United News of Bangladesh

A total of 26 bodies have been recovered following the sinking of the Souhardo Transport bus in the Padma River at Daulatdia Ferry Ghat in Goalanda, Rajbari. The Fire Service temporarily suspended recovery operations on Thursday evening. According to the District Commissioner’s Office, each bereaved family will receive BDT 25,000 as compensation, confirmed Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md. Hafizur Rahman. An investigation committee was formed on Wednesday midnight by the Additional District Magistrate Uchen Me, following the bus accident. The five-member committee includes Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime & OPS) Md. Shamsul Haque, Assistant General Manager of BIWTC Daulatdia Office Md. Salah Uddin, Deputy Assistant Director of Rajbari Fire Service and Civil Defence Dewan Sohel Rana, and Goalanda Upazila Executive Officer Sathi Das. 13-year-old Ayesha buried after Daulatdia bus tragedy On Thursday, BIWTC Chairman Md. Salim Ullah, State Minister for Cultural Affairs and MP of Rajbari-1 Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyum visited the ferry ghat and assured a proper investigation, while also promising measures to repair the dilapidated ghat.

A minor dispute over walking through a paddy field led to a violent clash between two groups in Gunoi village of Baniachong upazila, resulting in the death of an elderly woman and injuries to at least 15 others. Local sources said the incident occurred on Wednesday night when Shalik Mia, a resident of the village, walked across the paddy field of Nozir Ali, another villager. Nozir Ali alleged that the paddy plants were damaged and confronted Shalik Mia,  leading to an argument. The situation escalated when Nozir Ali pushed Shalik Mia aside. Shalik Mia informed his supporters, who armed themselves with sticks and rushed to Gunoi bazaar to attack the opposing group. Woman held for ‘killing mother-in-law’ in Habiganj Market traders and shoppers intervened, urging the groups not to create chaos in the bazaar. The clash later resumed near Emdadia Madrasa, leaving at least 15 people injured. Police from Baniachong station arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Local sources said that after the police left, the opposing group attacked Aklima Bibi,65, at her home, reportedly to implicate the other side. Aklima Bibi, wife of the late Fozai Mia, sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead upon arrival at Habiganj Modern Hospital. Kabir Hossain, Baniachong police Officer-in-Charge (OC), Confirmed the incident and said the body is undergoing post-mortem and no case has been filed yet. He added that the situation is now under control.

Police in Mohammadpur Upazila of Magura district on Thursday arrested a couple in connection with a kidnapping case following their interfaith love marriage. Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ashrafuzzaman said the arrested are Arman Ali, son of Mohammad Ali of Falshia village, and Priyanka Biswas (currently known as Mosha Mariam Akter), daughter of Priyonath Biswas of Pachuria village in Digha Union. The couple reportedly fell in love and maintained contact through social media platform Facebook. On Thursday, they converted to Islam and got married. Local sources said the bride was about 20 years and six months old at the time of marriage. Following the marriage, Priyonath Biswas, the father of the bride, filed a kidnapping case against Arman Ali filed at Mohammadpur Police Station. Acting on the complaint, police conducted a drive and arrested both the husband and wife on Thursday.

The Coast Guard seized a large consignment of soft drinks and arrested a smuggler in Monpura, Bhola, while attempting to transport the goods to Myanmar on Thursday. The arrested individual has been identified as Md. Hannan. During a special operation near Surjomukhi Ghat in Monpura on the Meghna River, Coast Guard personnel searched a fishing boat and recovered the consignment. Six illegal artisanal trawlers seized in joint operation in Bhola Lt. BN Md. Abul Kashem, media officer of the Coast Guard South Zone, confirmed in a press release that acting on a tip-off, the team conducted the operation and seized 170 cases of soft drinks worth nearly Tk 1.22 lakh, being smuggled to Myanmar evading customs duty. Md. Hannan was detained along with the boat. Legal action is underway against the suspect and the seized goods, and the Coast Guard said such operations to prevent smuggling will continue in the future.

Police have arrested 23-year-old Oliur Rahman, the prime accused in the abduction and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Jaintiapur upazila of Sylhet. The suspect was apprehended early Thursday morning from the Manikganj area of Gowainghat upazila. According to the case statement, on 22 March, Oliur Rahman went to the girl’s house in a DI vehicle while her parents were away. He allegedly lured her out by giving false news about her father’s accident and took her to a secluded spot in Pakhiteki area of Fatepur Union, where he raped her. Two accused in drug-related offences snatched away from police custody in Sylhet Following a general diary and subsequent case filing at Jaintiapur Model Police Station, police conducted an operation led by SI Obaidul Islam, resulting in the suspect’s arrest. Jaintiapur Model Police Station’s acting officer-in-charge, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla, said the arrested suspect has been handed over to the court, and operations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accomplices.

A college student was killed on Thursday in a head-on collision between a motorcycle and a microbus in Maijhati area of Pakundia Upazila in Kishoreganj. The incident occurred around noon on the Kishoreganj-Bhairab highway. Kotiyadi Highway Police Outpost in-charge Md. Khurshed Alam confirmed the matter. The deceased, Arian Sabbir, was the son of Ali Hossain of Maijhati village in Pakundia. He was a student of the 11th grade at Wali Nawaaz Khan College in Kishoreganj. Five killed in separate road accidents in Kishoreganj According to police, Sabbir was riding his motorcycle home from Kaliachapra Bazar when his vehicle collided head-on with a microbus coming from the opposite direction near Babar Ali Market in Maijhati. The collision left the college student critically injured. He was rushed to Kotiyadi Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition, where the attending doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival. Farzana Bobby Akter, duty doctor at the emergency department, said he had died before reaching the hospital. The Kotiyadi Highway Police said preparations are underway to file a case in connection with the accident.

Thirteen-year-old Ayesha Siddika, a hafiza of the 18th Para of the Quran, died in the tragic bus accident at Daulatdia ferry ghat in Rajbari on Wednesday. She had boarded a Souhardya Paribahan bus from Kushtia’s Kumar Khali counter with her family. Ayesha went missing when the bus sank in the Padma River. Later, her body was recovered by a Fire Service diving team. On Thursday morning at 9am, she was buried beside her elder uncle in her family graveyard at Shomospur, Khoksa Upazila. Funerals of 4 Kushtia victims of Daulatdia bus accident held Eyewitnesses said that Ayesha had been sitting with her mother, Lita Khatun, in the bus, while her father, Gias Uddin, along with her younger brother, Abul Kashem Safin, had disembarked at the ferry ghat. Within moments, the bus plunged into the river. Ayesha’s father, Gias Uddin, recounted the harrowing incident: “I watched my daughter and wife struggling in the water. I could rescue my wife, but I couldn’t save Ayesha. I still can’t believe my eyes. In an instant, so many parents’ hearts were shattered.” Her burial in Shomospur was marked by deep silence and grief in the neighborhood. Authorities and rescue teams had worked through the night to recover her body, which was handed over from Rajbari Sadar Hospital late Wednesday night. Ayesha Siddika’s death has left her family and the local community nursing profound sorrow.

A union-level leader of the Krishak Dal was killed on Wednesday in a clash between Jamaat and BNP supporters in Bhaturia village of Kullyagacha, Harinakundu upazila, Jhenaidah, reportedly over a Facebook post. The deceased, Abul Kashem, was the general secretary of the union’s Krishak Dal and the son of Abdul Latif Mondal of the same village. Local Jamaat leaders have claimed that the incident was a result of a family dispute and had no connection to the party. At a Thursday press conference, Upazila Ameer Babul Hossain read a statement, joined by district-level Jamaat officials including Secretary Abdul Awal, Assistant Secretary Maulana Tajul Islam, and youth wing leaders. The statement said the clash arose from a Facebook post that triggered a family feud, leading to Kashem’s death. The Jamaat leaders emphasized that the party had no involvement, accusing BNP of attempting to politicize the situation and create unrest. Hossain added that the matter should be resolved socially within the family. Kashem, the general secretary of the union’s Krishak Dal and son of Abdul Latif Mondal, was buried Thursday afternoon after funeral prayers at Shaheed Sadar Uddin Primary School field in Bhaturia village. Local BNP leaders and party workers attended the funeral.

A tea stall owner died after being electrocuted in Kurigram sadar upazila on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Soljar Hossain (50), son of late Shamsher Ali of Char Madhabram village under Bhogdanga union. According to local sources, Soljar left his home early in the morning around 6:00 am to open his tea stall at the east side of the Dharla Bridge. At one point, he went behind the shop and came into contact with a live electric wire, leading to his death on the spot. Clash over land leaves 3 dead in Kurigram It is initially believed that the incident occurred sometime between 6:10 am and 9:00 am. Kurigram Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahangir Alam confirmed the incident. Locals later discovered the incident, and a pall of grief descended on the area.

Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP clashed over front-row seating during an Independence Day parade in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali on Thursday. The incident occurred around 10:00 am at the municipal public ground, where the programme was organised by the upazila administration. The two sides engaged in a clash in front of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Assistant Commissioner (Land) and police officials, who later brought the situation under control. According to eyewitnesses, Jamaat leaders, including upazila ameer Maulana Md. Ishaq Mia and secretary Md. Khalidur Rahman, took seats on one side of the reserved front row before the event began. Later, former BNP MP and freedom fighter Shahidul Alam Talukder entered the venue with 40–50 party members and took seats on the other side along with his wife Salma Alam. Counterattacks, vandalism erupt over voting in an upazila of Patuakhali Tension escalated as many BNP and its associate organisation members could not find seats due to limited chairs. At one point, upazila Chhatra Dal president Abdullah Al Fahad asked Mujahidul Islam, a former Chhatra Shibir leader and representative of a local MP, to vacate a chair, triggering an argument that soon turned into a scuffle. Police Inspector Atikul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Sohag Milu intervened, temporarily calming the situation. However, shortly after, a second round of clashes broke out following another altercation between the two sides. Eventually, UNO Md. Saleh Ahmed, with the help of police, restored order and ensured the programme continued without further disruption. BNP leaders alleged that Jamaat activists occupied all front-row seats and attacked their members when asked to vacate them. Jamaat leaders, however, claimed they were attacked first by BNP activists. Police said the clash stemmed from a misunderstanding over seating arrangements and no formal complaint had been filed as of filing this report. Officials described the incident as unfortunate but said the programme concluded peacefully. UNO Saleh Ahmed said, Such incidents during a national programme like Independence Day are unfortunate. The situation could have been avoided through prior coordination with the administration. In a separate incident earlier in the day, tension also erupted at a reception for freedom fighters and families of martyrs at the Patuakhali Shilpakala Academy following controversial remarks by Jamiat-e-Ulama leader Abdullah Haq Kawsari regarding Bangabandhu’s role in the Liberation War. The situation was later brought under control by the district administration.