United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested two people including the prime accused in  a case in connection with the death of a young girl after rape in Narsingdi. The arrestees were Nur Mohammad Nura, prime accused in the case and his associate Hazrat Ali. Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive and arrested them on Saturday, said Superintendent of Narsingdi Police Abdullah-al-Faruk at a press briefing held at his office on Saturday. The SP said so far seven accused among nine have been arrested in the murder case in the past two days. The rest two accused will be brought under book soon, he said. Earlier on Friday, police arrested five accused and they were produced before a court with a ten-day remand prayer. The court fixed March 1 for hearing. A 15-year-old girl, who was reportedly abducted by some young men in her father's presence, was found dead in Madhabdi upazila of Narsingdi district on Thursday.

At least 15 people were injured in a clash between two groups reportedly over occupying a government land at Harina village in Saltha upazila of Faridpur district on Friday night. Locals said Sanjay Malo of Harina village had a long standing dispute with his neighbour Masud Chowdhury over the lease and occupation of a government land. As a sequel to the enmity the two groups attacked each other with locally made weapons at 9 pm , leaving 15 people injured. Clash leaves 20 injured in Faridpur , houses torched The injured were admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital and Nagarkanda Health Center. Saltha Police Station Inspector (Investigation) KM Maruf Hasan Russell said after receiving information about the clash around 9:30 pm police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Saturday said anyone involved in institutional corruption will not only lose their job but also face imprisonment. The minister said the government has declared zero tolerance for corruption and that funds allocated for public will be properly monitored, he said at a meeting with the  members of parliament and government officials at the conference hall of Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner. “If anyone tries to earn commission illegally, strict action will be taken against them,” he added. Asaduzzaman said there will be no compromise on the quality of development work. “If anyone uses substandard materials in road or infrastructure projects, their license will be canceled. Inform me if anyone tries to make a profit through commissions or extortion. The government and opposition will work together to eliminate corruption, terrorism, extortion, and drugs,” he said. The minister also criticised the quality of road construction from Garaganj Bazar to Shailkupa on the Jhenaidah-Kushtia road, saying the contractor will be blacklisted and face the maximum legal penalty. He said dishonest contractors will not receive future government contracts. The Law Minister said  using substandard materials in infrastructure projects should result in the highest legal action against the contractor. Departments failing in their duties will see disciplinary action against the heads along with complaints to the Anti-Corruption Commission, he added.

Police recovered the burnt body of a young man in Brindabon area of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur on Saturday. Locals spotted the body along the Bormi-MC Bazar road in the morning. The identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed. Witnesses said the victim’s body was burned and had a rope tied around the neck. ASI Ruhul Kaiyum of Sreepur Police Station said on information police recovered the burnt body. After collecting evidences, the body was sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, he said.

A 65-year-old woman was hacked to death and her 15-year-old granddaughter was killed allegedly after being raped in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district early Saturday. The deceased were identified as Sufia Khatun, 65, and her granddaughter Jamila Akter, 15 of Bhabanipur Uttarpara village in the upazila. Police said Sufia and her granddaughter Jamila had been living in the house for a long time. Around midnight on Friday, neighbours heard sound of sudden cries and came out of their homes but when the sound stopped after a few moments they returned to their houses. On Saturday morning, Sufia was found lying in a pool of blood in the yard of her house while her granddaughter Jamila was found dead in a mustard field. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Md Mominuzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Ishwardi Police Station, said the attackers might have killed Sufia when she resisted their attempt to abduct her granddaughter. Police are investigating the murders with utmost importance, the OC added.

A BNP activist was beaten to death allegedly over enmity between two factions of the party  at Sipaipara in Charghat upazila of Rajshahi district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Ershad Ali, 65, a member of Yusufpur union unit BNP. Sirajul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Charghat Police Station, said an altercation ensured between the supporters of two BNP leaders—one led by Anwar Hossain Ujjal and another led by Abu Syed Chand MP over making local MP Abu Sayeed chief guest at a programme organised by the local unit BNP. However, the meeting ended without any settlement over the issue. Later, the supporters of Anwar Hossain including Saidur Rahman, Gazi, Sumon ali, Sabbir, Ashadul and others intercepted Ershad when he was returning home after Esha prayer and beat him up mercilessly with sticks, leaving him dead on the spot. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital morgue.

A seven-year-old boy was found dead with his throat slit in a maize field in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Sirajul Al Shams, 7, a Class II student and son of Mominul Islam of Amrulbari Dangapara area in the upazila. Inspector Sirajul Islam, in-charge of Aftabganj police camp, said Sirajul’s family had been unable to locate him before iftar on Friday. After a frantic search, local people found Sirajul’s body with his throat slit in the maize field and took him to Phulbari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. The body bore several injury marks and the tendons of his hands and legs were also severed, police said. However, the motive behind the killing could not be known immediately. Police arrested two people on suspicion of their involvement in the killing, said Inspector Sirajul.

A 75-year-old woman was killed by a speeding truck on the Rangpur-Dhaka highway in Shothibari, Mithapukur, Rangpur on Friday, prompting locals to block the road for nearly four hours demanding an overbridge to allow pedestrians to cross safely. The deceased, Azuba Begum, was the wife of the late Nehal Uddin from Rasulpur village in Komudpur union of Pirganj upazila. Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 3pm while she was crossing the road. The location has been notorious for accidents, with 4–5 pedestrian deaths reported there in the past six months. Locals have repeatedly demanded an overbridge, citing the site’s high risk. During the protest, hundreds of vehicles were stranded, causing severe traffic congestion. Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Parvez and OC Md. Nuruzzaman visited the site, urged protesters to lift the blockade, and the road reopened around 7 pm. OC Nuruzzaman confirmed the overbridge demand is reasonable and said authorities would hold a meeting next Tuesday at the upazila office to decide on prompt action.

Sixteen indigenous Garo families in the Khadimnagar area of Sylhet are living in fear after receiving eviction threats from a local housing company, despite having resided in the area for generations. The families, whose ancestors settled in the Fissari Chorarpara of Kallolgram Union around 60–70 years ago, include nearly 80 people across three generations living in 25.7 decimals of land in makeshift and semi-permanent homes. They pay holding taxes to the Union Parishad, and adult members have national ID cards with local addresses. Yet, recent threats to remove them from the land have caused panic, particularly among women and children. A civic representative team from Sylhet visited the area on Friday afternoon to assess the situation and show support for the Garo families. During the visit, residents expressed concerns that while the government promised permanent relocation for the community, a powerful local group is pushing for immediate eviction, which the team called a violation of human rights. The team also observed that industrial waste from the nearby BSCIC Industrial Estate has severely polluted the Fissari canal. Efforts to fill and alter the canal’s natural flow threaten the survival of the Garo families, as blocked waterways and filthy water could make living conditions unbearable. Dr. Mostafa Shahjaman Chowdhury Bahar, coordinator of the Sylhet branch of Dhriti Raksha (Dhora) and head of the visiting team, said, The Garo community is peaceful and law-abiding. Generations have lived here, building their homes. From a humanitarian perspective, children, women, and the elderly must not be forcibly evicted. The civic team included indigenous researcher Prof. Mohammad Zahirul Haque, civic activist Abdul Karim Kim, environmental activist Father Joseph Gomez, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Golam Sobhan Chowdhury, journalists Shakil Zaman and Abdur Rahman Hira, and theater artist Nahid Parvez Babu, among others. The team expressed hope that the government and local authorities will act with humanitarian consideration to ensure the future of the Garo families remains secure and dignified.

A Sub-Inspector (SI) posted at Natore Police Lines was injured on Friday when a bullet from his own service pistol struck his leg. The incident took place in the evening at the police lines quarters. The injured SI has been identified as Dewan Mamun. Additional Superintendent of Natore Police Iftekhar Alam said, Mamun had returned from a foreign dignitary security duty and placed his service pistol on the bed before going to the washroom. During this time, his young son was playing with the pistol. When Mamun tried to retrieve it, the gun accidentally fired, hitting his left leg. Colleagues immediately took him to Natore Sadar Hospital for initial treatment, and later he was transferred to a private clinic for advanced care. The exact hospital where he is currently admitted was not disclosed. Police Superintendent Abdul Wahab visited the injured officer at the private clinic and confirmed the incident was accidental. He said a detailed report would be released after investigation.