United News of Bangladesh

A two-year-old boy became trapped inside an abandoned deep well in Koelhat village of Pachander Union in Tanor upazila of Rajshahi on Wednesday afternoon. Sajid, son of Rakib, fell into the 35-feet-deep pipe while playing near his home in Koelhat Purbapara village. Locals initially tried to rescue him before informing the Fire Service. Fire Service personnel are conducting a rescue operation to save the child, said Tanor police station officer-in-charge Shahinuzzaman. Eyewitnesses said they could hear the child’s voice from inside the pipe, indicating that he is still alive. However, rescue efforts are being hampered by the narrow and deep structure of the well, according to the Fire Service. A specialized rescue team from Chapainawabganj has also joined the operation to assist in freeing the child. The Fire Service assured they are doing their utmost to ensure Sajid’s safe rescue.

Four people, including Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, special assistant to BNP Chairperson and party-nominated candidate for Pabna-5 seat, were injured in a collision between a truck and a microbus in Atgharia upazila of Pabna on Tuesday evening. The accident occurred around 6pm in Ekdanto area while Shimul Biswas was traveling to attend an election meeting of BNP nominee Habibur Rahman Habib in Pabna-4. The remaining injured are Biswas’s personal assistant Enamur Rahman, Bera upazila BNP member secretary Rais Uddin, and the microbus driver Shafiq. All injured were admitted to Pabna General Hospital. Former district BNP office secretary Zahurul Islam said Shimul Biswas had earlier attended a programme of BNP nominee AKM Selim Reza Habib in Sujanagar. On the way, the microbus carrying him collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction in Ekdanto. BNP condemns alleged Jamaat attack on electioneering in Pabna Among the injured, Enamur and Rais were admitted in serious condition while Shimul Biswas sustained an eye injury and received primary treatment. Dr. Zahidul Islam, residential medical officer at Pabna General Hospital, said three of the injured were brought to the hospital, one with an eye injury caused by glass, another with a head injury, and one with a knee injury. Their treatment is ongoing, he added.      

Two people, including a CNG-run autorickshaw driver, were killed after a truck hit their vehicle in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday. The accident occurred around 3pm in the Alikhali Rashta Matha area of Hnila Union, causing the auto-rickshaw to plunge into a roadside ditch. The deceased were identified as driver Faruk, 30, son of Selim from Maulvibazar area of Hnila Union, and passenger Iman Hossain, 25, son of Syed Nur from Nazirpara in Teknaf Sadar Union. Witnesses said the truck struck the auto-rickshaw with force, leaving the vehicle mangled and killing both men on the spot. Md Nurul Absar, in-charge of Hoaikyang Highway Police Outpost, said police reached the scene after being informed by locals. The bodies were sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, while the truck and the auto-rickshaw have been seized, he added.

Workers of a garment factory staged a demonstration in front of PN Composite Ltd at Ambagh in Konabari, Gazipur on Tuesday (December 09, 2025), protesting the sudden closure of the factory. “The authorities hung a closure notice on the main gate on Monday evening. When workers arrived for duty on Tuesday morning and saw the notice, they immediately began protesting,” said Khandaker Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Konabari Police Station. According to workers, the unrest began after an employee left the factory on December 7 for urgent personal reasons. Upon his return, he engaged in a verbal altercation with several factory officials. Read more: 6 RMG factories in Ashulia declare holiday amid workers unrest On Monday, a group of workers demonstrated demanding the removal of some officials involved in the dispute. Despite repeated efforts by the factory management to calm the situation, tensions persisted throughout the day. After workers dispersed in the evening, the management decided to close the factory and placed the notice on the main gate. Industrial police and local law enforcement rushed to the spot upon receiving information and brought the situation under control. Workers eventually left the area around 9 am following assurances that production would resume next week. When contacted, factory manager Tapas said a misunderstanding had arisen between a worker and officials, prompting workers to stop work. Read more: Bangladesh consolidates global leadership with 268 LEED-certified RMG factories Despite several attempts to resolve the issue, production remained disrupted on Monday, leading the authorities to temporarily shut down the factory.

A youth on Monday was stabbed to death by assailants in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj. The deceased, Noyon Ali (25), was the son of Abdul Karim of Moroltola area in Noyalabhanga Union. Rajshahi Medical College Hospital spokesperson Dr. Shankar Kumar Biswas confirmed his death. The incident occurred around 7:00 pm at Babupar Mor, where assailants attacked Noyon with machetes, inflicting severe injuries. Locals rescued him and took him to Chapainawabganj District Hospital for initial treatment before he was referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Dr. Biswas said Noyon may have died from excessive bleeding. Shibganj police OC Humayun Kabir confirmed the incident, saying Noyon’s political affiliation has not been verified. Police have launched an operation to apprehend the attackers.

Three people were killed as an unidentified vehicle crashed into a motorbike in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur early Saturday. The deceased were two brothers Sumon, 25, and Imon, 22, sons of Karim Mondol from Sadhki Mohammadpur in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia, and Ashik Molla, 22. The speeding vehicle hit the motorbike around 1.30am near the Madhabpur Bridge graveyard area on the Dhaka–Barishal Highway, leaving the two brothers dead on the spot, said police. Injured rider Ashik Molla was taken to Bhanga Upazila Health Complex in critical condition where he died while undergoing treatment. Helal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police Station, said a team of police was sent to the scene immediately after receiving information. The bodies were handed over to the families on Sunday morning. Police are working to identify the vehicle and its driver, he said.

A freedom fighter and his wife were found dead with their throats slit at their home in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur early Sunday (December 07, 2025). The deceased were identified as freedom fighter Jogesh Chandra Roy, 75, a retired headteacher of a local government primary school, and his wife Surbonna Roy, 60, residents of Khiarpara village in Kursha union. Taraganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abu Saiyum Talukdar said the couple were killed around 1am at their house. Neighbours and police said the couple went to bed as usual on Saturday night (December 06, 2025). Read more: Suspect in Pallabi Jubo Dal leader murder dies after arrest On Sunday morning, neighbours called them repeatedly but received no response and then a neighbour named Dipak climbed a ladder over the main gate and entered the house. He found Surbonna’s body lying in the kitchen and Jogesh’s body  in the dining room, both with their throats slit. Locals said the couple used to live alone in the house and their two sons are serving in different units of Bangladesh Police. OC Abu Saiyum Talukdar said members of the crime scene unit are at the spot and detectives are also looking into the murder incident. Read more: 3-year-old girl found dead in Jhenaidah; police suspect murder Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Munabbir Hossain and senior district police officials have visited the crime scene.

A 22-year-old youth was stabbed to death near Ansar Camp in Bejpara of  Jashore town on Saturday midnight Tanvir, son of Mintu from Shankarpur Hazarigat, was found bleeding near the camp around 12:55 am. Locals rushed him to Jessore 250-Bed General Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Kotwali Model Police Inspector (Investigation) Kazi Babul Hossain said Tanvir was stabbed past midnight and a rickshaw driver took him to the hospital. Police said they recovered 61 Yaba pills from his pocket. Earlier on Saturday evening around, a joint team conducted an operation at Shankarpur Beler Maidan and detained two youths along with five bombs and a knife. Tanvir had escaped the scene during the drive and the detainees told police that the seized explosives belonged to him. Investigation into the murder is ongoing, said police.

Two women were killed and seven others injured when a cattle-laden truck hit an auto-rickshaw in the Chuniapara area of Dinajpur Sadar on Saturday evening. The deceased were identified as Khoteja Begum, 61, wife of Azizur Rahman of Nonam Memberpara, and Shefali Begum, 31, wife of Rafiqul Islam of the same village. Obaidul Islam, Senior Station Officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said they rushed to the spot and found Khoteja dead on the spot. Eight injured people were sent to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. Sajjad Hossain, Sub-Inspector of Kotwali Police Station, confirmed that Shefali died later at the hospital. “Seven others are receiving treatment in the hospital. Three of them are in critical condition,” he added.  

Experts have urged an urgent revision of Bangladesh’s Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) to increase the share of renewable energy. They came up with the call during the inauguration of the 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025 on Saturday at the Bangladesh Military Museum in Dhaka Environment Adviser  Rizwana was present as the chief guest. Speaking at the event, Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that energy transition is a long-term process. .”We have initiated multiple policies and programs to expand renewable energy, and these efforts are ongoing. The priority should not just be setting targets but achieving them. In the past, ambitious targets were set, but renewable electricity generation remained minimal. Therefore, a realistic and implementable roadmap is crucial. We have also launched a program to install solar panels on the rooftops of all government buildings, which is progressing rapidly,” she said. The three-day conference brings together policymakers, experts, researchers, and civil society representatives to discuss Bangladesh’s current energy challenges, potential opportunities, and future energy transition pathways. Dr. Khandakar Golam Moazzem, Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, “Effective energy transition requires the integration of technical knowledge, sound policies, and skilled human resources. Reducing reliance on foreign consultants and building institutional capacity while ensuring domestic ownership of policy implementation is now an urgent priority.” Professor Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman of the Centre for Renewable Energy Services Limited, said , “The government spends $4 billion annually on electricity subsidies. Allocating even half of this to renewable energy could transform the sector. Current electricity policies are not renewable-friendly, slowing progress. These issues must be prioritized in the IEPMP and aligned with domestic expert recommendations for broader acceptance.” Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said energy sector malpractices including policy-level crimes, occurred under previous governments.