United News of Bangladesh

A tense calm prevailed in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, on Friday after a clash between two factions of the BNP, leaving at least 10 people injured, including two police members. Rashed Khan, BNP’s nominated candidate for Jhenaidah-4 (partly Kaliganj-Sadar constituency) who ended up losing the election, was present at the scene during the incident. Mahfuzur Rahman, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Jhenaidah, said the clash occurred around 12:00 pm in front of Kaliganj Police Station during a coordination meeting at Rashed Khan’s election office. Among the injured were ASI Jahid, Constable Pikul, and Constable Selim, along with seven others. Eyewitnesses and party activists said the dispute began when Shajahan Ali, president of the union BNP, raised allegations against Maharajpur Union Chairman Khurshed Alam for voting against the party symbol, the “paddy sheaf.” Heated arguments escalated into a physical confrontation, with one group entering the police station premises and the other following with an attack. Police later intervened with a baton charge to disperse the crowds. Rashed Khan told UNB, “Many party activists came to meet me at the office. During their meeting, a scuffle broke out between two factions. I later spoke to both sides, and the situation is now under control.” Kaliganj Police Station OC Jellal Hossain confirmed the incident, saying the clash occurred at BNP’s election office in front of the station during a coordination meeting. Two police personnel were injured in the attack.

A Jubo Dal activist was stabbed to death in Senhati, Dighalia upazila, Khulna on Friday, police said, in an attack reportedly linked to a previous feud. The incident occurred around 7:30 pm. The deceased has been identified as Murad Khan (45), son of Khan Mansur Ali of Hajigram in Dighalia. He was a member of Dighalia Upazila Jubo Dal and a local businessman. Eyewitnesses said Murad Khan was returning home from Khulna to Hajigram when a group of youths blocked his way near Senhati Mia Para Mosque. He ran into a nearby shop for shelter, but the attackers dragged him out and repeatedly stabbed him. Murad eventually collapsed, after which the assailants fled. Locals rushed him to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where doctors on duty declared him dead. Khulna Police Superintendent Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the incident and said police are at the scene. An investigation has been launched, and authorities are working to identify and apprehend the attackers.

A police officer was killed after being run over by a truck on the Sylhet-Tamabil highway in Sylhet on Friday afternoon. The accident occurred around 3 pm in Dorbost area of Jaintiapur upazila. The deceased was identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Md Atikur Rahman, who was posted at Jaintiapur Model Police Station. He was critically injured while on duty and rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College where he died around 5:30 pm during treatment. Police said Atikur Rahman was hit by a Tamabil-bound truck while performing duty on the highway. Atikur Rahman hailed from Char Bishudia village under Hossainpur area in Kishoreganj district. He is survived by his wife, two sons and other family members. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Molla, Officer-in-Charge of Jaintiapur Police Station, confirmed the incident. "Police have seized the truck involved in the accident and detained the driver. Legal steps are under process,” he added.

A man was beaten to death in Faridpur on Friday morning following a dispute over setting up a rope at the entrance of a house in the Goalkhamat area of the town. The incident occurred at Molla Bari Road, with the victim’s younger brother also seriously injured. The deceased was identified as Jewel Ahmed, son of late Monir Uddin and a resident of the area. His younger brother, Sohel Ahmed, sustained critical injuries and is currently undergoing treatment. According to family members and local residents, a long-standing dispute existed between Jewel’s family and the family of scrap trader Md Sarfaraz, a Bihari (non-Bengali) resident of the area. Witnesses said that on Friday morning, members of Sarfaraz’s family were setting up a rope at the entrance of Jewel’s house and allegedly created disturbance and noise. An altercation ensued between the two families, during which Sarfaraz’s family members reportedly attacked Jewel and his brother with sticks and iron rods, leaving them severely injured. Locals rescued the brothers and rushed them to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, where Jewel was declared dead. Sub-Inspector Md Asad of Kotwali Police Station said that police rushed to the spot after receiving information and detained Sarfaraz and his wife. “Legal action is being taken in connection with the incident,” the police official added.

A teenage boy was killed and another seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Sylhet on Friday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Mazharul Islam Rana, 15. The injured rider is his friend Md Lijan, 14, who is now receiving treatment at a private hospital. The accident occurred around 1:15 pm in the Madani area on Baluchar Road in the city. Police and locals said the motorcycle was being driven at high speed when it went onto the footpath and hit an electric pole. Rana died on the spot. Lijan was rescued by locals and taken to hospital in a CNG auto-rickshaw. Rana was the son of Mohammad Raju Mia of C Block in the Uposhahar residential area. Lijan is the son of Jalal Uddin, a resident of B Block in the same area. Rana’s father said he rushed to the hospital after hearing that his son had died in the accident. Officer-in-Charge of Shah Paran Police Station, Khondaker Mostafizur Rahman, confirmed the incident. He said police visited the spot after receiving the information. He said, “Two teenagers were riding the motorcycle. One was killed and the other was injured due to reckless driving. The body has been kept at Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue and will be handed over to the family after an autopsy.”  

A dwelling house was gutted by fire after a drug-addicted son of the family who lived there allegedly set it on fire in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on Friday. The incident occurred around 11:30 am at Moshaura village under Mathurapur Union. A team from Fire Service and Civil Defence in Bheramara rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. According to local people and police, Imran Hossain, 20, son of RabiuI Islam of the village, demanded money from his family to buy drugs. When family members refused, he became angry and set fire to the house. The blaze quickly destroyed the dwelling and household furniture. RabiuI Islam was not at home at the time of the incident. He said he had gone to the market in the morning and found his house completely burned after returning. Bheramara Fire Service Station Officer Shafiqul Islam said they initially received information that the fire started from a cooking stove. Amir Hamza MP vows to lead improvements in Kushtia Later, they learned that a family member had deliberately set the house on fire. Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur Police Station Arifur Rahman said preliminary investigation suggests that a drug-addicted son was responsible for the incident. “Legal action will be taken after further investigation,” he added.

A passenger bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle in the Board Bazar area of Gazipur on Friday morning. The motorcyclist was injured in the incident. Hiron Mia, Station Officer of Bhogra Modern Fire Service, said the Dhaka-bound bus was travelling from Tangail when it reached the Board Bazar area at around 7:45am and collided head-on with a motorcycle. After the collision, the motorcycle fell under the bus and scraped along the road. The friction is believed to have sparked a fire, which quickly spread to the bus. On information, two units of the fire service rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control within about an hour. Vehicular movement on the busy road was disrupted during the incident. Later, with the assistance of police and local residents, the damaged bus was removed from the road. Traffic movement returned to normal afterwards.

At least nine people were injured in a clash between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists in Bhatpara Bazar of Baghtia Union, Abhaynagar Upazila, Jashore on Thursday. According to locals and police, the incident occurred between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm. The tensions reportedly began on Wednesday over a family graveyard dispute between BNP supporter Ashik and Jamaat supporter Sattar, leaving Sattar injured. In protest, Jamaat supporters, led by union president Sher Ali, organized a rally Thursday afternoon. After the Asar prayers, the rally reached Bhatpara Bazar, where verbal arguments between the two groups escalated into a physical clash. Injured from the Jamaat side included Masud Kamal, Md. Bukhari, Jahangir Hossain, and Ahad Molla, while Iqbal, Khalid Sheikh, Yusuf Hossain, Khalid Sheikh and Forkan were hurt on the BNP side. The injured were taken to the local health complex for treatment. The Abhaynagar Army Camp patrol team and police reached the scene promptly, restoring order. Additional police forces have been deployed, and the situation remains tense but under control. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Abhaynagar Police Station, Zahidul Islam, said the situation is stable. He added that identifying those involved is underway, and legal action will be taken promptly.

A major fire broke out at Afil Bricks, a brick kiln in the Hatbila-Jamtala area of Jashore Sadar on Thursday, leaving a worker and a fire service personnel injured. According to officials, seven units of the Fire Service worked for nearly an hour to bring the blaze under control, but a large quantity of the factory’s materials were destroyed. Ashraful Haque, manager of Afil Group, said the fire started unexpectedly in Shed No. 2 just before Iftar. Flames quickly engulfed the entire shed, causing panic among workers and nearby residents. Fire service personnel promptly arrived at the scene, with units from Jessore Sadar, Bagharpara, Nawapara, and Manirampur joining the operation. With combined efforts of the fire service, factory workers, and locals, the fire was controlled after about an hour. The exact financial loss is yet to be determined. During the firefighting operation, one worker and one fire service member sustained injuries and received immediate treatment. Mahabub Alam Lablu, director of Afil Group, said the fire caused extensive damage not only to the shed but also to the control room and production area. Jahangir Ahmed, Deputy Assistant Director of Jessore Fire Service, said, After receiving the report on Thursday afternoon, seven units rushed to Afil Bricks. It took about an hour to control the fire. We suspect it started from the factory’s upper chimney, but the total loss can only be assessed after completing the inspection, he added.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officials on Thursday detained a project implementation officer and his office assistant with one lakh taka in bribe in Sonagazi upazila of Feni. The arrested officials are Mohammad Al Saeed, project implementation officer (PIO), and office assistant Abu Naser. The ACC team raided the PIO office from afternoon to evening and recovered the money in bundles of Tk 1,000-notes. The operation was led by Faruk Ahmad, Deputy Director of ACC’s Feni-Noakhali zone, with an eight-member team. The raid followed a bribery complaint by contractor Humayun Kabir, who said he was forced to pay five lakh taka to release government project bills. When asked for another one lakh taka, he reported the matter to the ACC. ACC Assistant Director Chinmoy Chakraborty filed a case over the incident. It is alleged that the project implementation officer, who has worked in the upazila office for a long time, used to collect bribes at a percentage rate in the name of implementing government projects. The detained officer was reckless in taking bribes with the assistance of Upazila Executive Officer Reagan Chakma. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, during the unusual political situation, he allegedly took crores of taka in bribes from government projects. There are also allegations that he embezzled funds by showing fake projects. Sonagazi Upazila Executive Officer Reagan Chakma said he was not present in his office at the time of the incident, as he had gone home on leave. He said he has heard about the matter and will be able to provide details after collecting more information.