United News of Bangladesh

Farmers in the haor areas of Sylhet, Netrakona and Sunamganj are living in fear that they may be deprived of their boro paddy’s harvest, as flash floods following incessant rainfall in India’s bordering hilly areas have largely inundated their fields. Besides the affected farmers, the overt similarities with a similar chain of events in 2017 will have people worried across all sections of society. Back then, it prolonged a hike in the price of rice. Policymakers will be hoping and praying there is no repeat of that, given the upward pressure on prices that is already a reality gripping the populace. In Netrakona, the farmers of haor areas in Khaliajury upazila are busy harvesting their green and ripe paddy, fearing losses caused by onrush of water downstream. Executive Engineer of Netrakona Water Development Board ML Soikat said “The water level of Dhanu River has risen 10 cm on Monday noon due to rainfall in India’s Cherrapunji. As a result, the Dhanu river was flowing 58 cm below the danger mark.” Jashimuddin, upazila agriculture officer, said 370 acres of land in Kirtankhola, Laxmipur, Chunai, Baiddarchar, Katkailer Kanda, Taktar, Monijan, Lebria, Hemnagar, Gangabadar, Nayakhal, Bagani,Boilong and Dakatkhali haor area has been inundated, creating panic among the upazila’s boro farmers. Many farmers are trying their best to harvest their boro paddy before it matures, in order to cut down on their losses. Read: Char people of Kurigram rebuild their lives defying flood and erosion devastation Sujon Mia and Anwar Hossain, two farmers of Puranhati and Laxmipur villages in the upazila, said normally they would give it another 10-15 days to harvest the paddy, but they became helpless and went for early harvest –in which case their immature paddy would be used as fodder. On a positive note, Engineer Soikat said there is no report of damage along the 183-km embankment in the haor area, and they are trying to reinforce it by dumping bamboo and GO bags. In Sunamganj, the residents of Shantiganj upazila have been spending sleepless nights to protect the Shaldia Haor flood protection embankment since a crack was discovered on the surface. The water level of Surma has touched its danger level, and the water level of all the rivers including the Jadukata, Rokti, Boulai, Patlai, Naljur, Kalni, Chalti, Dharain and Chela, has increased due to the sudden onrush of hill water. The crop lands in Tahirpur upazila in the district are the worst-affected, as the flood control embankment for the Tanguar haor collapsed. Crop fields in Choto Kanlar Haor of Sadar upazila and Manuarkhola haor in Shalla upazila are also submerged for the same reasons as above. On the other hand, 25,000 hectares of boro paddy are at risk of inundation as a crack developed on the protection embankment at Karchar Haor in Bishambharpur upazila on Tuesday morning. Bishambharpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadi Ur Rahim Zahid said they are trying their best to protect the crops. Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Hossain said this year, a 530-km long levee has been built, and it is difficult for the Water Development Board to protect such a long embankment. As such, he sought help from all stakeholders in taking steps to protect the dam. According to Sunamganj office of the Department of Agriculture Extension, some 222,805 (2 lakh 22 thousand 805) hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation and they set a target to produce boro paddy worth Tk 3,200 crore. In Sylhet, farmers of Companiganj upazila are a worried lot, as their paddy fields too lie submerged, following the sudden onrush of waters in the last two days. Read: Reopening: Flooding robs of Kurigram students’ enthusiasm Some 400 bighas of cropland are already under water in Companiganj, according to the upazila agriculture department. And the worst hit areas are Fuksha Haor, Bhai Kuri, Moter Kuri, Dewar Kar, Kapna Kuri, Daila Haor, Akhai Kuri, Kanglaghati and Daram Haor of the upazila's South Ranikhai Union. Deputy assistant agriculture officer Pankaj said that although only 50 bighas of paddy land in Ichakals union is under water, the Patharchauli Haor protection dam is liable to be breached at any moment. "A disaster is waiting to happen," he told UNB. Alamgir Alam, chairman of East Islampur union parishad, said that with the help of locals, a dam was built in Rauti Haor. However, the dam breached in strong currents, submerging paddy fields, Alamgir added. Raihan Parvez Rony, upazila agriculture officer, said, If the flow of hill water continues, all the boro crops in the upazila will be damaged. Boro has been cultivated across 5,850 hectares of land in the upazila this year, said the officer. Fakhrul Ahmed, deputy assistant engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, said that an 8.561 km-long crop protection dam has been constructed at Haor area in Companiganj. And yet he adds: “Although the dam is strong enough, it will be difficult to protect the area’s crops in case of an overflow. Upazila nirbahi officer Lusikanta Hajong said the low-lying areas were flooded by the sudden onrush of hill water. However, our crop protection dams are still in the safe zone. A list of affected farmers is being prepared.

Work to construct homes for the underprivileged under Prime Minister's Ashrayan Project in Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh had to be halted almost as soon as it got underway on Tuesday, following a late intervention by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) claiming ownership over the land. Construction of the homes for the landless, on a stretch of land along the highway adjacent to Dahuk river in Buraburi union of Tentulia, was inaugurated on Tuesday. Also read: 3rd phase of Ashrayan-2: some 65,474 families to get sustainable houses Tentulia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shohag Chandra Saha said the construction alongside rehabilitation activities for 450 landless people of Tentulia Upazila started in the 2021-22 fiscal, under the special initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Ashrayan Project-2. The local administration had worked to allocate the listed government-owned lands for the initiative, UNO Shohag said. He also said the land of Buraburi Union is listed at 'No. 1 on the government’s ledger'. Accordingly work began Tuesday morning to build houses initially for 35 landless people. But shortly after the inauguration, BGB intervened and put a halt on the work, according to the UNO. BGB 18 Battalion's Acting Commander Major Abu Saleh Ahmed apparently claimed that the land had been bought by the BGB Welfare Trust. BGB members on guard also blocked the entry of vehicles carrying bricks for construction work. That governmental land was not acquired by BGB or BGB Welfare Trust. BGB Welfare Trust is a private organization that has occupied government’s land, said the UNO Shohag. “We did not expect a government agency’s objection to building homes for the landless," he said, adding that the work has been suspended for the time being. “We sought the cooperation of BGB in implementing this initiative of the Prime Minister. Hopefully after overcoming all the complications, we will be able to start working again soon.” Also read: 10,000 erosion-hit families to get Ashrayan-style homes and land: Enamur Rahman Chairman of Buraburi Union Tareq Hossain said some six houses had already been built on the land earlier. “The BGB Welfare Trust's land is separate. Now after suspending work they are talking about coordination,” he added. Meanwhile, Major Abu Saleh Ahmed, the BGB acting commander who voiced the BGB's claim, refused to answer questions about the suspension of the Ashrayan project or ownership of the land in question when confronted by reporters.

The students of Savar Government College are demonstrating in front of their college, protesting the attack on a fellow student by a transport worker. Makarias Das, Inspector of Savar Model Police Station, said a heated argument broke out between Yunus Kabir Selim, 18, a first year student of the college and son of Matiar Rahman of Palashbari in Ashulia, and a conductor of Welcome Paribahan over half- fare for students. Also read: 6 RAB fakers held from Savar Selim said he along with another friend boarded the bus from Palashbari Bus Stand, and one of his friends got on from Polli Bidyut office point. They paid Tk 30 instead of Tk 22. Despite identifying themselves as students, the bus conductor abused them physically and verbally. At one stage, Selim’s hand was cut against the windowpane of the bus. As soon as the news spread, the fellows of Selim and other students halted eight buses of Welcome Paribahan. Also read:Protest against price hike: BNP men clash with police in Savar Later, a number of students of the college staged a sit-in in front of the police station demanding 'justice'. “Efforts are on to settle the issue,” said Inspector Makarias.

Two friends guarding a potato farm in Munshiganj Sadar upazila were stabbed in their sleep allegedly by assailants in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving one dead on the spot. The deceased was identified as 21-year-old Mizan Khan, son of Akbar Khan of the Sumar Dhalikandi area. His friend, Abdur Rahman, 22, is being treated at Munshiganj General Hospital. The alleged crime occurred around 1.30am in the farm owned by Mizan’s cousin Sumon Dhali when the two victims fell asleep on harvested potatoes while guarding the produce. Mizan’s cousin Sumon claimed the murder was planned by another local land owner, named Mizi. Read: Madrasah teacher killed, 50 injured in clash between villagers in Sylhet “Some two months ago, Mizan had an altercation with Mizi over watering land. That day, Mizi threatened to take revenge. We demand exemplary punishment for the murderers," he said. Sumon Deb, additional superintendent of Munshiganj Police, said, "We got a clue that at least five people attacked the two youths. Efforts are on to arrest the accused.” Cops have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident, he added.

A five-day fair began in Rangamati on Monday ahead of the traditional New Year festival of different ethnic communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, known as ‘Boisabi’. The word 'Boisabi' is a combination of the Bengali acronyms for various indigenous festivals like Boishuk of the Tripura community, Sangrai of the Marma community and Biju of the Chakma community. The festival, jointly arranged by the Rangamati district administration and Khudro Nrigosthi Sangskritik Institute in Khagrachari, was inaugurated by Dipankar Talukdar, Member of Parliament from Rangamati constituency and president of the parliamentary standing committee on ministry of food on the Institute premises

A truck driver and his assistant died in Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga on Monday as the vehicle turned over and fell into a roadside canal. The deceased were identified as Alamin, the truck driver, son of Wahidul Islam, and Ashik Hossain, 27, the driver’s assistant, son of Mofizur Rahman. Both were residents of Ibrahimpur village in Damurhuda upazila. The accident occurred around 1:30 pm near Srirampur community clinic on Alamdanga –Kushtia Highway. Also read: 2 killed in Rampura, Gulshan road crashes According to witnesses, the corn- laden truck headed towards Narayanganj lost control while overtaking another truck and hit a roadside tree before falling into the canal, said Saiful Islam, OC of Alamdanga police station. Both the driver and his assistant died on the spot, said the OC from the spot. Also read: 3 die in Dhaka road crashes

A 50-year-old teacher of a local madrasah was killed and 50 others were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over 'establishing supremacy' at Haripur in Jointapur upazila of Sylhet district. The deceased was identified as Saleh Ahmed, son of Sifat Ali of Hemu Bhatpara village in the upazila. He was a teacher of Mejortila Tahfizul Quran Madrasha in Sylhet city. The clash broke out between a group loyal to Abdur Rashid, former chairman of Fatehpur union and resident of Lama Shyampur village, and the residents of Haudpara village around midnight on Sunday, and continued till 7am on Monday. Also read: 20 hurt as RMG worker clash with police in Chattogram Lutfur Rahman, additional superintendent of Sylhet Police, said the two groups had been at loggerheads for long over establishing control of the area, that would give them access to various illegal rents and extortion opportunities. On Sunday, tension escalated among the two groups over the issue, mostly the residents of Hadpara and Shaympur villages. They at one point gathered at Haripur Bazar and hurled brickbats at each other, triggering a clash. Around 7 am, some madrasah people along with police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Also read: Man shot dead in Munshiganj clash Police fired tear gas shells to disperse them. Saleh was injured by a tear gas shell. He later died. Additional police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order situation.

A trader was shot dead by some unknown assailants in his house at Baghaura village in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district in the early hours of Monday. The deceased was Atikur Rahman Sumon,28, owner of a furniture shop and son of Abu Mia from Moulvibazar. Read: 20 hurt as RMG worker clash with police in Chattogram “Sumon was shot around 5 am and died at the spot as he came out of home after eating Sehri for fasting, “said Aminur Rashid, officer-in-Charge of Nabinagar police station. Efforts are on to identify the killers and arrest them, said the OC.  

At least 20 people including five policemen were injured in a clash between police and garment workers at Kalurghat in Boalkhali upazila on Monday. The workers of Regent Textile were obstructed whey they tried to enter their factory in the morning for collecting their dues. At one stage, they staged demonstrations in front of the factory. Read: 2 prisoners die at Chattogram jail On information, police rushed to the spot and charged baton to disperse them, triggering a clash, said acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tahmina Akter.. The workers also pelted brickbats targeting police during the clash.

Two under-trial prisoners died at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital within a span of an hour, said jail authorities on Monday. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Rafique, 54 and Babul Mia, 38 of Chandanish upazila of the district. Read: Housewife killed ‘for not paying extortion money’ in Barishal With the two fresh deaths, four people have so far died at the jail this week. Dewan Mohammad Tariqul Islam, jailer of the Chattogram Central Jail, said Rafique, an accused in a case related to clash, complained of chest pain around 5 am after having sehri. Later, he was taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Read: Faridpur hospitals see spike in diarrhoea cases Babu, an accused in a Narcotics case, fell sick in the jail within an hour and was taken to the same hospital where doctors declared him dead.