United News of Bangladesh

River ports in some regions have been asked to hoist cautionary signal 1 as a temporary west or northwesterly gusty or squally wind is likely to occur in many parts of the country, according to the special bulletin Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). “Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary west or northwesterly gusty or squally wind speed 45-60 kph is likely to occur over the regions of Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noahkali, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet wherein river ports shall hoist cautionary signal no 1,”  it said. The warning for Inland River ports to remain valid till 1 am on May 8, according to a bulletin.    

Truck owners and workers in Dinajpur have announced an indefinite strike from May 12, demanding an end to alleged extortion in the name of collecting toll on roads. The decision was announced by the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ and Workers’ Joint Council, which said all types of vehicles operated by its members, including trucks, covered vans, pickups and tractors, will remain off the roads during the strike. In a joint statement, council President Syed Sapu Ahmed, who also heads the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ Group, and General Secretary Sadaqatul Bari of the Truck, Tank Lorry, Covered Van, Pickup and Tractor Workers Union alleged that toll collection outside the designated truck terminal has effectively turned into “extortion” by municipal authorities. They claimed that instead of collecting tolls from the official truck terminal, the municipality has assigned two staff members and two outsiders to collect tolls from highways and roads. The leaders said despite repeated verbal protests, the practice continued, and they were even threatened with legal action for opposing the toll collection. The issue was discussed in a meeting of the joint council held on May 5, where leaders decided to enforce the strike from May 12 if the alleged irregularities are not stopped. Meanwhile, Dinajpur municipality Administrator Riaz Uddin said two rounds of tenders were invited through national and local newspapers in January and February for appointing an operator to collect tolls at the truck terminal, but no bidder responded. Following a decision taken at a monthly general meeting on March 30, a four-member committee, including municipal market inspector Md Mostafizur Rahman, collector Shamim Ahmed, and two truck workers – Rasheduzzaman Rashed and Shahid Jamil – was formed on April 20 to manage toll collection at the terminal. The municipality said the committee has faced obstruction to collecting tolls, resulting in the failure to meet revenue target. It said legal action will be taken if the committee’s work continues to be obstructed, and sought cooperation in toll collection activities.

A businessman has been hacked to death in Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore allegedly after refusing to rent out a shop, police said. The victim, Anisur Rahman, 66, was attacked in front of his house in the Noapara area on Wednesday evening. He later died around 2:30am on Thursday while being taken to Dhaka. Anisur Rahman was the owner of the import business Joint Trading and a resident of the Guakhola area under Noapara municipality. He also owned a multi-storey commercial building named Anis Plaza in the Noapara market. According to locals, the accused identified as Shah Mahmud, son of Shah Jonayed from Pir Bari area of Noapara, had requested to rent a shop at Anis Plaza. However, Anisur Rahman reportedly declined his request, which allegedly led to the attack. Witnesses said Shah Mahmud attacked the businessman with sharp weapons around 7:00pm on Wednesday in front of his residence, leaving him critically injured. Locals rescued him and first took him to Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital. Later, doctors referred him to Dhaka, but he died on the way. Following the incident, traders at the Noapara River port announced the closure of all business establishments, demanding justice for the killing. Police said they have launched a drive to arrest the accused, who went into hiding after the attack. Inspector (Investigation) of Abhaynagar Police Station Md Jahidul Islam stated that police recovered the body and sent it to the Jashore General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The body of a madrasha student who went missing after a boat capsized in a waterbody in Valuka municipality of Mymensingh was recovered on Thursday morning, nearly 18 hours after the incident. The deceased was identified as Labib Khan, 12, a seventh-grade student of Chaparbari Dakhil Madrasha and son of Shahin Khan of the Government Collegepara area. Labib drowned while riding a boat on Wednesday afternoon in Hari Beel area. Senior Station Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Valuka Atikur Rahman said local people, along with firefighters, conducted a rescue operation throughout the night but they could not locate the boy. Later on Thursday morning, a diving team from Mymensingh Fire Service reached the spot and recovered Labib’s body, he added.

Police have recovered the body of a farmer with his legs tied from a irrigation pump house in Umarpur area in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur. The deceased was identified as Mofizur Rahman,52, son of Md Amzad Ali. He used to guard a Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) irrigation transformer at night. Police and locals said Mofizur Rahman had gone to the irrigation pump house late Wednesday night as part of his regular duty. On Thursday morning, a farmer named Shahidul Islam went to the field with cattle and found the pump house door open and the transformer missing. Ehen he entered the room, he saw Mofizur Rahman’s blood-stained body lying inside with his legs tied. Hearing his scream, locals rushed to the scene. Locals suspect that a gang of thieves broke into the pump house at night to steal the transformer. Police from Pirganj Police Station recovered the body and cordoned off the area. Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque said the matter is being investigated with priority and legal procedures are underway.

A shopkeeper was hacked to death following an argument over a juice purchase in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Mujahid Mollah, 40, son of Sarowar Jahan Mollah of Hijla village. He was reportedly the president of ward No. 3 unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Police arrested one person in connection with the incident. The arrestee – Bayezid Ijaradar, 35, is also a resident of the same village. According to locals, Bayezid went to Mujahid’s shop at the village in the morning and bought a bottle of juice. After taking the juice in hand, he allegedly complained that it was not good. Mujahid then tasted the juice himself and insisted that it was fine. An argument soon broke out between the two. At one stage, Bayezid allegedly attacked Mujahid with a sharp weapon around 7:30am, leaving him critically injured. Officer-in-Charge Nazrul Islam of Chitalmari Police Station said locals rescued Mujahid and took him to Chitalmari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. They also caught Bayezid after the incident and handed him over to police, he said. Police visited the scene and sent the body to the 250-bed Bagerhat District Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

A young man was shot to death by unidentified miscreants in the Islampur area of Panchhari upazila in Khagrachhari early Thursday. The deceased was identified as Md Emon Hossain, 25, son of Ruhul Amin of Mohammadpur area in the upazila. According to locals, a group of attackers opened fire on Emon while he was walking in front of his house around 6:00am, leaving him dead on the spot. The attackers fled the spot immediately after the incident. United People's Democratic Front (Democratic) Khagrachhari organiser Amar Chakma claimed that Emon worked as an associate member of their organisation. He blamed the UPDF faction, led by Prasit Bikash Khisa, for the killing. However, no statement was immediately available from the accused group. Officer-in-Charge of Panchhari Police Station Md Ferdous Wahid said police were heading to the spot. Details will be known after recovering the body and completing the investigation, he added.

Two farmers were killed in separate lightning strikes while harvesting paddy in two upazilas of Mymensingh district on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Abdur Rashid, 62, son of Chandu Mia of Rajabaria village in Nandail upazila, and Abdul Quddus, 45, son of late Mohur Ali Munshi of Kathurakanda village in Phulpur upazila. According to locals, Abdur Rashid was harvesting paddy with his wife beside Rajabaria Bazar in Kharua union during rainfall when lightning struck him. Locals rushed him to Nandail Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. His wife remained unharmed. In another incident, Abdul Quddus was working in a paddy field at Moishapuri Beel near his house along with several labourers when rain started around 3:00pm. While other workers left the field, Quddus and his elder son Abdul Malek continued harvesting. Moments later, a lightning strike killed Quddus on the spot. The bodies were handed over to the families without autopsy following requests from relatives.

A nine-year-old boy died after allegedly being subjected to a brutal act involving compressed air through the rectum at an auto-rickshaw garage in Palash upazila of Narsingdi on Wednesday. The deceased, Ramim, was the son of trader Ripon Mia from Gazaria Charkarardi village in the upazila. According to police and locals, the incident took place at a battery-run auto-rickshaw garage in Gazaria Bazar. Ramim went to the market in the morning and later entered the garage around 9:00am. It is alleged that a rickshaw driver used an air pump to force air into the child’s body, leaving him critically injured. Hearing his screams, locals rushed him to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. After initial treatment, doctors referred him to Dhaka for advanced treatment. He later died at a private hospital in Dhaka around 4:15pm while undergoing treatment. Md Rakib Askari, a doctor at the emergency department of Narsingdi Sadar Hospital, said the child’s condition had deteriorated rapidly due to internal injuries caused by the forced entry of high-pressure air. Shahed Al Mamun, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Palash Police Station, said police were sent to the area after receiving information that the body had been brought home. He added that further legal action would be taken based on a written complaint from the family, while efforts are underway to arrest those involved.

A madrasah student drowned in a pond on the Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) campus on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md Raihan, 17, son of Abdur Rahman of Baluchar Notun Bazar area under ward No. 36 of Sylhet City Corporation. He was a student of a local madrasah. Eyewitnesses said Raihan went to bathe in the pond with 4-5 friends around 2:30pm. While swimming, he suddenly cried out for help and began to drown. His friends tried to rescue him but failed. Local residents and university students later joined the rescue effort after being alerted and searched the pond. A diving team from the fire service arrived at the scene around 5:30pm and recovered the body. Officer-in-Charge of Shahparan Police Station Md Ferdous Ahmed said the body was recovered by the fire service. The university authorities later handed over the body to the family.