United News of Bangladesh

Police on Friday afternoon recovered the body of senior journalist and columnist Bibhuranjan Sarker, who was missing since Thursday, from the Meghna River near Char Balaki in Gazaria Upazila of Munshiganj. According to police, locals spotted the body afloat the river on Friday afternoon and called 999. Police from the Kalagachhia River Police Outpost recovered the body. Saleh Ahmed Pathan, in-charge of the Kalagachhia police outpost, said that based on initial identification, the body is believed to be that of Bibhuranjan Sarker, senior assistant editor of the Daily Bangla daily Ajker Patrika. A photo of the body has been sent to Ramna Police Station, the police said, adding that Sarker’s relatives were on their way to Munshiganj. The body was being transported to Munshiganj General Hospital for an autopsy. Bibhuranjan Sarker, 71, left his Siddheshwari residence on Thursday morning to go to the Ajker Patrika office in Banasree where he never arrived. Later that night, his son Wreet Sarker filed a general diary at Ramna Police Station.

The students of Feni University on Thursday blocked Dhaka-Chattogram highway to press home their six-point demand including permanent campus and shuttle bus services. The students of the university took to the street at noon at Mohipal in Sadar upazila, halting vehicular movement on the highway for three hours from 11 am. The other demands include banning student politics on the campus, change of Board of Trustees, appointment of VC, appointment of adequate number of teachers and other staff. They also brought out a procession at Hazari Road and chanted slogans various slogans. Maisha Akter, a student of the university, said, “Despite raising our demands for a long time we have received nothing but empty promises. We’ve now taken to the highway as a last resort. Without a permanent campus the UGC may place our university on a 'red list,’ putting thousands of students amid uncertainty.” Sajidul Islam, another student, said, they have boycotted classes to force the authorities to fulfill their demands. Earlier, on Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. M Jamal Uddin Ahmed resigned amid growing unrest. Md Ariful Islam Siddique, additional superintendent of Feni (sadar circle), said police dispersed the students from the highway with a promise to sit with the deputy commissioner over their demands. Earlier on August 13 last year, the students submitted a 15-point demand for the development of the university. On February 18 they again staged a sit-in to press home their demands.    

Ferry services at Ghat No-4 of Paturia in Manikganj have remained suspended since early Thursday after a pontoon and ramp were washed away by the Padma River. Abdus Salam, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) in the district, said operations came to a halt around 4am when the rope of the ramp snapped as Ro-Ro ferry ‘Baigar’ attempted to dock. Ferry services disrupted as two ghats collapse in Paturia  The pontoon and ramp drifted away under strong currents before being pulled back near the ghat with the help of a tugboat, he added. According to the BIWTC official, efforts are underway to reinstall the structure, but ferry services will remain suspended until repairs are completed.

A man was hacked to death and his wife was seriously injured in a clash with his relatives over cutting saplings in Monohardi upazila, Narsingdi on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Jewel Mia, 38, son of late Haris Mia of Atushal village. According to the locals, Jewel had an altercation with his uncle Tara Mia and cousins over cutting saplings from their homestead boundary and at one stage, they attacked Jewel and his wife Rina Begum, 28, with sharp weapons, leaving them injured with lethal wounds. Fire caused by explosion in gas pipeline in Narsingdi leaves thousands without power all day Locals rushed them to Monohardi Upazila Health Complex from where Jewel was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and died on the way. Abdul Jobbar, the Officer-in-Charge of Monohardi Police Station, said Tara Mia had been arrested while preparations were underway to file a case.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in a special operation seized Indian contraband items worth over Tk 1 crore from an oil tanker in Habiganj on Tuesday. A team BGB set up a checkpost along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway after being tipped-off that a consignment of smuggled goods was being transported from Sunamganj, said a media release from the BGB-55 Battalion on Wednesday. Around noon on Tuesday, the team signaled a suspicious oil tanker to stop. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. BGB detains man smuggling US dollars to India via Mujibnagar border During the search, BGB members discovered a large quantity of Indian cumin, facewash, and cosmetic items including Sunrise Skin Cream and Clop-G Cream, hidden inside the tanker’s fuel chamber in a concealed manner. Smugglers had adopted the unique technique of concealing goods in oil tankers to avoid detection, according to the release. The seized goods, with an estimated value of over Tk 1.1 crore, have been handed over to Habiganj Customs for legal procedures.

A committee formed to investigate the looting of stones from Bholaganj ‘Sada Pathor’ in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet district, has submitted its report, naming the involvement of 137 people and proposing 10 recommendations to prevent future looting. The report was submitted Wednesday afternoon at the Deputy Commissioner’s office by the committee head and Additional Deputy Commissioner Padmasan Singha. Outgoing DC Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad endorsed the submission. “The report lists 137 people involved in the looting, most of whom are political party leaders and activists. It also includes 10 recommendations to stop such incidents in the future,” he said. The report will now be forwarded to the Cabinet Division. The seven-page probe report  follows severe criticism over the looting of around one million cubic feet of Sada Pathor from Bholaganj. The committee included Afzalul Islam, Assistant Director of the Department of Environment in the district and immediate past transferred Companiganj UNO Azizunnahar, whose inclusion sparked criticism due to her failure to prevent the looting. Initially due on August 17, the committee was granted a three-day extension. Amid criticism, DC Murad was made Special OSD and the UNO was transferred on August 18. Police recover another 50,000 cft of ‘Sada Pathor’ in Sylhet Earlier, the Bureau of Mineral Development filed a case against 1,500–2,000 suspects. Following High Court intervention, recovered stones were reinstated at their original sites. Subsequently, joint operations in Sylhet and Narayanganj recovered over 500,000 cubic feet of looted stone. Environment Adviser Syeda Rizeana Hasan held the local administration responsible for looting the stones.

A Cumilla court on Wednesday sentenced a man to death and his lover to life term imprisonment for killing her seven-year-old nephew in 2023. Judge of the Cumilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-4 Sabbir Mahmud Chowdhury handed down the punishment. The condemned convict was Billal Pathan while the lifer was Shefali Begum, paternal aunt of the vicitm. The court also fined them Tk one lakh each. The court also sentenced them to five years jail for attempting to dispose of the body to conceal the crime and fined Tk 50,000. According to the prosecution, Saimon, son of Khorsheda Akter, had gone missing on the way home from Batakandi Bazar on August 16, 2023. A general diary was lodged with Titash Police Station. Local people recovered burned body of Saimon from a bush on the following day. Later, Saimon’s mother Khorsheda filed a case against 5/6 people including Shefali. During investigation, police found that Billal Pathan had killed Saimon along with Shefali after the boy witnessed their illicit relationship. Police arrested Billal and Shefali in this connection and submitted chargesheet against them.    

 A Natore court on Wednesday convicted a man and sentenced him to life imprisonment for killing his wife over a family feud in 2020. The convict was identified as Sirajul Islam of Lalpur upazila of Natore district. Judge of the Natore Additional District and Session Judge Court-4, Md Shohagh Talukdar handed down the punishment. Leak of walkie-talkie message: Constable put on 3-day remand According to the prosecution, Lata Khatun, 27, wife of Sirajul of Jokadah village in Lalpur upazila was strangled to death by her husband over a family feud on April 27, 2020. Helal Uddin, father of Lata filed a case in this connection. Police submitted a chargesheet against Sirajul.  

Two sisters died after drowning in a pond while collecting snails in Senbag upazila of Noakhali on Tuesday morning. The deceased were identified as Bibi Moriom Ahi, 10, and her younger sister Sidratul Muntaha Sahir, 6, daughters of Belal Hossain of South Razarampur village. According to the locals, It was seen in the CCTV footage that Ahi slipped into the pond while trying to collect a snail from the ghat and Her younger sister drowned while attempting to rescue her. Their uncle later found them unconsciously floating in the water and took them to a local village doctor, where they were declared dead. Bazar fire in Noakhali guts over 30 structures Abdur Rouf, Sub Inspector of Senbagh Police Station, confirmed the incident and said that the bodies were handed over to the family as there was no complaint.

A man and his sister in law were killed as an autorickshaw hit their motorcycle while crossing a road divider in Rangpur on Tuesday evening. The two deceased were identified as Tanima Akter Panna, 20, daughter of Toriqul Islam Pappu  of Binodpur and Asadul Islam Asad, 40, son of freedom fighter Anchar Ali of Balapara. The accident occurred around 6:30 pm near Tajhat Police Station in Rangpur city.   The auto-rickshaw driver, Saddam Hossain, 25, was detained. Shahajan Ali, the officer-in-charge of Tajhat Police Station confirmed the incident and informed that the bodies were sent to the morgue of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, while legal actions were underway.