Rangpur
HC wants to know steps over Rangpur custodial death
The High Court on Tuesday wanted to know the steps taken after the death of Tajul Islam allegedly after police torture at Haragach in Rangpur. The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman asked Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta to inform the court about the steps taken in this regard after consultation with the Rangpur police commissioner.
Read: Mob surrounds police station in Rangpur accusing cops of beating a person to death Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua presented a report on the incident published in a daily newspaper before the court and sought a necessary directive in this regard on Wednesday. DAG Amit Das Gupta said he will inform the court about the incident after consultation with the Rangpur police commissioner. Tajul Islam, 55, a resident of Dalalhat village in Haragach union, was reportedly beaten to death by police at Haragach Natun Bazar around 6 pm on Monday. Tajul was detained with some drugs during a police drive at Haragach Natun Bazar on Monday evening and he fell unconscious as police beat him up mercilessly. At one stage, police pushed him against a wall and he died on the spot.
Read: HC turns down writ seeking enactment of law for EC formation Enraged by the incident, locals cordoned off Haragach police station, threw brick chips at police and vandalized some vehicles. Police later fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the protesters.
Two held for Rangpur arson attacks 'admit guilt'
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained two persons, including the prime suspect, allegedly responsible for burning down the homes and shops of the Hindus in Rangpur.
Saikat Mandal, 24, son of Rashedul Haque and his accomplice Rabiul Islam, 36, son of Moslem Uddin of Pirganj upazila, have been nabbed by RAB-13 personnel from Gazipur district's Tongi area, following a raid based on a tip-off, sources told UNB on Saturday.
During preliminary interrogation, the two admitted their guilt, Director (Legal and Media Wing) at the Rab headquarters Commander Khandaker Al Moin told reporters.
READ: Rangpur: 1 arrested in Joypurhat under DSA, 42 for arson
The detainees told interrogators that they had used loudspeakers to instigate people to carry out the arson attacks in a bid to create anarchy and disrupt communal harmony in the country, after posting misleading comments on social media, the RAB Commander said.
“Saikat provoked people by uploading false information on Facebook. He led a number of arson attacks directly. Rabiul used loudspeakers to instigate people, on Saikat's instructions," said Moin.
After the attacks, Saikat, a student of a Rangpur college, went into hiding. "Efforts are on to take legal steps against the detainees,” said RAB officers.
READ: Rangpur offenders must face action: Home Minister
On October 17, the attackers set fire to 20-25 houses and shops of the Hindus at Boro Karimpur Majhipara village in Rangpur's Pirganj upazila over a social media post, deputy commissioner Asif Hasan had said.
The attackers had also looted cash, cattle and other valuables from the houses of the Hindus. Police have so far detained 42 men in connection with the arson attacks.
Three cases have been filed in this connection with Pirganj Police.
Rangpur: 1 arrested in Joypurhat under DSA, 42 for arson
Joypurhat police have arrested a person under the Digital Security Act (DSA) and 42 others in connection to attacks that took place in Rangpur against the minority Hindu community, in which their houses were set ablaze.
Poritosh Sarkar of Pirganj was arrested on Monday under DSA for spreading hate through social media posts that provoked people to set fire to the houses of the minorities, said additional police commissioner Kamruzzaman.
READ: Don’t resort to arson again in name of movement, Quader warns BNP
Till Monday night 42 others had been arrested in connection to arson, he said.
Attempts are being made to arrest the rest involved in the incident, he added.
READ: Arson attack on buses: 178 BNP men get anticipatory bail
Rangpur offenders must face action: Home Minister
Those involved in the Rangpur incident will be brought to book, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Monday. “So far, police have detained 44 people with the help of the local people and we’re trying to know whether it’s a motivated and planned one. Those involved in it will be brought to justice,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
Read:42 detained over Rangpur arson attacks
42 detained over Rangpur arson attacks
Police have detained 42 people in connection with arson attacks on the homes of Hindu community members at Boro Karimpur Majhipara village in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district over a post on social media on Sunday night.
The attackers set fire to 20-25 houses and shops of Hindus at the village around 8pm on Sunday, said deputy commissioner of Rangpur Asif Hasan on Monday.
Read:OC among 30 injured in Feni clashes
The attackers also looted cash, cattle and other valuables from the houses.
Rangpur assistant superintendent of police Md Kamruzzaman said tension gripped the area on Sunday evening following a reported comment by a local Hindu teenager on Facebook.
Police reached the village to guard the house of the boy as tension mounted over the issue. Around 8.30 pm the miscreants set fire to some Hindu houses adjacent to the teenager's house, he said.
Later, police lobbed teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Read: 3 cases filed in Dhaka over Friday's post-Jum’a clashes
Pirganj Fire Service Station officer Ratan Chandra Sharma said four units of firefighters from Pirganj, Mithapukur and Rangpur city rushed to the spot around 9pm to bring the fire under control.
Police have been deployed in the village to fend off further trouble.
DC Asif Hasan said a process is underway to file a case in this regard.
BRUR student kills self after posting status on Facebook
Police recovered the hanging body of a student of Begum Rokeya University Rangpur (BRUR) from his house on Thursday, pólice said suspecting it a case of suicide.
Tanvir Alam Tushar, a Masters final year student of the university's Economics Department, was found dead around 3 pm at his home at Shahebganj área in the Rangpur city.
On Tuesday at 2 am Tushar posted a status on social media that said, “I quit for forever.”
Also read: 4 girls attempt suicide at Social Services Dept-run rehab centre
Tushar’s family informed pólice after finding his hanging body in his room, said officer-in-charge of Haragach pólice station, Shawkat Ali Sarkar.
"Primarily we are suspecting that during the Covid lockdown Tushar got involved in gambling through his mobile. Mental stress due to his loans might have led him to kill himself,`` said the OC quoting his family.
Meanwhile Tushar’s family members refused to comment on this matter.
Also read: Woman poisons daughter, commits suicide in Jashore
According to their neighbours, recently Tushar had an argument with his father and family members.
OC Shawkat said the body has been sent for an autopsy and investigation is on to find out the actual reason of the death.
Assistant professor of BRUR Economics Department Belal Uddin said this news is hard to accept as Tuhin was a brilliant student with cheerful personality.
Mayor for a day, memories forever
What goes into a day in the life of a mayor? Seventeen-year-old Boishakhi Jhan got the opportunity to find that out for herself on Tuesday when she served as the mayor of Rangpur City Corporation for a day.
And that was possible due to child rights NGO Plan International Bangladesh that had approached Rangpur city mayor Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, presenting before him Boishakhi's wish ahead of the International Day of Girl Child on October 11.
Read: Cop killed by ‘drug addict’ in Rangpur
The initiative was actually part of the NGO's 'Worldwide girl’s takeover campaign’ that aims to encourage teens and young women to nurture a dream of becoming ambitious, Plan International said.
On Tuesday, Boishakhi, a resident of Nilphamari district, was greeted by the mayor, the councillors and the civic body staff with flowers as soon as she entered the corporation premises.
Later, she got a crash course on the daily routine of the mayor from Mostafizur before finally assuming charge. During the day, she held meetings with the councillors and the staff and took some token decisions.
“Symbolically playing the role of the mayor has created a new dream in my life. I got to know about the different divisions of the city corporation and how they work for the welfare of the citizens," said Boishakhi, who stopped five child marriages in her area and taught 20 school dropouts during Covid-19.
Read:Child rape and murder case accused arrested in Rangpur
Mostafizur also lauded the initiative. "Girls should not refrain from taking up leadership and challenging positions. Leadership, wisdom and patience can make any person achieve success,” he said.
Plan International initiates and implements the belief that girls can change their own lives, the society around them if they get equal opportunities and equality, the NGO said.
IBBL Rangpur holds business development conference
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) Rangpur Zone recently organised a business development conference on a virtual platform.
Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and CEO of the bank, addressed the programme as chief guest and Muhammad Qaisar Ali, additional managing director of the bank, as special guest.
Read: IBBL Dhaka zone holds online conference
IBBL Deputy Managing Director JQM Habibullah; senior executive vice-presidents Md Altaf Hossain, Abul Faiz Muhammad Kamaluddin, and Abu Naser Mohammed Nazmul Bari spoke at the event.
Miftah Uddin, executive vice-president, and Khaled Mahmud Raihan, senior vice-president of the bank, addressed the conference, too.
Read: IBBL Corporate Branches hold Business Conference
Also, branch heads and officials of Rangpur Zone attended the programme, read a press release.
Collision between 2 buses leaves 5 dead in Rangpur
Five people were killed and 12 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses on Dhaka-Rangpur highway near Boldipukur in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur early Sunday.
The identities of the deceased could not be known yet.
Read:Two youths killed in Naogaon road crash
Police said a Rangpur-bound bus of Johana Paribahan collided head-on with a Dhaka-bound bus of Selfie Paribahan around 7:50 am, leaving five people dead on the spot.
Later, fire fighters rescued the injured and rushed them to a nearby Health Complex and Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Read:Three killed in Thakurgaon road crash
Aminuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Mithapukur Police Station, said the condition of two of the injured is critical.
Child rape and murder case accused arrested in Rangpur
Police have arrested a fugitive wanted as the prime accused in a case of killing a 10-year-old school student after he failed to rape her at Mithapakur Upazila of the district.
The arrested was identified as Raja Miah, 25, son of Shamim Miah of Village Buzruk Santoshpur in Mithapukur Upazila. He had been living with his grandmother Halima Begum.
Read:Out on joyride, woman raped by six on moving bus in Chattogram
Assistant police super (D circle) Md. Kamruzzaman of the Rangpur district police confirmed the arrest adding that the accused had been produced to the court on Friday and the court sent him to jail.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of police raided Talmar More area of Nagarkanda in Faridpur district and arrested Raju Miah from his hide out on Thursday.
Read:Rajshahi child rape & murder case accused shot dead
According to the case statement, Raju lured his neighbour Class III student Rahima, with buying biscuit and took her in his house where he allegedly tried to rape her on May 26. As she screamed, he strangled the child and then slit her throat with a blade to confirm her death. Later, he buried the body inside a room and fled the scene.
Police on information recovered the body and sent it to the Rangpur Medical College Hospital morgue for post mortem examination.
Read: 999 call: 2 arrested after woman raped on truck
Police arrested his grandmother Halima Begum in this regard.
Later, the child’s father filed a murder case accusing Raju Miah and his grandmother Halima Begum with the crime at Mithapukur police station.