United News of Bangladesh

Bangladeshi traders have started to import onions from India through Benapole Land Port after a restriction of two months. The import cost per kg of onion is Tk34. The cooking essential is being sold at the market at Tk36 per kg. Importers said the prices of onions will drop further as the import volume goes up. Read: Magura onion farmers in tears as prices plummet Bangladesh imported 117 metric tonnes of onions from India Thursday afternoon. Shamim Gazi, an importer of Benapole, said: "My company imported 117 metric tonnes of onions from India as the government had allowed us to do so." Benapole Port Deputy Director Abdul Jalil said now the port is open 24 hours for quick unloading of the imported onions.

DNA tests have confirmed the identities of the bodies of eight people  who were burnt to death in last month’s deadly blasts and fire at BM Container Depot at Sitakunda of Chattogram, police said on Thursday. The victims have now been identified as  Akter Hossain, Abul Hashem, Monir Hossain, Babul Mia, Sakib, Md Rasel, Md Shahjahan, and Abdus Sobhan Prakash Abdur Rahman, said  Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost assistant sub-inspector Alauddin Talukder. He said the relatives of the eight people have been asked to take the bodies from the hospital. Also read: Probe body finds owners, monitoring authority responsible for Sitakunda depot fire The eight were among the 22 bodies whose identities remained unknown since the fire disaster on June 4. The DNA samples collection booth has been set up in front of the emergency department of CMCH next to the help cell of the district administration in collaboration with the Chattogram district police. Earlier, 29 bodies were handed over to the families and relatives out of 51 dead. Out of them, 37 bodies have been identified so far. The dead included 10 firefighters. Over 200 people were injured in the fire.

The special cattle train service on the Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route was cancelled on Thursday, a day after its launch for lack of cargo. The Bangladesh Railway took the decision as no cattle trader showed their interest to transport sacrificial animals by the special train until 4.30 pm on Thursday, Chapainawabganj Railway Station Master Shahidul Alam told UNB. On Wednesday, a special cattle train from Chapainawabganj left for Dhaka with 22 sacrificial animals for Eid markets. Read:  Special cattle train service starts on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route "The train left for the capital with 18 cows and four goats. The transportation cost for each cow was fixed at Tk591.50 and each goat at Tk296," Shahidul said. The special service was launched on the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi-Dhaka (Tejgaon) route on July 17 last year to transport sacrificial animals at a low cost considering the Covid-19 situation.

The National University authorities  on Thursday issued separate show cause notices to the governing body of Mirzapur United Degree College in Narail and one of its teachers  over the humiliation of acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas. The decision was taken at the 229th syndicate meeting of the National University held on Wednesday night chaired by Professor Dr Mashiur Rahman, Vice Chancellor of the university, according to a press release issued on Thursday. The authorities  also expelled  Md Rahmatullah Rony, a fourth year student Religious History and Culture Department of Government Brjalal College in Khulna,  for his involvement in this incident. Also read: Writ petition filed seeking judicial probe on Narail teacher humiliation According to the decision, Aktar Hossain Kinku, assistant professor of Political Science Department of the college has been show-caused for his negative role on the day of the  incident and the governing body of Mirzapur United Degree College has been show-caused for its inactivity. They have been asked to respond immediately explaining why punitive measures will not be taken against them. A committee formed to probe the incident on June 28 led by Brajalal College Principal Shari Atiquzzaman submitted its report at the syndicate meeting. Contacted, Professor Aktar Hossain Kinku and advocate Achin Chakraborty, president of the governing body of Mirzapur United Degree College told UNB they are yet to receive any notice in this regard and will respond upon getting documents. Md Mahmudur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Narail Sadar police station and investigation officer in the case said the four arrested accused -Shaon, Monirul, Rony and Rimon- were sent to jail on Thursday after being produced before a court. Among them, Nur Nabi is currently on a three-day police remand which will end on Friday. On June 18, a Hindu student of Mirzapur United Degree College made a post on Facebook supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Also read: One more held over Narail teacher humiliation There was day-long unrest in the college over the post and rumours that acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas had sided with the student, following which police escorted him out of the campus. At one stage, a group of people forced him to wear a garland of shoes. A video of the incident also went viral on social media that sparked huge criticism. Later, the accused, who made the Facebook post, was arrested and a case was filed against him under the Digital Security Act. On June 26, two probe committees were formed led by Additional District Magistrate Jubayer Hossain Chowdhury and by Additional Superintendent of Police Md Riazul Islam. On June 27, three more were arrested in another case filed at the Sadar Police Station police for setting teachers’ vehicles on fire and obstructing police duty. Police also arrested Rahmat Ullah Roni, the prime accused in this case, from Khulna on June 29.

A 28-year-old man died after being hit with a stick allegedly by his elder brother in the Khanjahan Ali area of Khulna city in the early hours of Thursday. The deceased was identified as Parvez Sheikh, a resident of Khulna city. Read: Man to hang for killing wife, daughter in Khulna Kamal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali police station, said Parvez was physically torturing his wife around 12.30am in the family house in the Khanjahan Ali area. Rubel Sheikh, the deceased's elder brother, hit Parvez with the bamboo stick to save his sister-in-law from the torture, leaving him dead on the spot, said the OC. The body has been kept in Fultola Health Complex. No arrest has been made so far, he added.

Two fish traders died after a pickup van in which they were travelling crashed into a truck parked along the busy Jhenaidah-Kaliganj highway in Jhenaidah in the early hours of Thursday. The deceased were identified as Ohiduzzaman and Lutfar Rahman, both from Jashore district. Read: Two cousins die in Rajbari road crash The accident occurred around 1.30am when the Jashore-bound pickup van transporting fish from Bogura crashed into the stationary track in Kaliganj, leaving the duo dead on the spot, said Kaliganj Fire Service station manager Sheikh Mamunur Rashid. The bodies were sent to Jashore Sadar Hospital morgue by the police, he added.

A man aged around 50 died after being hit by a speeding train in Faridpur city on Wednesday night. The identity of the deceased could not be ascertained immediately. Read: Out for morning walk, man hit by train in Jashore Masud Alam, officer-in-charge of Rajbari railway police station, said that the man was crossing the track in the Laximpur railway crossing area around 8pm when he was hit by the freight train. On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body.

Two cousins returning to their respective homes from Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their families in Jhenaidah died after a three-wheel vehicle they were travelling in overturned in Rajbari district town early on Thursday morning. The deceased were identified as Azizur Rahman, 22, and Matiur Rahman, 35 of Shailakupa upazila of Jhenaidah district. Four other occupants of the commercial vehicle, including its driver, sustained injuries in the road accident. Read: Mother-daughter duo killed in Dinajpur road accident The accident occurred around 5.15 am on Rajbari-Kushtia Road when the vehicle with the six occupants overturned after the driver lost control, leaving the cousins dead on the spot and the others injured, said sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station, Moazzem Hossain. The injured have been hospitalised, he said. "The vehicle has been seized and the driver arrested."

The flood water in Sylhet increased once again on Wednesday due to a heavy downpour since Tuesday night.Many areas of the district went under water as the flood situation slightly worsened.According to the Water Development Board, water in Surma River at Kanaighat point and Sylhet point has increased 6 and 1 centimetres, respectively, in the last 24 hours.  At the same time, water in the Kushiara River has increased 2 centimeters at  Fenchuganj point.On the other hand, water in the Sari River and Lova River has increased by 10 and 7 centimeter, respectively. However, water in the Dhalai River has slightly receded.AKM Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant of Sylhet Water Development Board, said, the water in the rivers of the district has increased due to excessive rainfall. The situation might continue till Thursday.  District administration data said a total of 314 shelters have been opened for the flood-affected people while 22,176 flood victims have taken shelter.

A special cattle train from Chapainawabganj left for Dhaka Wednesday with 22 sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. District Livestock Officer Mostafizur Rahman inaugurated the service at Chapainawabganj Railway Station in the afternoon. Chapainawabganj Assistant Station Master Obaidullah said the train left for the capital with 18 cows and four goats. The cattle train will leave Chapainawabganj Station at 4.30pm and reach the capital by night every day. It will leave Tejgaon for Chapainawabganj at 5am. Read: Cattle traders robbed of Tk 30 lakh in Meghna The transportation cost for each cow has been fixed at Tk591.50 and each goat at Tk296. The train service will continue until July 8, Obaidullah added. The special service was launched on the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi-Dhaka (Tejgaon) route on July 17 last year to transport sacrificial animals at a low cost considering the Covid-19 situation.