United News of Bangladesh

Sylhet's MAG Osmani International Airport has been closed for flights operation for three days from Friday due to the deteriorating flood situation in the region. No flights will be operated at the airport for three days from today (Friday), said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. The notice was issued as the flood water reached close to the runway, he added. A further decision will be taken after observing the overall situation, the manager said.

Rab has arrested a man accused in a case over raping a schoolgirl at gunpoint in Pirojpur district. Accused Shamim Hossain Mridha, 32, has been described by law enforcement agencies as a serial rapist.  Shamim, hailing from Pirojpur’s Bhandaria upazila, was arrested on Thursday from Dhaka's Uttara, Rab said. According to the police, Shamim raped the schoolgirl at gunpoint on June 11. The girl's mother filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with Bhandaria police station in this regard following the crime. Students and teachers from the girl’s school also staged a human chain asking for justice for the survivor. Members from the Detective Branch of Rab Headquarters and a team of Rab-8 arrested Shamim from the capital. The arrestee has confessed his crime, saying that he raped the girl while she was returning home after  exam at her school. The accused fled the scene after  the  assault and hid in Dhaka to avoid arrest, according to the case. He also tried to rape a SSC examinee after breaking in to her house during wee hours on January 26, 2015. He also raped a madrassah-student threatening with a chopper on November 1, 2017. Shamim also harassed another madrassah-student sexually on October 10, 2021. He works both as a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver and a private car driver in Dhaka’s Babubazar and Gabtoli areas. He became a criminal at the age of 16 through consuming and trading drugs and other criminal activities, police said. He used to hide in various places in the country including Dhaka, Kishoreganj, Barishal and Khulna after raping and harassing girls. He even used to rape girls while he was in hiding. There are more than 10 rape and drug cases against him at various police stations across the country, including Bhandaria. He was even in jail four or five times, according to police records. There are also a total of six arrest warrants against him in different police stations. Rab members have said that a legal proceeding in underway against the arrestee.

The Power Development Board (PDB) in Sylhet has alerted the customers about safety of lives and property in the flood-hit areas. Shams-e Arefin, executive engineer of the PDB Sales and Distribution Division-2, on Thursday said that the flash floods inundated Sobhanighat, Mendibagh, Muradpur and surrounding areas. Also read: Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials For the safety of the lives and property of the power consumers, it has been warned not to touch electric wires, poles or electric components in the flood water. He also requested people to inform PDB Sales and Distribution Division-2 by calling 01625038784 and 02996633173 numbers. It is very important that everyone plays a responsible role to avoid any accident during the flood, he added. Also read: Flood situation worsens in Sylhet, Sunamganj, thousands marooned

The flood situation in Sylhet is worsening and officials are worried that the deluge may shut down the grid. Due to the flood, Kumargaon 132/33 KV grid substation, which supplies electricity to the whole of Sylhet, is about to be shut down. Suranjit Singh, engineer of Kumargaon 132/33 KV grid substation said, water has already entered the switchyard of the substation. Also read: SSC exam postponed for worsening flood “It will not take long for water to enter the control room if it keeps raining like this. This grid substation must be shut down if water enters the control room.” He said that the shutdown of the grid will cut off power throughout Sylhet.Since Thursday night more areas in Sylhet have been flooded. Water is rising further in the flood-hit areas. Meanwhile, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has been closed till June 25 as the flood situation has worsened. Also read: SUST closed till June 25 amid flooding SUST authorities came up with the decision at an emergency syndicate meeting Friday morning. Besides, army has been deployed in different areas of Sylhet to control the heavy flooding, said an ISPR release.

Two children drowned in a canal in Jamalpur's Dewanganj while crossing it to collect jute leaves for goats Thursday. The deceased were identified as Mithila Akter Brishty, 12, daughter of Mozaffar Hossain, and Asmani Akter Asma, 11, daughter of Asar Uddin, from village Char Dakatia, said Md Mohabbat, officer-in-charge (OC) of Dewanganj Model Police Station. "Family members started looking for them as they were not to be seen anywhere. At one stage, their bodies were found floating on the canal," the OC added. Also Read: Two children drown in Cumilla

Floods ravaging Sylhet and Sunamganj districts worsened as water levels of the region’s rivers rose further due to heavy downpour and onrush of hilly water triggering immense suffering to the lakhs of people, officials said Thursday.  In Sylhet around three lakh people of five upazilas under the district have been marooned due to flood.  According to the Water Development Board, Surma and Kushirara, two major rivers in the district swelled at various points till 9am on Thursday.  Surma River was flowing 0.99 centimeters and 0.25 centimeters above the danger mark at Kanaighat and Sylhet points respectively.   Besides, water in the Kushiara River was flowing 0.3 centimeters above the danger level at the Fenchuganj point and the Sari River was flowing 0.32 centimeters above the danger mark at Sarighat point.  Meanwhile, flood waters from Surma River have flowed into houses and shops in Sylhet city. At least 10 places in the city have gone under knee-deep water.  River water has entered the Kalighat and Mohajonpatti wholesale market. Businessmen of the two markets have expressed worries as river water entered their shops for the second time in a month.  Flood water also entered Taltola, Jamtola, Sobhanighat, Terorton, Upasohor in the city. Sufferings of the commuters have increased as roads of these areas have been inundated. Many people are leaving the city for safe and dry places.   Sylhet Water Development Board executive engineer Asif Ahmed said at least 500 villages of Companiganj, Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Kanaighat, and Sylhet sadar have been inundated. Educational institutions, government-private offices, and roads of the upazila have also been swamped. Houses, roads, educational institutions, and shops in low-lying areas of the upazilas have gone under flood water.  Road communication has been disrupted among all unions under Gowainghat upazila. Around 90 per cent of people of the upazila have been marooned. People living in eastern, western and central Jaflong , Alir Gaon, Rustampur, Tuakul, Lengura areas have also been stranded by floods.   Tahmilur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Gowainghat said a large number of people have been marooned due to the second round of flood. The administration has prepared 42 shelters and initiative has been taken to take the marooned people to the shelters with the help of people’s representatives. Also Read: Teesta banks erosion: Over 50 houses washed away in 45 days Meanwhile, Laxmiprashad East and West, Chatul, and low-lying areas of Kanaighat upazila have been inundated due to the flood water. Hundreds of people of border upazila Zakiganj have also been marooned.   Met office said heavy downpour might occur till June 23 in Sylhet which can lead to a flood with dire consequences. 

Two people including a child have been killed  as a gas cylinder used to inflate balloons exploded  at Shangkardi village in Rajoir upazila of Madaripur district.  The deceased were Md Affan, 10, son of Dulal Mollah from Shankardi village and Md Jahidul, a balloon vendor. Officer In-charge (OC) of Rajoir police station Alamgir Hossain said the incident occurred when Jahidul was inflating a balloon using the gas cylinder at Shangkardi Government Primary School during UP election  on Wednesday. Also read: Ukhiya camp gas cylinder blast: 2 Rohingyas die at CMCH The blast left Jahidul dead on the spot and five others critically injured, Alamgir added. The injured were taken to Rajoir upazila health complex from where they were shifted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital later. Doctors at the hospital again sent the five injured to Square Hospital in Dhaka for better treatment where Affan breathed his last Thursday morning, Alamgir added. Also read: N'ganj gas cylinder blast: Death toll rises to 3

Gas supply will remain suspended for 24 hours from 9 am on Friday in different areas of Gazipur and adjoining areas due to emergency works in gas pipelines. According to a press release of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the gas supply will remain off from 9 am on Friday to 9 am on Saturday in different areas from Dhanua TBS to Rejendrapur Intersection. Also read: Gas price hike angers consumer rights groups During the period, consumers in adjoining areas may experience low pressure problem, said the Titas Gas. The Titas Gas Company regrets for the inconvenience of its customers for this emergency shutdown in gas supply. Also read: Gas price raised by about 23 pc

Rail communication on Dhaka-Mymensingh route was restored after around four hours of disruption following derailment of a compartment of Bhawal Express Thursday morning. The Dhaka-bound train was veered off the tracks around 10 am immediately after it left Rajendrapur rail station said Rezaul Islam, station master of Joydebpur railway junction. Also read: Derailment snaps Dhaka-M’singh rail link “Due to the derailment Jmalpur commuter train, Mohua Express and several other trains got stuck at different stations,” he said. The rail operation went back to normal around 2 pm after a relief train from Dhaka reached the spot and removed the derailed compartment, said station master Rezaul. Also read: Bangladesh Railway authority forms two separate committees to probe fire on Parabat Express

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak has laid the foundation stone of a hi-tech park in Barishal city’s Kashipur area on Thursday morning. The hi-tech park is being built under the ‘District-based Hi-tech Park Building Project’ undertaken by the Hi-tech Park Authority of the ICT Division. Besides, the park is being built on 6.5 acres of land at a cost of Tk 170 crore. The construction of the hi-tech park will be completed within next two years. Once established, at least 1,000 youths will be able to receive training from it. Besides it will create job opportunities for 3,000 youths. Talking to reporters, Palak said that the hi-tech park will turn Barishal into a technology-based city. Read: Hi-Tech Park to turn Khulna industrial area into tech-based zone: Palak “Barishal will turn into a Silicon City, which will help in the making of a Smart Bangladesh,” Palak added. Mayor of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) Serniyabat Sadek Abdullah, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority Dr Bikarna Kumar Ghosh and other officials and political leaders were present during the event. BCC Mayor Sadek said that the initiative by the government to build a hi-tech park in Barishal has fulfilled the long-cherished desire of the people of this part of the country. “I hope a generation rich in ICT-based knowledge will grow in Barishal due to this park,” added Sadek.