United News of Bangladesh

Police rescued an eight-year-old boy and arrested his father and an accomplice over an abduction and ransom case in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga. The victim, Siam, was recovered safely during a night raid on Tuesday. According to police, the child’s father Md Azizul, 28, along with his associate Md Aktar, 26, abducted the boy around 5:30pm on March 17. They later tied the child in a secluded garden and held a sharp sickle to his throat, demanding Tk 50,000 in ransom from his mother. They also threatened to kill the child and dispose of the body if the money was not paid. On receiving the information, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ruhul Kabir Khan instructed Jibannagar police and DB team to take immediate action. Acting on the tip-off, police conducted a drive in Paka Daspara area around 9:30pm the same day and arrested the two accused and rescued the child unharmed. Police also recovered Tk 7,000 from the ransom money sent through mobile financial service, a smartphone used in the crime and the sharp weapon. Woman killed with sharp weapons, body recovered from Chuadanga field During initial interrogation, police learned that the victim’s mother is currently staying in India and the accused used the situation to carry out the crime and extort money. A case has been filed with Jibannagar Police Station against the victim’s father and his accomplice in this connection.

A four-member probe body was formed to look into the derailment of ‘Nil Sagar Express’ train in Bogura district that left at least 66 people injured. Headed by the Chief Transportation Officer, the other committee members include officials from mechanical, engineering and signal departments. At least 66 passengers were injured after nine coaches of the Chilahati-bound ‘Nil Sagar Express’ train from Dhaka veered off the tracks at Santahar Rail Junction in Adamdighi upazila of Bogura district on Wednesday morning. The accident occurred around 2 pm around the 286-kilometre mark in Bagmara area while the train was heading towards Tilakpur station after crossing Santahar. The derailment halted train communication between Dhaka and the northern parts of the country. Railway officials said the derailment likely occurred as the locomotive driver failed to follow a caution signal. At the time, engineering department workers were carrying out track change work, using banner flags and issuing caution messages. Of the injured, 20 were admitted to Naogaon Sadar Hospital, while 40 were given primary treatment and released. Another six received primary treatment at Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex in Bogura and were later discharged. Relief trains from Ishwardi and Parbatipur have been dispatched to carry out rescue operations. Railway authorities said train movement from Dhaka in the evening and at night is expected to continue, although operations on the affected route may face disruption. Chilahati Express, Drutojan Express and Kurigram Express are likely to depart Dhaka on schedule if the salvage work is completed in time. However, Kurigram Express may be diverted via an alternative route from Santahar if the line is not cleared, while Drutojan Express could face delays en route. Meanwhile, Nil Sagar Express and Ekota Express scheduled to leave Dhaka on Thursday morning may depart late. Railway authorities expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience caused to passengers.

All preparations have been completed for the country’s largest Eid congregation at the historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj, where the 199th Eid-ul-Fitr jamaat will be held at 10:00am. Continuing a tradition stretching nearly back to the early 19th century, the Eid congregation at Sholakia is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad. Sholaki even gets its name from the estimated size of the congregation each year: sho-lakia, meaning 1-and-a-quarter lakh, or 125,000. Mufti Abul Khayer Mohammad Saifullah will lead the prayers this year. National Eidgah set for main Eid congregation, 5 at Baitul Mukarram

A man and his 5-year old son were killed when a sand-laden truck rammed their motorbike at Baneshwar Kolahata in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Kawser, 26 and his son Redowan, of Sholua village under Mougachhi union in Charghat upazila of the district. Officer-in-Charge of Paba Highway Police Station Mozammel Haque Khan said the truck heading towards Natore from Rajshahi collided with the motorbike when it was coming from the opposite direction, leaving the father and the son dead on the spot. 3 killed in Rajshahi road crash Police have seized the truck and are taking necessary legal action in this regard, he said.

Three people were burned to dead  and nine others suffered burn injuries after the gas cylinder of a microbus exploded on Dhaka-Bogura highway at Sonka in Sherpur upazila of Bogura district on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Maminul Islam,  his sister Sheuli Behum and Tayeba, niece of Sheuli of Taluk Shahbaz in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur district. The microbus caught fire as its  gas cylinder went off with a big bang and overturned around 7:30 am  while heading towards the northern region of the country, leaving one dead on the spot and eleven others injured, said Bakhtiar Uddin, warehouse inspector of Bogura Fire Service and Civil Defense. On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire. The injured were taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital where  doctors declared two of them dead.

Over 50 people were injured as nine bogies of a train derailed at Santahar Rail Station in Adamdighi upazila in Bogura district on Wednesday afternoon. Nine bogies of  Nilphamari-bound ‘Nil Sagar Express’ train from Dhaka veered off the tracks at Chatian in Adamdighi upazila around 2: 30 pm , said Kahinur, station master of Santahar Railway Junction. The derailment halted train communication between Dhaka and the northern parts of the country. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Adamdighi Police Station Md Ataur Rahman, said over 50 passengers were injured. “No fatalities have been reported so far,” he added. He also said efforts are underway to remove the derailed coaches from the tracks. A rescue train will reach the spot and start full-scale salvage operation, the OC said.  

A CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver was killed when a covered van hit the CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Malihata in Sadar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Ashique, 55, son of Ira Mia of Sadar upazila. Ashique died on the spot when the covered van hit the CNG-run auto-rickshaw while he was heading towards Ashuganj, said Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Khatihata Highway Police Station. Later local people set the covered van on fire. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Brahmanbaria General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Woman held for ‘killing mother-in-law’ in Habiganj Police could not arrest anyone as the covered van driver managed to flee the scene.

Police have arrested a woman for allegedly killing her mother-in-law in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj. The deceased was identified as Ferdousi Islam Chowdhury, 53, wife of the late Sirajul Islam Chowdhury. Her son, Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, is an expatriate living in Dubai. Ferdousi had been living at the house with her daughter-in-law Tamanna Akhtar, 22. Police said Ferdousi’s body was recovered from her residence on Monday morning with her hands and feet tied and her face taped. The body was later sent to Habiganj Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Police arrested victim’s daughter-in-law Tamanna Akhtar. During initial interrogation, she reportedly confessed to her involvement in the murder. Police said Tamanna had an illicit relationship with a youth from Sunamganj. On the night of the incident, the man, along with two to three accomplices, entered the house. They allegedly broke open a cupboard and looted gold ornaments and cash. When Ferdousi woke up and began to scream, the accused tied her hands and feet, taped her mouth, and later strangled her to death, police said. In this connection, the victim’s brother, Faruk Ahmed, filed a murder case against Tamanna,s alleged lover and several unidentified persons. Nabiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monayem Mia said it was a planned killing. “The main accused has been arrested and drives are underway to arrest the others involved,” he added.

There were no reports of prolonged traffic congestion on two major highways in Gazipur on Wednesday, offering relief to Eid travellers. From early morning, a heavy flow of homebound vehicles was seen on the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Mymensingh highways, as people headed towards northern districts to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their families. Despite the increased pressure, traffic movement remained largely normal. However, vehicles moved slowly at key points, including Chandana Chowrasta and other major bus stands, due to a large number of waiting passengers. At Chandara Tri-Mor, long lines of vehicles stretching several kilometres were observed in the morning. Police said the slow movement in the area was mainly caused by passenger boarding on public transport rather than any major traffic disruption. Eid homebound rush sparks fears of gridlock on Sylhet-Dhaka highway Unlike previous years, no significant traffic congestion was reported on the stretch from Nabinagar to Chandara, bringing some relief to commuters. Gazipur Metropolitan Police and district police have deployed additional personnel along the highways. Around 1,000 members of the metropolitan police and 859 members of district police are working to maintain discipline, alongside highway police, industrial police and volunteers, said Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Israil Howlader.  He said authorities are working in coordination with other agencies to ensure safe and comfortable travel. “We have taken strict measures to prevent illegal parking, random passenger boarding and the movement of unauthorised vehicles and factory holidays—especially in the garment sector—have been staggered to ease pressure on highways,”he said. However, many passengers alleged that transport operators are charging higher-than-usual fares for different destinations.

In a shocking incident in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga, a father abducted his own child and demanded ransom. The child, Siam, 8, was rescued unharmed in a swift police operation, and both the father and an accomplice have been arrested, authorities said Tuesday night. According to police, the abduction occurred around 5:30 pm on Tuesday when Syam’s father, Md. Azizul (28), along with his accomplice Md. Akhtar (26), took the boy to a secluded garden. There, they tied him up and threatened him with a sharp machete, demanding 50,000 taka from his mother. They also threatened to kill the child and dispose of his body if the ransom was not paid. Acting on the report, Jibannagar police and the DB unit launched a rapid operation. Around 9:30 pm, the suspects were apprehended in Paka Daspara area under Jibannagar police station, and the child was rescued safely. During the operation, 7,000 taka sent via bKash as part of the ransom demand and the machete used in the crime were recovered. Preliminary investigations revealed that the child’s mother is currently living in India. The father and his accomplice exploited this situation, abducting the boy to extort money by threatening him with a weapon and taking photographs to send to the mother. A case has been filed against both suspects at Jibannagar police station. Chuadanga Superintendent of Police Md Ruhul Kabir Khan said the child was rescued in a prompt and life-saving operation. He added that the police remain firm against such crimes and will continue regular operations to ensure public safety.