United News of Bangladesh

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for Dhaka Range Rezaul Karim Mallick has said that those responsible for the violence in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district will be brought to book. “We will undoubtedly bring the fascists to justice. I have instructed the authorities concerned to arrest those involved in the violence. The real perpetrators behind the attack will be identified and brought under legal action,” he told a press briefing at Bhanga Police Station Complex around midnight. Steps are being taken to ensure public safety and law and order, he added. “We have spoken with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Faridpur regarding Monday’s incident, the law and order situation and public safety. We have also talked with the people who were on duty during the violence,” the DIG said. Mallick also mentioned that four to five police personnel were injured during the incident. Constituency demarcation: Protesters vandalise police station, govt offices in Faridpur “Legal action will be taken against those involved in Monday’s attack. We are doing everything necessary to maintain public security,” he added. Referring to the damages caused by the attack, the DIG said the district police have been tasked with assessing the losses at Bhanga Police Station, while the Deputy Commissioner has been assigned to evaluate the damages at the Upazila Parishad. Meanwhile, Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Quamrul Hasan Molla said, “We have talked with the Election Commission, expressing the public's emotions and sentiments through a report. The commission will review it.” He also mentioned that a writ petition has been filed with the High Court over the alleged redrawing of two union boundaries, with the hearing expected on September 21. The DC urged Bhanga residents to remain calm and step back from protest programmes. “We understand people's emotions. We are working on these concerns. I again urge the residents of Bhanga to wait patiently for the legal process to unfold and refrain from any further protest programmes. You have a good reputation—please ensure no harm comes to the public,” he said. Regarding the extent of the damage, the DC said a full on-site assessment would be conducted and detailed information shared later. Earlier, on Monday, protesters went on a rampage in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district opposing the demarcation of the Faridpur-4 constituency by the Election Commission. They vandalised Bhanga Police Station, the Upazila Parishad building, a highway police outpost and the Bhanga municipality building, and set the local Election Commission office and several vehicles on fire.  

Local residents in Faridpur have once again blocked two highways for the third consecutive day on Wednesday morning protesting the demarcation of constituencies by the Election Commission . The protests began around 9:00 am, leaving trucks and buses stranded on the roads. The residents are protesting against the recent demarcation of constituencies in Faridpur and are demanding a reversal of the changes. Earlier, they had blocked the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway at the Bhanga roundabout and another major highway twice, causing severe suffering to commuters. Collision between two buses leaves 3 dead in Faridpur On Monday, locals set fire to tires, fell trees and electric pole, and erected bamboo barricades at nine points along the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, including the Bhanga roundabout on the expressway, halting traffic from all 21 southern districts. The demonstrations follow the Election Commission’s recent gazette which redrew boundaries for 46 parliamentary constituencies ahead of the upcoming national election. According to the gazette, Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga Upazila, previously under Faridpur-4, have been attached to Nagar Kanda Upazila under Faridpur-2. This decision has sparked outrage among local residents.

Three passengers were killed and at least 10 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses in the Karimpur area on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Faridpur on Thursday morning. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maruf Hossain of Faridpur Police said the two buses coming from opposite directions collided head-on. “Two passengers died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition,” he said. The injured were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. 2 platoons of BGB deployed in Faridpur ahead of NCP rally According to the police official, the accident occurred between a Royal Paribahan bus travelling from Satkhira to Dhaka and a local bus heading from Faridpur to Magura. Upon information, police from Kanaipur Highway Police Station rushed to the scene, rescued the injured and took them to local hospitals for treatment.

Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) left Khulna on Thursday morning to join a road march and rally in Faridpur. After spending the night in Khulna city following reported attacks by Chhatra League activists in Gopalganj, the central NCP leaders departed for Faridpur around 9:30am, said the party’s Khulna coordinator Ahmad Hamim Rahat. They are scheduled to travel via Jessore, where NCP leaders will address a march rally, he added. The NCP delegation includes Convener Nahid Islam, Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari, Northern Region Coordinator Sarjis Alam, Senior Joint Convener Samanta Sharmin, Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara and Southern Region Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah. They arrived in Khulna on Wednesday evening and spent the night at the Circuit House and Hotel City Inn. Curfew continues in Gopalganj; NCP's nationwide protests today According to party sources, the road march in Faridpur will begin at 12:30 pm from the Circuit House premises and conclude at the Janata Bank intersection, followed by a street rally. The NCP also plans to hold similar programmes in Rajbari and Manikganj districts after the Faridpur event.

In the heart of Faridpur’s Boalmari upazila, where modern jobs remain elusive and the clatter of factories is unknown, time gently drifts with the rustle of palm leaves.  Amid the sun-soaked courtyards of Satair union, an age-old tradition breathes life into generations—fans made lovingly by hand from palm leaves. As the fierce summer months of Chaitra and Boishakh arrive, nearly 200 homes across three villages awaken to a rhythm untouched by machines.  In these villages, dawn brings the crackle of drying palm leaves under the rising sun, the chatter of artisans at work and the timeless harmony of tradition woven into every fan. Ensure financial security, protection of journalists to achieve media freedom: Speakers In open yards, children and elders lay out freshly cut palm leaves, letting the sun cure them.  Inside shaded courtyards, women sit cross-legged, their nimble fingers crafting patterns as if by memory alone.  Men shape frames from bamboo and cane, giving the fans their sturdy spines. It is a symphony of craft—whispered through hands, passed down like heirlooms. “We don’t have land to farm or vehicles to earn a living. This is what our fathers and grandfathers did, and now it feeds us too,” shared Shamir Uddin of Naharchar village.  A craftsman of many seasons, Shamir lives off this humble trade with his wife, having already fulfilled a father’s dream—marrying off his daughter with the earnings from his handiwork. "I was able to get my daughter married off with the money from this job," he said, his voice tinged with both pride and hardship. Yet behind each hand-woven fan lies a deeper struggle—access to capital.  The leaves, though freely found in nature, must still be bought, dried, dyed and transformed, all of which cost money. Bus workers go on indefinite bus strike in Bhola “Buying palm leaves requires ready cash. We’re badly off, so we take loans from NGOs at high interest. Then we repay them little by little, week after week, from whatever we can earn,” Shamir explained. “If only we had low-interest government loans, it would ease a huge burden," he said.  Fellow artisan Raju Bishwas noted that a hundred fans fetch between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3,500 wholesale, depending on their design.  But the making of each one demands at least Tk 20 to 25—an amount driven ever higher by the cost of bamboo, cane, thread and leaves. In a world increasingly cooled by electric fans and air conditioners, the demand for these traditional handheld fans may have waned.  Yet, in these villages, the craft refuses to vanish. Summer months and seasonal fairs still see an embrace of the fans—not just for their function, but for the memories they stir. Within each home, the air hums with work. One woman paints palm fronds in bold colours; another binds them to bamboo frames. Children, with the curiosity of youth, sit beside their parents—sorting, tying, learning the artistry one knot at a time. No grand lessons are needed.  The tradition, like the breeze the fans create, flows naturally from one generation to the next. Satair Union Parishad Chairman Rafiul Alam recognises the cultural heartbeat behind this enduring art. “We’re in talks with the upazila administration to support this industry so it doesn’t disappear. This is more than just income—this is identity,” he said. Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanvir Hasan Chowdhury offered hope for a brighter future. “We are planning to provide training and low-interest loans through youth development and social welfare departments. We’re also arranging stalls for artisans at upcoming cottage industry fairs,” he said. 2 held over attack on Hasnat in Gazipur In these quiet corners of Faridpur, where tradition weaves its way through poverty and perseverance, each palm leaf fan becomes more than just a tool against heat. It is a quiet act of resistance—a refusal to let heritage fade into memory.    

Police have arrested former RUCSU vice president and ex-vice president of Faridpur district Chhatra League Kawsar Akand a Jubo League activist in connection with a case related to July Movement. Kawsar, a key accused in the case, is known as a close aide of Mujibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury, former MP of Faridpur-4 constituency and a presidium member of the central Jubo League. Sub-Inspector Fahim Faisal of Kotwali Police Station said Kawsar, son of Dulal Akand, a hotel businessman from Purbo Khabaspur area of the city, and his associate Moslem Biswas were arrested from Onather Mor area of the city around 11:30 pm on Tuesday. Police said Kawsar and a group of Chhatra League activists attacked protesters during the July Movement at Khabaspur Boroitala, injuring several demonstrators. 219 arrested during DMP’s special 24-hr drive on Saturday Kotwali Police Station OC Asaduzzaman said Kawsar and his associate were in connection with the attack on student protesters and investigation is underway.

A 30-year-old man died after being run over by the Sundarban Express train in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur on Tuesday. The accident happened around 9:30 am at East Hasamdiya of the upazila, said Sub-inspector Afzal Hossain Bhanga Police Station. Driver, helper killed as train hits truck at Dinajpur rail crossing The deceased was identified as Roni Sheikh of Sarai Bari village in Tujarpur union of the upazila. He worked at a nearby fish market. “The victim's face and parts of his body were severely damaged. The body has been recovered and sent for autopsy at Faridpur Medical College Hospital," added the SI. 2 motorcyclists die as train hits them in Gazipur

Two people died and another one injured in a three-way collision involving a watermelon-laden truck, a motorcycle, and an autorickshaw on the Dhaka-Faridpur Highway in Faridpur Sadar upazila on Sunday. The victims were identified as motorcycle rider Nayan Sheikh, 24, a resident of Chandpur village in Ishan Gopalpur union, and autorickshaw driver Shajahan Sheikh, 52, from Madandia village, both located in the same union, said Karimpur Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Salahuddin. A truck carrying watermelons to Rajbari lost control and collided with a motorcycle and an autorickshaw, killing Nayan on the spot, the OC said.  Road crash leaves college student dead in Sylhet Nayan’s mother, who was riding as a pillion passenger on the motorcycle, and Shajahan Sheikh were both injured and taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. Shahjahan succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. "The truck driver could not be detained. Legal action is underway in this regard,” added the OC.

The erosion of the Padma River in Charbhadrasan upazila of Faridpur are threatening homes and agricultural land. Residents of at least seven villages are at risk due to unauthorised sand dredging, resulting in the erosion. Several educational institutions and local markets in these villages are also in a vulnerable state. The district administration has pledged to halt illegal sand extraction, with the Water Development Board announcing plans to construct embankments to mitigate the damage. A visit revealed that the riverbank is eroding at an alarming rate, causing continuous loss of land and forcing residents to spend sleepless nights in fear. The villages included Tiliar Char, Intaz Mollardangi, Sabulla Shikdar Dangi, and Jakreswara, among others. A one-kilometer section from Sabulla Shikdar Dangi Government Primary School to the Supari Bagan area is in critical condition. Locals said influential groups are continuously extracting sand illegally from the river using dredgers, causing severe erosion. Sunamganj villagers haunted by river erosion blamed on illegal soil cutting They demand immediate embankment construction to protect their homes and livelihoods. Abdur Rashid, a 70-year-old resident, said, "Sand extraction from this river was rampant under the previous government, and it continues unchanged under new leadership. This illegal activity has not stopped, leaving us helpless." Both men and women from the affected villages expressed their frustration over the ongoing sand extraction. On Thursday a public hearing was held at Jakreswara Bazaar in Charbhadrasan, organised by the Water Development Board, to discuss a proposed riverbank protection project. Local residents voiced their grievances, after which officials from the district administration and the Water Development Board visited the erosion-affected areas. Faridpur's Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Ramananda Pal said, "We are here to understand local concerns and discuss the importance of the project. It is essential to implement the project, but stopping illegal sand extraction is the first priority." He further mentioned that about 1.25 kilometres of the riverbank remains unprotected and will be included in the protection plan. The project proposal has already been submitted, and government directives mandate that public opinion be considered before implementation. Based on the hearing, a report will be sent promptly. Faridpur Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Md. Rakib Hossain expressed hope that the project would be approved soon. Immediate action to be taken to prevent river erosion: Syeda Rizwana Hasan According to sources from the Water Development Board, the estimated cost of the 3.25-kilometre riverbank protection embankment is Tk 400 crore. If approved, the project is expected to begin this year and be completed by February 2028, safeguarding the residents from further erosion.

Friday marked the 79th birth anniversary of the late eminent Bangladeshi printmaker Kalidas Karmakar. To commemorate the Faridpur-born and internationally renowned artist's birth anniversary, a grand event took place at Ambika Maidan in Faridpur city. Born on January 10, 1946 in Faridpur to a family of goldsmiths and artisans, the internationally renowned maestro cemented his legacy as one of the most respected artists of Bangladesh. On Friday afternoon, guests inaugurated the program with releasing balloons and lighting lamps, which was followed by a drawing competition for children and a cultural program, under the patronage of the artist's family. Over a hundred children from various schools in the city participate in the drawing competition. Additionally, local artists showcased musical performances, and the celebration was complemented with a cake cutting ceremony. Members of Kalidas Karmakar’s family, leaders of the cultural organization, and distinguished individuals were present at the event. Regarding the event, Kalidas Karmakar’s younger brother Proshanta Karmakar Buddha said, "Today is the 79th birth anniversary of the eminent artist, my elder brother Kalidas Karmakar; and to enlighten our next generation of artists about his life and works, we organised the event from the family." AR-VR exhibition featuring July uprising posters opens at BSA "Throughout his entire life, Kalidas Karmakar worked to elevate the country's art to the world; he was a globetrotter throughout his life and had many options to settle abroad, but he always chose his motherland and became an internationally acclaimed artist. The art competition we have arranged today will not have any top place holder, rather we want them to draw as they wish and flourish their artistic talent, just like Kalidas Karmakar," he added. Rezaul Karim, a visitor, said, "The Ekushey Padak-winning artist Kalidas Karmakar is the pride of our Faridpur. We are extremely happy that today we are being able to celebrate his birth anniversary with this special event at his birthplace." "Artist Kalidas Karmakar is a globally acclaimed artist, but we were unable to properly celebrate his eventful life and works," stated Shipra Goswami, a local women's leader. "In order for the next generation to learn about our great artist, it is the duty of both the government and the people of our local community to plan and organize such events." At the ceremony, Kalidas Karmakar's younger brother Proshanta Karmakar Buddha informed that an archive in Faridpur is being established to preserve the eminent artist's work. An art college, in honor of the 'alluvial' artist, is also planned to be established in Faridpur, Prashanta Karmakar Buddha stated. A maestro of printmaking especially viscosity printing, Kalidas Karmakar’s diverse artworks featuring metallic and other objects, handmade paper, and oil on canvas prints have been widely exhibited throughout South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the United States and many other places across the world. Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin’s 110th birth anniversary being observed Known as the ‘Alluvial Man’ in the country's art sphere, Kalidas began his career in paintings through assembling metal objects in the 1970s and with prints, he began to explore mythical images in the ‘80s, opening up new possibilities for etching and aquatint. His maiden solo art exhibition was held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on August 7, 1976; and more than 50 of his exhibitions were held in 70 countries across the world. Throughout his illustrious career, he received multiple prestigious scholarships and fellowships, including the Polish Government Scholarship in Graphic Art at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art, Warsaw University; the French Government Superior Scholarship in Fine Arts for research in multicolour etching at Atelier-17, in Paris; Japan Foundation Fellowship on Japanese Woodblock Printing at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music; ICCR Special Scholarship for research in Contemporary Modern Sculpture, West Bengal Lalit Kala Academy Studio; and Asian Cultural Council New York, Fellowship with Artist Residency program in the US, to name a few. He was one of the advisers of Gallery Cosmos and the modern state-of-the-art printmaking studio Atelier71 at the gallery venue in Cosmos Centre, Malibagh in the capital, for which he had always shown great dedication. He was engaged with the gallery till his death on October 18, 2019, following a heart attack. For his remarkable contribution to the Bangladeshi fine arts, Kalidas Karmakar was awarded the Shilpakala Padak in 2016 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018.