United News of Bangladesh

A mild earthquake was felt in Sylhet district and nearby areas on Wednesday night. The tremor, measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 10:53 pm, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The EMSC said the epicentre was located in Myanmar. It was about 112 kilometres north-northwest of Monywa in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region and around 75 kilometres southeast of Mawlaik. The quake caused panic among residents in Sylhet, with many people rushing out of their homes in fear. However, no damage was reported.

A 56-year-old man was shot dead in public by unidentified miscreants in the Oli Mia Hat area of Purba Gujra Union in Rauzan Upazila of Chattogram on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Abdul Majid Prakash, also known as Mujib Bhandari, a resident of the Oli Mia Hat area. The incident took place around 7:15 pm while he was sitting in a grocery shop in the local market. Sajedul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rauzan Police Station, said that an argument had taken place earlier between Majid and some locals. Shortly afterwards, the assailants arrived, shot him, and fled. Majid died on the spot. Local sources and BNP affiliates claimed that Majid was active in Jubo Dal politics, though it could not be confirmed whether he held any official position in the party. The OC said that his political affiliation has not yet been officially verified. Initial investigations indicate that the attackers are from the area, and police are conducting operations to identify and arrest them. Tiblu Kanti De, Resident Medical Officer of Rauzan Upazila Health Complex, said Majid died before being brought to the hospital.

Police have rescued a man in a chained state in Darshana upazila of Chuadanga district, four days after he was reportedly abducted. The rescued man is Md Bipul, 45, a resident of Botiapara village in Alamdanga Upazila and son of Abdul Sattar Mondal. Family sources said Bipul was at Chuadanga Sadar Post Office around 11am on Saturday when some unidentified people forced him into a vehicle and took him away. Since then, his whereabouts were unknown. His family filed general diary (GD) at Alamdanga Police Station. Locals spotted a man lying by the roadside in Hothatpara area of Darshana Municipality around 10 pm on Tuesday, with his hands and feet shackled. Initially, passersby thought he was a homeless person but they were shocked to find him chained. Locals immediately informed police. Darshana Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mehedi Hasan said, “A man was rescued from Hothatpara area in a chained condition. We verified with Alamdanga Police Station, as a GD had been filed there, and handed him over to them.” Alamdanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Bani Israil said he will be brought to the station for questioning to ascertain the facts.

Three members of a family suffered burn injuries in an explosion apparently from gas line leak at a house in Kachua upazila of Chandpur district on Wednesday morning The injured were identified as Khadiza, 30, Mahmudul, 35 and Sheuli Akter, 40 of the upazila. The explosion occurred around 8:30 am at  the house, leaving three people injured.  Later, they were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Jatrabari AC Blast: Death toll rises to 2 as another victim dies Among the injured, Khadiza received 35 percent burn injuries while Mahmudul and Sheuli received 4 percent and 2 percent burn injuries, respectively, said resident medical officer of National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Shaon Bin Rahman. The condition of Khadiza was stated to be critical, he said.

A mason died after being electrocuted while removing centering wood at a building in Keraniganj on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred around 5:30pm at a two-storey building owned by Anwar Hossain beside Kholamura Adarsha School under Model Police Station area, police said. The deceased was identified as Kawser Ali, 27. SI Rashed Ahmed of Keraniganj Model Police Station said police recovered the body from the spot and brought it to the police station around 10pm for autopsy. An unnatural death case was filed with the police station at around 10:30pm in this connection, he added.

Residents of Chandradwip union in riverine Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali staged a human chain and press briefing on Tuesday, alleging prolonged extortion and harassment by a local BNP leader and his associates. The protest programme was held at Chandradwip ferry ghat area, where over 500 men and women joined the demonstration demanding protection from alleged torture and improvement of law and order in the area. Participants spoke about various forms of harassment and intimidation they claim to have faced. Speakers alleged that local BNP leader Md Ruhul Rarhi, who is a joint convener of the union BNP and former president of the union Jubo Dal, along with his group, has been forcing locals to sell their land to watermelon cultivators and collecting large sums of money. They also claimed that farmers are compelled to pay tolls per plot of land and face assault and false cases if they protest. Locals further alleged that illegal sand extraction led by the same group is increasing erosion risks for thousands of residents in the union. A former head teacher of Charwadel Government Primary School, Md Ahsan Habib, said most residents live below the poverty line and rely on farming and fishing, yet they are allegedly forced to pay extortion regularly. He also stressed the need for establishing a police outpost in the riverine area. Denying the allegations, Ruhul Rarhi said the claims are propaganda by political opponents and supporters of the Awami League. Officer-in-Charge of Bauphal Police Station Mohammad Siddikur Rahman said legal action would be taken if a written complaint is filed after investigation.

A woman was robbed of cash in a brazen daylight snatching incident after miscreants intercepted the CNG auto-rickshaw she was travelling in in the Housing Estate area of Sylhet on Tuesday noon. According to police and local sources, six men on three motorcycles blocked the CNG auto-rickshaw on an inner road of the Housing Estate and snatched the woman’s bag after a brief struggle. The attackers then fled the scene on their motorcycles. CCTV footage of the incident, which has since spread online, shows one of the assailants getting off a motorcycle and forcibly pulling the bag from the passenger before speeding away. The woman was seen getting off the vehicle and crying for help, while passersby did not intervene directly. Police said the victim, a resident of the area, was returning home from a bank with cash when the incident occurred. The snatched bag reportedly contained money and some cheque leaves. Her identity could not be confirmed immediately. Former city councillor and acting president of Sylhet city unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Rezaul Hasan Koyes Lodi, said he collected the CCTV footage and handed it over to police, urging quick arrest of the culprits. Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station Shah Md Mubashir said police received a verbal complaint and have launched an operation to identify and arrest the suspects. Investigators are checking CCTV cameras in surrounding areas as the motorcycles used in the crime had no visible number plates.

A Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinee was killed in a head-on collision between a truck and a motorcycle in Muksudpur Upazila, Gopalganj, Tuesday afternoon. The accident occurred on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in the Nishitola area of Muksudpur. The deceased has been identified as Rafsan (16), son of Md. Zahidur Rahman of Muksudpur Sadar. Police and family sources said Rafsan was riding his motorcycle to attend a family matter when a loaded truck coming from the opposite direction collided with him. He sustained severe injuries in the crash. College student killed by train in Gopalganj Local residents rushed Rafsan to Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex for initial treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was being transported to Dhaka for advanced medical care. However, he died in the ambulance on the way to the capital. Muksudpur Police Officer-in-Charge Md. Abdullah Al Mamun told UNB that authorities were aware of the accident and the injured had been taken to Dhaka, but the police had not yet received formal confirmation of the death. 39 candidates file nominations in Gopalganj Meanwhile, Rafsan’s father, Md. Zahidur Rahman, confirmed to reporters that his son passed away en route to Dhaka.

At least 10 people were injured in a clash between two groups over local dominance in Shrikol Union, Shreepur Upazila, Magura, late Monday night. The confrontation involved retaliatory attacks and a grenade explosion in the villages of Chonogacha and Doshtina. The injured were admitted to Magura 250-bed Sadar Hospital for treatment. 6 injured in Magura BNP factional clash Shreepur police officer-in-charge Shahin Mia said the conflict stems from rivalry between two groups in the area. One group is led by Md. Salek Sardar (60), while the other is headed by Khandakar Habibur Rahman Habib (45). According to police, Habib’s associate Md. Mukul (40) and others were standing near Alim’s tea shop in Doshtina Bazar when Salek’s group, including Firoz Sardar (35), Rashedul Sardar (45), Sojal Sardar (27), Zahur Sheikh (30), and Rubel Sheikh (30), along with 5–6 unidentified members, detonated a grenade and attacked them with weapons, causing multiple injuries. In retaliation, Habib’s group entered Doshtina Bazar with swords and other weapons. During the confrontation, Salek’s supporters Md. Halim Sardar (45) and Khokon Sardar (55) were severely injured in the attack. Cop killed as truck hits motorcycle in Magura Police arrived at the scene promptly to bring the situation under control. Both sides’ local members helped transport the injured to Magura Sadar Hospital. Shahin Mia added that additional police have been deployed to prevent further violence. Two separate cases have been filed at Shreepur Police Station in connection with the incident.

A man injured in an attack following a longstanding land dispute over land in Sadar upazila of Rajbari district, died on Monday night, triggering arson at the houses of the accused early Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Atar Sheikh, 55, son of Ainuddin Sheikh of Bethulia Khondkar Para under Ramkantapur union of the upazila. Inspector (Investigation) Russell Molla of Rajbari Sadar Police Station, said Syed Javed Ali of Mia Para and Jalil Sheikh of Khondkar Para had been at loggerheads over the ownership of a piece of nearly 18 acres of land in Bethulia Khondkar Para of Sadar upazila. After the Liberation War, Javed Ali established a homestead on the disputed land. Following Jalil Sheikh’s death a few years ago, his sons claimed the land as ancestral property and built a tin-shed house there about two months ago, escalating tensions between the two sides. The matter eventually went to court after local mediation efforts failed. According to the family members of the victim, around 7:00am on Monday, 40–50 people led by Shamsul Haque Surjo, president of Ward No. 3 Awami League, attacked their newly built house with iron rods, sticks and locally made weapons, triggering a clash that left 20 people including Atar Sheikh injured. They vandalised and set fire to the structure and assaulted family members. Later, Atar Sheikh died at Sadar hospital around 8:30 pm while being taken to Dhaka for better treatment on Monday night.