United News of Bangladesh

The residents of Khejurbaria under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat are literally living in fear for their lives as a Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted lying down inside a fish enclosure in the village.  Shahin Khan, a resident of the village, was the one to spot the tiger - first at his fish enclosure, two kilometres from the Sundarbans, around 9:15pm on Thursday. Later this was announced through the mosque’s loudspeakers to warn the villagers, but it ended up creating panic among them.  On information, forest officials and rangers visited Khejurbaria village on Friday morning. They searched in the gardens and bushes of the village but did not find the tiger.  Also Read: Fisherman injured in tiger attack in the Sundarbans Shahin’s father and union parishad member Abul Hossain Khan said, “Our village is situated two kilometres from the Sundarbans. Bhola River and Dhansagar village are situated in the middle our village and the Sundarbans. A tiger was seen after long years in our village. Villagers did not take any action to catch the animal or chase it away despite fear. We have informed the forest department about the tiger.”    Sundarbans East Zone Dhansagar station officer Abdus Sabur said, “Being informed, we have visited the village but did not find any footprints of the tiger. The ground was dry. Our team is patrolling here, so that if they see the tiger, they can take measures to chase it away or send it back to the forest.”            

Gowainghat upazila administration of Sylhet has earned Tk 40 lakh in seven months just from the entry fee at the popular and natural beautiful tourist spot of Jaflong.  There was no entry fee at Jaflong before September 2021. District administration then fixed it at Tk 10 for each tourist to enter the popular hangout.   However, people of various sections had been criticizing the ticketing system at the tourist spot. This issue came into discussion on Thursday after an attack on some tourists by the volunteers who worked for the authority.  The local administration recruited some workers on temporary basis to collect entry fees from the tourists.  Also Read: Volunteers assault tourists in Sylhet, 5 held While commenting on the entry fee at Jaflong, Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Tahmilur Rahman said, “The decision of entry fee has been made by the district administration at a meeting of district tourism committee last year. Upazila administration is only implementing the decision. We don’t lease it to anyone. Upazila administration collects entry fees from tourists through some contracted workers.”   Around 15 workers work here on average daily for Tk 50 per hour as remuneration, he added.  About the ones who attacked the tourists, Tahmilur Rahman said they are not volunteers. They are workers. Upazila administration has provided aprons to identify them from others.  He also claimed that the district administration has imposed the entry fee to increase tourists at Jaflong and Tk 40 lakh has been deposited so far in the administration’s bank account.    On Thursday, volunteers appointed by the Gowainghat administration allegedly assaulted a group of tourists, including women and children, at the Jaflong tourist spot.   The volunteers attacked tourists with sticks following an altercation over buying tickets from the toll counter at Jaflong around 2pm.  The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. It shows some men wearing blue volunteer uniforms assaulting a group of tourists with sticks. Some women, from the same group of tourists, also came under attack as they tried to stop the violence. Five people, including two volunteers, have been detained in this regard.  The detainees are Laxman Chandra Das, Selim Ahmed, Sohel Rana, Nazim Uddin, and Joynal Abedin. They have been sent to the court on Friday.   Meanwhile, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mozibor Rahman, said tourists will not have to pay any fee for the next seven days to visit Jaflong.    

At least 20 passengers were injured in a collision of four buses and a private car in Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh on Friday, police said. Abdullah Al Mamun, officer-in-charge (OC) of Phulpur police station, said a bus collided head on with a Dhaka-bound bus from Sherpur at Imadpur in Phulpur around 11am. Also read: Two killed in Khulna road accidents Soon afterwards, two more buses hit the collided buses from behind and also a private car, leaving at least 20 people injured, said the OC. Among the injured, 10 were sent to Phulpur Health Complex while the rest were released with first aid. Also read: 2 killed in separate road crashes in city Although the road was closed for a while after the accident, the situation is now normal, said the OC.

Police on Friday recovered the body of a college student from Belpukur area in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi, two days after he had gone missing. The deceased was identified as Hasibur Rahman Sagar, 19, of the upazila. He was a Class-XI of Belpukur Ideal Degree College. Also read:2 sisters found dead after father takes them out for Eid shopping Sagar’s relatives spotted his body in Belpukur rail crossing area in the morning and alerted police. Sagor’s father Sahad Ali said he went to visit Green Valley Park in Natore's Lalpur upazila with his friends and had been missing since then. He also lodged a general diary with Belpukur Police Station. Police suspected that Sagar was killed two days ago after being hit on his head. Also read: Missing youth found dead in Chuadanga Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Belpukur police station, said they informed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to collect the evidence from the spot. GRP police were also informed for taking legal steps as the spot is under this station, said the OC.

The price of soybean oil has been increased in Bangladesh on grounds of rise in the global market as a fall-out of Russia’s war with Ukraine, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday. The minister made this remark while talking to the reporters during inspection of a project to develop Dhaka-Narayanganj road to six lanes in the Signboard area of Narayanganj. Also read: Govt approves fresh hike in edible oil price effective Friday The minister said, “Prices of everything including oil and fuel are rising all over the world following the war.” “Bangladesh is not an isolated place, so war’s effect will be everywhere.” However, Quader said, "People will not suffer because Sheikh Hasina is a crisis manager. She used her foresight to save the country even during the Covid pandemic. Our Prime Minister has the courage and integrity to deal with it.”

Police have fished out the body of a 34-year-old man from a river in Sunamganj’s Dirai upazila. Police said that locals spotted the body of the man floating in the Lauajani river in Bhatipara union of the upazila on Thursday and informed them. Also read:Seeing elder brother’s body, man dies in Chandpur Later, a team from the local police station fished out the body with the help of divers, a police official said. "The body had several injury marks," he said. The body was later sent to the morgue of Sunamganj Hospital for an autopsy. Also read:Village doctor's throat-slit body found in Rajshahi Chairman of Bhatipara Union Parishad, Mohammad Badrul Islam Chowdhury Miftah said, "A bike was also found parked along the riverbank."

Two youths riding a bike were crushed under the wheels of a car on Dhaka-Araihazar Road in Narayanganj on Thursday, police said. The deceased were identified as Laden, 18, a resident of Shilmandi area of Narsingdi district, and his friend Riyadh, 20, of Pratap area of the same district. Also read:Two killed in Khulna road accidents According to police, the duo fell off the bike while trying to overtake the car at high speed in the Araihazar area and came under the rear wheels of the four-wheeler. Araihazar Police Station officer-in-charge Anichur Rahman Mollah said that the two youths died on the spot. "We have seized the private car and arrested its driver." Also read:2 killed in city road crash The bodies of the deceased have been sent to the morgue of Sadar Hospital for autopsy, he added.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in Patuakhali’s Baufal upazila in the wake of the two rival factions of the ruling Awami League's (AL) local unit calling press conferences in the party office at the same time on Friday. The order under Section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people, will be in effect from 8am to 10pm on Friday as per the instructions of upazila nirbahi officer and executive magistrate Md Al Amin, police said. Also read: One killed, 10 injured in Faridpur clash The press conferences were called by the chairman and general secretary of the upazila AL, Abdul Motaleb Hawlader, and his rival in the party, Patuakhali-2 Baufal MP ASM Feroze, respectively. Due to the long-standing rivalry between the two AL factions, the upazila has witnessed several violent incidents over the years. Extra police personnel have been deployed near the upazila Janata Bhaban party office and other areas of the upazila to avoid any untoward situation, police said. Also read: About 100 people booked over death of 4 in Kushtia clash Party sources told UNB that the two AL leaders may meet the press at different venues due to the imposition of Section 144 of CrPC.

The national election in Bangladesh will be held on time following the Constitution, a top office-bearer of the ruling Awami League has said. "The nation election will not be held under a neutral government but under the country's neutral Election Commission," AL general secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters in Feni on Thursday night. Also read: Padma Bridge to be inaugurated in June: Quader "The Election Commission of Bangladesh will be in charge of all the ministries during the poll period," he asserted.  During his interaction with the media, the  Road Transport and Bridges Minister, however, raised questions over the top leadership of the BNP. "Who is their leader? If the BNP comes to power, who will head the government?” Also read: Roads better than ever, BNP lost their way: Obaidul Quader "The Constitution of Bangladesh is praised throughout the world. So, why should the government complain to foreign diplomats for persuading BNP to fight the election? Anyway, it will be held on time as per the Constitution," he added.

Two children, both cousins aged three, have drowned in a pond in Brahmanbaria’s Kasba upazila, police said on Friday. The deceased were identified as Mosaiba Akhter, daughter of Jewel Miah of Tinlakhpir village of the upazila, and her cousin Sanaul Haque. Also read:Rohingya boy drowns in Bay of Bengal The tragedy occurred in Tinlakhpir village of the upazila on Thursday. Monir Hossain, a local union council member, said Sanaul came with his family to visit his grandfather's house in the village during the Eid holidays. "In the afternoon, he was playing with his cousin when both of them fell into the pond and downed." Also read: 2 children drown in Barishal Officer-in-charge of Kasba Police Station, Mohammad Alamgir Bhuiyan, said that cops were sent to the spot "after we were alerted".