United News of Bangladesh

The flood situation in Kurigram district deteriorated further on Tuesday due to the swelling of major rivers caused by an onrush of water from the hills and incessant showers, rendering over two lakh people homeless. According to the local Water Development Board, the Brahmaputra river has been flowing 55cm and 23cm above the danger mark at Chilmari and Nunkhaoya points, respectively, while the Dharla river has been flowing 42cm above the red level at Setu point in the past 24 hours. The flood situation in Kurigram may worsen further, said Abdullah Al Mamun, executive engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board. Read: Flood situation remains grim across country According to health department sources, two children drowned in Rowmari and Ulipur upazilas, respectively, on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Maksuda Jannat, 11, daughter of Maidul Islam of Jamuna Sarkarpara village in Ulipur upazila, and Khalilur Rahman, one-and-a-half year-old son of Khalilur Rahman of Jadur Char union in Roumari upazila.

A teenager who left her home on Saturday was found dead in a jungle in Char village of Khulna's Rupsha upazila on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Meem, 14, daughter of Montu Fakir, a resident of Goalbari Char Ashrayan Project. She was a student of Class VII of Pithabhog BGC Secondary School. Read: Driver among 4 held for raping a girl in Chattogram Sarder Mosharraf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Rupsha Police Station, said Meem left her home on Saturday morning but didn’t return. "On Monday night, locals spotted the girl’s body in the jungle and informed cops." On information, police recovered the body around 8pm and sent it to the morgue of Khulna Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy, he added. "We have detained a 22-year-old man, named Hossain, for questioning in connection with the girl's death," the OC said.

A 24-year-old girl was allegedly raped by four men on a bus amid rain at the Oxygen intersection in Chattogram, police said on Monday. Police arrested four people including the bus driver from different parts of the city. The arrestees were identified as bus driver Nurul Alam, 30, son of Abul Kashem, Rabiul, 23, helper of the bus driver and son of Mokhlesur Rahman, supervisor of the bus Mohamamd Raju, 26, and Shahadat, 22, son of Abul Kalam of Banshkhali upazila. Also Read: Video of Shariatpur schoolgirl's rape released on internet Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bayezid Police Station, said the girl left her uncle’s house in the Bayezid area on Sunday evening to go to the Court Building area during rain. When she reached the Oxygen intersection, she noticed the bus parked there.  With a promise to take the girl to her designated places, the bus driver and three others asked the girl to enter the bus. Later, they violated the girl in turns and threw her from the bus. She later informed the traffic police and sought help from him.  The traffic police then arrested Shahadat and seized the bus. Following interrogation, police arrested three others including the bus driver from Hathazari Bus Stand and Fatikchhari upazila of the district. The husband of the girl lodged a complaint with Bayezid Police and police registered an FIR in this connection.

Flight operations at Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport will resume soon, said State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali on Monday. “If there is no more rain and the flood situation will remain static, then the flight operation at the airport will resume soon. The decision will be taken to operate flights at Sylhet airport considering the safety of the passengers and aircraft latteness,” he said. Mahbub revealed this information while talking to the reporters when visiting the airport. He also visited the approach area, runway and terminal of the airport. Also Read: Brahmaputra, Dharla keep swelling; More areas submerged in Kurigram, Gaibandha The street lights of the approach area of the airport are out of order now and that’s why the flight operation remained suspended, he said. Already a team of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has inspected the airport area, he added. Flight Operation at Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport has been suspended since June 17 due to the deteriorating flood situation in the region.

The overall flood situation in the country deteriorated further on Monday due to the rise in water levels in various rivers, as flood waters cut off road communications at places and left thousands of people marooned.   The situation in the worst-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts remained static, with the easing of rains aiding the receding of flood waters from different parts of the districts.  The flood-affected were still going through immense suffering for want of food and drinking water. Meanwhile, four people were killed in the district due to flood. Three of them drowned and one was electrocuted.     The Surma river was flowing 55 cm above its danger level in Sylhet and 1.15 cm above the danger mark at Kanaighat, while Kushiara River was flowing 1.84 cm above its danger mark at Amalshid, 63 cm above at Sheula point and 0.5 cm above at Fenchuganj point around 9 am on Monday. AKM Niloy Pasha, deputy-assistant engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board, said “The water level of Surma River will decrease further. But new areas have been flooded in Fenchuganj upazila due to the swelling of Kushiara River." Besides, the flood waters in Goainghat, Jointapur, Sadar Kanaighat, Jakiganj, Golapganj, Beanibazar, Biswanath, Osmaninagar and Balaganj upazilas of the district started to recede on Monday. Sylhet city residents also reported  receding flood waters in the suburbs of the cities, including Taltola, Teroratan and Ghasitula parts of the city. People in many flood-hit areas are still living under darkness however, due to power not being restored fully as yet, and the gas supply was also cut off in those areas, causing unspeakable sufferings to the flood victims. Some volunteers were seen wading through chest-deep water to provide water bottles to the flood-hit people in the city who remained stranded in the first or second floors of buildings. Meanwhile, mobile networks remained down  in major parts of the city. A person called  Rahim, who lives in Dhaka for work purposes, said “I came to Sylhet as my wife and two children are in Sunamganj. I could not reach them due to the failure of the mobile network.” Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj District, Jahangir Hossain, said 90 percent of the area in Sunamganj district is under water and 70,000 people have taken shelter in 220 homes. People living in remote areas of the district failed to reach the shelter homes due to poor transport system and the Army personnel are still conducting their rescue operation to evacuate the flood-victims, he said. In Bogura, many areas of the district have been flooded due to the swelling of the Jamuna River. The Jamuna River was flowing 54 cm above its danger level at Mathura point in Sariakandi upazila around 6 pm on Monday. Some 1,508 hectares of land have been affected by the flood water, while 98 educational institutions were closed. A total of 1384 hectares of land have been damaged in the flood, said Abdul Halim, Sariakandi upazila agriculture officer. In Sherpur,  Brahmmaputra river was flowing 30 cm above its danger level at Bridge point in Sadar upazila at 6 pm on Monday. The flood water entered many houses along the Kulurchar-Beparipara char in the upazila. In Habiganj, flood situation worsened further as the Khoai river was flowing 147 cm above its danger mark at Masulia point in sadar upazila. Around 1000 villages in four upazilas of the district have been flooded, rendering thousands of people marooned. The local administration has already opened 118 shelter homes and provided dry food and relief to the flood victims. In Moulvibazar, the flood situation is grim due to the rise in water level of Manu River . A total of 2.5 lakh people have been marooned as the water level of Manu and Kushiara rivers  were flowing above its danger level. Power connection in Kulaura, Juri and Borolekha upazilas of the district have been suspended due to the worsening flood situation. So far, 161 educational institutions including 115 primary schools have been closed due to the flood. Mir Nahid, deputy commissioner of the Moulvibazar district said already 98 shelter homes were opened where 15,000 people have taken shelter. In Lalmonirhat, Teesta river was flowing 31 cm above its danger level at Doani point in Hatibandha upazila of the district around 4 pm, said Asafuddoulla, executive engineer of Water Development Board. The residents along the river bank have been asked to take shelter in safer places. Some 10,000 people in different parts of the district have been marooned by the flood water. In Feni, ten villages in Fulgazi and Parshuram upazilas have been flooded following the breakdown of a  portion of the dam on the Muhuri river, due to heavy rains and an onrush of hilly water. The Muhuri was flowing 118 cm above its danger level on Monday evening. Nur Nabi, sub-divisional engineer of Feni Water Development Board, said all the gates of the  barrage on the Muhuri river were opened to tackle the flood situation. Vast areas of North Daulatpur, South Daulatpur, Ghaniyamora and Bairagpur of Fulgazi sadar union were flooded following the collapse of the embankment, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Fulgazi Ashrafur Nahar. Also Read: Brahmaputra, Dharla keep swelling; More areas submerged in Kurigram, Gaibandha “We are observing the situation constantly,” she added. A vast tract of cropland went underwater and many fish enclosures were washed away by floodwaters that also damaged many houses and roads in the area. Zahir Uddin, executive engineer of Feni Water Development Board, said the water level n the Muhuri River was flowing below the danger level. "If it doesn't rain anymore, the water will recede quickly," he hopes. The Water Development Board will take necessary measures after inspecting the damage to the dam on the Muhuri, he said, adding that repair work will start as soon as the water recedes. In Kurigram, about 250,000 people spread across more than 200 chars in 49 unions have been marooned. Rowmari upazila is the worst-hit area in the district,  as one lakh people have been stranded there by floodwater. Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rezaul Karim said control rooms have been opened in the deputy commissioner's office and in each upazila to tackle the situation. “361 shelters and various educational institutions are kept ready,” the DC informed. Meanwhile the cross dams adjacent to Sardob, Bangturghat and Jatrapur market are at risk of collapse. Mahmud Hasan, sub-divisional engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board, said the water level of the Brahmaputra and the Dharla may rise further, deteriorating the flood situation here. “That’s why the risky dams are being repaired.” According to the Kurigram Agriculture Extension Department, 10,894 hectares of cropland have gone under  floodwaters till Sunday. In Gaibandha, although the Teesta is flowing below the danger level, the other rivers have swollen. According to the Water Development Board, apart from Brahmaputra, the Ghaghat river in Gaibandha town is flowing 32 cm above the danger level, inundating at least 35 chars and low-lying areas in four upazilas. Abu Raihan, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, said the water level may continue to increase in the next few days. People are taking shelter on the dams to save their lives and property, as they have no access to any higher ground.  

A court here on Monday sentenced two people to life imprisonment for killing a businessman in Fatullah in 2019. Narayanganj Additional District and Sessions Judge Sabina Yasmin pronounced the judgment in the presence of the accused and fined each of the convicts Tk 50,000 or an additional one year in jail in default. The convicts were identified as Mohammad Ali, a jhut businessman and his associate Faisal from the same area. The court also acquitted two other accused, Soleman Mia and Ali Hossain, as their guilt was not proved. Also Read: Verdict on Tarique-Zubaida’s whereabouts on June 26 The convicts were sent to the district jail on the orders of the court, said Md Asaduzzaman, inspector of Narayanganj Court Police. According to the case statement, Ali and his associates borrowed Tk 2 lakh from the victim Kamruzzaman Chowdhury Selim. When Selim asked for his money back, the convicts killed the victim and buried his body in their godown on March 31, 2019. A murder case was filed in this regard at Fatullah police station following the complaint of victim’s wife Rehana Akter Rekha. Later, police arrested the accused and they gave a confessional statement before the court. The court fixed Monday for the final hearing in this case after hearing testimonies of 11 witnesses, said APP Anupam Kumar.

At least 12 people have been held by the police after 20 were injured in a clash Monday when an angry mob tried to break into Chitalmari police station in Bagerhat demanding punishment for a college student who allegedly insulted the Prophet (PBUH). According to Superintendent (SP) of Bagerhat police KM Ariful haque, a facebook post insulting Islam and the Prophet (PBUH) was shared a few days ago from the FB ID of Ronit Bala Rony, a Grade-XI student at the local Sher-e-Bangla College. The police held the girl after noticing the post on the night of June 12. On Monday noon, a few hundred people gathered outside the Chitalmari police station and started to protest demanding proper punishment for the girl. At one point, they attacked the police station and vandalized it along with vehicles parked outside. “The situation turned extreme when the protesters tried to enter the police station. Police members had to fire 24 rounds of empty bullets to bring the situation under control. 20 people, including 12 police personnel, got injured during this time,” said Ariful.   “The police have so far arrested 12 people in this connection. Currently, they are being quizzed inside the police station. Process to lodge a case by the police is also underway,” added Ariful. Also Read: Prophet remarks: Police halt Islami Andolan’s march towards Indian High Commission Ariful mentioned that the college student claimed that she didn’t post the derogatory status. Rather, someone else opened a fake account with her name and posted it to spoil her. “Police are investigating the claim,” Ariful added. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Chitalmari Syeda Faizunnesa said that she rushed to the police station after learning about the attack. “There, they threw brickbats at me and vandalized my car,” Faizunnesa said. Marufa Nasrin, a doctor at the Chitalmari Upazila Health Complex, said that a total of eight people of different age groups have received first-aid from the hospital. Extra police personnel have been deployed at the police station to prevent any untoward incident. END/UNB/COrr/AB/ssk 1840hrs   

Two people died from electrocution in a waterlogged house as overnight heavy downpour inundated major parts of Chattogram port city on Monday. They got electrocuted while trying to turn off an IPS in the house at Katalganj residential area under Panchlaish police station in the morning, said Nazim Uddin Majumder, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Panchlaish Police Station,. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Hossain, 38, son of Saleh Ahmed of Sattroya area of Mirsarai upazila and caretaker Abu Taher, 65, son of late Abdur Rauf of Ghazaltala area of Khagrachhari district. Visiting different areas of the city, the UNB correspondent reported that Bahaddarhat, Chandgaon and low-ying areas of Agrabad have been flooded due to heavy rains throughout the night. Read: Brahmaputra, Dharla keep swelling; More areas submerged in Kurigram, Gaibandha Although the rain stopped after 6:30 am but people have been facing trouble due to waterlogging. Those who came out of their homes to join daily works in the morning were the worst sufferers. Despite repeated assurances from the authorities concerned to end waterlogging, the city dwellers witnesses severe waterlogging every year during monsoon. Talking to UNB, Md Rafiq, a resident of Baddarhat area, said the road to Bahaddarbari was extended a few days ago. The surrounding drains were also expanded to ensure drainage of rainwater. “But even then waterlogging did not end.”

Two people were electrocuted in a waterlogged house at Katalganj residential area under Panchlaish police station in Chattogram city Monday morning. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Hossain, 38, son of Saleh Ahmed of Sattroya area of Mirsarai upazila and caretaker Abu Taher, 65, son of late Abdur Rauf of Ghazaltala area of Khagrachhari district. Read: 3 brothers’ wives all die of electrocution in N’ganj Nazim Uddin Majumder, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Panchlaish Police Station, said rainwater flooded the ground floor of ‘Khan House’ in Katalganj. There was an IPS connection on the glound floor of the house. Caretaker Abu Taher got electrocuted while trying to turn off the IPS around 7:30 am. Hossain was also electrocuted while trying to save him, he said. Read: 11 die of electrocution in southern India Later, they were taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared the duo dead on arrival. An unnatural death case has been filed at Panchlaish police station in this regard, added the OC.  

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at different points in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts, inundating different low-lying and char areas Monday morning. The Brahmaputra was flowing 51 cm above the danger level at Chilmari point of Kurigram and 4 cm above the danger level in Gaibandha town in the morning, said Water Development Board. Also read: Lakhs marooned in 3 districts as rivers flow above danger mark Besides, the Dharla River at the bridge point in Kurigram was flowing at 44 cm above the danger level. In Kurigram, about 2,50,000 people of more than 200 chars in 49 unions have been marooned. Rowmari upazila is the worst-hit area as one lakh people have been stranded there in floodwater.