United News of Bangladesh

Vehicles in eight northern districts are not getting fuel oil at the petrol pumps to run the wheels as the supply of fuel oil remained stopped after Eid-ul-Fitr,  causing immense suffering to people.  According to petrol pump owners , petrol, octane and diesel are supplied to the railway head depot in Parbatipur of Dinajpur from Chattogram through Khulna to meet the demand of eight districts of the northern region.  The authorities concerned did not supply even one liter of petrol to the depot after Eid which created a huge fuel crisis in the region.  An official of local Petrobangla office said he doesn’t know when the next shipment of fuel oil will reach Parbatipur depot. He, however, said, a freight train started the journey from Khulna to Dinajpur on Monday.   Also Read: Cabinet purchase body approves import of diesel, Jet fuel, LNG and fertilizer Meanwhile, petrol pumps have been supplying octane on a limited scale which does not meet the demand.  Petobangla had supplied two lakh liters of petrol to Dinajpur depot from Khulna before Eid. On the other hand, it supplied the same amount of octane on Sunday (May 8) which is not sufficient to meet the demand.  Md. Imran, manager of Parbatipur head depot, said, eight northern districts have 125 petrol pumps. Oil tankers from these pumps are waiting in queues at the depot for oil.   Petrobangla set up a head depot at Parbatipur rail station to supply fuel oil to eight northern districts to meet of demand for fuel oil.   

Dhaka’s train communications with Chattogram and Sylhet were restored Monday afternoon after 10 hours of suspension following derailment of three bogies of a Dhaka-bound freight. Railway sources said a container train was going to Dhaka from port city Chattogram and when it reached Rajapur railway station three bogies veered off the tracks at 4am.

Cox’s Bazar, the country's top tourist attraction, experienced an increased flow of tourists from different parts of the country during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, boosting business for the large section of the population of the coastal city engaged in the tourism sector. Our correspondent found the beach area overcrowded with the presence of tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic hit over two years ago. Footfall of thousands of tourists gave the beach area a festive look. The hotel and motel owners were particularly happy with the presence of tourists. Besides, the local administration took adequate measures to ensure security, and police, Ansar and lifeguards worked round the clock to provide it. Laboni point and Sugandha point of Cox’s Bazar are the most attractive points for tourists where a number of people thronged to take a break from the monotonous routine of life.    Many people were seen roaming in the beach area on bikes. Also Read: 140kg boal fish netted in Cox's Bazar  Abu Taleb Shah, General Manager of Hotel Cox’s Today, said “The businessmen involved in the tourism sector are happy with the presence of tourists after a two year long pause and 90% rooms of different hotels and motels are still booked after Eid holiday and it will remain till May 11.” Selim Newaz, a hotel businessman, said they expected more tourists till May 10 if the weather remains favorable, which can help the tourism industry to boost further. Abul Kashem, general secretary of Hotel Motel Guest House Samity, said “After Eid holiday we have seen that 70% rooms are still booked. Many people, who celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in their home village, are now coming here.” Additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police, Rezaul Karim, said a foolproof security has been taken to ensure security of the tourists and the authorities concerned also took steps to provide pure drinking water and medical services. Almost no untoward incident was reported or took place, he said. Executive Magistrate Murad Uddin, of the local administration tourist cell, said alongside district police, four magistrates, tourists’ police, lifeguard workers and beach workers are working round the clock to provide security to the tourists. There are 500 hotels, motels and guest houses where 2 lakh people can easily be accommodated at any one time in Cox's Bazar. Also Read: RAB rescues man from Cox's Bazar who went into hiding one year back  

Police arrested three youths on allegation of gang raping a 22-year-old girl in Chattogram who ran away from her home in Cumilla. The arrestees were identified as Md Ariful Islam Arif, 23, son of Md Abul Hossain, Md Nayan, 29, son of Saifuddin Prakash, and Md Abdul Latif, 22, son of Md Solaiman, said Jahir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Akbar Shah police station in Chattogram. According to police, the girl from Cumilla left her home out of anger and reached Chattogram on Saturday morning by train. When she decided to return, she could not do so as she had no money. Around 11:30 she was sitting in front of a house at Shapla Residential area under Akbar Shah police station when accused Nayan came to her and said he will give her a job and keep her with his family. Later Arif and Latif joined him and took the girl to an under construction building and fled after raping her. Police rescued the girl from the building after being informed by locals, said OC Jahir. The accused were arrested from different places in the city during a drive conducted from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. “The accused have accepted their crime during primary interrogation and the girl is currently under treatment at One-stop Crisis Center,” he said. Accused Arif and Nayan were arrested last year in another rape case filed with Kotwali police station, said the OC. Also read: 2 held over strangling a girl to death during rape attempt in Joypurhat

The authorities on Sunday fined seven wholesalers of edible oil Tk 16,000 for stockpiling and selling soybean oil at a price higher than that fixed by the government during a raid in Sylhet. The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has launched a nationwide drive to prevent stockpiling and overpricing of soybean oil in the market, following the record hike in the cooking oil’s house. On the instructions of the director general of the department, the Sylhet district and divisional office conducted a drive in Sylhet from 11 am like the rest of the country. Also read: Around 23 million litre soybean oil arrives at Chittagong port amid growing demand During the drive, warehouses and shops of soybean oil dealers in Kalighat, Kazir Bazar, Lama Bazar, Madina Market, Akhalia and Tuker Bazar of Sylhet city were inspected. However, no evidence of stockpiling of soybean oil was found in any warehouse in the Kalighat area of the city. Traders claim that enough oil is not being supplied from the oil company's depots. On the other hand, the depot authorities informed that the oil supply was a little less due to the Eid holidays. However, they have started getting enough soybean oil from Sunday. Also read: Soybean oil price jumps as Indonesia bans export of palm oil Assistant Director Shyamal Purkayastha and Md Amirul Islam Masud, Assistant Director of the Department were also present during the drive along with Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and law enforcers.

The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman National Gold Cup Football Tournament, Boys (Under-17) 2022 and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Gold Cup Football Tournament (Under-17) 2022 were inaugurated on Sunday. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the tournaments at Sylhet District Stadium in the afternoon. At that time, the minister said, there are not many playgrounds in Sylhet. “I have told Sylhet city corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury that an initiative should be taken to build three more playgrounds on the other side of the river.” He further said that all those who play in the national team of Bangladesh come up from rural areas. The Awami League government is doing everything for the development of sports for the boys and girls of the rural areas. This tournament has been organised on the initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports, under the supervision of Sylhet District Administration. A total of 1,982 boys will participate in 105 unions and four municipalities at the upazila level of Sylhet district while 252 boys and 252 girls in 13 upazilas and a city corporation at the district level. The Ministry of Youth and Sports will select 40 boys and 40 girls from this age based tournament. Meanwhile, four players have been sent to Brazil for advanced training. Besides, from 2021, 11 boys will be sent to Brazil and 11 girls will be sent to Spain or Portugal. This event has been organised every year since 2018 with the aim of providing inspiration to the emerging players and improving the quality of football in the country.

Two minor children drowned in a pond at Haripur in Thakurgaon on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Rumin Islam, 6, and his cousin Shova Aktar, 4, of Bhabanipur Modhudanga village of the upazila. Also read: 3-yr-old cousins drown in Brahmanbaria The two children fell into the pond while playing around 9am, said Tajul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Haripur police station. Local people found the floating bodies of the two children after looking for them for an hour. A case was filed at the police station in this regard, said the OC. Also read: Rohingya boy drowns in Bay of Bengal    

Two men were arrested over strangulating an Honours first-year student to death while attempting to rape her on Friday at her home in Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat. The arrestees were identified as Rony Mahanta, 29, son of Shankar Mahanta and Zahid Hasan alias Kamini Zahid, 33, son of Khorshed Mandal, said Masum Ahmed Bhuiyan, Superintendent of Joypurhat police in a press briefing on Sunday. He said in primary interrogation the arrestees have accepted their involvement in the crime. Also read: Sherpur youth sentenced to life imprisonment in rape case “The accused were neigbours of the girl and planned to rape her after her brother threatened them several times for teasing and giving indecent proposals to the victim,” said SP Masum Ahmed. “They entered the girl's house after being sure her brother and sister-in-law were not home and tried to rape her around 2 am. As she protested and attacked them, they in a bid to stop her screams strangled her to death with her clothes,” said the SP. On Saturday morning her relatives found her body on the bed and informed police. Also read: Teen rapes minor girl in Gaibandha Following a tip off police arrested the two accused from separate areas of the Majhina village in the upazila. Earlier, victim’s brother filed a murder case with Pancbibi police station in this regard.  

A Sherpur court on Sunday sentenced a 25-year-old man to life imprisonment in absentia, in a case filed over raping a teenager. Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman passed the order in absence of the accused. Accused Abul Hossain, son of Abdul Jabbar from Juginibag village in the Sadar upazila, has remained absconding since the case was filed, said advocate Golam Kibria, Public Prosecutor of the court. The court has fined the accused Tk 20,000 and directed an additional six months in jail if unable to pay. Also read: Man who incited 2019 Borhanuddin riots sentenced to 8 years in jail He was also sentenced to 14 years in jail with Tk 10,000 fine and additional three months in jail if unable to pay on a separate charge of kidnapping, said the PP. The sentences will be served concurrently - if he is ever caught, that is. On September 21, 2017, Abul Hossain with his associates kidnapped an 8th-grader while she was on her way to a madrasah, according to the case statement. On October 2, the victim's mother filed a case with the tribunal against Abul Hossain, his brother Anwar Hossain and father Abdul Jabbar after police rescued the girl. On December 15, the investigation officer in the case submitted chargesheet against the three accused. Also read: 2 sentenced to death for killing schoolboy in Shariatpur On December 9, 2020, the court framed charges against Abul Hossain but acquitted the two others. The court has recorded statements of five witnesses during the trial of this case.

Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukdar Abdul Khaleque was brought to Dhaka on Sunday as he will be taken to Singapore for better treatment. He was shifted to Dhaka’s Combined Military Hospital (CMH) from Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Hospital by air ambulance at 4.30 pm. Also read: Khulna City mayor hospitalised He will be undergoing treatment at CMH for the next 15 days and then he will be taken to Singapore for advanced treatment, said District Awami League general secretary MDA Babul Rana. He also said that Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, member of Parliament from Khulna-2 constituency, has taken all the responsibility for the treatment of the mayor and wished good health to the mayor. He is accompanied by his wife Begum Habibub Nahar, deputy minister of Environment, Forests and Climate, and his nephew Meghla. Also read: Social Welfare minister admitted to Dhaka hospital after falling sick in Lalmonirhat The 69-year old KCC mayor was admitted to Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised hospital in Khulna around 11 am on Saturday, said Prakash Chandra, Residential Medical Officer (RMO) of the hospital. He has been suffering from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and last year he underwent a surgery in the prostate gland, said RMO Prakash Chandra.