United News of Bangladesh

In compliance with directives from the Ministry of Environment, a demolition drive was carried out on Monday in the Bhawanipur Beat area of the Bhawal Range, Gazipur. The operation, led by the Divisional Forest Officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, Dhaka, resulted in the demolition of 120 illegal structures, including buildings and shops, and the reclamation of 1.95 acres of protected forest land in Bhawanipur Mouza, said a media release. At the same time, mobile courts were operated in four districts under an initiative by the Department of Environment, supported by local district administrations. These courts focused on enforcing bans on polythene shopping bags and tackling noise pollution. In Jashore’s Chaugaachha Market, 66 kilograms of polythene were seized from Sattar Store and a fine of Tk 5,000 was imposed. Two drown as boat capsizes in Gazipur water body In Chandpur, an anti-noise pollution drive near the Circuit House led to the seizure of five hydraulic horns from three vehicles, with a fine of Tk 2,500 collected. In Tomsom bridge area of Cumilla, around 100 kilograms of polythene were confiscated from two shops, resulting in fines totaling Tk 30,000. Meanwhile, in Narayanganj’s Wapda Pool area, 18 kilograms of polythene were seized from three shops, leading to a Tk 7,000 fine. Authorities have said that such operations—aimed at reclaiming forest land, protecting the environment, and controlling pollution—will continue across the country.

Religious Affairs Adviser A. F. M. Khalid Hossain has said that the newly constructed Model Mosque in Brahmanbaria district will serve multiple purposes beyond being a place of prayers. The mosque would serve as a beacon of unity, spreading the message of peace and communal harmony throughout the district, he said. The adviser was talking to journalists after visiting the model mosque on Monday afternoon. The mosque includes dedicated prayer spaces for men, women, and persons with disabilities, aiming to ensure inclusivity for all. He mentioned that the model mosque has been built at a cost of Tk 15 crore. Although some minor errors and deviations were identified, necessary instructions have already been issued, and the contractor has been tasked with addressing them.

Road communication between Dhaka and six districts of the country’s southern zone remained suspended since 12pm on Monday as a group of people blocked Dhaka-Barishal highway to press home their three point-demand,   including end of syndicate in the health sector. The protestors, under the banner of students and public, put the barricade at Nathuallahbad Bus Terminal on the highway at 12pm, disrupting vehicular movement and leaving commuters in distress. 10 injured in clashes over health reform movement in Barishal The busy road has been blocked for the fifth consecutive days and their protests demanding modernisation of healthcare services at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital entered 16th day. The protestors, led by Students Against Discrimination (SAD), kept the highway blocked for around seven hours from 11:30am over the past four days. Officer-In-Charge of Airport Police Station Jasim Sikdar said efforts are underway to solve the issue and the block will be removed soon. However, the protestors threatened that they will not stop the movement until Health Adviser assures them of addressing their demands.

At least 10 people were injured, including key protest leader Mohiuddin Roni, in a violent clash between two factions involved in the ongoing movement demanding reforms in the health sector. The incident took place around 10pm on Sunday at Government Brojomohun College, Barishal. Of the injured, five were admitted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in serious condition. Among the injured, four were identified as Mostafizur Rahman, Rafi, Sifat, and Suhan. According to eyewitnesses, police, and those involved in the incident, the clash stemmed from a previous altercation between two student groups in Barishal’s Nathullabad area earlier in the day. The conflict, reportedly involving senior-junior tensions and a dispute over smoking, included participation from female leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement. Army attempted to control the situation in Nathullabad using batons, but tensions persisted. In an effort to mediate the growing rift and prevent disruption to the health reform movement, student leaders arranged a meeting between the two groups on the BM College campus Sunday night. However, the mediation attempt escalated into a violent confrontation. Mohiuddin Roni, however, claimed the clash was a deliberate attempt by one group to sabotage the movement. “We were attacked,” he said, without naming any specific group behind the violence. Sabbir Hossain, former convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Barishal, confirmed that the confrontation originated from the Nathullabad incident and primarily involved issues between seniors and juniors. He also confirmed the hospitalisation of five seriously injured individuals. Brigadier General AKM Moshiul Munir, director of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, said that none of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said police could not intervene on campus due to lack of administrative permission. “An investigation is currently underway in both the hospital and the campus area,” he added. Repeated attempts to contact BM College Principal Professor Dr. Sheikh Tajul Islam for a statement were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls.

A woman was allegedly beaten and strangled to death by her husband in Kushtia early Saturday morning. The deceased, Urmi Khatun, 35, daughter of Mahim Mondal of Gopalpur village in Kushtia Sadar upazila, was found dead with injury marks on her body. Her husband, Rana Khan, fled the scene following the incident. They ran a clothing and food shop near City College and lived in a rented house in Housing E-Block area. Abu Said, brother of the deceased, said Rana was addicted to drugs and had been jailed several times. Frequent quarrels occurred between the couple since their marriage. Following a family dispute, Rana allegedly beat and strangled Urmi to death. Youth stabbed to death in Gazipur Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mosharraf Hossain confirmed the incident. He said that police recovered the body after receiving the information and sent it for postmortem. The husband is currently on the run and police are working to arrest him. The OC added that preliminary investigations indicate it is a homicide case. Further investigation is underway, and appropriate legal action will be taken. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem report is received.

Vehicular movement on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway came to a standstill for four hours on Sunday after bank officials staged a blockade in Patiya upazila, protesting the termination of 7,000 employees from banks controlled by the S Alam Group. Several hundred officials took to the streets around 8am, demanding that their jobs be reinstated. As part of the protest, they locked the main entrances of 20 banks in Patiya upazila until noon, halting operations at 45 banks, including First Security Bank, Islami Bank, Janata Bank, Sonali Bank and Pubali Bank. Before marching onto the highway, the protesters held a meeting at Patiya Ideal High School. They left the scene after 12 noon. Tensions rose when they attempted to stop the reopening of the National Bank branch at Patiya Police Station intersection. The local administration and law enforcement, including Patiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farhanur Rahman, Additional Superintendent of Chattogram Police Asaduzzaman, Patiya Circle ASP Ariful Islam, and Patiya Police OC Md Nuruzzaman, arrived at the scene to defuse the situation. ACC to sue S Alam Group chairman, 30 others over embezzlement of Tk 553 crore “We only have one demand -- give us back our jobs,” chanted the demonstrators, who claimed that the layoffs took place after the change in government in August 2024. They alleged that employees from several private banks, including Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd, Social Islami Bank Ltd, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, and First Security Islami Bank, were unfairly dismissed without prior notice. Most of the terminated employees are residents of Patiya upazila, they added, warning of tougher movements if their demands for reinstatement and compensation are not met soon. Sources said multiple S Alam Group-owned banks were involved in the mass terminations, which took place after August 5, 2024. Patiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farhanur Rahman told UNB, “We have no direct role in their demands, but we’ve informed higher government authorities. Our main focus was to ensure the protest did not lead to any untoward incident.”

Robbers looted cash, gold and other valuables from the house of former Gazipur Civil Surgeon Dr Hafizur Rahman early Sunday, leaving three people injured. Quoting victims, police said a group of 10 to 12 robbers entered the house after crossing the boundary wall in Kalmeshwar area around 3am. Breaking open the main door, the robbers entered the house and beat the caretaker up, according to the victims. Suspected ‘cattle thief’ lynched in Gazipur They tied up the caretaker with a rope and went to the second floor of the house and looted Tk two lakh in cash, 12 bhories of gold and other valuables at gunpoint.   Three people including the caretaker were injured in the attack by the robbers, said Gachha Police Station’s officer-in-charge Aminul Islam. The robbers vandalised the CCTV camera in the house  to hide the evidence, he said, adding that senior police officials and members from the Detective Branch visited the spot and collected samples.

A planned attack on five journalists in Feni by members of the banned Chhatra League has been exposed through intelligence surveillance of a WhatsApp group. The plot surfaced from a group chat named ‘Ekotai Shakti’, allegedly used by activists linked to both the Chhatra League and Jubo League. Following the leak, Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, Feni correspondent for Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and editor of Daily Feni Somoy, filed a general diary (GD) at Feni Model Police Station on Saturday evening. Police sources confirmed that five journalists had been singled out as targets in the group. Besides Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, the other journalists are Arifur Rahman of Jamuna TV, Arif Azam, chief reporter of Daily Feni Somoy, Solaiman Hazari Dalim of Ekhon TV, and Zahidul Alam Rajan of NTV Online. In his GD, Shahadat mentioned that on the night of Friday, August 8, they became aware—through various media sources—of discussions in the WhatsApp group suggesting preparations for a coordinated attack. In one message, a user named Saif Uddin allegedly wrote that a "media trial" like the one in Gazipur should be attempted, naming several journalists as targets. He added that if Chhatra League isn’t brought into action now, everything would fall into BNP’s hands. Another participant, Shahed Obhi, reportedly wrote that their leaders had once ‘licked the feet’ of Arif Azam and Shahadat Hossain, but now the time had come to act. He accused Arif Azam of publishing photos of a procession involving Nobel and helping to identify members of rival groups. Obhi said there would be no forgiveness—not even after ten years—and vowed to expose Shahadat, Arif, and others, including NTV’s Rajan and Jamuna TV’s Arif, no matter where they tried to hide. According to the leaked messages, the group discussed launching a sudden attack “in the style of Gazipur” or setting fire to the journalists’ homes at night. Those involved in the group include current and former leaders of various local units of the banned Chhatra League. These include individuals from Feni District Chhatra League, Feni Municipal Chhatra League, and Feni Government College Chhatra League. Names of key organisers such as Shahed Akbar Abhi, Saif Uddin Manik, Abul Hasnat Tushar, Sarwar Roni, Tofail Ahmed Apu, Nur Karim Javed, Raihan Habib Shakil, Shawkat Kiron, and Kazi Nizam Uddin Shuvo, among others, have surfaced. The group’s administrators are reported to be District Chhatra League President Tofail Ahmed Topu, General Secretary Nur Karim Javed, Vice President Shahed Akbar Abhi, Ashiq Haider Rajan Hazari, Roni Chandra Das, and others. Discussions in the group involved 20 to 25 individuals, many of whom are allegedly fugitives in connection with serious crimes, including murder cases. Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station, said that law enforcement had learned of the group’s activity through cyber intelligence and is taking the matter seriously.  “The cyber unit is verifying the information and we are taking steps to ensure the safety of the targeted journalists. Legal action will be initiated once the facts are confirmed,” he said. He added that most of those involved are already wanted in multiple criminal cases, and further investigations are underway.

Two bodies have been recovered among eight fishermen reported missing after a trawler sank off the outer anchorage of Chattogram port on Saturday afternoon. Locals spotted two bodies floating near Patenga 18 No. Ghat area and recovered them. The deceased were identified as Abul Kalam and Idris. Their ages were unknown. Mirajul Islam, a relative of the late Abul Kalam, said, "The bodies floated to the surface today. Their colleagues identified them." Launch, sea-truck services resume on 10 Bhola routes after 3-day suspension Md. Arif, Officer-in-Charge of Chattogram Sadarghat Naval Police, said, "We received information about the bodies. A team led by SI Sumon Dev Nath has gone to the spot, but detailed information is yet to be provided." Earlier on Thursday, a trawler sank off the outer anchorage of a port in the Bay of Bengal after being hit by a fishing boat. The trawler named ‘Anika’ had set out at 11 am from Fisheri Ghat with 19 fishermen on board to go fishing. After crossing the Patenga area in the Bay of Bengal around noon, a vessel rammed the trawler from behind, causing it to sink. Eleven fishermen were rescued by a nearby boat, but eight remained missing. All the missing fishermen are residents of Noakhali. Lieutenant Shakib Mehbub, Media Officer of the Coast Guard Eastern Zone, said, “The trawler owner informed us on Friday, and we immediately launched a rescue operation. Coast Guard units and the Navy are actively searching for the missing fishermen at sea.” The families of the missing fishermen are in deep distress. Local fishermen also joined the rescue operations at sea, but there is still no trace of the six missing men.

District BNP leaders boycotted a program of Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sojib Bhuiyan of the interim government, alleging rude behavior by Detective Branch (DB) Police Officer-in-Charge in Natore. The announcement of the boycott was made on Saturday afternoon at a press conference held at the district BNP member secretary Asaduzzaman Asad’s office in Harishpur area of the town. Earlier, Asaduzzaman Asad alleged that BNP leaders were barred from entering the inauguration ceremony of Natore Sadar Upazila Mini Stadium at Kanai Khali field in Natore town. Robbery at Natore sugar mill: 5-member probe body formed Speaking at the press conference, Asaduzzaman Asad said, “We, including BNP leaders, attended the inauguration program at the invitation of the district administration. But when we tried to enter the stadium, DB Police, OC Hasibullah Hasib and other officers stopped us. Due to the rude behavior of the police officers, the leaders boycotted the program and left the venue.” Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Iftikhar Alam said the DB police were responsible for the adviser’s security. However, he added, no one was disrespected, and they would look into the matter.