United News of Bangladesh

The female tiger rescued from the Sundarbans in critical condition is showing gradual improvement, officials said on Tuesday. The 3–4-year-old tiger had been trapped in a poacher’s snare for three to four days, sustaining a severe injury to her front left leg. Veterinarians at the Khulna Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center said that although many damaged cells in the wound have died the injury remains at risk. Zulkernine, veterinary officer at Gazipur Safari Park, said, “Many cells in the wound have died, but the injured area is still at risk. We are dressing it twice daily and providing medicines and injections. The tiger is weak but showing signs of recovery.” Khulna Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department DFO Nirmal Kumar Pal added, “The tiger is eating regularly and moving around. She shows aggression if approached. Necessary treatment is ongoing, and she is under continuous monitoring. She is now out of immediate danger.” Read More: Tiger trapped in poachers’ snare in Sundarbans; rescue operation underway Sundarbans East Division DFO Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said a special operation has been underway since January 5 to recover poachers’ traps. “Poacher activity has increased raising concerns for our forest staff. Controlling poaching will benefit wildlife and forest resources in the Sundarbans,” he noted. The tiger was tranquilised on January 4 near a poacher trap in Bagerhat’s Monla area and transported to the center in a metal cage. Over the past eight days, the Forest Department has removed numerous traps and rescued an injured chital deer. According to forest officials, camera-trap surveys recorded 125 tigers in Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans as of October 2024, up from 114 in 2018 and 106 in 2015. Each tiger occupies a home range of 14–16 square kilometers within the protected mangrove forest.

Two young men whose bodies were recovered from the Atrai River in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur on Monday have been identified but police are yet to determine whether they were murdered. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Russell Mia, 25, son of Saidul Islam of Subhashahar Ward No. 7 near Phulbari bus stand and his friend Al Amin, 28, son of late Nur Mohammad of Nimnagar South Balubari Line area. Police recovered the bodies as unidentified from near the Lakhitala Bridge over the Atrai River in Bhial Union’s Baniakhari Dolla village on Monday. Inspector Ahsan Habib of Chirirbandar Police Station said a special team of the Criminal Investigation Department attempted to identify the bodies through fingerprint scanning, but the effort was unsuccessful. Later in the afternoon, family members identified the bodies at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital morgue by the clothes they were wearing. Quoting family members, the police officer said Russell and Al Amin used to go out together and return home after five to seven days. They left their homes together around 9:30 pm on January 6 and did not return. Their families had lost contact with them and were preparing to file a general diary at the police station. After receiving information from the morgue staff, they went there and identified the bodies. Police said the bodies had remained in the river for several days which made identification difficult. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the deaths, he said . BNP leader’s death in custody sparks shock in Chuadanga

The death of a local BNP leader in army custody has sent shockwaves through Jibannagar, Chuadanga, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his sudden demise and prompting protests across the town. Shamsuzzaman Dablu, 50, general secretary of Chuadanga pouro BNP and a resident of Hospitalpara, died around midnight on Monday (January 12, 2026) after being taken into custody during an army operation near Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex. According to reports, Dablu was at a medicine shop when army personnel approached him at around 10:30 pm. Within two hours of being taken, he had died. Family members and BNP leaders allege that Dablu’s death was the result of torture, a claim that has intensified anger in the area. Read more: Mirza Abbas alleges plot to destabilise country, vows not to fall into trap “My brother has been murdered,” said Shariful Islam Kajol, Dablu’s brother. Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of Chuadanga district BNP and candidate for Chuadanga-2, said, “BNP leaders and activists are being tortured under the pretext of operations. The intensity of the torture was so severe that Shamsuzzaman could not survive.” The army, however, maintains that Dablu fell ill suddenly during questioning and died of a stroke. A foreign pistol and four rounds of ammunition were reportedly recovered from him during the operation, which the army described as part of a routine effort to recover arms. Chuadanga district Superintendent of Police Mohammad Monirul Islam said that Dablu was taken to the hospital after falling ill, where doctors declared him dead. “Lieutenant Colonel Imran of the army informed us of the details of the incident,” he said. The postmortem was conducted on Tuesday morning (January 13, 2026) at the site by Jibannagar Upazila Executive Officer Md Al Amin, in the presence of police. Read more: BNP gears up in Sylhet as Tarique Rahman set to launch election campaign Meanwhile, protests by BNP leaders and activists continued in front of the Upazila Health Complex, prompting the deployment of additional police to maintain order.

A woman allegedly died after being administered the wrong blood group following a surgical operation at a private clinic in Bhola. The deceased was identified as Lamia (19), wife of Md Sharif of Weather Office Road area under Bhola Municipality. She died on Monday evening at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal. According to family members, Lamia was admitted to Bandhan Healthcare in Bhola city on January 7 due to pregnancy complications. She delivered a baby boy through a caesarean section on Thursday afternoon. The clinic authorities reportedly charged Tk 1,200 for determining the blood group and cross-matching. However, without proper cross-matching, she was allegedly given ‘B’ positive blood instead of her actual blood group ‘O’ positive. Victim’s brother-in-law Md Rajib alleged that soon after the transfusion, Lamia developed convulsions and her condition rapidly deteriorated. She was later referred to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where she remained on life support in the ICU for four days before succumbing at around 5:00 pm on Monday. He further claimed that the death certificate mentioned the cause of death as complications arising from the wrong blood transfusion. Following the death, relatives of the victim vandalised the clinic and staged a protest demanding justice and exemplary punishment for those responsible. Police were deployed to bring the situation under control. Inspector (Investigation) of Bhola Sadar Model Police Station Md Zia Uddin said tension erupted at Bandhan Healthcare after the death of the woman allegedly due to wrong treatment. “Upon receiving information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. If the victim’s family files a complaint, an investigation will be conducted and legal action will be taken accordingly,” he said.  

Two members of Bangladesh Ansar have been arrested for allegedly raping a woman at the 250-bed Manikganj General Hospital early Monday. The arrestees are Shahadat Hossain and Abu Sayed, said Manikganj Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarwar Alam. According to police, the incident occurred around 3:00am when the victim, a housewife, along with her husband, took shelter at the hospital after their battery-powered van ran out of charge. The two Ansar members, who were on duty at the hospital, took the woman to another floor, leaving her husband behind, and raped her. The victim later informed her husband, and the couple filed a complaint with Manikganj Sadar Police Station. Police arrested the accused in the morning. The victim has been admitted to the hospital, and further legal action is underway, the SP said.

The condition of the 12-year-old girl, who suffered bullet injuries by a ‘stray bullet’ allegedly fired from Myanmar along the Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday, was stated to be critical, said physicians on Monday. The victim, Afnan Ara is now currently undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and she has been kept on life support, said director of the hospital Brig General Taslim Uddin. Speaking to the reporters, Taslim said, “The child underwent surgery on Sunday night. However, the bullet pierced on her head could not be removed as it is stuck in a very sensitive area. Any attempt to extract it could cause severe bleeding and may result in death.” He said the patient has been put on ventilation support at the ICU. The positive sign is that her physical condition has shown slight improvement since yesterday, he added. Afnan Ara, daughter of Jashim Uddin, suffered bullet injuries around 10:30am on Sunday when a bullet hit her on the head at Whykong in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The bullet round is believed to have crossed into Bangladesh during a gunfight in neighbouring Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where clashes were taking place between the Arakan Army and a separatist group. Later, she was taken to the CMCH.

Three people were killed and 10 others injured on Monday when a train collided with a pickup van carrying jute mill workers in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district. The deceased were identified as Jabbar Mollah and Musa Mollah, two brothers and sons of Soyfar Mollah, and Jahanara Begum, wife of Abul Kalam, all residents of Bilkorail village in the upazila. All three were employed at Janata Jute Mill. The accident occurred around 2:30 pm at the Sotashi level-crossing when the Bhatiapara-bound local train from Kalukhali struck the pickup van as it attempted to cross the rail gate. The impact killed the three instantly and left 10 others injured, according to Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Boalmari Police Station. The injured were taken to Boalmari Upazila Health Complex, and five of them were later referred to Faridpur Medical College and Hospital for further treatment.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Genl (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday issued a firm warning to members of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP), directing them to stay away from any unethical, partisan or duty-breaching activities that could undermine the credibility of the national election. Speaking at a passing-out parade at the Ansar and VDP Academy in Safipur, the adviser made it clear that any attempt to influence or obstruct the electoral process would not be tolerated, stressing that Ansar members must uphold professionalism, neutrality and strict adherence to the law. The ceremony marked the completion of the 21st basic training of the 41st BCS (Ansar) cadre officers, the basic training of newly appointed thana and upazila trainers, and the basic training of the 26th and 27th batches of Ansar Battalion male recruit sepoys. Jahangir Alam said 5,55,958 Ansar-VDP members would be deployed at 42,766 polling centres across the country during the forthcoming national election. Each polling centre will have 13 members, including three armed personnel, six unarmed male members and four unarmed female members, he said. The adviser said 1,191 Ansar Battalion striking force teams would be deployed nationwide, with 10 members in each team, totalling 11,910 personnel. The deployment, he noted, would significantly reinforce the overall election security framework. Calling for collective responsibility, the adviser said ensuring a free, fair and impartial election was a sacred duty essential for safeguarding the country’s future and must be carried out with integrity, discipline and professionalism. He also delivered a strong message against corruption, describing it as the biggest enemy of the state. “Corruption does not only inflict economic damage; it corrodes state institutions from within and destroys public confidence,” he said. The adviser warned that any Ansar member acting out of personal interest, greed or political gain would not only be breaking the law but also weakening the foundations of the state. “Bangladesh Ansar and VDP is not a force of any political party or vested group. It is a state institution funded by taxpayers’ money,” he said. Election disruption attempts to be met with iron hand: Home Adviser Jahangir Alam urged members not to comply with any illegal orders, vested agendas or partisan instructions under any circumstances. At the event, four outstanding trainees were awarded crests by the chief guest for their exemplary performance. Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud, along with other senior officials of the force, attended the programme. Guardians of the trainees were also present.

A young man lost his right leg in a landmine explosion along the Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar on Monday. The incident occurred around 10:30 am in the Hauserdip area of the Hoikkhong Lombabil border under Teknaf upazila, police said. The victim was identified as Mohammad Hanif, 22, son of Md Fazlul Haque of Lombabil under Ward No. 3 of Hoikkhong union. According to family members, Hanif went to a shrimp enclosure in the border area to catch fish when a landmine buried in the embankment exploded. The blast severed his right leg at the ankle and caused serious injuries to his left leg. Minor girl struck in cross-border gunfire in Cox’s Bazar Fazlul Haque said his son was rescued around noon with the help of locals and taken to the MSF Hospital in Kutupalong for treatment. Confirming the incident, sub-inspector Khokon Kanti Rudra, in-charge of Hoikkhong Police Outpost, said a landmine planted near the Bangladesh–Myanmar border exploded, leaving the youth injured. The injured was sent to hospital for medical treatment, he added.

At least 26 people, including women, were injured in a clash between two groups in Charachithulia village of Shahjadpur upazila in Sirajganj on Sunday. Of the injured, 17 were admitted to Pabna General Hospital and several private clinics for treatment. Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Shahjadpur Police Station, confirmed the incident. He said the clash broke out between the Fakir group and the Sarkar group following a dispute between two children. On Saturday night, two boys named Nirab and Shimul got into an argument while attending an Islamic sermon in the village. The argument later turned into a scuffle. Following the incident, tensions grew between the two groups. On Sunday morning, supporters of Ziarul Fakir and Mahfuz Sarkar got into a violent clash. Both sides used local weapons, hurled bricks and stones, and vandalised houses. The clash continued for several hours with chases and counter-chases, spreading panic in the area. At least 10 houses were vandalised and looted during the violence. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Additional police have been deployed in the area and patrols have been strengthened. The OC said legal action will be taken if any complaint is filed. “The situation is now calm,” he added.