United News of Bangladesh

A resident of Naogaon’s Patnitala committed suicide shooting himself on Wednesday morning. Yakub Ali, 55, killed himself with his licensed gun at his residence in Cheradanga village under Akbarpur union of the upazila. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Patnitala Police Station Shamsul Alam said Yakub Ali used to live with his family and relatives in Cheradanga village. He shot himself in the head with his gun on the roof of his house. READ: 2 farmers’ suicide for irrigation water: Agriculture secy vows strict action His wife Morzina Khatun heard the sound of gunfire, and then they found Yakub's body on the roof top. On information, police recovered the body and seized the gun. However, police or family members could hardly venture even a guess as to why Yakub would choose this path. A case of unnatural death (UD) was filed at Patnitala police station.

Eight workers taking a nap after their night shift sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a chemical factory in the district's Rupganj upazila in the early hours of Wednesday. Deputy assistant director of Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defense, Abdullah Arefin, said that the blaze broke out at Lily Chemical Factory in the Dakkin Golakandail area of the upazila at 3am and spread soon. Read: Khulna oil tanker workers call off strike On information, three fire tenders were pressed into service and it took them over an hour to douse the flames. The victims have been identified as Bayezid, Rokon, Khademul, Sajeeb, Ripon, Mehedi, Russel and Akalur. All the injured are being treated at Dhaka Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Firemen suspect an electrical short-circuit could have triggered the inferno. "Anyway, a probe is on to ascertain the exact cause of the fire,” said Arefin. Read: Biker killed in road accident in Dhaka Workers often stay back and sleep on factory floors after their night shift due to lack of public transport post-midnight.

Oil tanker workers in Khulna have called off their strike based on an assurance from the district authorities that the perpetrators of the attack on one of their union leaders would be brought to justice. The decision was taken after members of the Khulna Divisional Tank-Lorry Workers Union held a meeting with the district administrator on Tuesday night. Read: CNG pumps to remain closed for 6 hours during Ramadan "We have agreed to call off our indefinite strike following the district administrator's assurance that our demand for the arrest of the attackers will be met. We have given authorities time till Saturday," Mir Moksed Ali, president of the union, told UNB. Fuel supplies to 10 districts in Khulna and five in Faridpur were disrupted on Tuesday, as the workers embarked on an indefinite strike over the alleged attack on Al Amin, the line secretary of the union, in the Kashipur Banglar Mor area on Monday. The strike began around 8am, as the tanker workers refused to refill or transport oil from Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots, demanding the arrest of the assailants. Read: Private sector critical for post-pandemic recovery: Cabinet Secretary Meanwhile, a case was filed against two men and 12 unidentified people at the Khalishpur police station in connection with the assault, following a complaint from the victim’s brother on Monday night, said Md Kamal Hossain, the officer-in-charge. On Monday, around 12pm, some people attacked Al Amin. He was subsequently admitted to Khulna Medical College and Hospital with severe injuries.

A 36-year-old biker returning home died after being hit by a truck in the Banasree area of Dhaka in the small hours of Tuesday, police said. The accident occurred around 1am, and a critically injured Saiful Sardar was rushed to the emergency unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) by passersby. Read: 6 RAB fakers held from Savar "He was declared dead at 2.30am," said inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost. Deceased’s nephew Sohel Sheikh said that Saiful worked as a driver with a private firm. "As he was returning home on his bike, the truck hit him at high speed in the Banasree area, leaving him critically injured," he said. Saiful was first taken to Banasree Faraji Hospital and then shifted to DMCH where he succumbed to his injuries, he added. Read: Dozens injured in bomb attack in Benapole port, trade halted Originally from Saptail Uttarpara village in Sadar upazila of Gopalganj district, Saiful was staying at Demra staff quarters with his family. The body has been kept at the DMCH morgue for an autopsy, Bachchu said.  

Fuel supplies to 10 districts in Khulna and five in Faridpur were disrupted on Tuesday, as oil tanker workers here launched an indefinite strike over an attack on one of their union leaders. The strike began around 8am, as the tanker workers refused to refill or transport oil from Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots, demanding the arrest of assailants who attacked their union leader on Monday. Read: Be ready to fight if enemy attacks peace-loving Bangladesh, PM urges armed forces Meanwhile, a case was filed against two men and 12 unidentified people at the Khalishpur police station in connection with the assault, following a complaint from the victim’s brother on Monday night, said Md Kamal Hossain, the officer-in-charge. On Monday, around 12pm, some people attacked Al Amin, the line secretary of the Tank-Lorry Workers' Union at the Kashipur Banglar Mor area.He was subsequently admitted to Khulna Medical College and Hospital with severe injuries. “The workers have vowed to continue the strike until the assailants are arrested and brought to justice. They are currently demonstrating in front of the union office,” said Mir Moksed Ali, president of Khulna division's Tank-Lorry Workers' Union. Read: Indefinite bus strike in Sylhet from Tuesday Around 1pm on Monday, the workers blocked the Notun Rasta intersection in the city in protest against the attack and dispersed only at 4 pm after getting assurance from the authorities, he said. OC Kamal said that "we are conducting raids to arrest the accused".

A murder case has been filed at Ishwardi Police Station in connection with the death of a Kazakhstan national in Ishwardi Rooppur Residential Project Green city in Ishwardi on Saturday night. Shvets Vladimir, 50, an employee of contractor firm NIKIMT at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, was found hacked to death at a house in the Green city, police said.  His brother, identified as Amere, was admitted to a hospital with injuries. A court in Pabna sent three Belarus citizens to jail on Monday, a day after Iurii Fedorov, director of the contracting firm, filed the case accusing them of committing the murder, said Raihan Pervez, sub-inspector of Ishwardi Police Station. The murder suspects are Urbanavichus Vitali, 44, Fedarovich Henadz, 42, and Matsveyeu Uladzimir, 43. They work at Russian company Rossem. Also read: Kazakhstan national killed in Rooppur Nuke plant site  The three Belarus nationals were earlier detained by police. Later they were shown arrested under the murder case. The body of the Kazakhstan national was kept at the mortuary of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. In primary investigation police found that the two Kazakh brothers went to the room of three Belarus nationals to settle a monetary dispute. At one stage they got involved in heated arguments. Also read: Rooppur N-plant: 5 Russians die in 11 days, probe ordered Police are investigating the suspected murder,” said Raihan.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained six impostors pretending to be RAB officers from the Kalma C&B road in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital. The detainees were identified as Siddiqur Rahman alias Abu Bakar Siddique, 40, of Sherpur district, Dulu Mia alias Dulal, 35, of Kishoreganj, Russel Khan, 32, of Faridpur, Shakil, 32, and Rafiqul Islam Hridoy, 27, of Mymensingh, and Mobarak Hossain, 37, of Cumilla. Tipped off, a team of Rab-4 conducted a drive in the area and detained them along with two fake pistols, two sets of RAB uniforms, three fake ID cards, one motorbike and handcuffs around midnight on Saturday. READ: RAB detains 11 suspected militants in Khulna On March 26,  a group numbering 7-8 identifying themselves as Rab personnel set up a checkpost and looted huge amounts of money from a number of businessmen, said a press release of Rab. The ones caught on Saturday have been detained on charges of looting money after identifying themselves as members of the elite force, the release added.

Unknown attackers exploded home-made bombs in a bid to take control of Benapole land port’s contracting job on Monday, leaving at least 20 workers and several pedestrians injured. The import and export trade between the two countries, including unloading of goods, has been suspended due to this attack, witnesses said. Port handling worker contractor Wahiduzzaman Wahid said a group of goons exploded a number of bombs in front of the port. At least 20 workers and were injured. Also read: 2 children hurt in bomb explosion in Jashore Critically injured port worker Imran Hossain was admitted to a local hospital, he said. “The men of ‘Rashed Bahini’ carried out the bomb attack on the port,” he alleged. There has been a long dispute between two groups over controlling the port handling contracts. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jewel Imran of Navaran Police's "A" Circle said police brought the situation under control. Also read: JMB man gets life term jail for 2005 bomb blasts “However, the primary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out under the leadership of Rashed Councillor,” said the official without providing details. Police detained three people in this connection, he added.

Two construction workers were killed as a truck ploughed through an under-construction divider on Feni-Noakhali road in Dagonbhuiyan  upazila of Feni district on Sunday night. The deceased were identified as Ajmer, 28, son of Abul Hossain of Mollaghata area of ​​Barahiguni in Dagonbhuiyan upazila and Abul Khayer, 35, son of Sadek Ali of Mia Bazar Ramchandrapur area of ​​Cumilla. Read: Cop killed in Khulna road crash Dagonbhuiyan Police Station Inspector Muhammad Hasan Imam said workers of  contractor company NDE were working on a divider on Feni-Noakhali road at night. The accident occurred around 8:30pm when the truck ploughed into the divider after its driver lost control over the steering, leaving them dead on the spot. Read: Worker burnt dead in N'ganj fire, another injured On information, police recovered the bodies and sent them to Feni General Hospital morgue for autopsy, he added. Police seized the truck from the spot. However, the driver and his assistant managed to flee the scene, police added.  

A 35-year-old worker was burnt to death while another sustained injuries in a fire at an aluminum factory in Narayanganj’s Fatullah on Monday morning. The deceased was identified as Md Mokhles 35, while the injured was Ripon Fakir, 25. The fire broke out at Arafat Metal Aluminum Factory around 7am on Monday. Jalal Uddin, manager of the factory, said that there was no gas in the factory last night as the gas supply remained suspended. Read: 3 children killed in Moulvibazar landslide When workers tried to light fire in the aluminum melting furnace after restoration of gas supply on Monday morning it exploded, leaving two workers seriously injured, he added. Later, they were rushed to Mitford Hospital in the capital, where doctors declared Mokhles dead on arrival. The injured is being treated at the hospital. Read: Jubo League activist killed in Jashore On information, police recovered the body, said Rakibuzzaman, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Fatullah model police station. Legal action will be taken after the investigation, the OC added.