United News of Bangladesh

Two children drowned in a pond near their home in the village of Arjuntola in Barura upazila of Cumilla district on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Gopal Chandro, 12, son Jagobandhu Chandro and Shipto Pal, 9, son of Surho Lal of the village. Family members said Gopal and Shipto were playing football along with some other children near the pond adjacent to their house. The duo drowned in the pond while going to collect the ball, said Iqbal Bahar Mojumder, officer-in-charge of Barura police station. Later, locals rushed them to Barur Upazila Health Complex where upazila health officials declared them dead on arrival.

Three housewives of a family were electrocuted in Deobhog area of Narayanganj city on Thursday noon.The deceased were identified as Bimola Rani Ghosh ,53, wife of Ranzit Ghosh, Bashonti Rani Ghosh, 42, wife of Nikhil Ghosh, and Moni Rani Ghosh, wife of Dipak Ghosh. They were married to three brothers. Ranzit Ghosh said that his wife first got a massive electric shock after touching the balcony's iron gate that accidentally came in contact with a live wire. When his sisters-in-law came to save his wife, they also got an electric shock and died on the spot.The bodies were handed over to the families, said Anichur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj sadar police station adding that an unnatural death case will be filed.At noon, Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy visited the spot and expressed her deep condolences to the bereaved family.

At least two people were killed and another was injured when a drum truck hit their van in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur district on Thursday afternoon.The deceased were identified as Amin Shah, son of late Aftab Uddin of Montu Shah Para in Fatehjangpur village of the upazila and the van driver from Nashrotpur village of Collegemor area.The injured is Amena Akter Merry, wife of the deceased Amin Shah.The accident occurred around 5pm when a sand-laden drum truck hit their van near Champatoli area of the upazila, leaving the duo dead on the spot, said Bojlur Rahid, officer-in-charge of Chirirbandor police station. The injured is currently undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical college and Hospital, the OC added.

A young man was allegedly stabbed to death in the Kazir Dewri area of the port city early Thursday. The deceased was identified as Moin Uddin, 29, son of Abdul Mabud of the Pathanna Gudam area of the city. Officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station Jahidul Kabir said that the murder was the fallout of the victim's refusal to pay extortion money for setting up a stall at the ongoing Trade Fair on the Polo ground.   "Moin was attacked when he was returning home from Dhaka, where he had gone for business. He died on his way to the hospital," the officer added. Read: Mugger stabs youth to death in Dhaka

Armed men held a stone crushing mill owner at gunpoint and robbed him of Tk 1.5 lakh in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet on Wednesday, police said. Around 8.30pm, Bashir Mia, son of Imamul Haque from Islampur village of the upazila, was returning home from Allah Bhorosha Crusher Mill in the Bholaganj No 10 area. "As soon as I reached the Parua Sakera area of the busy Sylhet-Bholaganj highway, the criminals intercepted me, pointed a gun at me and left with my bag containing Tk 1.5 lakh,” Bashir said in his police complaint. Read: 11 held while preparing to stage robbery in capital Bashir sustained injuries as he was manhandled by the robbers when he initially tried to resist the crime. He received first aid at Companiganj Health Complex.   Officer-in-charge of Companiganj police station, Shukanto Chakrabarti, said that they had received a complaint from the victim. “Efforts are on to nab the robbers,” he said.

A van driver died after his vehicle was hit by a speeding truck in Kushtia on Thursday, police said. The deceased was identified as Shahed Ali, 40, son of Chand Ali of Mahendrapur village under Kushtia’s Kumarkhali upazila. The accident occurred in the Bottoil area of the Kushtia-Jhenidah Highway at 10.15am. According to the officer-in-charge of Kushtia highway police, Idris Ali, the victim died on the spot in the impact of the collision. “We have seized the truck though its driver and helper managed to flee,” said Idris.   Shahed’s body has been sent to Kushtia General Hospital for an autopsy, he added. Read: 2 killed in separate road crashes 2 in Dhaka city

A man and a woman died after being struck by lightning in the district's Shibganj upazila on Thursday, police said. The deceased were identified as Khairul Islam, 48, and Merina Begum, 37, both residents  of Akhina in the upazila. Chowdhury Zobair Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station, said the two were struck by lightning while they were collecting mangoes in heavy rains. The two died on the spot, the OC said, adding a case of unnatural death has been filed in this connection. Read: Lightning kills 19-year-old in city Lightning strikes in Bangladesh Lightning strikes are one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives every year. According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. Also read: Kishoreganj farmer killed by lightning strike At least 216 people die every year on average in lightning strikes, more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities. More than 70 percent of the total lightning strikes occur between April and June, say experts.  

Transporters at Benapole ended their indefinite strike Wednesday evening after Jessore-1 MP Sheikh Afil Uddin assured them that their demands will be considered sympathetically. They embarked on an indefinite strike to press their three-point demand, including the transfer of an official of the land port, in the morning. Azim Uddin Gazi, general secretary of Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association, said they started the strike after talking with five organisations using the land port. "We called it off after getting assurance from MP Sheikh Afil Uddin." Transporters demands include the removal of Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, deputy director of Benapole Land Port, the appointment of a skilled driver and a port without traffic congestion. Mamun Tarafdar is involved in corruption, Azim said. Meanwhile, the Federation of Bangladesh C and F Agent Association staged a protest at the port Tuesday to press their several-point demands.

Four people were critically injured due to an explosion in the air conditioner (AC) of a bank in Gazipur's Kaliakair Wednesday. The incident occurred during AC repair in the server room of Mouchak Bazar branch of Union Bank. Bank officials Gias Uddin, 32, and Sharif Uddin Tahsin, 24, and electricians Zakaria Chowdhury, 26, and Aminul Islam, 32, sustained serious injuries. The explosion happened as three electricians went to the server room to repair AC, Kaliakair Fire Service Station Officer Saiful Islam said. The injured were rushed to Mouchak's Popular Hospital, and they were later shifted to Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Medical. "After learning about the AC explosion, two units of firefighters rushed to the spot, and they found the doors and windows of the server room shattered. The extent of the damage could not be confirmed immediately," Saiful said.

A tribunal here on Wednesday sent a suspended official of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to jail in a case for raping a 20-year-old college student in Khulna. The suspended PIB official is inspector Manjur Hasan Masud. Also read: College student raped by PBI official in Khulna Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Judge Mst Dilruba Sultana passed the order turning down the bail plea when Masud surrendered before the court. Earlier, accused Masud was granted bail for 14 days by the High Court on May 26 in the case. On May 25, he was suspended from his post. According to the case, the victim was raped allegedly by a PBI official at Mirzapur Road in Khulna city on May 15 promising her to solve the problem when she went to police station following a cyber-issue. Also read:Fugitive PBI inspector suspended over Khulna college girl's rape The victim immediately lodged an FIR at the Khulna Sadar police station, said Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khulna Sadar police station. A case was filed after a medical examination at the One Stop Crisis Center (OCC) of Khulna Medical College Hospital.