United News of Bangladesh

Power supply will remain suspended in several important areas of Sylhet city on Sunday (May 17) due to emergency repair and maintenance work. Shams-e-Arefin, Executive Engineer of Sales and Distribution Division-3 of the Sylhet Power Development Board (PDB), said this in a notice on Saturday. According to the notice, electricity supply will remain suspended from 10am to 5pm in Baldi, Tetur Tal, Latipur, Baneshwarpur, Pirijpur, Chandipul, Darogabari, Sunampur, Lalarchak, Khidirpur, Ahmedpur, Bypass Road, Bangabeer Road, Lawai, Telibazar, Tetli Atirbari and nearby areas under the 11kV Police Line feeder. Bangladesh prisons to generate own electricity under solar power project The notice also stated that the power line would be considered live during the maintenance work. Power supply will be restored immediately if the work is completed before the scheduled time. The Sylhet PDB authorities expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience and sought cooperation from consumers.

A man was allegedly beaten to death by his son in Cumilla’s Debidwar municipality area on Saturday. The deceased, Senu Mia, 60, son of late Akmat Ali of South Para in Bara Alam Pur area, was reportedly attacked by his son Rasel, 26, following a quarrel over a trivial matter, police and locals said. The incident took place around 12:00 pm at the family residence, leaving the local area stunned. According to locals, an argument broke out between father and son, which escalated into violence when Rasel allegedly struck his father with a stick. Senu Mia fell unconscious on the spot. He was later taken to Debidwar Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctors declared him dead. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Debidwar/Brahmanpara Circle Md Shahin said police recovered the body and sent it to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for autopsy. No complaint has been filed by the family so far, he added, saying that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report.

Kurigram, May 16 (UNB)— A farmer was killed and two others, including a teenage boy and a housewife, were injured in separate lightning strikes in Kurigram’s Nageshwari upazila on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Riazul Islam, 38, son of Keramat Ali of Char Bishnupur village under Kedar union. According to locals and police, Riazul went to harvest paddy in a nearby field in the morning. As rain accompanied by thunder began later in the day, he was struck by lightning in the field, leaving him critically injured. He died on the way to hospital after being rescued by family members. At the same time, a teenage boy named Bayezid, 15, son of Ashraful Islam of Bamandanga union, was injured by lightning while going to bring goats from a field. In a separate incident, a housewife named Ismetara was also injured after being struck by lightning while inside her home. The injured were admitted to Bhurungamari Upazila Health Complex for treatment. Officer-in-Charge of Kochakata Police Station Arpan Kumar Das confirmed the incident and said police have been sent to the scene.

Relatives of a patient vandalised  the emergency department and assaulted on-duty staff of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital after the patient died late Friday night, leaving at least five people, including a doctor and an Ansar member, seriously injured. The deceased, Lal Mia Kazi, 50, a resident of Uttar Bilashkhan area in Shariatpur Sadar, was admitted to the hospital’s emergency department around 10:30 pm on Friday with chest pain. He died at around 1:00 am while undergoing treatment. Soon after his death, at around 1:15 am, his relatives became agitated and carried out an attack on the hospital’s emergency unit, damaging property and assaulting staff. Those injured in the attack include on-duty physician Dr Md Nasir Islam, Ansar member Sohel Sardar, Kamrul, Azizul Haque and Kawser. All of them sustained serious injuries. The incident triggered panic across the hospital premises. Police later rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. Law enforcers also detained one suspect, Al Amin, in connection with the attack. Critically injured Dr Nasir Islam was later airlifted to Dhaka by air ambulance for advanced treatment as his condition deteriorated. Residential Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr Mitu Akter, said the relatives suddenly attacked the emergency department following the patient’s death, leaving several people injured, including a doctor in critical condition. Superintendent of Police Raunak Jahan, said police acted promptly after receiving the information and restored order. “One person has been taken into custody over the incident. Investigation is underway and no one involved will be spared,” she said. District Commissioner Tahsina Begum described the attack on the hospital and medical staff as deeply unfortunate, adding that strict action would be taken against those responsible. Saeed Ahmed Aslam, Member of Parliament for Shariatpur-1, said attacks at healthcare facilities are unacceptable and those involved would face legal consequences regardless of their identity.

Another man  who was injured in an explosion at the canteen of a power plant in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj district died at National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka on Saturday, taking the death toll to two. The victim, Amir, 25, succumbed to his injuries around 10 am at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, said resident medical officer of the hospital Dr Shaon Bin Rahman. He suffered 80 percent burn injuries during the explosion. Earlier on May 13, twelve people suffered burn injuries in the explosion apparently from gas leakage at the canteen of a power plant . The victims were Ramijul, 15, Monir Hossain, 45, Badrul Huda, 9, Tuhin sheikh, 30, Suprobhat Ghosh, 42, Osman Goni, 30, Al Amin, 30, Nazmul sheikh, 40, Saiful Islam, 30, Shankar, 25, Kawsar, 30 and Amir, 25. Among the injured, Shankar, 25 succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. Man killed in Narayanganj ‘robber attack’ Already, six victims were released after taking treatment while four victims were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Three schoolboys who went missing from Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia were rescued from Khoksa upazila after two days on Friday night. The rescued boys are  Samiul Alim Shaon 13, Shamim, 12 and Talha, 12, students of Durgapur Secondary School in Bujruk Durgapur village in Kumarkhali upazila. A general diary was lodged with Kumarkhali Police Station when the three friends went missing on May 14 and the missing incident was spread on social media, said police. Police said a group of youths returning from Rajbari’s Kalukhali by train noticed the three boys on ‘Madhumati Express’ train from Dhaka to Khulna while passing through the Shapakhia area of Khoksa upazila. They recognised the children from viral social media photos. The youths immediately informed the boys’ families and later helped them get off at Khoksa Railway Station. On information, Kumarkhali Police rushed to the spot and rescued the teenagers, said Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station, Jamal Uddin. The boys had left home out of curiosity, said the OC.

Police on Friday arrested a woman for allegedly killing her husband and dismembering the body in Sadar upazila of Shariatpur district. The arrestee is Asma Begum, wife of Zia Sardar of Chandrapur Bazar of the upazila. Sensing a foul smell coming from Asma’s house, local residents informed police by calling the national emergency number 999 on Friday night. Later, police arrested her from her house. Asma reportedly confessed to her guilt during police interrogation and police recovered the dismembered body parts of Zia from different parts of the upazila. Shah Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Palong Model Police Station, said Zia had an altercation with his wife over family feud on May 13. At one stage, Asma hit her husband with an iron rod, leaving him dead on the spot. Later, she cut the body into pieces and spread those in different parts of the area, said police. The hands and legs of Zia were thrown into a river while the other body parts were kept in an abandoned place nearby a pond in Sadar upazila. She also kept some body parts into a sack and kept it in the refrigerator.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-6 in Jashore have detained two people along with 211 bottles of Wincerex syrup, an alternative to the banned drug phensedyl, while being transported in a private car using a concealed method in Chaugachha upazila of Jashore. The detainees were identified as Babulur Rahman, son of late Shukur Ali of Mohammadpur village, and Chiranjit, son of Fulchand of Kagmari village under Jhikargachha upazila. The arrests were made around 5:15am on Friday during a checkpoint operation conducted in the area of Mridhapara Mohila College gate in Chaugachha upazila town. The drive was led by Major ATM Fazle Rabbi Prince, company commander of RAB-6, CPC-3, Jashore, based on a tip-off. During the operation, a suspicious white private car travelling from Maheshpur in Jhenaidah district towards Jashore was stopped and searched. The RAB team recovered 211 bottles of illegal Wincerex syrup from the vehicle and detained the two occupants. The private car was also seized. Major ATM Fazle Rabbi Prince, said the vehicle aroused suspicion, prompting the search that led to the recovery of the contraband. A case has been filed with Chaugachha Police Station in this connection. The RAB official said drives will continue as part of efforts to maintain law and order and recover illegal arms and drugs across the country.

Police recovered the remains of an unidentified person from the Padma River in Naria upazila of Shariatpur on Friday. Locals spotted a white polythene bag stuck to a block along the riverbank near WAPDA area in Kedarpur union around 3:00 pm and informed police. On information, members of Naria Police Station and river police rushed to the spot and recovered the bag. Upon opening it, they found two hands up to the elbows and two legs up to the knees of an unidentified person in a semi-decomposed condition. Youth dies in lightning strike while fishing in Shariatpur In-charge of Sureshwar river police outpost Abdul Jalil said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team in Faridpur has been informed to help identify the victim. He added that an inquest report has been prepared and legal action is underway.

Patuakhali, Apr 15 (UNB) -  A man has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment and fined Tk 1 lakh for producing fake “Drinko” brand juice without approval from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali. The convicted person, Masud Sikder, 35, was penalised following a drive conducted on Friday noon at a factory located near the Kobi Nazrul Islam Road area of the municipal town. The mobile court was led by Executive Magistrate and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kawsar Hamid. During the operation, 155 packets of illegal Drinko juice were destroyed in public using a paver machine, and the factory was sealed. UNO Kawsar Hamid, said the drive was conducted based on secret information. He added that operations against dishonest traders involved in producing illegal food items and daily essentials will continue.