United News of Bangladesh

Voting for the bypoll to Sylhet-3 constituency began on Saturday morning amid tight security arrangements. Polling began at 8 am will continue till 4pm without any break, said regional election officer Foysal Quader. So far, there have been no reports of any violence. According to the Election Commission, a two-member committee has been formed to ensure free and fair polling in the three upazilas -- Dakkhin Surma and Balaganj -- under the constituency. Besides, three judicial magistrates have been appointed to oversee polling between September 2 and September 6. Also read: Parliamentary bypolls: AL announces candidates for three vacant seats As many as 21 executive magistrates are also on poll duty to maintain law and order. Some 17-18 members of law enforcement agencies, including police and Ansar, are manning each polling booth. Meanwhile, mobile forces, comprising police, APBn, Ansar, 12 striking force, 12 teams of RAB and 12 platoons of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), have been deployed to ensure peaceful voting. The constituency fell vacant after its MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury succumbed to Covid on March 11. The bypoll was deferred twice due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. On July 26, the High Court stayed the bypoll to the constituency till August 5 due to the worsening Covid situation in the country. Later, the court asked the Election Commission to complete the bypoll by September 7. Also read: Awami League announces candidates for 27 local body polls Habibur Rahman Habib got the AL ticket for contesting while the other candidates -- Mohammad Atiqur Rahman of Jatiya Party, Junaid Mohammad Mia of Bangladesh Congress and Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury -- are in the fray as independents. Also read: By-elections: 94 aspirants collect nomination papers from the Awami League Some 3.5 lakh people are eligible to vote in the bypoll.  

The Water Development Board (WDB) opened all the 44 gates of Teesta Barrage on Friday to rein in the high water pressure, with the river flowing 35cm above the danger level. Around 11am on Friday, water flow in the barrage was recorded at 52.95 cm, said WDB officials. "Due to heavy rains, most of the gates of Gajal Doba barrage on the Indian side were opened, which increased the water level of the Teesta and adjoining small rivers," said Executive Engineer Mizanur Rahman. But the official said the water level may decrease by afternoon. Also read: Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless Flood-like situation triggered by the increased water level of the river is giving several residents of the district sleepless nights. The worst-hit are around 3,000 families in Angarpota-Dahagram of Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singimari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari union sandbar area, Mahishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila, Rajpur of Sadar upazila, Khuniagach, Gokunda union and the Sandbar area of Kaliganj upazila. Also read: Teesta flowing above danger level with India opening barrage gates These families have demanded speedy implementation of the Teesta mega project as this is the fourth time this year that they have been hit.

Indian authorities on Thursday sent back seven Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to that country two years ago. The seven were received by the Benapole immigration police at the international land border after India’s Petrapole immigration authorities sent them back on travel permit. The returnees have been identified as- Shirina Bishwash Kuri from Jashore, Anjuman Sumi from Kuri village, Moushumi Akter from Farispur, Ria Akter from Chattogram, Shohagi akter Mim from Sreepur, Zakia Akter from Khagrachari and Suma Akter from Sunamganj. Also read: Banned Indian drugs worth Tk 30 lakh seized at Benapole All of them are aged between 25 and 30 years. Officer-in-charge of Benapole immigration police Ahsan Habib said that the women were produced in a local court that granted them bail. "The women have been taken to a shelter home by NGO Justice and Care." The women told cops that they had entered  India two years ago illegally through brokers and who promised job opportunities there. Also read: Govt relaxes conditions for returnees from India through Benapole Senior program officer of Justice and Care, ABM Muhit Hossain said that Indian police rescued the women after getting to know that they had fallen into the trap of human traffickers. The returnees will stay in 14-day institutional quarantine in Jashore for now considering the current Covid situation, said the officer. "After that, we will help them get jobs in Bangladesh,” he said.

Police on Thursday arrested 11 Rohingyas  including six children and women from a bus counter of Hanif Enterprise in Panchagarh town. Abdul Latif Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station, said these Rohingyas came to the bus counter in Dhakkamara area to go to Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar. Police suspected that they fled the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar and settled in Panchagarh. Tipped off, police arrested them from the spot. The arrestees will be sent to Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar, the OC added.

Flood situation in Sirajganj has worsened as Jamuna River continues to swell above the danger level leaving at least one lakh people marooned. The Jamuna is flowing 61 cm above the danger level in Sirajganj, deputy-assistant engineer Zakir Hossain of the Water Development Board told UNB on Thursday. Sirajganj Sadar, Shahzadpur, Kazipur, Chowhali and Belkuchi have been the hardest hit upazilas, he added. As usual, low-lying areas and croplands have mostly been affected by the flood. READ: Flood in Kurigram getting worse A huge portion of croplands has also been submerged adding to the miseries of the flood-hit people.

Film actress Pori Moni was released from jail on Wednesday, 27 days after her arrest in a drugs case.   Wearing a white dress and a white scarf, Pori Moni walked out of Kashimpur Central Jail around 9.30 am, prison sources said.   She was received by her legal counsel Nilanjana Rifat and relative Jashim Uddin at the jail gate, who had been waiting for her since morning.   Immediately after stepping out of the jail, the 29-year-old Dhallywood actor took a selfie apparently to express her joy at being freed.   Hundreds of people had gathered outside the jail gate to have a glimpse of the popular actress.   Advocate Nilanjana said, “The bail order reached the jail last night, and that’s why she was freed in the morning."   A Dhaka court on Tuesday granted bail to Pori Moni in the drugs case filed under the Narcotics Control Act.   Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Emrul Kayesh had granted the relief to the actress on a bail bond of Tk 20,000. Read: Court brings forward Pori Moni’s bail hearing to August 31   On August 22, Pori Moni was sent to jail after inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Kazi Golam Mostafa produced her in a court on the completion of a one-day remand.    And on that day only, judge Emrul Kayesh set September 13 for hearing her bail petition in the case. However, the actress subsequently moved the High Court, challenging the validity of the lower court's decision.   Read: HC seeks explanation over delay in Pori Moni’s bail plea hearing

The Chandpur Civil Surgeon's Office has temporarily suspended the Covid vaccination drive at District Sadar Hospital due to an acute shortage of jabs. There is a vaccine crisis in the entire district as the number of registrations is more than the available stock, the chief medical officers of various upazila health complexes told UNB. Read: Dhaka receives 56 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses People from different parts of Chandpur Sadar who came to the vaccination centre of the state-run hospital Tuesday, returned disappointed after a long wait. Among them were 70-year-old Afia Khatun, who came from the Laxmipur area of Sadar, Hasina Begum, 45, of the Mahamaya area of Sadar upazila, and Biplob Saha of Puran Bazar and his wife. Besides, the stock of vaccines has run out in Kachua, Faridganj, Hajiganj, Matlab South and Matlab North. And so the registration for jabs has been suspended at the upazila health complexes in these areas. Dr Belayet Hossain of Haimchar Upazila Health Complex, said that their stock of vaccines is also running out. The situation is the same in Shahrashti. He told UNB that due to the shortage of jabs, vaccination has been halted in the entire district. "Of course, it is temporary," the doctor added. Read:EPI staff suspended for pushing Covid vaccine at home Civil Surgeon Dr M Sakhawatullah said there is more registration for vaccines than the available stock of the Covid jabs, "and hence the shortage". "Hopefully we'll receive more vaccine doses by Saturday. Then the inoculation of the first and second doses will start again."

Seven more people have died of Covid-19 at Kushtia General Hospital in the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday morning. Covid fatalities in the district was just one the previous day, which gave hope to its residents that the worst was over. Read: Mentally disturbed woman drowns baby in Kushtia, held Besides, 45 people emerged positive for Covid in the district during this period, after 259 samples were tested. The positivity rate currently stands at 17.37%. Statistics officer of Kushtia General Hospital Md Mejbaul Alam said that a total of 80 people with Covid symptoms are currently undergoing treatment at the leading medical facility. The number is significantly low compared to that of July and the better part of August when almost all the 250 beds of the hospital used to be occupied with Covid patients. Read: Eight more die of Covid in Kushtia So far, 17,688 people have been infected with the virus in the district, while the death toll reached 724 on Tuesday. On the other hand, 12,308 people have recovered from Covid to date.

A 70-year-old farmer was "shot dead" Monday in Rangamati's Kaptai "during a turf battle between two local armed groups." The deceased, Thoai Angprugri Marma, was from Kukimara Marma Para of Kaptai upazila. "Gunshots were heard near ward 3 of Wagga union in Kukimara at 5pm. The farmer was returning from work, taking the Baraichari-Ghagra road at this time. But no one could confirm who was involved in the shootout," Union Parishad member Angsapru Marma said. READ: 4 UPDF members arrested in Rangamati Assistant Superintendent of Police (Kaptai Circle) Raushan Ara Rob said the cause of the farmer's death can be determined after an investigation. Officer-in-Charge of Kaptai Police Station Md Nasir Uddin said the body had been recovered from the spot and kept in police custody. "A case will be filed over the incident." READ: 3 die as truck falls into river in Rangamati

Health authorities have suspended a staff (vaccine carrier) of Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)  in North Matlab upazila in Chandpur district for pushing Covid-19 jabs at receivers’ homes. The suspended staff is  Mohammad Jakir Mia, 40,  upazila health and family planning officer Nusrat Jahan Mithen told UNB. READ: Sirajganj UP chairman suspended on graft charge The staff was accused of pushing Covid jabs to people  at their homes in Moradon and Thakurchar villages on August 19 and 22 respectively in exchange of money defying the rules of the health department, she said. As per the directive of Civil Surgeon Dr M Shakawatullah a 3-member probe committee was formed with medical officer of the upazila health complex Dr Mainul Islam Monas  as the convener. The committee found his involvement in the irregularities in its investigation. READ: BIWTC officer suspended for not wearing mask