Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate for Habiganj-2 (Baniachong and Ajmiriganj upazilas) Shankar Pal withdrew from the race on Monday, citing the lack of a conducive environment for the election. He came up with the announcement while talking to reporters at his constituency in the morning. “There is a lack of a fair environment for the election. There is the influence of the muscle power of the ruling party (Awami League). It is difficult to protect the lives of ownself and supporters in the way clashes are going on in different parts of the country.  So I refrained from campaigning in Baniachong-Ajmiriganj,” he said. Shankar informed that he has already asked his fellows to cast vote for any of their chosen candidates except him. He said he is not the kind of person to seek votes by printing Awami League-backed posters on JaPa's nomination. Asking to know the position of his party, he said votes can’t be sought from the common people with the support of Awami League. Criticising the top leaders of his party, Shankar alleged that his agents were harassed in many ways and police took them away from the shops without any reason during the last election. He claimed that he is yet to receive an answer in this regard and threw a question asking where is the guarantee that it won’t happen in this election? In a recent view exchange meeting with Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman, he said, “I am not a candidate for election.  I want to see how fair and neutral you (EC) are doing in the election. If there is a fair election, I will contest the next election.” Mentionable, nine more candidates including current MP Advocate Abdul Mujid Khan as independent candidate and Awami League-nominated candidate Maizuddin Sharif are contesting from the seat in the January 7 election. As the official last date for withdrawal through the EC has already passed, Shankar would still appear on the ballot with the JaPa electoral symbol on January 7.   

A three-member probe committee has been formed over the death of Golam Rabbani, an accused in a theft case, who died at Baniachong Police Station in Habiganj on Tuesday. Habiganj Additional Superintendent of Police (admin and finance) Hasibul Islam will lead the probe committee. The other two members of the committee are Additional Superintendent of Police (Baniachong circle) Palash Ranjan Dey and Court Police Inspector, Md Kamrul Islam. Theft case accused found dead in Habiganj police custody Superintendent of Police, Md Akhter Hossain on Thursday, ordered the committee to submit the investigation report by December 29. Rabbani, 26, was a resident of the Nandipara area of Baniachong Sadar upazila. Baniachong Police Station Officer-in-Charge Delwar Hossain said he was arrested on charges of stealing an autorickshaw on Tuesday afternoon. Habiganj DC transferred to Agriculture Ministry He was found hanging from the ceiling fan inside a room around 7:30 pm, said the OC. Later, he was taken to the Baniachong Upazila Health Complex, where the duty doctor declared him dead after an examination. OC Delwar Hossain said, an unnatural death case has been filed in the incident. There are seven to eight theft cases against Rabbani. National polls: EC orders withdrawal of Habiganj DC, 3 police officials Meanwhile, Rabbani’s body was handed over to his family after an autopsy at Habiganj morgue on Wednesday afternoon. Later, he was buried at the family graveyard after Namaz-e-Janaza at Bibir Mokam Jame Mosque in Nandipara area of Baniachong Sadar after Magrib prayers.

Train connectivity between Sylhet and the rest of the country has been suspended due to the derailment of two bogies of an oil-laden train in Habiganj. 2 Habiganj journalists released from police custody after 4 hours The incident occurred at Rautgaon area of Bahubal upazila of Habiganj district at around 8pm on Wednesday. Police assault journalists covering BNP procession in Habiganj Shayestaganj  Railway Junction Master Abul Khayer Chowdhury and Shaistaganj Police Outpost In-Charge SI Mir Sabbir Ali confirmed the information. Ambassador Iwama Kiminori visits project site of Japanese grant in Habiganj They said that a relief train is being brought from Akhaura to rescue the derailed bogies. Tight security measures have been taken at the spot.

A Habiganj tribunal on Thursday convicted five people and sentenced them to death for killing a pregnant woman in 2016. Read : Rab arrest death row convict in Habiganj The convicts are: Russel Mia, 25; his elder brother Kawsar Mia, 32; their mother, Tahera Begum, 50; their sisters Hasna Begum, 20, and Rozy Begum, 27. All of them are from Sadekpur village under Chunarughat upazila. Among them, Kawsar was tried in absentia. Read : 2 murdered, 25 wounded over land dispute in Habiganj Habiganj Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Zahidul Islam handed down the punishment. According to the prosecution, Tahera Khatun alias Ayesha, the seven months pregnant wife of Russel Mia, was beaten to death by her husband and her in-laws over Tk one lakh dowry on September 15, 2016. Read : 2 killed in lightning strike in Habiganj Abdus Sattar, Ayesha's father, filed a case with Chunarughat Police Station.

A man was killed and 25 were wounded in a clash between two groups, allegedly over establishing supremacy, in Baniachong upazila of Habiganj yesterday evening. Police have so far detained six people in connection with the incident. A tense situation has been prevailing in the area since yesterday. The deceased was identified as Jahangir Miah, 45, while identities of the injured could not be known immediately. Police and locals said there had long been a dispute between former union parishad member Azam Ali and Kachham Ali of Kushiyartala village under the upazila over establishing dominance. People of both groups locked into an altercation over income earned from properties when arbitration was going on at the village on Saturday afternoon, they said. Read more: Panchagarh clash leaves 2 killed and at least 50 hurt At one stage, the groups attacked each other with locally made lethal weapons, leaving Jahangir dead on the spot and 25 injured. They are now undergoing treatment at Habiganj Sadar Adhunik Hospital. Jahangir belonged to the Kachham Ali group, locals said.   Ajoy Chandra Dev, officer-in-charge of Baniachong Police Station, confirmed the death, saying that police fired 20 rounds of bullets and used 2 rounds of tear gas to bring the situation under control. Six people were detained from the spot after the incident while members of law enforcing agencies have been patrolling the area to ward off any violent incident further, he said. The body was sent to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC said, adding that no case has so far been lodged in this connection.

A 55-year-old caretaker of a water pump was stabbed dead allegedly by miscreants in Lakhai upazila of the district early Friday. Lal Miah was a resident of Jhirunda village under the upazila. Locals and police said the victim used to work as a guard of a water pump operated to water cropland in Bawa Haor. Like other days, Lal Miah along with his eight-year-old grandson Tofazzel went to the pump on Thursday night to guard it and later fell asleep at a makeshift house. A group of masked miscreants numbering five to six entered the house at the dead of night and stabbed him with sharp weapons keeping the grandson hostage, Lakhai Police Station Inspector (investigation) Chamapak Dam said quoting Tofazzel. The grandson informed his relatives coming to the house, one kilometer off the pump, when the criminals left the spot, he said. Read more: Man stabbed dead in Chattagram The family members rushed to the spot and took him to Habiganj Sadar Hospital where physicians declared him dead, the inspector said. Md Khalilur Rahman, additional superintendent of police in the district, said he has already visited the spot while drives are on to nab the criminals. He expressed reluctance to disclose anything for the sake of investigation.

Habiganj Bus Owners and Workers Union continued their strike for fourth consecutive day on Monday, demanding the authorities allow them to use Salamatpur bus terminal. Shankha Shuvo Roy, general secretary of Habiganj Motor Owners’ Group, said the indefinite strike was called from Friday. Read more: Water transport workers to go on strike from Nov 26 On September 4, it was decided in a joint meeting of transport owners and workers that they can use Salamatpur bus terminal in  Nabiganj upazila, he said. “But due to the reluctance of the administration, no bus from Habiganj is being allowed to enter the terminal,” he added. Besides, the movement of three-wheelers on the highways has not been banned, said the transport leader. Meanwhile, Habiganj's bus services with Dhaka and nine routes inside the district have been halted due to the strike. About 400 passenger buses ply daily on these nine routes  in the district. Read more: Commuters suffer as bus strike underway in Sunamganj Long-haul passengers are suffering the most as no bus left the municipal bus terminal this morning (Monday). Many people are trying to reach their destinations in CNG-run auto rickshaws and other three wheelers paying extra fare. “We will continue strike until our demands are met,” said Shankha.

Around 50 BNP men were hurt in a reported police attack during a meeting of the party in Habiganj's Lakhai Wednesday night ahead of its Sylhet divisional rally. The incident took place at the BNP Lakhai office in Bamoi Bazar as a preparatory meeting was going regarding BNP's November 19 rally in Sylhet and how to make it a success, Habiganj Jubo Dal General Secretary Jalal Ahmed said. After the meeting  got underway in the late evening, police at one point baton charged the BNP men, leaving around 50 leaders and activists of the party injured, Jalal added. Read more: Awami League men vandalise BNP office in Natore "The BNP men hurled bricks at us. We stopped them as they were trying to create violence. Ten police personnel of Lakhai Police Station were hurt in the clash. Police fired several teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control," said Nunu Miah, officer-in-charge of Lakhai Police Station. However, Jalal said police also confined the BNP leaders to its Lakhai office for almost two hours. "When we were allowed to go, we had our meeting at Bamoi Bazar." Read more: BNP's rally the cue for Sylhet transport bodies to strike  

The Anti Corruption Commission today conducted an operation against the Upazila Food Controller of Nabiganj upazila under Habiganj, for collecting paddy from a syndicate bypassing the local farmers. A team consisting of three members from the co-ordinaated office of the ACC in Habiganj conducted the enforcement operation, according to deputy director of ACC Public Relations office Muhammad Arif Sadeq. The Commission received some allegations that the Food Controller of  Nabiganj collected paddy from a selected person and charged extra for allotting dealerships under the Open Market Sale (OMS) scheme. Read more: ACC won’t renew Shakib’s contract as goodwill ambassador over ‘controversy’ During the operation, the list of farmers selected by the concerned office for the procurement of Boro paddy during the 2021-22 fiscal, receipts of purchase of paddy from farmers, weight standard and inventory certificates, loading/unloading instructions, and Khamar card were retrieved. Later, the enforcement team visited food warehouses and OMS outlets to verify the authenticity. The enforcement team will soon submit a report in this regard to the ACC high command, for a review of actions taken and submission of complaint, if necessary, for further action.  

A 30-year-old housewife has ended up murdered as a dispute over the boundary line of a house took a deadly turn Friday in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj, Sylhet. The victim, Ayesha Akter Poly, was married to expatriate Akter Mia of Jarulia Gozaripara under the upazila. Locals said there had been a longstanding dispute between Poly and her husband’s step-brother Gabru Mia over the boundary separating their two houses. The victim had filed a case under Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act against her adversaries recently. Read: Agent banking director killed by lightning strike in Bhola Gabru’s sons Masuk, Mamun, daughter Shefa and her husband Shamim went to Poly's house around 9.30am and quizzed her about the case.At one stage, all four allegedly stabbed Poly with meat cleavers and slit her throat to make sure she was dead after dragging her out of the house, said the locals in the neighbourhood. They further said the victim’s eight-year-old son took shelter under bedstead and mother-in-law fled the house fearing the attackers. Read: Swechhasebak League activist killed in Chuadanga Md Ali Ashraf, officer-in-charge of Chunarughat Police Station, said they rushed to the spot and recovered Poly's body. It was sent to Habiganj Sadar Hospital for an autopsy, he said, adding that efforts are on to nab the alleged killers.