United News of Bangladesh

A 50-year-old woman was hacked to death allegedly by her ‘drug-addict’ son at Charchandia union in Sonagazi upazila of Feni on Sunday, police said. Police said accused Nur Karim Russel hacked his mother Amena Khatun indiscriminately at Borodholi village as she refused to give him money for buying drugs. Also read: Joypurhat man hacks aunt to death for demanding her money The locals detained Russel and handed him over to police. Sazedul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sonagazi Police Station, said a case was filed in this regard. The body has been kept in the morgue for an autopsy. Also read: Son hacks father to death in Shariatpur

A Satkhira court on Sunday rejected the case appeals of two convicts against the trial of a case filed over the 2002 attack on Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina's convoy in Kolaroa. Senior District and Session Court Judge Sheikh Mofizur Rahman passed the order and upheld the penalty given by the trial court. On February 4, 2021, a Satkhira court sentenced former BNP MP Habibul Islam Habib and two others to 10 years’ imprisonment and sentenced 47 others to different jail terms in the case. Of them Sanju, Mahfuzur and Kanak from Kolaroa upazila filed the two appeals at the District and Session Court against the trial. Also read: Hasina’s convoy attack verdict reflects govt desire, says BNP In the meantime convict Mahfuzur died while serving the jail term. On August 30, 2002, Prime Minister Hasina, the then opposition chief, was returning to Magura after visiting a freedom fighter's wife in Satkhira when her convoy came under attack in Kalaroa upazila of the district. Hasina survived the attack relatively unscathed but many Awami League leaders and workers were injured along with some journalists. Kalaroa’s Mohammad Moslem Uddin, a freedom fighter, filed a case against 27 men for the attack which was later dismissed for not being recorded at the police station. Also read: Sheikh Hasina's convoy attack: Ex-BNP MP, 2 others get 10-yr imprisonment The case was reopened on October 15, 2014 and police pressed charges in court against 50 accused in this connection. On May 17, 2015, inspector Sheikh Shafiqur Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted charge sheet against 50 people in the case.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Sunday suspended the operations of MV Surovi-9 over allegations of a technical glitch after a fire broke out on it Saturday night while carrying 300 passengers. Meanwhile, Barishal River Port officer Mostafizur Rahman lodged a complaint against the launch manager Mizan and other staff of the launch over the incident and for attacking the journalists. Mostafizur Rahman, the operation of the launch on Dhaka-Barishal-Dhaka route, will remain suspended until further notice. “The decision was taken followed by the chaotic situation created over the technical glitch and attack on journalists,” he said. Also read: Fire breaks out in Barishal-bound launch; Doused quickly Earlier two camerapersons lodged separate complaints against the manager over the incident of attack. According to camerapersons of Independent Television and two other private channels they were attacked around 11pm while recording video footage of the launch as it was brought to Barishal.  No damages or casualties were reported in the fire that originated in the engine room of MV Survi-9 launch as it was extinguished before it could spread. Kaiser Alam, BIWTA's Chandpur port officer said, passengers were sent to Barishal by another launch considering the security issue and MV Survi-9 has been docked at Mohanpur ghat. Also read: Jhalakathi launch fire: Probe body submits report On December 24, a deadly fire broke out in Barguna-bound launch MV Abhijan-10 carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes. The death toll from the fire accident reached 49 till January 3. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries, and many of them are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

A fire broke out following a boiler explosion at a garment factory in Agrabad Badamtoli area of Chattogram metropolis on Sunday noon, leaving two workers injured. The workers were injured while trying to rush out of the factory building following the blast. Also read: Bomb blast at Ctg traffic police box: JMB leader Selim held Chattogram Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Newton Das said the fire started around 1pm when a boiler exploded at Ambia Fashion garment factory in Agrabad. On information, a unit of fire service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. Also read: 4 burnt in Sitakunda Shipyard blast

As many as 1,200 homes have been gutted in a fire that broke out at Rohingya camp-16 at Palangkhali Shafuillakata in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Sunday afternoon, said officials. After almost two hours’ efforts by eight firefighting units, the fire was tamed at 6:45 pm, said Abdullah, Station Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence office in Ukhia. Kamran Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Armed Police Battalion (APBn-8), said no casualties were reported immediately. Also read: Cox's Bazar Rohingya camp fire: Teams working 24/7 to regain normalcy “The fire started at 4:50 pm from a gas cylinder at a residential house in the camp,” he said. The damages from the fire could not be estimated yet, said Emdad Hossain, In-Charge of Ukhia Fire Service station. Nurul Amin, a resident of the camp, said he and his family rushed out from the house like many others in the camp and were saved from the flames.

At least two people were killed and two others were injured after a covered van hit a van in Keser Mor area of Akkelpur municipality in Joypurhat on Saturday noon. The deceased were identified as van driver Sujon Hossain, 41, son of Abul Hossain of Chak Roghunathpur village, and passenger Sabbir Hossain, 21, son of Babor Ali of East Matapur village. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Akkelpur Police Station Saidur Rahman said Sumaiya Khatun, daughter of Babar Ali of East Matapur village, along with her mother and elder brother Sabbir went to Akkelpur Technical School and College on Saturday morning for admission. Read: Youth beaten dead by rivals in Jhenaidah The accident took place when one of the wheels of the van broke and the driver lost control. At that time, a covered van coming from Joypurhat hit the passenger van killing two people on the spot. Locals rescued the injured and admitted them to Akkelpur Upazila Health Complex, the OC said. Police seized the covered van but its driver and helper managed to flee, he added.  

The hanging bodies of a man and woman next to each other were recovered on Saturday from a flat in Jajhar Uttar para area in Gazipur City. The deceased were identified as Rajat Kanti Chowdhury, 37, director of Sigma Diagnostic Center in Gazipur and Lima Aktar, 25, medical assistant at a local sweater factory. According to police, Lima used to work as a nurse at Sigma Diagnostic Center when she got involved in an extra-marital affair with Rajat, a married man. As her family got informed of their affair Lima left the job and a month ago she rented the flat after getting a job at the factory in the Gacha area. Read: 3 hurt in attack by miscreants in city According to neighbours, Rajat often used to visit Lima, said police. On Saturday, as Lima did not join the office, the factory authority sent someone to her house around noon and he found their bodies hanging from the ceiling fan after breaking the door, said Ismail Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Gacha police station. OC Ismail said they are suspecting both of them committed suicide together at some point on Friday night. The bodies were sent for an autopsy, he said.

A saline water crocodile was rescued from a fisherman’s house in Bagerhat on Saturday after he called on national emergency service number 999. The four feet long crocodile aged 8 years was rescued from Kalekharber village in Rampal upazila by the forest officials of Sundarban East Department. Also read: Rescued crocodile gets new life at Bangabandhu Safari Park Azad Kabir, Officer-in-Charge of Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center, said the crocodile got captured by a fisherman’s net on Friday afternoon from Posshur River and later a local youth contacted 999. After that they informed the Sundarban East Divisional forest officer (DFO) Mohammad Belayet Hossain. The crocodile was released in a canal of Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center unharmed, said Azad Kabir. Also read: 100 crocodiles released in Sundarbans marking Bangabandhu's birth centenary

Five men have been arrested  in connection with the rape two Garo girls at Haluaghat upazila in Mymensingh. The arrestees are Shorif Mia,20, from Katolmari village, Mizanur Rahman,22, and  , Abdul Hamid, 19, from Katabari village, Mia Hossain,20, and Rukon Mia,21, of Kochuakura village in the upazila. Of them, Abdul Mia was arrested as a suspect while others were accused in the case filed by the victims, said police. Md Ahmar Uzzaman, District Superintendent of Police, said two teams of Detective Branch arrested the five people from different districts on Friday night. Also read: 5 held over rape of 2 indigenous girls in Mymensingh On December 27, some men picked up the two indigenous girls while they were returning to their home after attending a wedding progrmame at night. They took them to a forest at Katabari village and raped them. On December 30, a rape case was filed at Haluaghat police station accusing 10 people. Also read: Pregnant woman raped by "brother-in-law" in Bandarban

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has reaffirmed his country’s continued support to Rohingyas and their host community in Bangladesh, noting that Bangladesh is not alone while dealing with the crisis. The visiting Turkish minister along with State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman on Saturday reopened a Turkish field hospital at the Rohingya camp which was damaged by a fire last year. The hospital, after being destroyed in the fire, was reconstructed by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) following the instruction of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Also read: Bangladesh pushes for early repatriation of Rohingyas “We couldn't leave these sad, oppressed people alone as well as Bangladesh, which is home to these people,” said the Turkish Minister, mentioning that Turkey took steps immediately to address the damage caused by the fire.