United News of Bangladesh

The Cox’s Bazar administration will enforce Section 144 to prevent any untoward incident after BNP and Juba League planned rallies on Monday at the same venue in Cox's Bazar. The restriction will be effective in the area adjacent to and around the Shaheed Minar in Cox's Bazar city from Monday morning till Tuesday morning. Also read: Police charge baton on BNP rally in Khulna; 15 injured Cox's Bazar Additional District Magistrate Md Abu Sufian on Sunday said that the administration resorted to the restriction to keep the law and order situation under control. Earlier, the Cox's Bazar district BNP called the rally at 1pm on Monday in front of the BNP office on Cox's Bazar's Shaheed Swarani Road demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her treatment abroad. At the same time, the Cox's Bazar District Juba League also called for a rally in front of the Shaheed Minar. Also read: Section 144 to be imposed in Feni on Wednesday

A speeding bus plunged into a roadside ditch in Magura on Sunday, killing a bicyclist and injuring 40 of its passengers, police said. Yakub Ali, 55, of Rahimpur village of Magura sadar upazila, was on bicycle when the bus lost control and hit him before falling into the ditch along Magura-Jashore highway. He died instantly, said Tarak Nath Biswas, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shalikha Police Station. The injured were sent to a nearby hospital. Also read: 2 killed in Natore road accidents Morkaram Hossain, sub-inspector (SI) of Sadar's Ichali Police Camp, said the bus driver and helper escaped soon after the accident. However, the bus was seized. Steps are underway to take legal action in this regard, the SI added. Also read: 8-yr-old girl killed in Dinajpur road accident

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said the police is gradually being transformed into a people-friendly force. “The leading role of the police in tackling the corona situation and militancy reminds us of Bangabandhu's Janata's Police (People's Police). Gradually, the police is truly becoming the Janatar’s Police of Bangabandhu and Prime Minister’s Janabandhab Police (People-friendly Police,” he said. Read:Bangladesh police opened a new chapter during pandemic: Home Minister The Home Minister was addressing the inaugural foundation training course for 3,000 newly-recruited police constables at Bangladesh Police Academy, Sardah in the district. “Our police will be a world-class force. We’ve shown it not only in words but also in works,” he said, adding that 3,000 trainee constables have been recruited through a transparent and modern process. He said the nature of crime is changing in the developed world and the police of Bangladesh is also moving forward accordingly to deal with the new offences. Read:Drugs sale has gone online, says home minister Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, Public Security Division’s Senior Secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir Ahmed also spoke at the function presided over by Principal of the Bangladesh Police Academy Khandker Golam Faruq.

A fire broke out at the extended Rohingya camp at Kutupalong in Ukhiya upazila, Cox's Bazar on Sunday, burning at least 20 houses and a health compound, officials said. However, no injuries were reported from the fire. The fire that burned the houses and a health compound, operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), started at around 7pm at Camp-20 Extension, said Md Shamsu-Ddouza Nayan, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner (deputy secretary). The cause of the fire at Block D of the camp was not immediately known, said Naimul Haque, commander of Armed Police Battalion (APBn-14). "However, no casualties have been reported in the fire so far." At first, Ukhiya fire service rushed to the camp, and later two units of firefighters from Cox's Bazar fire service joined them, Md Abdullah, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar fire service, said. A fire started inside the IOM's Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Centre (SARI ITC) compound today in Cox's Bazar, Tarek Mahmud, national communication officer at IOM Cox's Bazar, said. Also read: Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp fire guts over 400 houses The IOM hospital staff and patients were evacuated to a safer area, while the organisation's staff and Rohingya volunteers, assigned to the disaster management unit, immediately started to contain the fire. "By around 7:35pm, the fire brigade arrived on the spot and could tame the flames by 8:10pm. One of the three main areas of the compound sustained fire damage. The reason for the fire is unknown," Tarek said. Soon thereafter, IOM's Deputy Chief of Mission arrived from Cox's at the SARI ITC compound with technical staff to assess the situation and liaise with the authorities. The fire damaged one of the three areas in the compound. However, no areas around the compound were damaged.   Early tomorrow, another IOM team will conduct a more thorough damage assessment, said Tarek. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11

A forest court here on Sunday sent two accused to jail in a case filed over killing an endangered Asian elephant by electrocution last November in Sreebardi upazila. Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Shariful Islam Khan passed the order to send accused farmer Somej Uddin, 44, and Md Shajalal, 41, to Sherpur district jail after they surrendered and appealed for bail. The other two accused in the case, Amej Uddin and Md Ashraful, are still absconding. Also read: Case against 4 in Sherpur over killing Asian elephant Defence lawyer advocate Rafiqul Islam Adhar said his clients are not guilty as the incident of elephant killing was not planned. To get justice the two farmers surrendered today following the court' summons and appealed for bail, he said. On November 9, an elephant got electrocuted and died while searching for food after being trapped in electrified GI wires installed by local farmers around their vegetable farming lands at Sonajhuri Hillock in the upazila. On November 11, in a first for the district, Forest Department of Sreebardi upazila in Sherpur filed a case against four people. In-charge range officer of the Balijuri range Rabiul Islam filed the case under the Wild Life Act at the Sreebardi court, followed by a general diary lodged at the Sreebardi police station. As the four accused didn’t appear on the set date of the Court’s summons on December 12, it issued arrest warrant against them. The case was filed for violating schedule-1 of the Wild Life (Preservation and Security) Act, 2012 under Section 36 of the act. Under section 36(1) of the Act, the illegal killing of tigers and elephants is punishable with up to 7 years imprisonment and in case of recurrence of the offence, the punishment can be extended up to 12 years imprisonment. Also read: HC directs rapid action against elephant-killing Section 36(2) specifies that if anybody trades in tiger or elephant or any other product, he or she is liable to suffer 3 years' imprisonment, which can be extended up to 5 years in case of recurrence. According to forest officials, in the last two decades some 30 wild Asian elephants have died in the hilly area of Sherpur district. Of them many died by gunshot, electrocution, poisoning while some died due to accidents, ageing and sickness, said the officials.

Fifteen shops were gutted in a fire which broke out at Kushumhati market of Sherpur Sadar upazila early Sunday. Jabed Hossain Tareq, deputy assistant director of Sherpur Fire Service, said the fire broke out at the market around 6am and spread soon. Read: Seven fire incidents reported during 31st celebrations in Dhaka On information, firemen rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after two hours of frantic effort. Evidence of the fire originating from an electrical short circuit was found in primary investigation, said the official. Read: Launch fire tragedy: 47 confirmed dead now, at least 58 still missing Meanwhile, the affected shop owners claimed that the estimated loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk 1 crore. Necessary action will be taken if the traders file a complaint in this regard, Jabed Hossain added.

More than 700 birds of Sturnidae species, known as Shalik, were on Sunday freed by police after they were rescued from a cowshed at Mollahat in Bagerhat. Tipped off, police raided Kaka Mia's house at Rajpat village in Mollahat on Saturday night and found the birds kept in nets. Police could not arrest anyone involved the hunter who fled the scene, said Soumen Das, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mollahat police station. Also read: Two held with 50 wild birds in Jashore Several nets for hunting birds were also seized during the drive.

Three friends were killed when a speeding truck rammed into the motorcycle they riding after admission into school at Birganj  upazila in Dinajpur on Sunday, a fire service official said. The deceased were identified as Sahadat, 15, son of Afsar Ali, Shahriar Shuvo, 15, son of Jahangir Hossain, and Muzahid Hossain, 14, son of Sukkur Ali. All the deceased were from Makrai village of Birganj upazila. Read:Expatriate, 2 others killed in Barishal road crash The three were out on joyride after completing admission process into their respective classes at Kabi Nazrul High School in Birganj. The accident occurred on Dinajpur-Panchagarh road. Sahadat and Shuvo died on the spot. Muzahid was rushed to Birganj Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead, confirmed Meraz Ali, an officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Birganj. Read:2 killed in Sunamganj road crash In a separate accident also on Sunday vegetable trader Md Rajib Uddin, of Uttar Katla village in Birampur, was killed when his vehicle overturned after being hit by an army vehicle at Doel intersection in Birampur, confirmed Sumon Kumar Mohonto, officer-in-charge of Birampur Police Station.

Defying age Rabiul Awal of Kamarkhand upazila of Sirajganj district has passed this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination with a good grade at the age of 43. Rabiul, the youngest son of Sohrab Hossain of Nandinamadhu village of the upazila, appeared in the SSC examination of 2021 (Vocational) and obtained GPA 4.68. A three-time elected member of Ward No 9 of Jamtoil Union Parishad of the upazila, Rabiul was a little bit frustrated as he failed to win the post in the recently held UP election. Read: UP-polls violence: 1 succumbs to injuries in Sirajganj, 1 arrested “But the SSC results which was published on December 31 washed away my grief and brought me joy,” he told the UNB correspondent. In 1992, Rabiul appeared in the SSC exam under Rajshahi General Education Board. In all subjects except Mathematics he got letter marks. He failed in Mathematics securing only 28 marks, he said.. Being frustrated over the failure, he stopped studies. After remaining detached from formal education for 29 years, Rabiul started to think over resuming study two years back and got admitted to Shahidul Bulbul Technical School and College in class IX under Technical Education Board . This time he succeeded. Encouraged by the success he now wish to continue his study. Read:Shocker from Sirajganj: In-laws ‘shave housewife’s hair, eyebrows’ Upazila secondary education officer Md Sakman Ali confirmed Rabiul’s achievement. Robiul is the youngest among his seven siblings. Among them, his two brothers are government service holders, one is involved in farming and another is involved in local politics.

Three members of the same family returned home to Bangladesh Saturday evening through Benapole check-post after serving three years in an Indian prison. Lokman Hossain, 44, Jasmine Khatun, 39, and their son Md Russel Ali, 20, went to India without valid documents in search of better working opportunities. They are from Khulna district's Rupsha. Jasmine said: "For a better life, we went to India three years ago. Indian police arrested us while we were working at people's homes. Next, we were sentenced to three years in jail. Then an NGO saved us and kept us at its shelter home." Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge Raju Ahmed said: "The family went to Bangalore, India three years ago. They were sent to jail after Indian police had arrested them. Now, the family has returned to Bangladesh through special travel permits." "They were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station after the completion of immigration formalities." "Later, Rights Jashore" – a human rights organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights, prevention of human trafficking and providing service to the victims of human trafficking – "will ensure their return to their families," Raju said.