United News of Bangladesh

A boatman went missing Wednesday after falling into the Padma River from a bulkhead in Charbhadrasan, Faridpur. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near Tilar Char and Sabulla Sikder’s Dangi areas of Charbhadrasan Sadar Union. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., two divers from the Faridpur Fire Service conducted search operations but could not locate the missing boatman. The rescue mission was suspended for the day and will resume Thursday morning. The missing man has been identified as Arif Sheikh, 46, son of Mojibur Sheikh of Sholomari village in Alfadanga Upazila. Arif is the eldest of four siblings, married, and father of three children. According to his uncle, Abul Kasar, Arif worked as a boatman at the bulkhead. He had arrived at the CNB Ghat in Faridpur Sadar on Tuesday afternoon to unload sand and, while returning, accidentally fell into the river near Tilar Char and Sabulla Sikder’s Dangi. Charbhadrasan Fire Service leader Mortaza Fakir said the diver team conducted multiple search attempts but failed to recover Arif. CNB Ghat police officer-in-charge Nasim Ahmed confirmed the incident and said a police team also joined the search but found no trace of him as of Wednesday evening.

Three people died unnatural deaths in separate incidents in Chowgacha upazila of Jashore on Wednesday. The deaths occurred due to burn injuries, drowning and suicide in different areas of the upazila. An elderly woman, Fekshi Bala, 80, died after suffering severe burns while warming herself, along with other family members, by a fire at her home in Marua village under Jagadishpur union. She was the widow of Kartik Paramanik Biswas. According to family, her sari caught fire accidentally on Tuesday night. She was taken to Jashore 250-bed General Hospital, where she died during treatment on Wednesday noon. In another incident, a madrasa student drowned in a pond at Niamatpur village under Patibila union. The deceased was Hafiz Abdullah, 16, an eighth-grade student of Tanzimul Ummah Cadet Madrasa in Uttara, Dhaka. He was the son of Abdul Gni of Niamatpur village. According to locals, Abdullah’s lived in Narayanganj due to his father’s job. He came to the village two days ago from Narayanganj. He lost consciousness while bathing in a pond and drowned. He was taken to Chowgacha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, a woman died by suicide at Ballavpur village under Sukhpukuria union. Man stabbed to death in Jashore The deceased was Monwara Begum, 30, wife of Solaiman Ali. She took her own life by hanging in her room around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, following a domestic dispute with her husband. Rezaul Karim, Officer-in-Charge of Chowgacha Police Station confirmed the incidents and said, “Legal steps were underway.”    

A mosque's imam was killed after being hit by an illegal and high-speed trolley in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet on Tuesday evening. The accident took place around 6:30pm at the Atgram Station area of the upazila. The deceased was identified as Maulana Badrul Islam, 55, son of late Elias Ali of Kazirpaton village under Kajalsar union. He was serving as an imam at a mosque in Jagannathpur upazila. According to police and local sources, Badrul Islam was getting onto the Zakiganj-Sylhet road from his home when a fast-moving trolley hit him with force and he fell on the road with serious injuries. Locals rushed him to Zakiganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Krishak Dal leader killed in Sylhet road accident Confirming the matter, Zakiganj Police Station Investigation Officer Md Sujon Mia said police have visited the spot and are trying to seize the trolley involved in the accident. “The burial process is being carried out without an autopsy following a request from the victim’s family,” he added.

Iron Mia, 50, convener of the Bishwanath Upazila unit of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Krishak Dal, was killed in a road accident at Nazirbazar in Dakshin Surma, Sylhet. The accident occurred at around 6:30pm on Tuesday. Irun Mia was a resident of Naogaon village in Bishwanath upazila. According to witnesses, he was heading back to Bishwanath on his motorcycle (Sylhet-2 11-2563) after attending a party programme in Osmaninagar when a covered van hit him at Nazirbazar. Motorcycle collision leaves 2 dead in Sylhet He sustained critical injuries and died on the way to hospital. Khan Md Mainul Zakir, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dakshin Surma Police Station, confirmed the death. “Police rushed to the spot after receiving the information. The covered van was seized, but its driver fled the scene. Legal action will be taken in this regard,” the OC added.    

Electricity supply will be suspended for nine hours on Tuesday (Dec 23) in areas under the 11 kV feeders of the Sales and Distribution Division-2 of Sylhet Electric Supply Board (BEB) due to urgent repair, maintenance, and development work on distribution lines and transformers, as well as ongoing electricity distribution system improvement projects. The information was confirmed on Monday (Dec 22) through a notice signed by Md. Abdur Razzak, Executive Engineer of Sales and Distribution Division-2, Sylhet Electric Supply Board. According to BEB Sales and Distribution Division-2, the electricity supply will be cut from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the following areas under the respective 11 kV feeders: ·         11 kV Senpara feeder: Senpara, Shibganj, Bhatatikor, Sadipur, Tilagarh, Gopaltila, MC College, and surrounding areas. ·         11 kV Shibganj feeder: Shibganj, Tilagarh, Sabujbag, Borhanbag, Hatimbag, Lamapara, Rajpara, and nearby areas. ·         11 kV Raynagar feeder: Sonarpara, Majumdarpura, Darzipara, Purba Mirabazar, Kharpara, and surrounding areas. ·         11 kV Kumarpara feeder: Jatrapur, Mirabazar, Uddipan, Agpara, Moushumi Agpara, Jherjheripara, and nearby areas. ·         11 kV Upashahar feeder: Upashahar Blocks A, B, C, D, ABC Point, Terrotan, Saiyadani Bag, Sadarpara, and adjacent areas. 422 stolen mobile phones recovered in Sylhet, 4 arrested For safety reasons, residents are asked to consider the line energized during the maintenance period. If the work is completed earlier than scheduled, electricity supply will be restored immediately. The Executive Engineer of Sales and Distribution Division-2, Sylhet BEB, expressed sincere apologies to customers for the temporary inconvenience and requested their cooperation to ensure better services.  

At least five people were injured when a cocktail was hurled in a clash between the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the BNP's student front, Chhatra Dal, in Shariatpur , police said. The incident occurred on Monday evening during a protest procession by NCP leaders and activists through the Chowrangi area of Shariatpur city. The procession was held to demand justice for the slain Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi and the attack on Motaleb Shikder, 42, a leader of the NCP's in Khulna. Tensions rose during the procession when a disagreement broke out over the entry of a Chhatra Dal activist’s motorcycle, triggering a clash. At one stage, a cocktail explosion left at least five people injured. Leaders and activists of both parties have blamed each other for the violence. Police reached the spot shortly after being informed and brought the situation under control.

Clash of two rival groups over dominance in Habiganj’s Nabiganj upazila injured more than 50 people on Monday afternoon. According to police and local sources, the clash took place in Mandarkandi village of Kaliarbhanga union. The violence broke out following a long-standing dispute between two groups - one led jointly by Samu and Abdul Hair and another led by Muhit Mia. The dispute involved agricultural land and local influence in the area. Men and women from both sides took part in the clash, using locally made weapons and throwing bricks and stones at each other. The fighting continued for nearly two hours. Police from Nabiganj police station rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Later, a team from the Baniachong Army Camp also went to the area and helped restore normalcy. Hadi killing sparks unrest in Habiganj The injured were rescued and taken to Nabiganj Upazila Health Complex and Habiganj Modern Sadar Hospital for treatment. Monayem Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Nabiganj Police Station, confirmed the incident and said, “The situation is now under control.” He added that extra police have been deployed in the area to prevent further trouble.    

Police on Monday recovered the hanging body of a staff member of a District and Sessions Judge Court from a tree near the Fatehpur railway line in Feni. The deceased was identified as Enamul Haque, son of the late Fazlul Haque of Nagarkanda village in Panch Gachia union of Sadar upazila. His body was found at around 11:30 am. Enamul had been serving as the head clerk of the Joint District and Sessions Judge 1st Court of Feni for a long time. He lived with his family in a rented house at Momena Mansion in Barahipur area of the city. According to locals, a speech-impaired person spotted Haque’s body hanging from a tree in a bush near the railway line and alerted nearby residents, who then informed the police. Police recovered the body and sent it to the Feni General Hospital morgue, said Feni Sadar Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Nishat Tabassum.  She added that authorities are working to unravel the circumstances of the death, and the cause will be determined after an autopsy. Legal action will follow once a formal complaint is lodged by the family. Nizam Hazari’s house set on fire in Feni The deceased’s son, Ehsanul Haque Saikat, said his father left home for the office around 7:00am.  He received news of the incident around 11:30am and rushed to the scene.  He alleged that his father may have been murdered and demanded that those responsible be punished after a proper investigation.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified surveillance and set up check-posts along the border points of Benapole, Kushtia and Meherpur following the shooting of a National Citizen Party (NCP) leader in Khulna. In Benapole, the BGB has intensified the security along the border so that the suspected attackers cannot flee to the neighbouring country in India, said Commanding officer of Jashore BGB-49 Battalion, Lt Col Saifullah Siddiqui. BGB ramped up security along approximately 70.27 kilometres of the border under the jurisdiction of 49 BGB, stretching from main pillar 18/1S to 47/3S. Patrols, intelligence surveillance and the deployment of additional BGB personnel have been increased in risky and important border areas. Besides, the areas without the barbed wire fencing along the bordering areas have been sealed off, he said. Meanwhile, additional BGB members have been deployed in Amrakhali, Sadipur, raghunathpur, Ghiba, Sikarpur, shalkona, Kashipur, Masila, Andulia, Panch Bhulat, Agra Bhulat, Putkhali, Goga, Harishchandrapur and Panchpir Tala areas. UNB Kushtia Correspondent reports: BGB has also imposed high alert along the Kushtia and Meherpur border areas in connection with the same incident. According to BGB, surveillance has been intensified along the Gangni border in Meherpur and the Daulatpur border in Kushtia. Eight special check-posts have been set up at important points to prevent the suspects from fleeing the country. NCP labour leader shot, injured in Khulna Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Rony, Commanding officer of BGB-47, said “All effective measures have been taken so that no one involved in a criminal act can cross the border under any circumstances.” Motaleb Shikder, 42, a labour leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) was injured in a gun attack in Khulna city on Monday.    

A 57-year-old man was killed when a passenger boat collided with a sand-laden bulkhead on the Padma River in Chapainawabganj’s Sadar Upazila on Sunday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md Bhikhu, son of late Abdus Salam of Rashiya Rustum Morler Para in Narayanpur Union under the upazila. According to eyewitnesses and family members, the passenger boat left Alimnagar Ghat for Narayanpur in the afternoon. As the vessel approached the ghat area at Charbaghdanga, it struck a bulkhead standing in the river, leaving Bhikhu critically injured. He was rescued and taken to the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital, where he died around 7:45pm while undergoing treatment. On-duty physician Umme Habiba said Bhikhu suffered injuries to his hands and chest in the accident and also had existing heart complications. Noor Alam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station, said an investigation is underway. “No complaint has yet been filed by the victim’s family. If a complaint is received, legal action will be taken following investigation,” he added.