United News of Bangladesh

Two cases have been filed against Barishal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Munibur Rahman in a Barishal court over the incident of violence in the city on August 18. Barishal City Corporation panel mayor Rafiqul Islam Khokon and official Md Babul filed the cases with Barishal Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court on Sunday.. In the two cases, the UNO was accused of obstructing BCC’s work, disabling two people and injuring 30-40 people by giving orders to attack, fire bullets without any incitement. Besides, 40 to 50 anonymous people and posted Ansar guards at the UNO’s residence that night were accused in those cases. Acknowledging the two cases judge Masum Billah ordered Superintendent of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct an investigation and submit a report within September 23. Read: Barishal violence: 2 ruling party activists lose eyesight Earlier in the morning the court rejected bail plea of 21 Awami League men arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack on the residence of UNO Munibur and ordered them to provide medical treatment under custody of jail. A clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members and Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night. Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. Of them two AL men lost their eyesights later. Earlier two separate cases were filed in this connection. Upazila Nirbahi officer Munibur Rahman of Barisal Sadar Upazila and Assistant sub-inspector of police Shahjalal Mallick were the plaintiffs in these cases accusing the mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and his men of obstruction of government work and attempt to murder.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Saturday arrested a woman from Chattogram as she allegedly killed her expatriate husband at her Feni residence. The arrestee was identified as Rokeya Akhter Sheuli, 28, wife of Dubai-expatriate Md Sohel, 35, of Chauddagram in Cumilla. Read:2 held for killing man in Gaibandha Sources of Rab said that two children of the expatriate were rescued. Rab-7 Senior Assistant Director (Media) Mohammad Nurul Absar said Sheuli fled to Fatikchhari upazila of Chittagong from Feni with her two children after  hacking her husband Sohel to death at their house on Sufi Sadar Uddin Road in Feni town. Read:Mother, son arrested after 10 months of murder On information, police recovered the body and sent it to a hospital morgue, said  Nizam Uddin, officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station. On Saturday, she wandered different areas in Fatikchhari for renting a house. Later, on information, a team of Rab arrested her at night, according to Rab.

The cleaners employed by Barishal City Corporation returned to work from Saturday evening after not working for three days. The development came after the city Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah made an earnest call to them to return to their posts on Saturday in a press conference. He also urged the local  administration not to harass the officials and employees of the city corporation at the press conference. Also read: Barishal violence: 2 ruling party activists lose eyesight Jewel, a cleaner who came to clean up the garbage in the Bibir Pukur Paar area of the city said, “We have returned after three days listening to the plea of our city mayor. All the garbage shall be cleaned.” Also read: Mayor vs UNO: Garbage piles up on the streets of Barishal Another cleaner, identifying himself as Biplob said,”We are in the midst of the terror of arrest.Still we have returned to work responding to our mayor and considering the misery of the city dwellers.” Garbage piled up on the streets with no cleaners around as an uneasy calm prevailed in the city on Friday, two days after clashes broke out between supporters of the mayor and law enforcers leaving dozens of people injured. On Friday, the weekend morning walkers were greeted with heaps of rotting and stinking garbage on streets across the city. Two large piles were found even on the Dhaka-Barishal highway disrupting traffic. The city dwellers have been facing this situation for the past two days as the city corporation's cleaners staged their version of a wildcat strike. It is being seen as a fall-out of the violence on Wednesday night when dozens of activists from AL and its fearsome student front, Bangladesh Chhatra League, stormed into the residence of Sadar upazila nirbahi officer in a dispute over the removal of some banners from his office premises. Tension mounted after the UNO and police filed two cases against 94 people in which city mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah was named as the prime accused for the violence. Meanwhile, the city residents suffered. Fazle Swapan of Barishal Central Bus Terminal in Nathullabad area said that garbage remained dumped in the streets for the last two days.  Normally the garbage would have been cleared every night but the cleaners stopped working after the clashes. The transport workers, including supporters of the mayor, activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League, blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway with buses in Rupatoli and Nathullabad Bus Terminal areas in the small hours of Wednesday. The dumped garbage  has not been cleaned from the streets since that night. CNG driver Rubel said that from Kashipur to Amtala junction, he saw garbage dumped in the middle of the road and in front of the UNO office. "We are also having troubles in driving," he added Mahfuz of BM College Road area said that the garbage had piled up in the area for two days. It fills the air with a foul odour, and the strewn garbage piles also disrupt movement of vehicles, added Mahfuz.   Meanwhile, volunteers who normally help Covid jab seekers, moved out of 24 vaccination centres in the Barishal City Corporation area on Thursday.   UNB correspondent's phone calls and SMS to Barishal City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Syed Farooq Hossain and Chief Cleaning Officer Dr. Rabiul Islam went unanswered.

A Hindu man gave a confessional statement before a magistrate Saturday that the reason he 'cremated' his Muslim wife's body after her death was to hide the evidence that he killed her. Bablu Dey, 30, gave his statement to the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate (Forest Court) Begum Anjuman Ara today under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, almost three weeks after his wife Yasmin Akhtar Annie, 24, died, and he cremated her body without informing her family members. "My wife lost consciousness and fell on the ground as I whacked her on the head and struck her on the face in the heat of the moment. Then I called on a physician from a local pharmacy who declared her dead. Next, I burnt her body on the advice of the influential locals to prevent any police action," Bablu told the court. Complainant Roxana Begum told the police that her daughter Yasmin, a resident of Chattogram city's Bandartila, worked for an apparel factory, and Bablu was employed at a local saloon. "She got married to Bablu, who identified himself as Muslim when they formed a romantic attachment. However, soon after marriage Bablu's full religious identity was revealed, and Yasmin was tortured over their differences. They have a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter," she said. On August 3, Roxana got to know that Yasmin was murdered by her husband and then quickly 'cremated' to prevent any police action. What is shocking here is that Yasmin had never converted to Hinduism. "I filed a case with the Chattogram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court over the incident. Bablu was among the 18 people accused in the case," said Roxana. Also read: Mother, son arrested after 10 months of murder Next, Boalkhali police arrested Bablu Thursday night. The plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Hasan Ali said, "Bablu told the court that he cremated his wife's body on the advice of a few influential locals. After recording his statement, the court gave an order to send him behind bars." Also read: 3 arrested over mason's mysterious death in Chattogram

Two activists of the ruling Awami League and its youth front Jubo League, who suffered gunshot wounds in firing by the village defence party or Ansar last Wednesday in Barishal have lost their eyesight. The unfortunate duo were identified as Monirul Islam Monir, president of Ward 23(Barishal city) Awami League unit, and  Tanvir, a Jubo League activist. Shafiquzzaman Rubel, the Mayor of Muladi Municipality of Barishal disclosed the matter to the press on Saturday. They are currently undergoing treatment in Dhaka, he added. Some 21 people have been arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack at the residence of the Barishal Sadar UNO till Saturday noon, said police. Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said “So far police have arrested 21 people in connection with the attack on the residence of the UNO and 13 of them were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday while the rest on Saturday from different parts of the city.” The clash broke out on Wednesday  between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night. Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. According to witnesses, the city corporation staff went to the residence of UNO Munibur to lower a banner hanging over the area. At one stage, the UNO came out and enquired about the matter, leading to a verbal altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a city corporation staffer. During this time, some 25-30 people entered the complex, and a scuffle broke out between Ansar and the mob, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them. On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse the mob. Some 25 people were injured in the clashes with the police and Ansar. Two separate cases were filed in this connection. Barishal city corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah has been made the primary accused in both the cases.

Garbage piled up on the streets with no cleaners around as an uneasy calm prevailed in the city on Friday, two days after clashes broke out between supporters of the mayor and law enforcers leaving dozens of people injured. On Friday, the weekend morning walkers were greeted with heaps of rotting and stinking garbage on streets across the city. Two large piles were found even on Dhaka-Barishal highway disrupting traffic. The city dwellers have been facing this situation for the past two days as the city corporation’s cleaners went on an unannounced strike from work.

Police recovered the body of a worker, who had gone missing three days ago while taking bath,  from the Madhumati River in Bagerhat district on Saturday.  The deceased was identified as Billal Molla, 26, a resident of Garfa village in Mollahat upazila who used to work as a laborer in cargo ships. On August 18, Billal went missing while taking bath in the river near old ferry ghat area in Mollahat upazila. READ: Missing Chinese citizen found dead in Chattogram A diver team of Khula Fire Brigade conducted a rescue drive and  announced the ending of the drive as they did not get any trace of Billah after two days, said Deputy Assistant Director of Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense Md Golam Sarwar. Officer-in-Charge of Mollahat police station Somen Das said locals found Billal’s floating body two kilometers away from the spot where he went missing on and informed police. READ: Body comes up of fisherman who went missing at sea Police recovered  the body from Greece Nagar area and handed it over to family after filing a case of unnatural death, said the OC.

Police have arrested 21 people in connection with the cases filed over the attack on the residence of Barishal Sadar UNO till Saturday noon, said police. Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said “So far police have arrested 21 people in connection with the attack on the residence of the UNO and 13 of them were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday while the rest on Saturday from different parts of the city.” Earlier, on Wednesday, the clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night. READ: Barishal clash: AL demands removal of UNO, release of party men Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. According to witnesses, the city corporation staff went to the residence of UNO Munibur to lower a banner hanging over the area. At one stage, the UNO came out and enquired about the matter, leading to a verbal altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a city corporation staff. During this time, some 25-30 people entered the complex, and a scuffle broke out between Ansar and the mob, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them. READ: Barishal mayor among 94 ruling party activists sued over violence On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse the mob. Some 25 people were injured in the clashes with the police and Ansar. Two separate cases were filed in this connection.

Eight more people have died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours at Kushtia General Hospital, health officials said on Saturday morning. All the eight deceased were confirmed Covid patients and had been admitted to the hospital’s Covid unit. READ: Nine more die of Covid in Kushtia Kushtia General Hospital official Md Mejbaul Alam said that the number of Covid deaths increased on Saturday as compared to that of Friday but the number of Covid-infected patients have decreased. As of Saturday morning, the infection rate in Kushtia was 19.08 percent. READ: Kushtia logs 7 more Covid deaths So far, 17,165 Covid-19 infected people have been identified in the district, of which 14,478 people have recovered and 693 died.

The local administration has extended the ongoing ban on fishing in Kaptai Lake till August 31. Commander of the Bangladesh Navy and marketing manager of the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC), Touhidul Islam, said that the ban on netting, marketing and transportation of fish from Kaptai Lake has been extended by 10 days. READ: Patuakhali: 18 held for violating fishing ban Earlier, the BFDC had extended the ban on fishing twice. The latest decision has been taken to increase the safe breading of fish and water level in the lake, said Touhidul. According to the new decision, fishermen can catch fish from September 1. On April 26, the local administration  imposed a three-month ban on netting, marketing and transportation of fish from Kaptai Lake with effect from May 1. READ: 22-day Hilsa fishing ban: 5,533 jailed, Tk243 crore net seized The ban was imposed to ensure natural breeding of carp fish. The ban was subsequently extended. Every year, the government imposes a three-month ban on fishing, marketing and transportation of fish from Kaptai Lake aiming to ensure the natural breeding of fish.