United News of Bangladesh

Election materials have been transported by helicopter to three extremely remote polling centres in Khagrachhari. The three centres are Naraichari in Dighinala upazila and Shuknachhari and Futyachari in Lakshmichhari upazila. A helicopter took off from the Lakshmichhari Zone helipad of the Bangladesh Army and first delivered election materials to remote Shuknachhari centre on Monday while the same helicopter later carried materials to Futyachhari in Lakshmichhari and Naraichhari in Dighinala in phases. District Election Officer SM Shahadat Hossain said not only ballot boxes and election materials but also polling officials and members of the law enforcement agencies were transported to the remote centres by helicopter. Read More: 4 candidates seek special security at high-risk polling stations in Khagrachhari Meanwhile, members of the Army, RAB, BGB and police have already been deployed to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election. The Army, RAB and BGB are conducting regular patrols in different areas of the constituency. A total of 5,54,114 voters are expected to cast their votes from  the Khagrachari constituency at 203 polling centres. Of these, 121 centres have been identified as risky while 68 as highly risky.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members recovered 6.27 kilograms of gunpowder and bomb-making materials in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj district on Sunday night. According to a press release sent by RAB-5 on Monday morning, those were seized from a mustard field in Parghorapakhia area. No one was arrested in this connection, it said. RAB recovers five looted grenades from Dhaka’s Demra RAB said tipped off, a team conducted a drive around 10 pm on Sunday in the area and found 6.27 kilograms of gunpowder, 1.7 kilograms of small stones, 1.4 kilograms of glass powder, 385 grams of iron nails, 12 red-colored costepes, 31 plastic jars, and 29 gas lighters abandoned in three polythene packets. The seized explosives and materials were handed over to Shibganj Police Station for investigation.

A medical student was found dead in a rented room of a seven-storey building in Housing E-Block area in Kushtia town on Sunday evening. The deceased is Samia Nijhum,  daughter of Md Abdus Salam of Chotp Shalikha area of Chatmohar upazila in Pabna district and a 4th year student of Kushtia Medical College. She used to live in the house near the medical college. She moved into the rented room near the college about two weeks ago. Caretaker of the house Riaz Uddin said Samia’s father, called in the evening to check on his daughter. When there was no response, a student from the neighbouring room accompanied him and knocked several times. On getting no reply, they tried to open the door with the family's permission and saw her hanging from the window. On information, police recovered the body. Youth commits suicide in Sunamganj after humiliation over installment Kushtia Medical College Principal Shahidul Islam said Samia was a good student and her MBBS course was expected to finish next year. Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Model Police Station Md. Kabir Hossain Matubbar investigation in underway.

Two people were killed after a pickup was hit by an unknown vehicle in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj district early Monday. The deceased were pickup driver Sujan, 37, hailed from Baliadanga area in Rajarhat upazila of Jashore district and Isarul, son of Jiban of Dumuria upazila in Khulna. Dr. Niloy, a doctor of the emergency department at Srinagar Upazila Health Complex, confirmed the deaths. Man killed as covered van hits truck in Dinajpur Witnesses said the pickup was carrying raw materials from Jashore to Dhaka when it was struck from behind by an unknown vehicle, which fled the scene immediately after the collision. The damaged pickup is currently kept at Hansara Highway Police, said Station Station Officer Dewan Azad Hossain of Srinagar Fire Station .

A woman and her one and a half years old daughter were killed in a fire at Binnabari village in Gurudaspur upazila of Natore early Monday. Another woman sustained severe burns and was hospitalised. The deceased were Atia, 27, and her daughter Rawaza. The fire started at the house of Montaz Ali around 4 am and they died after being trapped in the fire, Gurudaspur police station Officer-in-Charge Shafiquzzaman said. Montaz’s 65-year-old wife Marzina Begum was rescued in critical condition and admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The fire completely destroyed the house and a nearby kitchen shed. Twelve goats also died in the blaze in the cowshed. Fire breaks out in women’s ward at Sylhet Osmani Hospital The fire service has yet to determine the exact cause of the fire incident. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, said the OC.

The indefinite strike at Chattogram Port called to protest the planned lease of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to foreign company DP World has been suspended. The strike was called off after the government assured that the lease agreement would not be signed during the interim government’s tenure. Mohammad Ibrahim Khokon, one of the coordinators of the Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council, announced the decision around 12:30 am on Monday. Meanwhile, the port authorities have suspended 17 striking workers including three who were taken into custody. Besides, the authorities have ordered the handover of government-allocated housing for 15 union leaders. Read More: Strike halts operations at Chattogram Port for second time The port workers started the indefinite strike from Sunday morning, demanding the cancellation of the planned DP World lease for NCT and raising three other demands. Later Ashik Chowdhury, CEO of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) authority and the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) announced that the interim government would not sign any lease agreement with the DP World during its tenure. Considering the continuity of import-export trade, the upcoming Ramadan and the national elections, the Port Protection Movement Council decided to suspend the strike, said its leaders.

A man was shot dead by miscreants in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi on Sunday night. The victim was identified as Rafikul Islam, 50, husband of a female Union Parishad member of Charmadhuya Union. The incident took place around 9:30 pm in Gazipura village under Charmadhuya Union, confirmed Union Parishad Chairman Ahsan Shikder. Rafikul, cattle trader by profession. His wife Lovely Begum is the elected woman member of Ward No-6 of Charmadhuya Union Parishad. According to the chairman and police, Rafikul was returning home from a local market when miscreants opened fire on him. The attackers fled the spot immediately after shooting him. Family members rushed Rafikul to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital in critical condition, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. Officer-in-Charge of Raipura Police Station Md Mujibur Rahman said the killing did not appear to be politically motivated. “There was a previous family dispute with a neighbour. However, the exact cause and those involved will be confirmed following investigation,” he said.

A cultural campaign was held in various crowded areas of Naogaon-1, 2, and 3 constituencies on Sunday to raise awareness among people about ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful election. The initiative aimed to sensitize the public so that no one exploits minority communities or religious sentiments to create disorder. The campaign was organised by the Peace Facilitator Group in collaboration with the Bangladesh chapter of the non-governmental organisation, The Hunger Project. The awareness drive started at 10:00 am from Nazipur Newhat in Patnitala upazila. Naogaon gears up for Tarique’s first rally in nearly two decades Sajedur Rahman Dulal, coordinator of the Peace Facilitator Group in Patnitala, inaugurated the day-long programme. During the campaign, leaflets promoting a peaceful election and supporting the upcoming referendum were distributed among the public. The campaign vehicle visited and conducted cultural performances at Amaitara Bazar in Dhamoirhat, Agradigun Bazar, Sapahar Zero Point, Modhail Bazar, Patnitala Bazar, Matajihat Bus Stand, and Nazipur Bus Stand.

Police on Sunday recovered the blood-stained body of a van driver from a house in Narail Sadar upazila, suspecting that he was killed and his van taken away by miscreants. The deceased was identified as Jahangir Hossain Sana, 55, son of Noyez Sana of Chaluhati village in Manirampur upazila of Jashore. Man killed in clash over land dispute in Narail The body was recovered around noon from the house of Abdul Kalam Azad at Chandpur village, said Narail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Oli Mia. According to police and local sources, Jahangir moved to Narail Sadar about 15 years ago. For the past year, he had been living alone at the house while looking after the property. He returned home on Saturday night after driving his van as usual. Jahangir’s wife, Beauty Begum, alleged that her husband was murdered and his van stolen, demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible. Police sent the body to Narail Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Multiple police teams are working to identify and arrest the perpetrators, the OC said.

Operations at the country’s largest seaport, Chattogram Port, came to a standstill again on Sunday as workers and employees resumed an indefinite strike after suspending their action for two days, disrupting cargo handling and deliveries. The shutdown extended beyond port yards to the outer anchorage, further affecting loading, unloading and the movement of goods, according to port officials and worker representatives. The Chattogram Port Protection Movement Council resumed the strike as it is pressing four demands, including the cancellation of a decision to hand over management of the New Mooring Container Terminal to UAE-based logistics firm DP World. Earlier, council’s coordinator Humayun Kabir claimed in a video message that Port Chairman SM Moniruzzaman had been removed and urged workers to continue the protest. Subsequent quires, however, confirmed that the chairman remains in office. Port operations were halted from 8:00am, with all cargo and container handling at multiple jetties suspended and deliveries brought to a halt, officials said. The renewed indefinite strike was announced at a press conference at the Chattogram Press Club on Saturday afternoon. Port workers announce fresh strike at Chattogram Port from Sunday The Chattogram Workers Employees Unity Council later declared its solidarity with the programme. Meanwhile, Port Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman told a press conference outside the port building around 12:15pm on Sunday that port operations were continuing, despite the ongoing strike. Chattogram Port handles the bulk of Bangladesh’s international trade and repeated disruptions risk delaying shipments and raising logistics costs for exporters and importers.