United News of Bangladesh

Interns at Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital went on work abstention on Saturday morning protesting the attack on a female intern allegedly by the relatives of a patient early Saturday. Hospital sources said an altercation ensued between some interns and relatives of a patient over treatment at No 6 ward of the hospital around 1 am.. At one stage, a relative of a patient assaulted a female intern. The hospital authorities handed three people including a woman to police over the attack. Medical services have been hampered due to the strike, forcing the relatives of some patients to go to another hospital for treatment. Read More: Justice Manik moved to ICU at Sylhet hospital following surgery Additional police have been deployed on the hospital premises to avert further trouble, said Mainul Zakir, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station. No complaint was lodged in this connection, said the OC.

A woman was stabbed to death by a suspected thief during theft bid who was then killed in a lynch-mob attack in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj district on Friday night. The deceased woman was identified as Amena Begum, 45, wife of Babul Dewan of Kerabo area and Mehedi Islam, 32, son of Mostafa Mia of Birabo Khalpar area of the upazila. Sabjel Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rupganj Police Station, said Babul Dewan, a grocery shop owner of the area was constructing a concrete building and Mehedi was engaged in tile installation work of the building. At 7 pm on Friday, Amena caught Mehedi red-handed as he attempted to steal a mobile phone from her house. After being resisted, Mehedi hit Amena with a sharp weapon, leaving her injured. Hearing screams of Amena, local people caught Mehedi and beat him up mercilessly, leaving Mehedi dead. Meanwhile, Amena was taken to a local hospital where doctors declared her dead. On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies. Legal action will be taken after  investigation, said the OC.    

A fire that broke out at the home of late schoolteacher Birendra Deb in Sylhet’s Gowainghat was caused by an electrical short circuit, police said, rejecting claims of any communal link. In a statement issued on Friday night, Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Samrat Talukder said the fire started from a short circuit at the house of Birendra Deb. The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the house in Bahar village, East Para, under Nandirgaon Union of the upazila. The affected family claimed that goods worth Tk 60 to 70 lakh were destroyed. Meanwhile, from Thursday evening, photos and videos of the fire began circulating online. Some social media users claimed the house of Birendra Deb was set on fire for political reasons, while others spread rumors that it was due to his religious identity. In a statement issued Friday night, Sylhet District Police said a recent fire at a family home in Gowainghat was caused by an electrical short circuit. While the incident was purely accidental, the police noted that it was being circulated on social media as a communal attack. The statement added that the fire actually started on Thursday afternoon in the house due to an electrical short circuit. The fire service team later brought the blaze under control. Police have contacted the victim’s family and inspected the site, confirming that the fire was caused by a short circuit. No complaints were received from the family, and the police urged the public not to be misled. The police also urged the public not to be confused about the incident. The house belongs to the family of the late teacher Birendra Dev, and his four sons live there. His eldest son, Bikash Chandra Deb, who is also a local school teacher, said the fire started in the straw storage shed, which was attached to the main house. He added that a short circuit could have caused the fire, which quickly spread to the house. Drug-addicted grandson held for grandmother’s murder in Sylhet He further said that around noon, his wife saw the fire burning in the straw shed and the house while fetching water from the tube well. The flames spread quickly. Bikash Deb added that his family has no enemies and he has no complaints against anyone. “It was an accident and, with the help of local people, he is managing to survive despite losing everything,” he added. Nobo Kumar Singh, Station Manager of Companyganj Fire Service Station, said, “The fire likely started in the straw shed due to an electrical short circuit.”    

Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum on Friday said that campaigning in favor of a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum is a collective obligation for the state. She made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions after a discussion with district- and divisional-level health officials in Sylhet on the referendum. “Citizens do not need to understand the constitution or the difference between the upper and lower houses. What matters is explaining how the referendum will affect their daily lives and building public opinion in favor of ‘Yes’,” she said. She also warned that those opposed to elections would do everything possible to prevent them. “The more people we can engage, the more we can defeat anti-election and malevolent forces,” she added. Earlier, during the meeting with divisional health officials, Nurjahan directed all officials of the Health Department to campaign for the ‘Yes’ vote. She also suggested involving NGOs alongside government offices to support the campaign. None can destroy communal harmony in Bangladesh: Adviser Nurjahan On the sidelines, she said the opening of Sylhet District Hospital has been delayed due to staff shortages, but the issue will be resolved soon. The discussion was chaired by District Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam and attended by Health and Family Welfare Ministry Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman, along with health officials at district and divisional levels.  

A man was killed in a clash allegedly between two groups of BNP supporters following the inauguration of an election office of an independent candidate in Dhobaura upazila of Mymensingh on Friday evening. The deceased was identified as Nazrul Islam, 40, son of Mofiz Uddin of Ramsinghpur village of the upazila and an activist of independent candidate Salman Omar Rubel.   Additional Superintendent of Police (Finance and Administration) Abdullah Al Mamun said Salman Omar Rubel went to Ershad Bazar on Friday evening to inaugurate his election office. After the programme ended and he was leaving the area, supporters of BNP-nominated candidate and BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince allegedly attacked Rubel’s supporters, triggering a clash. During the clash, Nazrul Islam was stabbed by rivals. Locals rushed him to Dhobaura Upazila  Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Following the incident, tension has been prevailing in the area. Independent candidate Salman Omar Rubel alleged that Prince’s supporters carried out a sudden attack from behind after the office inauguration. He demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in the killing of his supporter. BNP-nominated candidate for Mymensingh-1 (Haluaghat-Dhobaura) constituency Syed Emran Saleh Prince said he was not fully aware of the incident as he was in Haluaghat at the time. BNP leader Alamgir murder case: fourth suspect arrested in Jashore “From what I have initially heard, the incident stemmed from a family dispute. Attempts are being made to give it a political colour,” he said.  If it is found that anyone linked to our party is involved,  action will be taken, he added. Dhobaura police station  Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Shafikul Islam said  police visited the scene and legal action is underway.

Finance Ministry Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Friday asked government officials to be patient regarding the new pay scale. He said the pay scale has been prepared after 10 years. “There are many calculations. A committee has been formed. They are working. After the committee submits its report, the scale will be implemented,” he said. He added that funding is the main issue and assured that there is no reason to be discouraged. Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed made the remarks while inspecting the Gurudaspur Upazila Mini Stadium in Natore. He was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Sheikh Abdur Rashid, Finance Secretary Dr. Sheikh Khairuzzaman Majumdar, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiqui, and other senior officials. The finance adviser also said that everyone should vote in favor of referendum. He noted that there has never been a reform in Bangladesh for the people; changes have always been party-based. Pay Commission to reveal report date soon, work continues: Dr Salehuddin He further added, “Through referendum, the political government will gain strength in the future. That is why the government is speaking in favor of public voting.” Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed praised the mini stadium during his visit. Natore Deputy Commissioner Asma Shahin briefed him about the facilities.  

A fire broke out at a residential colony in Kashimpur area of Gazipur on Friday morning, destroying at least 26 rooms. The incident occurred in a colony owned by a man named Biplob, located near GMS Garments factory in Sardaganj area of Kashimpur. On receiving information, a unit of DBL Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after about half an hour of efforts. Jhut godown catches fire in Gazipur DBL Fire Service in-charge Atikul Islam said the fire originated from a room in the colony and quickly spread to adjacent rooms, leaving 26 rooms completely gutted. “The exact cause of the fire and the extent of losses will be determined after investigation,” he added. No casualties were reported in the incident.

Miscreants cut down 200 aubergine plants and garlic crops on 10 percent of a farmer’s land in Char Etmamapur village, Jaduboyra Union, Kushtia. They also reportedly stole a submersible pump worth around Tk 18,000. The incident occurred Thursday night. The affected farmer, Abdul Latif Laifa Biswas (61), a former vice president of the Union Awami League, discovered the damage on Friday morning. His farmland along the banks of the Gorai River is cultivated with banana, eggplant, onion, garlic, and other crops. On inspection, hundreds of eggplant plants were found cut and shredded, while garlic seedlings on a neighboring plot were also destroyed. The irrigation pump was missing, and electrical wires were damaged. Local farmers rushed to the site after hearing the news. Latif said the destroyed crops would have yielded 50–60 maunds of eggplant and around seven maunds of garlic. He spent about Tk 10,000 on seedlings and cultivation, and the stolen submersible pump cost Tk 18,000, bringing his total loss to nearly Tk 100,000. He could not identify the perpetrators. An unnamed local farmer said the incident has left the community fearful, suggesting outsiders may have targeted the fields to disrupt local peace. Jaduboyra Union Parishad Chairman Mizanur Rahman described the attack as extremely heinous and advised the farmer to seek police assistance. Kushtia Police Inspector (Investigation) Amirul Islam said legal action would be taken once a written complaint is filed.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested the two main suspects in the stabbing murder of Chhatra Dal activist Zahidul Islam (25) in Narsingdi. Ariful Islam, Additional Superintendent of Police and Camp Commander of RAB-11 confirmed this at a press conference at the RAB-11 Narsingdi office. They were arrested on Thursday afternoon during a joint operation by RAB-11 Narsingdi and RAB-12 Kushtia in Bottoil, Bhadalia area of Kushtia district. The arrested couple, Rajon, 37, and his wife Zara, 30, are from Nawapara area under Madhabdi Police Station. During initial questioning, they admitted to being directly involved in the killing. They are handed over to Madhabdi Police Station for further legal proceedings. RAB said the operation to apprehend other suspects involved in the murder is ongoing. Grocery owner stabbed dead in Narsingdi Zahidul Islam, a union-level Chhatra Dal activist, was killed on December 29 after being lured from his home in Gayeshpur area of Zinaradi Union, Palash upazila. His father, Mosharaf Hossain Bhuiya, filed the murder case naming Rajon, Zara, and four to five unidentified individuals as accused.

A rally, discussion and floral tribute programme was held in Gaibandha on Friday to protect the killing ground where martyrs of the Liberation War lie buried. The programme was organised under the slogan, “On this soil rest thousands of freedom fighters,” and took place at the killing ground adjacent to the Gaibandha Stadium in the morning. Organised by the Gaibandha District Killing Ground Preservation Council, the programme began with a rally from the Liberation War Victory Monument Square. Men and women committed to the spirit of the Liberation War joined the procession, which paraded through the town before ending at the stadium-area killing ground. A discussion followed, chaired by veteran journalist Gobinda Lal Das. Speakers included Bir Muktijoddha and former unit commander Abdul Kader, journalists Siddiq Alam Dayal, lawyers Ashraf Ali, Nilufar Yasmin Shilpi and Kasem Yazbi, politicians Ahsan Habib Sayeed and Kazi Abu Raheen Shafiullah, poet Nasrin Rekha, dramatist and poet Shahnaz Amin Munni, and council member secretary Advocate Mostafa Moniruzzaman, among others. The speakers alleged that during the rule of the previous “fascist” government, several killing grounds in Gaibandha, including the main one, were illegally occupied. They claimed that attempts were made to erase the spirit of the Liberation War by setting up sawmills, liquor shops and other structures on these historic sites. They stressed the need to protect the killing grounds and pass on the history and spirit of the Liberation War to future generations, calling for the building of a new Bangladesh rooted in the ideals of 1971.