United News of Bangladesh

Two men accused of killing Cumilla ward councillor Syed Mohammad Sohel were killed in a gunfight on Monday night, police said on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Md Sabbir Hossain and Sajon. Three cops also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire, said officer-in-charge of Cumilla Kotwali police station, Anwarul Azim. Acting on a tip-off, a police team rushed to the Songraish area of the city on Monday night. Seeing the cops, the accused opened fire, forcing the police team to retaliate. Also read: Cumilla councillor's murder: 2 more accused arrested After the gunfight, police rushed the two seriously injured criminals to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival, said Azim. "The bodies were sent for post-mortem." "Three cops also received bullet wounds in the gunfight. Two guns and some ammunition were recovered from the spot," the OC said. On November 22, Sohel, Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) councillor of Ward-17, and one of his aides were killed while four others sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire in his office in Pathuariapara. Also read: Cumilla councillor's murder: One held, 21 booked, say police Based on his younger brother Syed Rumon's complaint, as many as 21 people, some 10 of them unidentified, were booked by the Kotwali police. So far, a total of five people have been arrested in connection with the double murder.

Police on Sunday night arrested two more accused in the murder case of Cumilla ward councillor Syed Mohammad Sohel. The arrestees are Jishan Mia, age unknown, and Md Rabby Islam Antu Prakash,19, said Md Sohan Sarkar, additional superintendent of Cumilla sadar circle police. A special team of police arrested accused Jishan from Pachthubi area under the Kotwali police station around 11pm Sunday, Sohan Sarkar said. Also read: Cumilla councillor's murder: 2 more accused held Later, Antu, an accused found in the case investigation, was arrested from Debidwar police station around 11:45 pm, said the Superintendent of police. So far, a total of five people have been arrested in connection with this murder. Earlier on Saturday Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested Md Ashikur Rahman Rocky and Md Alam Mia, and on Wednesday arrested another accused Sumon in connection with the murder. Police on Sunday sought seven-day in remand for each arrestee producing them before court but the appeal got rejected, said Md Sohan Sarkar. Also read: Cumilla councillor's murder: One held, 21 booked, say police Sohel, Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) councillor of Ward-17, and one of his aides were shot dead while four others sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire at his office in the Pathuariapara area on Monday. Based on his younger brother Syed Rumon's complaint, as many as 21 people, some 10 of them unidentified, were booked by the Kotwali police.

A college student was found dead at a dormitory of Adina Fazlul Haque Government College in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj district on Monday. The deceased was identified as Reazul Islam Jony, son of Shariful Islam of Kaharole upazila in Dinajpur district. Read:Mother-daughter duo found dead in Gazipur The other students of the dormitory found his room locked from inside for a long time. Later they peeped through the window of the room only to see Reazul hanging from the ceiling. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy, said Farid Hossain, officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station.

Three people were killed in firing reportedly by members of a law enforcement agency during a clash over elections at Khangaon union in Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon district on Sunday night and early Monday. Jahangir Hossain, Superintendent of Police of Thakurgaon, said, “As officials of the local administration were confined to a polling centre, a BGB team went there to rescue them. They had to open fire at one point of time to bring the situation under control. The three might have died in BGB firing. However, we need further investigation to be sure about it.” Read: Poll violence claims another life; injured Narsingdi man dies in Dhaka Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station, said one of the three died on the spot while two others succumbed to their wounds at Sadar Hospital. Two of the injured are undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital and Thakurgaon Adhunik Sadar Hospital. The deceased were identified as Aditya, 18, Mojaharul Islam, 35, and Hossain, 26. Police said Nuruzzaman, an independent candidate, and his supporters confined the officials of the administration, including the presiding officer, to Ghidob Primary School when the vote count ended around 8pm. When Haripur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Abdul Karim reached the spot along with a BGB team, the candidate’s supporters attacked them and vandalized the vehicle. After nearly two hours, BGB men opened fire to bring the situation under control, leaving one dead on spot and four others injured, said the OC. The injured were sent to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where two others succumbed to their injuries. With the death toll in Thakurgaon, at least eight people were killed and over 100 others injured as the 3rd phase of union parishad (UP) elections ended on Sunday afternoon amid sporadic violence and irregularities. Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, Jashore and Khulna. Read: Voting begins in 3rd phase UP polls; 2 killed in pre-dawn attacks The first and second phases of UP elections were marred by violence and irregularities. At least six people were killed and over 100 others injured in the 2nd phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections on November 11. Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla and Chattogram. Three people were killed and a number of people were injured in the first phase of union parishad election that concluded with reports of sporadic violence and clashes on September 20.

Nazrul Islam Ritu, an independent candidate,  was elected as the first transgender Union Parishad chairman at Trilochonpur union of Jhenaidah’s Kaliganj upazila during the 3rd phase UP elections on Sunday. Ritu, 43, was elected as a chairman of the union bagging  9,557 votes with pineapple symbol while Awami League-backed candidate Nazrul Islam Sana, got 4,529 votes, said Md Abdus Salek, district election officer. Read: Aushkandi UP election finally held: AL’s Delwar Hossain elected as chairman Ritu had to leave her village and move to Dhaka’s Demra at the age of five. However, she frequently visits Jhenaidah to stay connected with Trilochanpur people. Locals said Ritu has been providing financial assistance to the helpless people of different villages of Trilochanpur Union for the 15 years and thus she became popular among local people. Talking to UNB, Ritu said, "I have won the election as a transgender person. Now, I want to serve the people of my union for the rest of my life." She said the government has given the right to vote  and various opportunities to the transgender community members. “I have no regret for being a transgender person.” “The AL-backed candidate and his supporters obstructed me in many ways. However, there has been a fair election because of the administration,” she added. Earlier, another transgender, Pinki Khatun, was elected vice chairman of Kotchandpur upazila in Jhenaidah. Read: Shahida Bibi becomes first transgender UP member in Khulna On November 13, Shahida Begum became the first transgender person to get elected as member of Maguraghona Union Parishad-6 in Khulna district. A guideline was approved in 2013 at cabinet committee for granting Hijra or transgenders state recognition. Following that, in January, 2014, government issued a gazette granting state recognition to the transgender community. In 2019, the Election Commission decided to enlist third gender as a gender identity in the voter list along with male and female.

A man who was accused in a case filed over killing an elephant was ironically killed by an elephant attack at Chokoria upazila in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday.  The deceased was identified as Jane Alam, 36, accused in the case filed over killing an elephant by electrocution at Harbang area in the upazila on November 13.  Chattogram South Forest Department’s regional forest officer Md Shafiqul Islam said Jane Alam was one of the five accused in the case for killing a 15 years old elephant just two weeks ago. On Saturday evening Jane Alam was attacked by a herd of elephants when he went to the forest area of Harbang and died on the spot, said the forest officer.  In the month of November, at least seven elephants were reportedly killed by electrocution and shooting in Sherpur, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, according to Forest Department.  Of the three killed in Cox’s Bazar one was shot dead while two others were electrocuted. Cox's Bazar Forest and Environment Conservation Council President Deepak Sharma Dipu suspected losing three of their mates in the region within such a short period might have affected the other elephants and they killed Jane Alam while roaming anxiously. 

After much speculation finally Aushkandi union parishad polls in Habiganj was held on Sunday with spontaneous participation of voters. Awami League-backed candidate Delwar Hossain won the election for Chairman post with huge difference of 6,800 votes. Meanwhile, 3,300 votes were cast for the closest contender, independent candidate Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury. Some 20,000 people were eligible to cast their ballots in the UP polls this year. Until Wednesday, Aushkandi locals were in a dilemma whether the polls will be held on time over a legal dispute on the inclusion of Dwigor Brahman village in the union. A writ petition was filed in the High Court (HC) in this regard followed by an application sent to the secretary of the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Ministry, seeking inclusion of the village under Khalilpur union of Moulvibazar district by some residents. On February 28, the HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned as to why the inclusion of Dwigor Brahman village under Aushkandi union should not be declared illegal. Seven people, including the secretary of LGRD Ministry, deputy commissioners of Habiganj and Moulvibazar district, were made respondents to the rule which was returnable in four weeks. In the meantime, the Election Commission announced the schedule of the UP election. On November 1, the current chairman of Aushkandi union filed a writ petition in the HC, seeking a stay order on the election under the union. The HC later asked the authorities concerned to take a final decision on demarcating the boundary of the union within 15 days. On November 23, the HC passed a stay order on the Aushkandi union parishad election. However, on November 24, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court cleared the way for holding the election, after imposing a stay on the HC order. Delwar Hossain, an AL-backed chairman candidate, said, “A vested quarter is involved in playing a foul game over the election. The residents of Dwigor Brahman village have been casting their ballots under Aushkandi union since the Independence of the country.”

A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was killed allegedly by the supporters of the independent candidate during UP poll in Lakshmipur’s Ramganj upazila on Sunday. The deceased identified as Sazzadur Rahman Sajib was the president of Ichapur Union Chhatra League. Read: 2 hacked dead, 10 hurt in Meherpur pre-polls violence Police said a clash broke out between the supporters of Al-backed candidate and independent candidate at Nayanpur Primary School in Ichapur union around 5pm, leaving Sajib seriously injured after being hit on his head. Later, he was sent to Chandpur Sadar Hospital where the doctor declared him dead on arrival. Read: Jashore pre-polls violence: Injured man dies at DMCH Lakshmipur SP AH Kamruzzaman said they are investigating the matter. Meanwhile, the law forces detained 40 people with a number weapons from different places of the upazila.

A presiding officer and a policeman were stabbed at a polling centre in Cumilla’s Barura upazila during the ongoing UP polls on Sunday, police said. The injured were identified as Presiding officer Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan and SP Abu Hanif. Read: Cumilla councillor's murder: 2 more accused held Police said Presiding Officer Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan was stabbed on his left hand and SI Abu Hanif was hacked in his waist when they tried to stop some miscreants from capturing the polling centre at Dewatali Government Primary School in Jalam union at 11am. The miscreants also snatched the SP’s pistol. Later, the presiding officer was sent to the Upazila Health Complex while the SP Hanif was sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Read: Ward councillor among two shot dead in Cumilla gun attack In this regard, Barura Upazila Election Officer Azharul Islam said the polling at the centre will be cancelled due to the violence. Iqbal Bahar, officer-in-charge of Barura Police Station, said additional forces have been deployed to prevent further violence.

It’s not uncommon in the hill tracks that herds of wild elephants come down to the plains foraging for food and destroy homes and crops. But what was uncommon a poor farmer’s complaint lodged against wild elephants at the police station for a raid on her house and eat paddy stored there. Farmer Nipul Kumar Sen, of Jaistpura village in Boalkhali upazila of Chattogram, filed the general dairy (GD) against the elephants on Saturday, local police said. He said, on Tuesday (Nov 23) at around 4 am, 2-3 wild elephants broke down the paddy store (gola) and 1.5 tons of paddy worth Tk 45 thousand.   Confirming the incident, local UP chairman Mohammad Mokaram said, it’s not new that wild elephants often come down from the hills and cause damage to crops in the locality. Boalkhali police officer-in-charge Abdul Karim said that a person has filed a general diary at after the elephants ate away his paddy. The matter is being looked into.