United News of Bangladesh

Making his first public appearance of note since students started a campaign to remove him, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed on Monday pledged to make the institution "100% student-friendly". SUST VC said this while attending a celebration for the 31st founding anniversary of SUST at Gol Chattar area in the campus. He said, ”We have come out of the things that were embarrassing for the university with everyone’s joint effort and regained our honour. SUST has 99.99 percent of good governance that a university should have.” Also read: SUST to resume classes online from Tuesday “Students can make mistakes but teachers will have to be forgiving towards them. We teachers will always support the students,” he added.

Police recovered the decomposed body of a third grader, who had gone missing 25 days ago,  from an old grave at Taltala Bara graveyard in Chuadanga early Monday. The deceased was identified as Abu Huraira, son of Abdul Barek of Chuadanga town. He was a student of Chuadanga VJ Govt High School. Read: Bagerhat multiple trawler tragedy: One more body fished out, toll touches 7 Md Mohsin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chuadanga Sadar Police Station, said the schoolboy went missing on January 19 after going out for tuition. His father Abdul Barek filed a case at the Chuadanga Sadar Police Station against five people on January 25. Police arrested his private tutor Ranju and his brother Manju in this connection. Later on Sunday evening, police arrested two others including Abdul Momin, the deceased's neighbour. Read: Newborn’s body recovered in city Based on the arrestees' information, police recovered the decomposed body of Huraira from an old grave in Taltola Bara graveyard in Chuadanga around 2am on Monday, said Sukhendu Basu, officer-in-charge (OC-Operation) of Chuadanga Police Station. The body was sent to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital morgue, said OC Sukhendu. Investigation is underway in this regard, he added.

A Tangail court on Sunday sent 49 BNP activists of Sakhipur upazila to jail in a case filed over vandalising police vehicles in 2018. Senior Judicial Magistrate Farzana Hasnat passed the order after rejecting the bail appeal placed by the accused. According to the case complaint, on December 18, 2018, some BNP activists attacked a patrolling police vehicle and vandalised the Barachowna area in the upazila. Also read: DB to investigate case against BNP leader Fakhrul, 14 others Next day, police filed a case at Sakhipur police station in this regard against 194 leaders and activists of BNP. On October 30,2020, police submitted a chargesheet against 129 people in this case. On Sunday 59 of the accused appealed for bail and the court approved 10 of them considering their sickness and being students. Also read: Filing ‘fictitious’ cases now a regular matter: Fakhrul Outgoing president of the upazila BNP Shahjahan Saju remarked this case as fictitious and demanded immediate release of the accused.

'Sundarbans Day' will be observed on Monday as every year since 2002 with an appeal to save the largest mangrove forest in the world. Virtual discussions have been organized in Bagerhat, Khulna, Pirojpur, Satkhira and Barguna due to covid situations like last year.  Rafiqul Islam Khokon, executive director of a private development agency 'Rupantor', said the day will be observed with the slogan 'Love the Sundarbans on the World Valentine's Day'. This time alternative employment for the people dependent on the Sundarbans will be focused on in this event. There is human pressure on forests for livelihood. Local people adjacent to the forest should be involved in different activities to protect the forest, said Chief Forest Conservator Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury. Also read: Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes Sundarbans, a World Heritage site, hosts a complex network of tidal waterways. The forest presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes and many of its flora and fauna are unique to this region. However, salinity in the Sundarbans is increasing due to climate change. Besides, the flow of water in the rivers and canals of the forest is decreasing gradually and several canals of the forest have been filled with silt. Sundari trees are dying due to excessive salinity. Wildlife is also being affected by various diseases by consuming salt water. In the Sundarbans, wild animals are being hunted and people do fishing by spraying pesticides in rivers and canals which threaten the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. According to various sources, there are 450 small and big rivers-canals in the Sundarbans. Due to lack of water flow, several small and big canal beds in the Sundarbans have been filled with silt. A variety of wild animals, including tigers and deer, leave the Sundarbans, cross canals, and enter the locality very often and lose their lives. Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division, said over 20 canals in the area under the Sundarbans East Division have been filled with silt. Besides, a 30 km area of Bhola river from Jaymoni to Das Bharani, Kharma canal and Aruarber canal has been filled. In this situation, various demands have been raised at different times to protect the Sundarbans, including celebrating 'Sundarbans Day' nationally. There is also a demand for the formation of a separate ministry for the Sundarbans. Also read: Govt withdraws ban on tourist launch movement in Sundarbans Executive Director of Sundarbans Academy Anwarul Qadir said that they have been demanding the formation of a separate ministry for the management of the Sundarbans to conserve the Sundarbans and improve the living standards of the people living near the forest. He is hopeful that if their demands are met, the fortunes of the forest and its people will improve. Rafiqul Islam Khokon, executive director of 'Rupantor', said the first National Sundarbans Conference in Khulna ended on 14 February 2001 with the 'Sundarbans Declaration'. Some 80 organizations including Rupantar, Khulna University, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) jointly organized that conference. At the conference, it was decided to observe 'Sundarbans Day' on February 14, and asked the government to observe 'Sundarbans Day' nationally. Since 2002, Sundarbans Academy, Sundarbans Division, various press clubs and various organizations have been observing 'Sundarbans Day' on 14th February in the districts adjoining the Sundarbans. In the eighteenth century, the area of the Sundarbans was almost double that of today. In 1878, the Sundarbans was declared a protected forest. The Unesco Commission of the United Nations declared three Sundarbans sanctuaries as World Heritage Sites in 1997. In 2017, the government expanded the sanctuary area in the Sundarbans. Out of the total forest area of 6,01,700 hectares, now the sanctuary area is 3,17,900 hectares. Earlier it was only 1,39,700 hectares. It has 375 species of wild animals, the Royal Bengal Tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile, the Indian python, and the gangetic dolphins.

A seven-foot long python was rescued while people were fishing in a pond in Barishal on Saturday. The residents of ward 26 of Barishal city handed over the python to the Forest Department on Sunday noon, said Gazi Mohammad Abul Bashar, Forest Officer of Barishal Sadar upazila. Jayanata Shil, a local, said while fishing in a pond at Natunhat area a youth named Abul Kalam caught the python thinking it was a fish. Also raed: Rescued python released in Sundarbans “These local species of python usually live in the Sundarbans. This one might have come here through the rivers,” said forest officer Gazi Mohammad. The python, aged around 8 years, will be released in the Sundarbans as the wildlife department of Khulna has been informed, he said. Also raed: Python released in Kaptai National Park  

A Rohingya boatman was hacked to death in a clash between two groups of Rohingyas over an internal dispute at Ukhiya camp in Cox's Bazar on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Abul Kalam, a resident of Kutupalong Camp-2. Read: 7 Rohingyas rescued while being trafficked to India, 1 held SP Naimul Haque, commander of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), said Abul Kalam was hacked in a clash between two groups of Rohingyas at Kutupalong Camp-2 on Sunday morning. Two other Rohingyas Md Amin and Md Zafar were injured in the clash. On information, a team from Balurmath police camp rushed Abul Kalam to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Legal action will be taken after investigating those involved in the incident, said SP Naimul.

A Bangladeshi youth was killed after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) fired on a group of suspected cow smugglers at Rowmari border in the district, local villagers said on Sunday. The deceased was Faridul Islam, 21, son of Mujibor Rahman from Harindhara village in Rowmari upazila, confirmed his family. Read: BSF hands over 29 Bangladesh nationals to BGB as goodwill gesture in last 1 year According to locals, at early hours on Sunday Faridul along with some 30  alleged cow smugglers gathered near pillar-1057-3-ST of Purba kauarchar border in Datbhanga union when some BSF members from the other side of the border fired at them. Faridul died on the spot and BSF members took his body, said the locals. Read: Cattle trader shot dead ‘by BSF’ along Naogaon border Faridul’s brother-in-law Shahid Mowla said he requested Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to bring the body from the BSF and hand over to the family.   “We are talking with BSF in this regard but they didn’t inform us yet when they will hand over the body,” said Subedar Ali Ansar, Company Commander of Jamalpur battalion 35 of Datbhanga BGB camp.

Two youths have been arrested for raping a woman and her niece after abducting them from Aochia Union of Chattogram's Satkania upazila on Monday. Police arrested Md. Alamgir (21), son of late Mir Ahmed of South Kanchna Bakshirkhil area of Kanchana Union and Mezbah Uddin Prakash Kalu (20) son of Md. Yunus of Tudi Aochia Union of the same upazila on Friday night in connection with the incident. Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Satkania Police Station Abdul Jalil said the youths  were arrested immediately after the victim's (niece) father filed a rape case with the police station on Friday night. The accused were sent to court on Saturday afternoon, he added. READ: 30-year-old rapes schoolgirl in Magura, held According to the case statement, when the victims went to a shop on Monday afternoon Alamgir and Mezbah Uddin picked them up and took them near Arif's chicken farm in secluded hilly area at Alinagar in Aochia Union where they raped them overnight and fled the spot. The victims returned home next morning and disclosed the incident. Family members took them to Satkania Upazila Health Complex for primary treatment. Later they were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

A 10 months old baby girl was burnt to death in sleep as a fire gutted three houses at Bishnupur union in Chandpur sadar upazila on Thursday. The deceased was Nusrat, daughter of Md Joynal Abedin of  Sugandhya Safarmali village in the union. The fire started from the kitchen of Jaynal Abedin’s house at 12:30 pm and within a few minutes it spread to  the whole house, said the locals. Also read: 2 sisters burnt as building catches fire in Ctg Nusrat’s mother went out keeping her daughter asleep in the house when the fire broke out, said the family. Two units of firefighters brought the flames under control within 30 minutes and recovered the baby’s charred body, said Md Jakir Hossain, Inspector of Chandpur South Fire Service Station. Nusrat’s body was handed over to Chandpur sadar model police station, he said. Also read: 18-yr-old burnt alive by husband in Kushtia “There was a gas cylinder in the kitchen and electric connections in all the rooms but the origin will be known  after an investigation,” said the Fire Service official.

A seven- year old boy was hacked to death in Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga district on Saturday allegedly for  stealing only Taka 10. The deceased is Yamin Hossain, son of Selim Reza of  Joyrampur village in Mujibnagar upazila. The incident occurred at 2 am at Kanaidanga village in Karpasdanga upazila. According to locals, Yamin used to live with his grandfather Abdur Razzaque in Kanaidanga village after his parents’ separation. On Saturday, Yamin and his brother Emon were playing with their friends in a mango orchard near their house. Read: Fire breaks out at Chawkbazar building Meanwhile, Zahid Hasan,16, son of ward-7 UP member Ashadul Islam came and gave Tk 30 to Yamin  to buy some puffed rice from shop. As Yamin could not return the remaining Tk 10 after bringing the puffed rice Zahid got angry and tied up Yamin with a tree and started beating him. Scared by the incident, Emon rushed to his house and called family members but when they reached the spot they found the throat- slit body of Yamin while Zahid fled. “The throat-slit body of a boy was recovered but the sharp weapon used in the murder could not be seized yet,” said Ferdous Wahid, Officer-in-Charge of Damurhuda model police station. He said the body was sent for an autopsy and efforts are on to arrest Zahid.