United News of Bangladesh

Two separate probe bodies have been formed over the blast apparently from gas leak at a flat in a building in Halishahar area of Chattogram city that claimed lives of three people till Tuesday. Mohammad Jashim Uddin, deputy-director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defense, said a five-member committee has been formed to look into the explosion. The committee has been asked to submit its report within next week. Meanwhile,  Kabir Uddin Ahmed, General Manager of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL)  formed a three-member committee to probe the blast. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days. The explosion occurred at a flat on the third floor of ‘Halima Manzil’ in Halishahar area around 4:30am on Monday, triggering a fire that left nine people injured. Three of the injured have died while six others are battling for their lives at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Nurjahan Akter Rani, 40, died on the way to Dhaka for treatment. Later, her 16-year-old son Shawon and his uncle Samir also succumbed to their injuries. Rani suffered 100 percent burns, while Shawon and Samir sustained 50 percent and 45 percent burns respectively. Those currently undergoing treatment include Rani’s husband Sakhawat Hossain, their daughter Umme Aiman Snigdha, Samir’s wife Ashura Akter Pakhi, their children Ayesha and Farhan Ahmed Anas, and Sakhawat’s brother Shipon Hossain. Pakhi and Sakhawat sustained 100 percent burns, Shipon 80 percent, Aiman 38 percent, Ayesha 45 percent and Anas 30 percent, hospital sources said. Sakhawat, a garage owner, had rented the flat about one and a half years ago and lived there with his wife, children and an employee. His younger brother recently moved in with his family for medical treatment. Fire Service officials suspect that accumulated gas inside the flat may have caused the explosion though the exact reason will be determined after investigation.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion have arrested six people including prime suspect Roni Shikder in connection with a violent clash in Singasholpur Union of Narail Sadar that left four people dead. Roni Shikder, son of Amin Shikder of Borokula village under Singasholpur Union, was arrested following evidence of his role in provoking the deadly violence, said Major ATM Fazle Rabbi Prince, Company Commander of RAB-6 Jessore Camp. He said several people have been identified for instigating the clash in Singasholpur Union of Narail Sadar and Roni was among them. Al Mamun Shikder, Superintendent of Police of Narail, said additional police forces have been deployed in the area to prevent any further violence. A tense situation is prevailing in  the village, he added. Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, post-mortem of the four victims were completed at Narail Sadar Hospital morgue, and the bodies were handed over to their families. No case has been filed with Narail Sadar Police Station over the killings as of Tuesday evening, police said. Four people including a man and his son were killed and seven others were injured in a clash between two groups over establishing dominance at Borkula village in Narail Sadar upazila on Monday morning. The deceased were Rahman Khalil and his son Tahajjud Hossain, Ferdous Hossain from Khalil group, and Osibur Mia from ex-chairman Khayer group. Oli Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Narail Sadar Police Station said the two groups, linked to former union chairman Khayer and Khalil, had a long-standing dispute. The supporters of the two groups attacked each other with homemade weapons around 5:30 am, leaving Rahman Khalil, Tahajjud and Ferdous dead on the spot.

Police in a drive arrested three people in connection with their alleged involvement in violating a speech-impaired woman in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola district on Tuesday. The arrestees were identified as Md Rakib, driver of the auto-rickshaw and his two associates—Md Jewel and Al Amin. Md Ibrahim, superintendent of Bhola (sadar circle) police said a joint forces team including DB police conducted a drive in the upazila on Monday and arrested them. Speech-impaired housewife gang-raped in Bhola Earlier on Sunday, a speech-impaired housewife was allegedly gang raped by three young men on her way to home from a programme of devotional song (kirtan) in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola district.

Four members a family including a woman and a child were burned in a gas cylinder explosion in Daudkandi of Cumilla early Tuesday. The injured are Monowara, 60, Zill Haque, 37, Umme Humaira, 30, and two-year-old Hurram. The victims were rescued and taken to the emergency department of the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute around 6 am, hospital sources said. Resident Surgeon Dr Shawon Bin Rahman said they were brought from Daudkandi area in burned condition early in the morning. Gas explosion in Chattogram claims third life He said Monowara suffered two percent burns, Zill Haque 54 percent, Umme Humaira 65 percent and child Hurram six percent. The condition of Zill Haque and Umme Humaira is critical due to the extent of their burns, the doctor added.

Another victim has died following a gas explosion in the port city of Chattogram, raising the death toll to three, officials said. Md Samir Ahmed Suman, 40, died at about 11:55am on Tuesday while receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, hospital sources said. Doctors said he had suffered burns to around 40% of his body. Earlier in the morning, 16-year-old Md Shawon, who was also injured in the same incident, died while undergoing treatment at the institute’s Male High Dependency Unit (M-HDU). Nine burn victims were brought to the Dhaka-based specialist hospital from Chattogram on Monday evening, according to Assistant Professor Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at the institute. A third victim, Nurzahan Akter Rani, 40, was declared dead on arrival with 100% burns, doctors said. Medical staff described the condition of the remaining patients as critical. Shakhawat Hossain and Ashura Akter Pakhi sustained 100% burns, while Md Shipon suffered 80% burns. Ctg gas explosion: Woman succumbs to injuries on way to Dhaka Ayesha Akter received burns to 45% of her body, Umme Ayman Snigdha 38%, and Md Farhan Ahmed Anas 30%. All are undergoing treatment. The explosion occurred at about 5:30am on Monday on the third floor of a six-storey residential building, Halima Manzil, in the H Block area of Halishahar. Officials said a suspected gas line leak may have caused the blast. The injured were initially treated in Chattogram before being transferred in stages to Dhaka for specialised care. Authorities said an investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing and the condition of the injured remains under close monitoring.

Miscreants vandalized a local BNP office in Naldianga upazila of Natore on Monday evening. Rakib Hossain, a local Jubo Dal leader, said a group of assailants attacked the BNP office at Ward No. 9 in Chatarbhag Market of Brakhpur Union and caused extensive damage. The incident occurred during Iftar time, and the office was empty at that moment. Naldianga police station OC Noore Alam confirmed that they had been informed about the incident. Police were deployed to the spot later at night, and an investigation has been launched to take necessary action.

The Department of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has seized and publicly destroyed a large quantity of expired and hazardous cosmetic products, including items imported illegally from India, in Sylhet city. The shop responsible was fined Tk 60,000. The operation took place on Monday around 4:00pm at Lal Dighirpar Hawkers Market. Acting on a tip-off, officials raided the warehouse of Rudrakshi Enterprise, and found a stockpile of banned and adulterated cosmetics that posed a risk of skin cancer. Md Arif Murshed Mishu, Deputy Director of the DNCRP Sylhet office, said the raid was conducted with support from members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-9, during which one employee of the shop was detained. The shop was fined Tk 60,000 under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, and the employee was released after payment. All confiscated expired and hazardous products were publicly burned.  The raid also recovered various counterfeit Indian cosmetic items, including fake olive oil products. Authorities warned that similar illegal and dangerous cosmetic items would not be tolerated and urged consumers to report suspicious products.

Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik, MP for Chandpur-3 (Sadar-Haimchar), during a surprise inspection on Monday, discovered irregularities at the government food warehouse and the 250-bed district hospital. At the food warehouse in the Londonghat area, he found numerous empty sacks lying around and questioned the management of the official keys, which were kept with a labour supervisor. MP Manik criticized the negligence and directed authorities to ensure accountability and stricter oversight, warning that no irregularities in government food storage would be tolerated. Earlier, on Saturday, he also visited the district hospital and observed poor hygiene, medicine shortages, and other management problems. He spoke with patients and hospital officials, including Superintendent Dr AK Mahbubur Rahman, instructing them to submit a written report within a week. MP Manik stressed ensuring proper care for patients, especially the poor coming from remote areas. District food officers, hospital staff, and local BNP leaders accompanied him during the inspections.

A woman who sustained severe burn injuries in a gas explosion in Halishahar area of Chattogram died on Monday afternoon while being taken to Dhaka for advanced treatment. The deceased was identified as Nurzahan Akter Rani, 40. She died around 4:30pm on the way to the capital, police and hospital sources said, adding that she had suffered 100 percent burns. The explosion occurred early Monday on the third floor of a six-storey building named Halima Manzil near AC Mosque in H Block of Halishahar. Preliminary findings suggest that accumulated gas in the kitchen triggered the blast. 4 of a family burned in Hazaribagh ‘gas leak’ fire The other injured are Shakhawat Hossain, 46, Md Shipon, 30, Md Suman, 40, Md Shawon, 17, Md Anas, 7, Md Ayman, 9, Ayesha Akter, 4, and Pakhi Akter, 35. Assistant Professor Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, resident physician at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said nine burn victims were brought from Chattogram at night, and Nurjahan Akter Rani was declared dead on arrival. He said Shakhawat Hossain and Ashura Akter Pakhi sustained 100 percent burns, Md Shipon 80 percent, Md Shawon 50 percent, Md Samir Ahmed Suman 45 percent, Ayesha Akter 45 percent, Umme Ayman Snigdha 38 percent and Md Farhan Ahmed Anas 30 percent. Due to the severity of the burns, the condition of all the injured remains critical. 9 injured in gas cylinder blast in Chattogram building Director of the institute Professor Dr Nasir Uddin said they had been informed earlier about the possible referral of the patients from Chattogram and made necessary preparations. He said treatment began immediately after their arrival, with several shifted to the intensive care unit, while others would be moved to ICU if required following observation.

Local people staged a demonstration on Monday alleging irregularities in an ongoing road construction project under Faridpur municipality of Faridpur district. According to municipal sources, a 388-metre (uni-block) road is being constructed at a cost of Tk 36.90 lakh near Harokandi Government Primary School in Ward No. 14 under the engineering department of the municipality. The project is being implemented by M/s Mirza Construction, a contracting firm based in Sirajganj. The work began around three months ago and is being supervised by a representative of the contractor along with a local resident, Murad Sheikh. During a visit to the site on Monday construction work was found ongoing. At that time, locals halted the work and staged a demonstration, alleging that substandard materials were being used in the project. Protesters Bahar Sheikh and Shamim Hossain, also known as Samiul, claimed that low-quality blocks were being used and that the thickness was only three inches instead of the specified six inches. They also alleged that soil mixed with polythene and waste materials, along with low-grade brick chips, was being used in the construction. On receiving information about the unrest, a team of police led by Sub-Inspector Asaduzzaman from Kotwali Police Station rushed to the spot. The protesters calmed down after police assured them of a proper investigation into the allegation. When contacted, Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Laizing Hossain Raju, who is overseeing the project, admitted that he had noticed some irregularities and said the contractor had been warned. When asked about the allegations, Municipal Administrator and Deputy Director of the Local Government Division Md Sohrab Hossain said complaints had been received regarding the use of substandard materials and that the executive officer had been instructed to take necessary action.