United News of Bangladesh

An eight-month-old child died at Kushtia Medical College Hospital early Friday after being admitted with symptoms consistent with measles, hospital officials said. Afran, son of Al Amin of Bhadalia village in Kushtia Sadar upazila, died around 5:30am. According to the family, the child had been suffering from cold, fever and reddish rashes. He was initially taken to a local physician and later admitted to the hospital on medical advice. The child’s father said Afran’s condition deteriorated on Thursday and turned critical early Friday, alleging lack of timely support from the hospital staff. Rejecting the allegation, hospital’s Deputy Director HM Anwarul Islam said the infant had been in critical condition since admission and was advised to be shifted to Dhaka for advanced treatment. However, the family did not proceed with the advice, he said, adding that doctors provided treatment to the best of their ability before the child died.

A man, who was injured in an attack allegedly by his uncles over a land dispute in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat on Thursday, died at a hospital on Friday morning. Akhtaruzzaman, son of Rafiqul Islam of Purba Fakirpara village under Fakirpara union of the upazila, succumbed to his injuries at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. Locals said Akhtaruzzaman had long been in dispute with his uncles over the share of homestead his grandmother left them. The conflict escalated on Thursday afternoon when his uncles allegedly attacked him with sticks, leaving him critically injured. After being rescued, he was initially taken to Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex. As his condition deteriorated, he was later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment. Following the incident, two suspects – Shahinur and Nuruzzaman – went into hiding. However, locals caught another uncle, Matin, 40, and handed him over to police. Officer-in-Charge of Hatibandha Police Station Ramjan Ali said police visited the spot and took Matin into custody.

A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) was shot and hacked to death by miscreants in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna on Thursday night. Victim Imran Hossain Sohagh, 26, son of Enamul Haque of Baghil Mannabipara village in the upazila, was the convener of the proposed upazila JCD committee and the member secretary of the upazila unit of Zia Cyber Force. According to locals, Sohagh was gossiping with his friends at a tea stall in front of Sada Gopalpur High School in the municipal town when masked attackers hacked him indiscriminately and shot him around 10:30pm before fleeing. He died on the spot. Additional Superintendent of Police (Ishwardi Circle) Pranab Kumar said police reached the scene after receiving information. Cartridges were recovered from the spot. The body was sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy, he said, adding that they launched an investigation into the murder.

Cumilla’s Chandina Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land), Faisal Al Noor, has been removed from his post on Thursday after handcuffing two journalists and sending them to a police station over a video recording incident. Faisal was withdrawn from his role as Assistant Commissioner (Land) and assigned to the office of the Divisional Commissioner in Sylhet as a Senior Assistant Commissioner for future posting, according to a government notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration. The two journalists involved were Russel Sarkar, Debidwar correspondent of Daily Manab Zamin, and Abdul Alim, Debidwar correspondent of Face the People and the local newspaper Amar Shohor in Cumilla. The incident sparked public outrage after a photo circulated on social media showing the journalists in handcuffs, prompting protests from local media personnel. Abdul Alim explained that the conflict began over his cousin’s land registration case, which Faisal Al Noor had been delaying for the past year. On April 1, the hearing was scheduled, and Alim went to Chandina with Russel to attend. He said, Around 1:45 pm, we asked the AC whether the hearing would take place that day. He became agitated and began mistreating us. When I tried to record the interaction on my mobile, he grabbed my phone. When I resisted, he called the police and handcuffed both of us, sending us to the station. Alim added that despite identifying themselves as journalists, they faced mistreatment. At the station, their photos and videos were deleted, and they were forced to sign a statement promising not to pursue the matter further.

Two twin brothers were rescued from Gazipur three days after they went missing from Sirajganj, police said, adding that they had left home to avoid continuing their studies at a madrasah. The boys – Russell and Rashedul, both 11 – are sons of Nazrul Islam of Dhitpur village in Shahjadpur upazila. Inspector (Investigation) of Belkuchi Police Station Zahurul Haque said the siblings started by boat for Boura Barek Maulana Qawmi Madrasah in Belkuchi upazila where they used to study. However, they neither reached the madrasah nor returned home, he said, prompting their father to file a general diary on Tuesday afternoon. Following the missing complaint, police launched an investigation. Using information technology, they traced the boys to a hotel in the Chandra Mor area under Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur, where they had taken up work. They were rescued on Wednesday afternoon and later handed over to their family, the police officer said. He said the brothers were unwilling to continue their studies at the madrasah. They changed their traditional Panjabi attire, wore shirts and travelled by bus to Gazipur.

Owners of CNG, LPG and petrol pumps across Sylhet division have called off their indefinite strike, bringing an end to uncertainty triggered by the sudden halt in fuel supply. Barrister Riasad Azim Haque Adnan, acting president of the Sylhet divisional committee of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association, disclosed the decision around 2:30am on Thursday. He said they suspended the strike following discussions with the authorities concerned, but warned of fresh programmes if their demands are not met. Earlier, around 11pm on Wednesday, pump owners suddenly stopped selling fuel and gas, alleging “extortion” in the name of fines by the administration. The move sparked fears of a fuel crisis across Sylhet, causing anxiety among drivers and consumers. In response, the administration and political leaders took immediate steps to tackle the situation. Around 1:30am on Thursday, an emergency meeting was held between pump owners, and officials and political leaders, including Sylhet city BNP General Secretary Imdad Ahmed Chowdhury and Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Kuddus Chowdhury, at the Moglabazar Meghna Oil Depot in South Surma. Sources said the strike was suspended following assurances that steps will be taken to meet the demands of the fuel pump owners.

Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of the country resumed on Thursday afternoon, after 17 hours of suspension following the derailment of an oil-laden train in Habiganj. Noapara Railway Station Master Md Monir Hossain said the train movement resumed around 3:15 pm after the derailed wagons of the train were retrieved and the track was repaired. Five wagons and the guard’s van of the Chattogram-bound fuel train from Sylhet veered off the track around 9:45pm on Wednesday near Mantala Railway Station in Madhabpur upazila. One of the wagons plunged into a roadside ditch. However, no casualties were reported. The accident led to the cancellation of and delay in operations of several trains on the Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-Chattogram routes, causing suffering for passengers. There were approximately 2,00,000 litres of fuel in the five wagons, said Dhaka Divisional Manager of Bangladesh Railway ABM Kamruzzaman. Meanwhile, a five-member committee has been formed to look into the derailment. Witnesses said a loud noise was heard at the time of the derailment, drawing crowds to the scene. Some locals attempted to siphon fuel from the overturned wagons, but members of law enforcement agencies, including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), intervened to prevent theft and secure the area. Lt Col Tanzilur Rahman, commander of BGB’s 55th Battalion in Habiganj, on Thursday morning said they responded promptly and stopped the looting attempt. Fire Service personnel and other authorities assisted in the recovery efforts.  

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have joined rescue operations after six bogies of a Sylhet-bound oil train from Chattogram derailed in the Mantala area of Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj on Wednesday night. The derailment occurred around 9:46 pm, disrupting rail communication to and from Sylhet across the country. Following the incident, the force said in a statement that multiple BGB patrol teams were deployed to the scene to assist in rescue operations and maintain law and order in the surrounding areas. No casualties have been reported so far. Members of the Habiganj Battalion (55 BGB) are actively participating in the rescue efforts while ensuring security in the area. BGB is also providing overall support to the civil administration to expedite rescue work and restore rail communication as quickly as possible.

Five bogies of a Sylhet-bound train carrying oil derailed in the Shahpur area of Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj on Wednesday night, disrupting rail communication to and from Sylhet. The accident occurred around 9:45 pm on the Dhaka–Sylhet railway line, though the immediate cause could not be confirmed. According to locals, several bogies went off the tracks, with some overturning onto nearby land. Ataur Rahman Khadem, station master of Mantala, said that five bogies of the oil train coming from Akhaura derailed shortly after leaving Mantala station. Railway authorities are preparing to begin rescue operations at the site. No casualties have been reported so far. Train movement on the route remained suspended following the incident. Intercity trains bound for Sylhet and Chattogram are expected to depart from Shayestaganj after midnight, subject to restoration of the line. Meanwhile, locals were seen collecting spilled oil from the ground using buckets after some of the tankers overturned.

A man was killed and three others were seriously injured in a clash between two groups over a dispute involving a watermelon field in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Ujjal Karmakar, 40, son of Ajit Karmakar of Kalaiya union. The injured—Mizan, Shamim and Firoz Gazi—were sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal. Police and locals said Firoz Gazi had cultivated watermelons on the disputed land. A man named Mizanur from Bara Dalima village under Nazirpur union had been claiming ownership of the same land. When Firoz began harvesting watermelons from the field Mizanur, along with 8 to 10 associates went to the spot and attacked him. Hearing his cries, relatives of Firoz rushed to the scene, triggering a clash between the two groups that left Uzzal and others injured. They were rescued and taken to the hospital around 8pm where doctors declared Ujjal dead. Officer-in-Charge of Bauphal Police Station Sirajul Islam said the body would be sent for autopsy and efforts are underway to arrest those involved in the incident.