United News of Bangladesh

A fire broke out on Friday night in the women’s ward on the fourth floor of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, spreading panic among patients, attendants, and hospital staff, officials said. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m., reportedly due to an electrical short circuit. Smoke spread quickly, prompting people to move to safer areas. Fire service units responded promptly and brought the blaze under control. No major damage was reported, and hospital services on the affected floor were temporarily disrupted. An ambulance driver was injured while helping to extinguish the fire, hospital sources said. Sylhet Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam confirmed the incident and said the fire service acted swiftly to control the situation. The cause of the fire and extent of damage are under investigation. Additional police and Ansar personnel were deployed to ensure safety at the hospital. The situation has now returned to normal.

Munshiganj Police on Friday said they have arrested three people in connection with a staged robbery in which Tk 10 lakh sent by an expatriate was stolen. Tk 1 lakh has been recovered so far, and a motorcycle used in the fake robbery has been seized. The arrested are Shahjalal Haldar alias Saha, 38, Khokon Haldar, 32, and Iqbal Hossain, 30. Munshiganj Superintendent of Police Md. Menhazul Alam said in a press briefing on Friday that on December 28, Shahjalal Haldar withdrew the money sent by expatriate Kaiyum Khan from City Bank at Rikabi Bazar, Munshiganj Sadar. He then left for Serajabad in Tongibari Upazila with his wife and the expatriate’s sister, Halima Begum, on a battery-powered rickshaw. Police said that near Rishibari Bridge, two masked men on an unnumbered motorcycle snatched the bag containing the money. Halima Begum filed a case at Tongibari Police Station. Investigation revealed that the incident was premeditated. Shahjalal Haldar had orchestrated the fake robbery in collusion with Khokon Haldar and Iqbal Hossain. They offered no resistance at the scene and later divided the stolen money among themselves. The remaining cash is being tracked for recovery.

Border guards have seized five gold bars worth Tk 77.53 lakh from a young man at the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah. Faisal Hasan Shishir, 26, was apprehended near Khosalpur market in Maheshpur upazila while allegedly attempting to smuggle the gold into India, according to a press release sent by Assistant Director of the 58 BGB Battalion Munshi Imdadur Rahman on Friday afternoon. Shishir is the son of Munzil Torfadar of Khosalpur village under Nepa Union in Maheshpur. Acting on a tip-off, border guards set up a checkpoint on Khosalpur Bridge and conducted a search. During the operation, four gold bars and one small gold piece were recovered from Shishir’s waist. The total weight of the seized gold is 358.84 grams, with an estimated market value of Tk 77 lakh 52 thousand 412 the BGB official said. The detainee, along with his mobile phone and bicycle, has been handed over to police. Maheshpur Police Station OC Mehedi Hasan said Shishir will be presented before court, while the seized gold bars will be deposited in the government treasury through legal procedures.

Ten candidates of Khagrachhari parliamentary seats met voters together at the town hall event on Thursday, promising to focus on road development, electricity, job creation, education, tourism, women’s empowerment, and drug control. The event, titled “Face to Face with the People,” was organized by “Sushasoner Jonye Nagorik (SUJON)” in front of Khagrachhari Town Hall. It began at 4:00 pm and was chaired by SUJON Khagrachhari district president Advocate Nasir Uddin Ahmed. The program was moderated by SUJON central coordinator Dilip Sarkar. The candidates spoke on infrastructure development, resolving hill region issues, improving education, and creating job opportunities for the youth. Voters from different backgrounds attended and asked questions. ‘Crude bomb’ explodes outside Jamaat candidate’s Khagrachhari house Candidates responded directly and assured transparency and accountability in implementing development projects. The 13th national parliamentary election is scheduled for February 12 and a total of 11 candidates are contesting in different constituencies of Khagrachhari. Independent candidate Ziruna Tripura was absent from the event.

One person was killed in a head-on collision between an engine-driven human hauler and a battery-operated auto-rickshaw in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi on Friday. The accident occurred around 12:00 pm on the Puthia-Taherpur regional road in front of Dhopapara Mohanpur Madrasa. The deceased was identified as Robiul Islam, 28, son of Abdur Rahman. He was an auto-rickshaw driver from Ramkrishnapur Digha village of Naldanga upazila in Natore district. According to local sources, Robiul Islam was traveling from Puthia to Taherpur when his auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a cattle-loaded human hauler coming from the opposite direction. The rickshaw was badly damaged, and Robiul suffered severe head injuries. He was rescued in critical condition and admitted to Puthia Upazila Health Complex, where he died during treatment. Police have seized the human hauler, but the driver escaped. University student, 2 others killed in Rajshahi road crash Faridul Islam, officer-in-charge of Puthia Police Station, confirmed the incident and said no written complaint has been filed yet. “Since no complaint was filed, the body was handed over to the family”, he added.

BNP candidate for the Sirajganj-3 (Raiganj–Tarash) constituency, Ainul Haque, has been hospitalised in Dhaka for heart treatment. He underwent surgery at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Thursday, during which two stents were placed in his heart, said Khandaker Selim Jahangir, former president of the BNP’s Tarash Upazila unit. Earlier, Ainul Haque was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday after experiencing heart-related complications. BNP-Jamaat clash in Sirajganj leaves 9 injured Jahangir said Ainul Haque has been suffering from heart problems for a long time. He is expected to remain hospitalised for at least three days and will need additional rest following his discharge. Despite his absence from the campaign trail, party leaders and activists are continuing election activities in the constituency.

A young motorcyclist was killed after being run over by a truck in Golapganj, Sylhet on Friday afternoon. The accident occurred around 3:30 pm in front of the Government MC Academy. The deceased was identified as Shanaj Ahmed, 25, son of Makhon Mia from Sripur Rampasha village in Bishwanath upazila. He worked as a vehicle driver for a poultry farm in Sylhet city. According to police and witnesses, Shanaj went to Fulbari Purbo Para in Golapganj to attend a event with colleagues. After the event, he rode another person’s motorcycle back towards Golapganj town. Reaching in front of the MC Academy, he lost control of the motorcycle, hit a road divider, and fell off. Dhaka’s rail links with Sylhet, Ctg suspended as train derails A truck coming from the opposite direction ran over him, killing him instantly. Golapganj Model Police and Fire Service personnel reached the site and after initial procedures, took the body to Golapganj Model Police Station. Anupam, sub-inspector of Golapganj Model Police Station, confirmed the incident, saying, “The body was brought to the police station.”

The body of a poultry businessman was recovered from a pond in Nager Bazar area of Belabo upazila on Thursday night, three days after he went missing. The deceased was identified as Azimul Qader Bhuiya, 45, from Raghab village of Bajnabaup union. Belabo Police Station’s Inspector (Investigation) Nasir Uddin said Azimul, also a Chhatra League leader of Bajnabaup Union and Belabo upazila, disappeared on Tuesday around 8:00 pm after leaving his poultry farm. Journalists in Narsingdi for CRAB's family day attacked Tow workers recently hired at Bhuiya’s farm are also missing along with all the chickens from the farm. The Inspector said that after a general diary was filed police began investigating the case andsearched for the missing person. Later in the night, they received information and recovered his body. The body has been sent to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

A Feni tribunal on Thursday sentenced three people to death for the killing of a schoolboy after abduction in 2024. Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge ANM Morshed Khan handed down the punishment. The condemned convicts are-- Ashraf Hossain Tushar, 20, Mobarak Hossain Wasim, 20, and Omar Faruk Ripat, 20. The tribunal fined Tk one lakh each, in default, to suffer, six months more in jail. According to the prosecution, Ahnaf Al Main Nashit, 10, a class IV student and son of Main Uddin Shohagh, was abducted by the convicts from Feni district town on December 8, 2024. On December 9, 2024, a general diary was lodged with Feni Model Police Station. Later, the convicts demanded Tk 12 lakh in ransom from Nashit’s father over the phone. At one stage, they strangled Nashit to death and dumped his body into a water body. High Court issues rule against CEC over contempt of court During the investigation, police arrested Tushar on suspicion of involvement in the killing. Following interrogation, police recovered the body of Nashit from a water body in Dewanganj area of the district town.

A grocery shop owner was shot and wounded by snatchersin Pallabi area of Dhaka on Thursday morning. The victim was identified as Mohammad Hossain Dipu, 46. Dipu’s wife Afroza said three masked men on a motorbike shot her husband above his left knee and fled after snatching Tk 17000. He was first taken to Kurmitola General Hospital in critical condition and later transferred to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 8:45 am. Read More: Youth shot dead in Khulna Pallabi police station Officer-in-Charge AKM Jahangir Alam said police have dispatched teams to both the hospital and the crime scene but the full details of the incident are still being verified.