The United Kingdom has announced an additional £500,000 (Tk 60.6 million) in humanitarian support in response to last year’s flood in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh, in which 7.2 million people were affected. Delivered by BRAC, this funding will provide water, shelter, livelihood opportunities, and improved nutrition for people affected in Sunamganj, Sylhet. UK Development Director in Bangladesh, Matt Cannell, said last year’s devastating floods in the Sylhet region underline that Bangladesh remains vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Also read: Flood situation worsens in parts of Sylhet “This new funding provides vital water, nutrition, shelter and livelihood opportunities to some of the worst affected communities in Sunamganj, Sylhet. The UK is proud to partner with BRAC to deliver this support,” he said. This new UK support will ensure safe water and shelter for nearly 1,000 affected households and restore livelihoods and food security for more than 5,000 affected households. BRAC Executive Director, Asif Saleh, said the floods in northeastern Bangladesh, which affected over 7.2 million people in June 2022, were the worst to hit Bangladesh in the last two decades. Read More: UK to strengthen trade, investment, digital economy ties with Bangladesh: Indo-Pacific Minister “They left a trail of destruction in nine districts, with Sunamganj being the worst affected. Significant efforts were undertaken to provide emergency response to meet immediate needs, but sustained humanitarian support is direly needed to help people recover and rebuild their lives. This partnership between the British High Commission and BRAC will be crucial in standing beside the people in Sunamganj and being a partner in their journey to build back better,” he said.

Sunamganj, Jan 8 (UNB) - Police cordoned off a house at Fechi Atghar in Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj district on Sunday, suspecting it to be a militant hideout. Subhasish Dhar, additional superintendent of Sunamganj (Jagannathpur circle) police, said a team of police cordoned off the house Sunday morning on an information that there are a huge quantity of illegal firearms and bombs in the abandoned house. Also Read: 6  ‘Al Qaeda-inspired militants’ arrested in city The owner of the house is a resident of Sylhet city, he said. A bomb disposal unit went to the spot.    

Transport workers in Snamganj have enforced an indefinite strike, demanding a new bus terminal and stopping alleged harassment by police. The strike began following an announcement by Sunamganj District Workers’ Union on Thursday night, according to which all the long-route buses suspended their operations. Visiting the old bus terminal of the district, UNB found that all the bus counters were closed. The terminal was deserted as all the buses had been shifted from there, and commuters who had bought advance tickets were getting their money back from the bus operators. “We don’t have a place to park our buses. The old terminal can’t accommodate the increasing number of buses. We have to park our vehicles beside roads, and we get harassed by the police for this. That’s why we’ve enforced the strike to find a solution,” said Sejaul Kabir, President of the workers’ union. He said the police often take their buses in the name of handling traffic congestion. Read: Transport strike in Habiganj rolls into 4th day Police refuted the allegations. “Three buses of Hanif, Mamun and Shakil Paribahan are currently in the police lines due to breaking traffic rules and a lack of legal documents. The transport strike enforced by bus operators is unacceptable,” said Mohammad Ehsan Shah, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sunamganj. “We’re trying our best so that passengers don’t have to suffer because of the strike,” he said.

A two-day bus strike enforced by Sunamganj District Transport Owners and Workers’ Association began on Friday morning, causing suffering of the commuters. As the strike was enfoced ahead of BNP's divisional rally slated for Saturday, the party leaders alleged that the strike was called as per the government's directive to thwart their political programme. The association leaders said they are  observing the strike to realise their four-point demand, which includes withdrawal of tolls on Lamakazi bridge on the Sunamganj-Sylhet road, banning batter-run three-wheelers and unlicensed CNG-run autorickshaws from the highways, banning BRTC buses and renovation and modernization of Sunamganj Bus Terminal. Read more: Commuters hit as 2-day bus strike begins in Khulna BNP’s Sylhet divisional rally, slated  at the Government Alia Madrasa field in the city, has been plagued with transport strikes called by several organisations.  Habiganj Motor Owners’ group on Thursday called for an indefinite strike on movement of buses, demanding an end to “administrative harassment” and halting illegal three-wheelers.  On the other hand, Sylhet district Workers’ Solidarity Council called a 12-hour strike from 6:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday on movement of all types of vehicles to press home their four-point demands.  Besides, Sylhet district Road Transport Owners’ Association also called a dawn to dusk strike on Saturday in Sylhet on their two-point demand including for not issuing any new license for CNG-run auto rickshaw. Read more: Day 2 of Khulna strike: Commuters suffer as bus & launch services suspended ahead of BNP rally Fazlur Rahman, president of Habiganj Motor Owners’ group, at a press conference at Habiganj municipality bus terminal on Thursday claimed that there was no link between their strike and the BNP rally.

An activist of Awami League was killed and 40 others were injured in a clash between two factions of the party during its triennial conference in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj district on Monday. The deceased was identified as Ajmal Hossain Chowdhury, 27, of the upazila. Saiful Alam, officer-in-charge of Dirai Police Station, said the upazila unit Awami League organised a triennial conference at BADC field around 12:30 pm. A tense situation has been prevailing in the area over the conference for the last couple of days. Read more: At least 15 injured in Chhatra League infighting at Dhaka College Read more: AL infighting leaves 2 dead in Natore During the conference, two factions of Awami League engaged into a heated argument over failing to take position at the podium set up forr the conference. Brick chips were hurled and a chase and counter chase took place during the incident. At one stage, both groups attacked each other, leaving 41 people injured. Later, police brought the situation under control after dispersing them. Amir Hossain, an activist of Awami League was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon.

A Sunamganj court on Thursday sentenced five people to life imprisonment in rape and attempted rape cases. Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Zakir Hossain gave the order during a hearing in the presence of the accused. The lifers are Anwar Hossain Khokon from Biswambharpur upazila; Shafi Ulla, Saidur Rahman, and Shafiul from Tahirpur upazila and Iqbal Hossain from Chatak upazila. According to the case complaint, in 2012, Anwar abducted a college student and raped her in the Laurergar area in Tahirpur. Later Shafi Ullah, Saidur, and Shafiul tied Anwar's hands and legs. They took turns raping the student and filmed it, and posted a video online. Read: 8 get life term for killing schoolboy in city The girl later filed a case against 11 people at Tahirpur Police Station. Of them, four were sentenced to life imprisonment Thursday and four others were cleared of charges. The names of the remaining three accused were dropped from the charge sheet as they were not proven guilty in the investigation. Also, on March 17, 2012, a 13-year-old girl was abducted by Iqbal and Jaynal Abedin from Chatak upazila. The accused raped the girl after taking her to Sylhet, according to the case complaint.The court on Thursday sentenced Jaynal to life term and Iqbal to 14 years in jail.

Two brothers died while another sustained injuries after being struck by lightning in Sunamganj district on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Khokon Mia and Jhilon Mia, residents of Bekhoijura village in Dharmapasha upazila, said Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha police station. The tragedy occurred in the morning when the three brothers went to catch fish in Shaldigha Haor on a boat, said locals. Also read: Patuakhali: Lightning strikes kill two in Galachipa “Two brothers died on the spot and another was hurt. Locals later recovered the bodies,” said OC Mizanur. Also read: Lightning strike leaves fisherman dead in Sylhet

A newborn baby was found abandoned at a graveyard in Ibrahimpur on the outskirts of Sunamganj town on Thursday night. Hearing the cries of the newborn around 10pm, locals rescued the girl and rushed her to Sunamganj Sadar Hospital. Taslima Akter, a resident of the area, said, “We heard the cries and found the newborn baby at the graveyard. Later we informed the police and rescued her." Also read: Baby born on road after accident that kills parents, sister Local UP member Giash Uddin said he would be more than happy to raise the baby. "She is being taken care of at the hospital," he said. Also read: Baby snake killed after bit by 16 months old in Chuadanga Sunamganj sadar police station assistant sub-inspector Sohel Ahmad said they had informed their higher authorities about the matter.

Two poultry farmers went missing after their small boat capsized in Chapati haor (back swamp) during a storm in the district's Derai upazila on Wednesday night, police said. The missing farmers have been identified as Mujibur Rahman, 45, and Anhar Mia, 23, of the upazila. Read: Missing tourist’s body fished out of Kishoreganj haor Locals said that three farmers went to Chapati haor on a small engine-driven boat to collect food for ducks on Wednesday afternoon and it capsized during a storm around 9.30pm. Though locals rescued one of the farmers, Parvez Miah, and rushed him to a nearby hospital in the Kolyarkapan market area, the two others couldn't be traced. Akram Ali, officer-in-charge of Derai police station, said a team of fire service divers carried out a search and rescue operation till 12 noon on Thursday, but couldn’t find the missing duo.

Two siblings spent 17 days on the branches of a tree as flood water washed away their house at Dhalagaon village in Sunamganj. The ill-fated siblings are Julekha, 22 and Rakib, 13.  The orphans used to live in their ancestral home in Shimulbak union under Shantiganj upazila of the district. Locals said the siblings' parents passed away many years ago.  On June 17, their only small house made from bamboo, and all their belongings were washed away by the flood water.  Seeing no means, the orphans took shelter in the branches of a tree and spent 17 days there. "Those days were horrific. We spent 17 days on a tree at a stretch which was a nightmare for us.  Sometimes we had no food.  We have spent the days without enough food and pure drinking water with fear," Julekha said, describing their ordeal. Read: 2,000km of roads damaged in Sunamganj, with losses over Tk 1500-cr