United News of Bangladesh

A fire at a hardware shop in Bishwanath upazila of Sylhet early Wednesday burned goods worth around Tk 25 lakh. The blaze broke out around 5am at “Messrs Enamul Haque & Brothers” in Singerkach Bazar under Daulatpur Union. According to locals, seven workers who install tube wells were sleeping inside the shop. They woke up after feeling the heat and managed to open the shutter and get out safely. Initially, locals tried to douse the fire before firefighters arrived. Later, two units of Bishwanath Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after about an hour of effort. All goods inside the shop were destroyed. There were fears that the fire could spread to an adjacent furniture shop, but quick action by firefighters prevented a major disaster there. Shop director Saidul Islam and his cousin Amir Ali said that they suspect an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire. Teen girl abducted in Sylhet rescued from Sunamganj; 1 arrested Additionally, they informed that the shop was a dealer of RFL, Gazi and A-One companies and the losses would be around Tk 25 lakh. Bishwanath Fire Service Station Officer Akramul Islam said, “A battery-run van inside the shop may have exploded due to overcharging and sparked the fire.”    

About 500 workers at Opsonin Saline (OSL) Pharma Ltd in Barishal were simultaneously laid off on Wednesday, sparking protests. The factory management delivered layoff notices to the employees by post around midday. Following the notification, unrest broke out among the workers, who gathered in front of the company’s Bogra Road facility to protest. A brief clash occurred between workers and company personnel, but the demonstration subsided after management promised to make a decision by Saturday. All affected workers were employed in the company’s Steripack Department. The protesting employees claimed that the layoffs were issued without any reason. The notices were signed by the company’s Deputy Manager of Human Resources and the HR In-Charge. Workers expressed concern over their livelihoods, saying, “We have families to support. How will these households survive after being laid off without cause? If the company does not allow us to return to work, we will take stronger action.” The official notice stated that due to circumstances beyond company control, production in the Steripack Department could no longer continue. Consequently, under Bangladesh Labour Law 2006, Section 26(3), all employees of the department will be dismissed effective Nov 1, 2025, with final dues to be paid by Nov 20, 2025.

A court in Chuadanga on Wednesday sentenced Shukur Ali to death for the murder of his wife, Laily Sultana Kumkum. Shukur Ali’s father, Asan Mallik, and mother, Saheda Khatun, were acquitted in the same case. The verdict was delivered by Judge Syed Habibul Islam of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal (District and Sessions Judge) at a midday hearing. Shukur Ali, a resident of Enayetpur Schoolpara in Alamdanga upazila, is currently fugitive, said Public Prosecutor Advocate Maruf Sarwar Babu. According to case details, Kumkum was beaten to death on 27 November 2014 at her husband’s residence in Enayetpur over dowry demands. Following the incident, her father, Samsul Zowarder of Pardurgapur, Alamdanga, filed a murder case at Alamdanga Police Station against his son-in-law Shukur Ali, and his in-laws, Asan Mallik and Saheda Khatun. Chuadanga farmers count ‘hundreds of crore’ in losses as climate change devastates livelihoods After a prolonged investigation, Alamdanga Police Officer-in-Charge SI Anisur Rahman filed charges against the three accused. The court, finding the case proven beyond doubt, handed down the death penalty to Shukur Ali while acquitting the other two accused.  

A man was killed after being hit by the Benapole-bound `Betna Express’ train in Sharsha upazila of Jessore on Wednesday evening. The accident occurred at the Sharsha-Jamtala road railway crossing, said sources. The deceased, Chandu Mia (50), was the son of the late Kazi Motiar Rahman of Kazi Para in Sharsha. 2 teenagers killed in Jashore road accident Benapol Railway Station Master Saiduzzaman said that the Betna Express, coming from Mongla towards Benapole, struck Chandu Mia while he was walking along the railway tracks. He died instantly. The railway police recovered the body and handed it over to the family.    

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection destroyed about 350 kg of rotten hilsa at Chandpur’s Boro Station wholesale fish market on Wednesday. The rotten fish were seized from a trawler that came from Monpura in Bhola. Officials conducted the drive in the afternoon with support from the Bangladesh Army. Mohammad Abdullah Al Imran, assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Chandpur, led the operation. He told UNB that they searched several trawlers and found a large amount of rotten hilsa in one of them. Later, the seized fish were buried in the ground. For storing rotten fish, trawler owner Helal Khan was fined Tk 1 lakh and the fine was paid by fish trader Mostafa Kamal on his behalf. Additionally, other fish traders at the market were warned not to keep or sell spoiled fish. Hilsa fishing ban ends: Fishermen in Chandpur set to return to rivers A day earlier, officials seized a large amount of rotten hilsa in a separate drive in the same area and fined one trader Tk 6,000. Assistant District Fisheries Officer Farhana Akter Ruma, leaders of the Chandpur Fish Traders’ Cooperative Association were present during the drive.    

A London-bound Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Sylhet was cancelled on Wednesday morning after a boarding bridge hit the aircraft’s engine at Osmani International Airport. The incident occurred around 10:30 am, shortly after all 262 passengers had boarded and preparations for departure were complete. Hafiz Ahmed, director of the airport, said the damage occurred during the removal of the boarding bridge. “Due to carelessness, the bridge hit the aircraft’s engine. We cannot take any risks, so the flight was cancelled,” he said. Authorities said the extent of the damages to the aircraft is yet to be determined.

A court on Tuesday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for killing two members of the Christian community in Boalmari nearly 20 years ago. The court also fined each convict Tk 20,000 and if the fines are not paid, each will serve an additional six months in prison. The verdict was delivered at about 12:00 pm by Judge Md. Shafiuddin of the Faridpur Special Judge Court. As all four convicts remain absconding, the court delivered the verdict in their absence and issued arrest warrants against them. The convicts are - Anwar Hossain, 53, of Shirgram village, Bana Union, Alfadanga upazila; Kamrul Hasan, also known as Kamruzzaman, 45, of Gunbaha village, Gunbaha Union, Boalmari upazila; Moniruzzaman, also known as Monir, 40, of Dhopapara village, Chandpur Union, Boalmari upazila; and Abdus Samad, 60, of Char Dhopapara village, Chandpur Union, Boalmari upazila. According to court sources, the victims were Tapan Ray, 30, and Nikalal Majhi, 35. They were residents of Bipul Kumar Bakchi’s house in Char Dhopapara village, Boalmari upazila. According to the case report, amid a nationwide surge in activity by JMB (Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh), on the night of July 28, 2005, between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m., unidentified assailants entered the house of the two victims and attacked them with sharp weapons, injuring them severely. Locals rushed the injured to Boalmari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead. Bipul Kumar Bakchi filed a murder case at Boalmari Police Station on July 28, 2005, naming unknown persons as suspects. 2 killed in Faridpur road crash The investigating officer, SI Sultan Mahmud of Boalmari Police Station, submitted a charge sheet on March 28, 2007, accusing the four now convicted. Public Prosecutor Md. Azizur Rahman told UNB that, despite the long delay, justice has been served in this double murder case and the state is satisfied with the verdict. Confirming the incident, Public Prosecutor Md. Azizur Rahman of Faridpur Special Judge Court said, “Although it took a long time, we have achieved justice in this double murder case. The prosecution is satisfied with the verdict.”    

A court in Khulna on Tuesday sentenced 7 people to death and fined each of them Tk 50,000 in a double murder case in Daulatpur. The verdict was delivered by Judge Sumi Ahmed of Khulna Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-1. Bench assistant Shuvendu Roy Chowdhury later confirmed the verdict. The convicts are Imamul Kabir Jibon (absconding), Raj, Shahid Shahariar Mithun, Tushar Gazi, Shoeb Suman (absconding), Shakil (absconding) and Tuhin. Two accused, Kuti and Shamim, were acquitted. According to the case, on January 3, 2009, armed attackers shot and hacked Parvez Hawlader near Deyana Sabuj Sangha field in Daulatpur. Hilsa returns to Khulna markets after 22-day ban When locals tried to save him, the attackers opened fire on them too and several people, including Suparna Saha, were shot. Suparna later died at the hospital. Parvez’s father, Nizam Uddin, filed a murder case the following day against 7 people.  

An easybike driver was beaten to death allegedly by four youths in Fatullah upazila of Narayanganj on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Momin, son of Jalal Mia from Uttar Narsingpur in Fatullah. Witnesses said the youths brought Momin’s body to his home in the evening while locals found marks of injuries on the body. Suspecting their involvement in the murder, residents detained them and handed them over to police. Momin’s family claimed he was killed in a premeditated attack, urging authorities to arrest all involved and bring them to justice. Sub-Inspector Yasin Arafat Fatulla Model Police Station said the four suspects are under interrogation and the body has been sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy. It seems that the easybike driver was beaten to death, he said, adding that they were trying to unfold the reason behind the killing. Legal action will be taken accordingly if the detainees are found guilty, the SI added.

Ahmad Mostafa Khan Bacchu, 80, president of Sirajganj’s Enayetpur Upazila Awami League, died on Tuesday morning at the district jail. Bacchu, a resident of Enayetpur Darbar Sharif area, had been in jail since April 24 of 2025, facing four murder cases, including the killing of 15 police officers and the attack on Enayetpur police station. He fell ill around 10 am and was taken to Sirajganj General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A.S.M. Kamrul Huda, superintendent of Sirajganj district jail, confirmed the incident. No compromise with Awami League, reaffirms Rizvi “He had been suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes for a long time. After being suddenly taken ill, he was rushed to the hospital, but doctors could not save him. His body will be handed over to his family after postmortem,” he said. Following his death, leaders of Sirajganj district Awami League expressed grief on social media.