPZ Steel Mills Bazar and Shikalbaha area of Karnafuli police station on Friday.
According to police, three people, including a woman and a child, were killed when a bus overturned at Steel Mills Bazar area under EPZ police station around 12 pm.
Two of the deceased were Nur Begum, 43, and her niece, 11, who were killed on spot. Another died on the way to the hospital after being rescued by the police.
Also read: 4 killed in Cumilla road crash
Witnesses said a speeding bus hit a rickshaw at Sailo Road and crushed the pedestrians, losing its control while escaping at Friday noon.
EPZ police officer-in-charge Utpal Barua said the mob detained the driver and helper of the bus and handed them over to the police. The bus was also seized.
Meanwhile, three people were killed and at least 20 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses at Shikalbaha Chaumuhoni area of Karnafuli upazila. However, the identities of the injured were not immediately known.
Police TI Anwar Azim said two buses collided while overtaking a CNG, injuring several passengers of the two buses. Two of them died.
Also read: 3 die in Cumilla road crash
All the injured have been sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
SI Zahirul Islam, in-charge of CMCH police outpost, said at least 22 to 25 people were rushed to the hospital. They are undergoing treatment in different wards.
In Rangamati, a ninth-grader schoolgirl was killed in a head-on collision between a motorbike and a Jeep at Bangalhaliya's Shafipur area of Rajasthali-Chandraghona highway on Friday morning.
The deceased was identified as Opruiching Marma, 18, daughter of Mongbaching Marma of Farua union in Bilachhari upazila. She is a ninth-grader student of Chitmaram High School.
Also read: 4 killed in Bhola road accident
Two people including a motorcyclist were injured in the accident.
Md Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Chandraghona Police Station, said legal action is being taken in this case. Police are searching for the jeep.
Village head shot dead in Rangamati
A village head was shot dead by some miscreants at Lulongchhari in Jurachhari of Rangamati district on Sunday night.
The deceased was identified as Pathar Moni Chakma, 63 of the area.
Read: 2 shot dead in separate incidents in Cox’s Bazar
Police said two miscreants called Moni out of his home and opened fire on him around 9 pm, leaving him dead.
Shafiul Azam, officer-in-charge of Jurachhari Police Station, said, “Police recovered the body but no one was arrested in this connection. The motive behind the killing could not be known immediately.”
Read: Jubo League leader shot dead in Teknaf
Mir Moddasser, superintendent of Rangamati Police said legal action will be taken in this regard.
The body was sent to the Rangamati Hospital for autopsy.
Read:PCJSS man shot dead in Rangamati
Moni Chakma raised his voice against criminal activities in the area and played an important role in the development of the area, said local people.
Landslide warning: People urged to evacuate foothills in Rangamati
Rangamati district administration issued a landslide warning and urged people to evacuate the risky areas around foothills on Saturday.
District administrative Md. Mizanur Rahman said more than lakhs of people live in the foothill areas of Rangamati as the city itself is located over hills.
Also read: 2 Rohingyas killed in landslide at Rohingya camps
To avoid casualties and losses, the warning was issued as heavy rain starting from early June can cause landslides.
"Accidents due to landslides have become an annual event here. Administration is spreading awareness by installing signboards, banners, miking and distributing leaflets," he said.
Also read: Landslide in Gazipur’s Kapasia: Traffic movement suspended
On June 13, 2017 at least 120 people including members of armed forces got killed in a landslide caused by heavy rain in Rangamati. The number was more according to non-government sources. The landslide also disrupted connectivity in Rangamati-Chattogram highway, Rangamati-Khagrachari and Rangamati-Bandarban roads for days.
3 die as truck falls into river in Rangamati
At least three persons were killed when a truck fell into a river on Tuesday, following the collapse of a Bailey bridge in Rangamati district, police said.
2 men shot dead in Rangamati
Two men were shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Garjania in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati early Wednesday.
One killed in Rangamati PCJSS infighting
A man was shot dead in a turf war between two factions of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati on Tuesday.
Two killed, one army man injured in Rangamati skirmish
Two members of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF -Prasit) were killed and an Army man was wounded Tuesday in a skirmish between UPDF and Bangladesh Army in Raoutila of Naniarchar in Rangamati.
Indigenous man shot dead in Rangamati
An indigenous man was shot dead by miscreants at Raikhali Karigarpara in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati on Sunday.