United News of Bangladesh

A 28-year-old man was killed and 20 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck on the busy Manikganj-Golra highway of Manikganj district on Tuesday, police said. The deceased was identified as Sohag Gazi, a resident of Brakshandia village in Rajbari district. He was a passenger on the bus. However, the identities of the injured could not be known immediately. The accident occurred around 10.30am when the Paturiaghat-bound bus crashed into the truck coming from the opposite direction, said Mohammad Masud Khan, officer-in-charge of Manikganj Golra Highway Police Station. "The impact of the crash was such that Gazi died on the spot. The injured are being treated at Manikganj District Hospital and Munnu General Hospital," he said, adding that the two vehicles were seized. Road accidents in Bangladesh Road accidents in Bangladesh continue to claim hundreds of lives every year. As many as 524 people, including 73 children, were killed and 821 others injured in 467 road accidents across the country in June. Of these, 204 people died in bike accidents alone during this period, which is 38.93% of the total fatalities, Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released on Monday.

The flood situation in Sylhet district improved slightly on Tuesday morning, with most of the rivers except the Kushiyara showing a receding trend. However, flood survivors across the northeastern district continue to suffer from the deluge. While many have taken refuge in makeshift shelters, others are staying in tents on the highway and roads. The Surma river was receding very slowly. As on Monday 6pm, the river was flowing 34 cm above the danger level after its water level dropped 8 cm in 24 hours, according to the district Water Development Board (WDB). Also read: Flood in Bangladesh: Death toll stands at 107 However, the Kushiyara river was still flowing 84 cm above the danger mark at Amalshid point after rising 18 cm in 24 hours. At Sheola point, the river was flowing 20 cm above the danger level at 3pm Monday after rising 12 cm in 24 hours.

Two fishermen were killed by a lightning strike in Dharmapasha upazila of Sunamganj on Monday while fishing at Mugrain Haor in Sadar Union. The deceased were identified as Manik Mia, 28, and Miyasha Mia, 30, residents of Janiyarchar of Sadar union in Bari upazila. Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha Police Station, the two were struck by lightning while they were fishing in Haor in the early hours of Monday. Later the locals recovered their bodies and brought them home. Lightning strikes are one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives every year. Also Read: 12 killed in lightning strikes, a high for the year At least 216 people die every year on average in lightning strikes, more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities. More than 70 percent of the total lightning strikes occur between April and June, say, experts.

A 58-year-old night guard of a market was killed in a train accident at Doulatpur bazar of Khulna city on Sunday night. The deceased was identified as Mozammel Hoque, a resident of Senhat area of Dighliya upazila in the district. He was the night guard of Doulatpur Bazar. Quoting locals, Md Khabir Ahmed, Officer-in-charge of Khulna railway police station said a Dhaka-bound train ‘Sundarban Express’ hit Mozammel from the opposite direction while he was walking beside the rail line at around 10:00pm. Also read: 2 REB staffers killed in Jamalpur train accident Locals rushed the victim to Khulna medical college hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, the OC said. The body was kept at the morgue for an autopsy, he said, adding that legal action was under process.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have detained two members of Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) for selling tickets at higher prices in black market in Chattogram. The detainees were Md Robiul Hossain, 39, a Habildar and Md Imran Hossain, 27, a Sepoy. Also read: Councillor’s son arrested for killing wife in Chattogram According to Rab, they were selling tickets at exorbitant prices in front of Railway Sramik League’s office at the Chattogram railway station. Rab conducted a drive at about 10:30pm on Sunday and recovered nine train tickets and Tk 10,320 from the two RNB staff. They were handed over to Chattogram’s Kotwali police station for further legal procedures. Also read: 4 members of a gang of robbers arrested

Police arrested a local Jubo League leader in a case over torturing a sexagenarian man from Thanarhat Bazar in Subornachar upazila of Noakhali district in the small hours of Monday. The arrestee is Abul Hossain Sanaz, 45, president of No 9 ward unit Jubo League of Charwapda union and son of Azhar Ahmed of the upazila. He was the prime accused in the case. Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area and arrested Sanaz from Thanarhat Bazar around 12 pm. Shahidul Islam, superintendent of Noakhali Police, said on July 2, Sanaz along with his associates picked up Sheikh Nasir Uddin Maizbhandar, 68, and beat him up mercilessly at Amanatganj after tying his mouth while he was returning home. Also read: Bangladeshi woman confined, tortured in KSA; Case filed Later, they unleashed brutal torture on him after putting a torchlight into the anus of the victim over previous enmity. When the man got senseless, they fled the scene. He is now undergoing treatment at Noakhali 250-bed General Hospital. Syed Mahiuddin Abdul Azim, resident Medical Officer of the hospital, said the physicians removed the torchlight from the anus after surgery. Also read: AL leader tied to tree, tortured in Ctg; UP member held Meanwhile, the victim’s family lodged a complaint against eight people with Subarnachar Police and police registered a case in this connection.

With only five days remaining for Eid-ul-Azha, sales of sacrificial animals at Chuadanga cattle markets are yet to gain momentum. Buyers, traders and middlemen from different parts of the country and neighboring districts are thronging different cattle markets of the town and upazilas but the sellers are yet to see expected number of buyers. Read: No cattle market on roads and highways: Minister The three largest makeshift  markets of sacrificial animals in the district are Shialmari cattle market in Jibonnagar upazila, Dugdugi of Damurhuda upazila and Alamdanga cattle market. During a recent visit the UNB correspondent found  huge crowd at Shialmari cattle market that triggered  traffic jam on Jibonnagar-Chuadanga regional highway in front of the market. Some policemen were seen working to reduce traffic congestion. Md Chanchal, who is in-charge of hat management, said people are being continuously asked to comply with hygiene rules to prevent spread of Covid but most of them are ignoring the instruction.

A 55-year-old man was killed in a road accident at Moharajpur Chowdhurypara intersection in Chapainawabganj sadar early Monday. The deceased was identified as Abul Mannan, son of late Mosahek of Shibganj upazila in the district. Read: 7 killed in road accidents in 3 districts Mojaffar Hossain, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj sadar police station, Mannan suffered serious injuries after being hit by an unknown vehicle at Moharajpur Chowdhurypara intersection around 1:30am. On information, police rushed to the spot and took him to Chapainawabganj sadar general hospital where doctors declared him dead, the OC said.    Read: Mother, daughter among 3 killed in Faridpur road accidents

A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was stabbed to death allegedly by his rivals in Sadar Upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.The deceased was identified as Faisal Uddin, 25, son of Lal Mohammad of South Delpara area of Khurushkul Union. He was the joint general secretary of Sadar Upazila Chhatra League.The incident took place on Sunday evening when Faisal was returning home from an Awami League conference, said Sheikh Munir Ul Gias, officer-in-charge of Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station. Read: Kurigram: Bodies of two minor siblings recoveredLocals said Faisal and the relatives of Nurul Huda in the area had been at loggerheads over the murder of Nurul Huda.On Sunday evening, the relatives of Nurul Huda attacked Faisal with sharp weapons. Faisal died on the spot.On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body.The body was kept at Cox's Bazar District Sadar Hospital for an autopsy, added the OC. “Efforts are on to nab the culprits".

Indian police recovered the bodies of two minor siblings from Digla Kura of Zero Line at Kashiabari border in Phulbari of Kurigram around 1pm on Sunday.Police identified the victims as Parveen Khatun, 8 and Shakibul Hasan, 4.The victims were the children of Rahim Uddin of Poschim Shukati village in Newashi union of Nageshwari upazila.The two siblings went missing while crossing the Nilkumor River, after the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) chased them as they were in a group looking to cross the border at Phulbari in Kurigram to enter Bangladesh without any paperwork on Friday night.Local people spotted their floating bodies this morning and informed law enforcers, said Kabir Hossain, company commander of Lalmonihat's Kashipur."We informed the BSF about the matter", he said, adding that a flag meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Security Forces (BSF) was held in this regard. Read: Flood: Bodies of mother, son recovered in SylhetBSF said the bodies of the victims in the morgue would remain for a week. They will take humanitarian consideration about the issue after getting their Bangladeshi documents, he added.Rahim Uddin, the father of the missing children, said that his children were born and brought up in India. They had never previously come to Bangladesh."I wanted to bring them along with their mother to Bangladesh and I contacted Indian brokers to bring them home safely, paying Tk 30,000," Rahim Uddin revealed.According to the contract, Rahim Uddin's wife and two children were taken to a house on the border on Friday night. There were 20-25 more people there including women and children.He further said that they tried to cross the Rdhampur border of Kashipur union of Phulbari upazila next to the main pillar No. 943 at midnight. At that time, BSF members of Shewti-1 camp in India gave chase after seeing them and they tried to cross the river hurriedly.At one stage, they went missing due to the strong current in the river. However, his wife managed to swim ashore, he added.Mecher, a UP member of Ward 4 of Newashi Union in Nageshwari Upazila, said he came to Kashipur BGB camp to bring back the bodies from India.