United News of Bangladesh

A 13-year-old girl was killed while three others were injured as a nor’wester wrought havoc in the district on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Kulsum, daughter of Shawkat Ali of Munshipara Battoli village in Parbatipur upazila. Kulsum died on the spot when a portion of a wall of her house collapsed on her during the storm in Munshipara, said Imam Zafar, officer-in-charge of Parbatipur Police Station.

Two policemen sustained injuries after being allegedly attacked by a wanted criminal in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district on Tuesday. The injured cops were identified as sub-, inspector Arif Rabbani, 35, and Al Amin, 40, a constable posted in Raipura Police Station. Tipped off, a Raipura Police team raided the house of Swapan Mia, a criminal wanted in a robbery case, around 4pm on Tuesday, said Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Raipura Police Station. Read: 50-year-old man killed in Sylhet When SI Rabbani tried to arrest Swapan, he hit the officer on his head with a sharp weapon, leaving him critically injured. Amin sustained injuries trying to save Rabbani. Later, both of them were taken to Raipura Upazila Health Complex from where SI Rabbani was shifted to Dhaka for better treatment. "We have managed to arrest Swapan. He was wanted in several cases, including mugging and robbery," he added.  

A 50-year-old man was allegedly killed by a youth over a trivial matter in the Uposhohor area of Sylhet on Tuesday evening. The deceased, Selim Mia, was the owner of Rainbox Auto Dry Cleaners in the area. Officer-in-charge of Shahparan Police Station Anisur Rahman said an argument broke out between the accused, Nazmul Islam Monir, and Selim after the latter lost his mobile phone. "The argument turned violent when Monir suddenly hit Selim with a sharp object, leaving him seriously injured. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," the OC said. Read: Two die in bus-auto collision in Gaibandha The body has been sent to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. "We have arrested Monir in connection with the death. We are waiting for the autopsy report," the OC added.

At least three people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and an auto-rickshaw on the busy Dhaka-Rangpur highway in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha Wednesday morning. The deceased were identified as Sohel, 23, Taizul, 27, and Sobuj, 25, all residents of Pirganj upazila of Rangpur. Read: 2 children drown in pond in Narayanganj Palashbari Fire Service Station manager Mashiur Rahman said that the accident occurred when the Rangpur-bound passenger bus of Safa Paribahan hit the auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite side near the BTC Mor area of the highway. The impact of the crash was such that Sohel and Taizul died on the spot. Sobuj was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. "The bus driver and his assistant managed to flee," the official added.

Two minor children drowned in a pond at Sumilpara in Siddhirganj of Narayanganj district on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Jhumur, 7, daughter of Joynal and Abdullah, 8, son of Rubel Mia of Barishal district. Also read:Two kids drown in Thakurgaon The two children were playing near the pond of one Rehan in the afternoon when they fell into it. Later, local people found the floating bodies of the two children and took them to Khanpur 300-bed hospital where the doctors declared them dead.

There will be no gas supply in Bogura for up to 48 hours, from 10pm on Eid day. Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL) has decided to suspend gas supply in Bogura district for repair work of Petrobangla's GTCL on the east side of Bangabandhu Bridge, confirmed PGCL Bogura Regional Office Deputy General Manager (DGM) Engineer Debdeep Barua on Monday. Also read: BGMEA wants illegal gas connections to be snapped Debdeep Barua said gas supply to residential, commercial factories and CNG stations will be suspended for the next 48 hours from 10pm on Eid day. PGCL has at least 30,000 residential and commercial customers in Bogura. Debdeep said this decision will increase the suffering of the people during Eid as the pressure will be less in all areas in the district. Also read: Decision on 4-hour gas rationing in industries withdrawn Besides, there is a lot of work and traffic on the road on other days, he added. “With all this in mind, the next 48 hours from Eid night have been selected to suspend the gas supply for the work.”

A 12-year-old schoolboy died from electrocution while cutting a branch of a tree  at Gorosthanpara in Kurigram municipality on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Pushanto, a class IV student of a local primary school and son of Porosh of the area. Also read: Construction worker dies from electrocution in city Pushanto came in touch with an electric wire while cutting a branch of a tree and got electrocuted, said Khan Mohammad Shahrier, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. Later, he was taken to Kurigram General Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Also read: Farmer dies from electrocution in Jhenaidah

With five days left before Eid-ul-Fitr, Paturia ferry terminal authorities in Manikganj struggle to handle huge rush of passengers, vehicles heading towards 21 South-Western districts of the country. Amid the mad rush of homebound people, two of the 19 ferries- Birsreshtha Ruhul Amin and Enayetpuri- on this route went out of order, increasing the sufferings of passengers. Also read: New ferry terminal to be launched before Eid to ease holidaymakers’ journey Three other ferries that also went out of order earlier are now operating again on the route after temporary maintenance, said Shahnewaj, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Aricha sector. He said on Tuesday some 500 trucks, private vehicles, buses remained waiting in queues for their turn to cross the river. Private cars, microbuses need to wait for two to three hours to cross the river, claimed the passengers.  They alleged that due to excessive goods-laden trucks other vehicles have to wait for a longer period. Also read:Ferry services resume on Paturia-Daulatdia route after 4 hours BIWTA DGM Shahnewaj said, ”The ferries went out of order due to relentless services for the last few days but within the next two days two more ferries will start operation.” Additional Deputy Inspector General Zihadul Kabir after visiting Paturia Ghat said police along with other law enforcement agencies will work actively to keep the terminal jam-free and ensure safe journey of holidaymakers.

Farmers of the Sunamganj Haor region are living in fear of their paddy being washed away by the Surma river. The farmers said that a portion of the embankment adjacent to Ahsanpur School collapsed on Monday night, sending torrents of water crashing into the farm land of the haor in Jamalganj upazila. Also read: Another embankment collapses in Sunamganj haor area; DAE says 95% Boro harvested According to them, vast tracts of farm land in the haor could soon be inundated if steps are not taken by the authorities concerned at the earliest. Ali Nur, a local farmer, said, “I cultivated paddy after taking a loan. But now all my hard work has been washed away." Some blamed the authorities for their negligent attitude. "Due to the failure of the authorities concerned in securing the embankment, we have suffered losses," said Raju Mia, another farmer. Also read: Sunamganj farmers fear crops loss as floodwater enters haors Around 5,200 hectares of land in this haor has been brought under Boro cultivation, said upazila nirbahi officer Bishwajit Deb. "The farmers are trying their best to save their crops."

A Sylhet court on Tuesday sentenced prime  accused Faizul Hasan to life imprisonment in a case over attempting to kill renowned writer Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal on Shahajalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) campus in 2018. Another accused in the case, Faizul’s friend Md Shohag Mia was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and four others were acquitted. Those acquitted are Faizul’s father Atiqur Rahman, mother Minara Begum, brother Enamul Hasan, maternal uncle Md Fazlul Haque . Anti-Terrorism Special tribunal judge Nurul Amin handed down the judgment. Also read: Attack on Zafar Iqbal: Recording statements of witnesses ends On March 22, the court fixed Tuesday for delivering the judgment after hearing the arguments from both sides. On March 10, recording of testimonies in the sensational case was completed by recording statements of 35 of the 56 witnesses, said PP Mominur Rahman. All of them are currently in jail, he said. On March 3, 2018, Faizul swooped on Prof Zafar Iqbal and stabbed him with a knife at the SUST Mukta Mancha during a celebration programme, 'Robofight,' of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department. Also read: Couldn’t believe a teacher got arrested for giving rational answer in class: Zafar Iqbal SUST registrar Ishfaqul Hossain filed a case with Jalalabad police the following day. On March 8, a court placed Faizul on a 10-day remand for interrogation. Later Faizul gave confessional statement before court. On July 26, police pressed charges against six people, including Faizul and Atiqur, in connection with the attack. On October 4, 2018, the trial in the case began by framing charges against the accused.