United News of Bangladesh

Forest Department officials of Rangunia upazila in Chattogram have rescued an elephant stuck in a canal for seven hours. According to locals, the elephant had been stuck in the mud of Toila Vanga canal in Shilok union of the upazila since 5 am. The forest department at around 12 pm managed to rescue the elephant. Local resident Nurul Alam said the elephant had been stuck in about 7 feet deep mud since dawn. Hearing the loud cries of the middle-aged elephant, the locals informed the Forest Department, he said. Also read: Wild elephant kills woman in Rangamati Rangunia Range Officer of the Forest Department, Masum Kabir, said that the staff and doctors went to the spot around 8 am on information and provided it with saline. It was pulled out of the mad tying with a rope. The elephant was later released into the wild, he said. Also read: Another wild elephant found dead in Sherpur

A man was killed, allegedly by his son, over a family feud at Saratail Dakshinpara village of Shahjadpur upazila on Thursday evening, police said. The killed was identified as Sakhawat Hossain, son of late Ishaq Mollah of the village. Police have arrested two sons of the victim, Rubel and Rakib for interrogation. Read: 15km tailback on west of Bangabandhu Bridge amid Eid rush Shahid Mahmud Khan, officer-in-charge of Shahjadpur Police Station said, the dispute with elder son Rubel started after Sakhawat bought a CNG for his younger son Rakib. Around 7:30 pm on Thursday, Sakhawat had a brawl with his elder son Rubel and his wife Alpona Khatun. It was followed by an altercation among them. At one stage, Rubel hit his father mercilessly with a stick, leaving him critically injured, according to the allegation. Read: Man stabbed dead in Chattogram He died on the way to the hospital. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital morgue for autopsy.  A case has been filed in this regard, the OC added.

A 15- kilometre long tailback formed on the west side of Bangabandhu Bridge in Sirajganj as commuters headed home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday. Massive traffic jams were witnessed from Bangabandhu Bridge Gorchatbar area to Nalka intersection as a truck broke down at Balukol area of Kamarkhand upazila, said Mosaddek Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bangabandhu Bridge West Police Station. Read: Roads better than ever, BNP lost their way: Obaidul Quader The quick response team of the police rushed to the spot and removed the broken truck and the traffic got normal in the afternoon, he added. The OC also mentioned that about 600 policemen are on duty to reduce traffic congestion on the district highways.

A 32-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by neighbors at Sheikhnagar area of Madhyam Mahadevpur in Sitakunda Upazila of Chattogram district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Md Bablu, son of Kamal Uddin of the area. According to the locals, a quarrel broke out between two women over the use of a ghat on Tuesday. Saiful and Shahin, each representing one of the families, locked into an altercation over the incident the same day.   Read: Ctg youth who dreamt of becoming a cricketer commits suicide On Wednesday, Shahin along with some other people tried to drag Saiful away. Bablu came to the spot during the scuffle. When he tried to stop them, someone stabbed him, leaving him seriously injured. Later, Bablu was rushed to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries early Friday after being treated there for three days. Efforts are on to nab the accused quickly, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Police Station.  

An 18-year-old youth, whose dream was to become a cricketer, took his own life at his house in EPZ area of Chattogram, having failed to endure acute poverty. The deceased was identified as Sagar Majumdar, son of Nayan Majumdar of the city. He was a class XI student of Islamia University College in the city. Also read: KUET student commits suicide at home Sagar committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his house in the absence of family members on Thursday night, said police. Later, he was rushed to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where the doctor declared him dead around 11pm. The body was kept in CMCH morgue for an autopsy, Sadekur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pachlaish police station. Family sources said Sagar's dream was being a cricketer. But he got mentally ill as his family had to fight with poverty due to his father’s illness. The OC said they suspect Sagar to have committed suicide. “However, details can be known after an autopsy.” Also read:2 farmers’ suicide for irrigation water: Agriculture secy vows strict action Suicidal tendency among students Bangladesh reports 70% more deaths from suicide than Covid-19, according to a recent study by Aachol Foundation, a student oriented non-profit social organization, published on March 14, last year. Some 61.2 percent of young people, aged 18-25, have been suffering from depression during the pandemic, and among them 3.7 percent have attempted suicide, as per the study.

Call it the Eid travel rush at the Barishal ferry terminal, as hundreds of people have begun travelling to their hometowns to celebrate the festival. Some 23 ferries have been anchored at the Barishal terminal since Friday midnight as authorities have started special services for Eid holidays. On Thursday, each of these ferries carried 4,000 passengers from Dhaka to Barishal, according to the terminal authorities. Also read: Smoke in Barishal-bound launch creates panic among passengers According to the authorities, Rajarhat B was the first vessel to reach Barishal from the capital's Sadarghat around 1am, followed by Royal Cruise, Pubali 7, Farhan 7, Manami, Red Sun, Parbat 10, Prince Awlad 10, Kuakata 2, Sundarban 11 and Surovi 8.

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 15-year-old boy in her neighbourhood in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha on Thursday. The accused has been absconding since the alleged crime. The rape survivor is undergoing treatment at Gaibandha District Hospital, said Masud Rana, officer-in-charge of Palashbari police station. Also read: Schoolgirl gang raped in Rajshahi; 2 held The accused teen went to the girl's house when she was alone and took her to a deserted house promising to buy her a dress for Eid, said the OC. "In the deserted house, the teen raped her." The girl started bleeding after the alleged rape and narrated her ordeal to her mother. The girl’s mother lodged a complaint at Palashbari police station in this regard on Friday, said OC Masud. Also read:  Khulna police make 6 arrests after indigenous woman gangraped at home

As many as 25 people, including Education Minister Dipu Moni's brother Jayedur Rahim Wadud Tipu, are in the dock for misappropriating over 48.5 acres of government land in a remote char area in Haimchar upazila of Chandpur. A case has been filed at the upazila senior assistant judge's court by the Chandpur district administration against the accused. Deputy Commissioner Anjana Khan Majlish told UNB, “The case was filed by me on behalf of the administration as the 48 acres are special land parcels owned by the government." Also read: Case filed against 2 for derogatory FB posts on mayor Taposh Prime accused in the case, Jayedur Rahim is the vice president of the Chandpur District Awami League unit. He is currently in Saudi Arabia with his sister for Umrah pilgrimage, she said. The other accused include Humayun Patwary, a leader of Haimchar upazila AL committee, and Salahuddin Sardar, a former Union Parishad chairman, said DC Anjana. The court has fixed May 31 to hear the case. According to the complaint, in 1950, the sand bar emerged at Baherchar Mouza after erosion of another sand bar or char. Also read: Don't react to provocations on social media: Dipu Moni The government recorded it as payasti land (alluvial land) and leased it to local farmers. Tipu allegedly misappropriated the government land by preparing fake deeds, which was brought to the attention of the district administration.

Police arrested a 55-year-old man in the early hours of Thursday as he allegedly placed the Holy Quran inside a temple in Patuakhali's Bauphal.   Locals handed over Md Md Idris from the village Nalua of Bakerganj upazila to the law enforcers as he tried to take to the heels after keeping the Quran at Sarbojonin Kali Mandir in Uttar Rajnagar-Palpara, Boga union. At 3:30am Sanjoy Paul, a local, saw Idris coming out of the temple, Officer-in-Charge of Bauphal Police Station Al Mamun said. Idris tried to run away as Sanjoy asked him what he was doing there. Locals rushed to the place as Sanjoy shouted and caught Idris. They found the Quran on a pot in front of an idol of Goddess Kali. At one point, Idris admitted that it was wrong for him to keep the Quran there. On information, police came to the place at 4am and brought Idris to Bauphal Police Station. Additional police were deployed at the area to ward off further trouble. Police filed a case in connection with the incident, Al Mamun said. "We will apply for taking the accused on remand in police custody for interrogation."

Export and import through Tamabil land port in Sylhet's Gowainghat will remain suspended for eight days from Friday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of  the Muslims. Shahed Arefin Zahedy, deputy commissioner of customs (Land Customs Station), confirmed the matter on Thursday. Trade activities through Tamabil Land Port will remain suspended from April 29 to May 6. The land port activities will resume on May 7, Zahedy added. However, the official activities of the land port and customs station will continue, he said.