United News of Bangladesh

A 22-year-old man died as a boat sank in Pagnar haor after in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj district early Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Biptu Majumdar, 22, son of Bidhan Majumdar of Chamargaon village in the upazila. Kajal Chandra Talukdar, chairman of Fenarbak union Parishad, said the boat carrying 21 passengers sank in the haor amid storm around 3 am. Twenty people managed to swim ashore while Biptu drowned. Later, his body was recovered from the Haor in the morning.

When people in flood-ravaged northeastern region are still struggling to survive, weather experts are predicting another round of flood in the region due to rains in the next few days.  Sylhet Water Development Board sources said heavy to moderate rains are likely in Sylhet division in the next few days. Read: Floods in the northeast throw over 4.55 lakh students in Sylhet div into uncertainty “If the rains continue in India, the onrush of water from the upstream may inundate Sylhet region,” said AKM Niloy Pasha, sub-divisional engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board. Besides, Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said there is chance of heavy rainfall at places in the northern and north-eastern Bangladesh along with Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West-Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Sikkim) of India in next 24-48 hours. Flood situation in the northern region and low-lying areas of the central region including Sylhet and Sunamganj may slightly deteriorate, it said in their latest warning. However, the flood situation is unlikely to worsen further after mid-July, reports Bangladesh Weather Observation Team – BWOT, an independent weather research group. In Sunamganj, the water levels of different rivers of the district including Surma, Jadukata, Chilai, Khasiyamara, Chela are rising again as the district recorded 196mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. The Surma River was flowing  83cm above the danger level in Chhatak upazila, 12cm above the danger level in Dirai upazila Wednesday noon. However, the river was flowing 14cm below the danger level in Sunamganj town, according to Sunamganj Water Development Board. The water level of the Surma River has increased by 22 cm in the last two days, it added. Read: Flood: Another death pushes up toll to 88 Meanwhile, it rained in Sylhet district on Tuesday morning and night, creating fear among local people that the flood situation will prolong for more days. After about two weeks, the floodwaters receded in most areas of Sylhet. But houses and roads in Balaganj, Osmaninagar, Fenchuganj, Zakiganj, Beanibazar, Jaintapur and Gowainghat upazilas of Sylhet are still under floodwaters. The residents of these areas are now struggling to recover damages from flood after returning home from shelters. The two spells of flood have already damaged Boro and Aman crops as well as caused huge losses in various sectors including agriculture, fisheries and tourism.

The monsoon floods that ravaged the Sylhet region have turned the studies of over 4.55 students in 1522 institutions uncertain as they lost their books and educational materials amid no sign of immediate reopening of their classes. The authorities are compiling a report on the extent of damages caused by the worst floods to hit the region in living memory this month, according to Prof Shahedul Khabir Chwodhury, director of Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), Sylhet. Read:Another spell of Flood looms over northeastern region Reports received from the evaluation wing of DSHE, 100 educational institutions in the flood-hit upazilas under Sylhet division can be operated fully while 100 can reopen partially. Besides, over 500 educational institutions remained closed in the flood-hit areas while 450 others are still used as shelter homes for flood victims, Shahedul said. He said the text books of many students have been washed away in the flood-affected areas. The examinees of Secondary School Examination (SSC) examinations are worried about sitting for the exams as flood waters damaged their books. Tofazzal Hossain, a student of Salutikor High School in Sadar upazila, said “My books were washed away by the flood water and I have failed to collect replacement from the local school as they have no extra copies.” Shihab Ahmed, a class VII student and resident of Rayergaon area of Sadar upazila, said “Flood water entered into our houses on June 17 and I am yet to collect new books and copies. When we returned home on June 24 and I found all of my books and copies damaged.” About 80 per cent areas in Sylhet districts were flooded while over 21 lakh people got stranded in the second wave of the deluge on June 15.

In Barishal, Tufan is the talk of the town ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Tufan isn't any other ordinary bull, technically a steer, a neutered male popular for its meat -- the 5ft tall cattle weighs around 25 maund. Read: Kalo Manik: The big bull that's ready to charge this Eid! Emdadul Haque Raihan, its owner, said that he reared the bull in his dairy next to his brick kiln in Ranirhat village of Bakerganj upazila of Barisal. "I spend around Tk 1,200 a day to feed this huge bull," he told UNB. Everyday locals throng Raihan’s dairy to catch a glimpse of the big bull.  Read: Sher Khan may trigger bull run in Kushtia cattle market Sohag, who takes care of Tufan, said that the big bull eats around 12kg of food daily, which includes wheat bran, rice bran, maze, dried hay and raw grass. Besides, the bull gets a bath daily. According to sources at the Barishal Livestock and Fisheries Department, “Enough sacrificial animals are available in the upazila. However, farmers are a bit worried about getting good prices.”

Two women were found dead in Rejur Mor and Palapara areas, respectively, of Natore's Baraigram upazila on Wednesday morning, police said. The deceased were identified as Rosena Khatun, 50, wife of Moslem Uddin of the Mahishbhanga area, and Nileema Kundu, 70. Read: 135 Indian fishermen detained by Navy Locals spotted the body of Rosena along Bonpara-Hatikumrul Road in the Rejur Mor area of the upazila in the morning and informed police. "We recovered the body and sent it for an autopsy," said Abu Siddique, officer-in-charge of Baraigram Police Station. Read: Eid-ul-Azha: Moon sighting panel to meet Thursday The body of the elderly woman was fished out of a pond in the Palapara area of Natore this morning, police said. Nileema left the house early in the morning, said family members, adding that she might have drowned while taking bath in the pond.  

A fire that broke out in Chattogram’s Bakalia power substation on Tuesday was doused. Four units of fire service managed to douse the fire at around 7 pm, fire service sources said. Shahidul Islam, a senior official at Chattogram Fire Service Station control room and said upon receiving the news of the fire at the power substation, 4 units of the fire service rushed to the spot and bought the fire under control after an hour of effort. Also Read: Moghbazar building fire doused Meanwhile locals said, a fire broke out at Bakalia power substation at around 5.30 pm when a newly installed 26-megawatt power transformer was started. Unable to control the fire, the officials informed the fire service, they said.

A relative of a 25-year-old young man allegedly slit his wrists over an extramarital affair with his aunt at Noakanda in Palash upazila of Narsingdi district. The victim was identified as Hadiul Mia, son of Morshed Mia of Shibpur upazila of the district. Md Elias, officer-in-charge of Palash Police Station, said Hadiul developed an extra marital affair with his aunt. Read:Severing college teacher’s wrist: Seven held in Kushtia When the families of Hadiul and his aunt came to know of their relationship, they often got into arguments. Jalal Mia, brother-in-law of Hadiul’s aunt, did not take the matter easily and he called Hadiul at his home promising to give him a job on Monday evening. When Hadiul took the bait, Jalal took Hadiul to an abandoned place, slit his wrists and fled the scene. Hearing Hadiul's cries, locals people rescued him and took him to Narsingdi District Hospital from where he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for better treatment.

Teachers and students of different educational institutions in Saar staged demonstrations on Tuesday demanding arrest of the killer of college teacher Utpal Kumar in Ashulia of Savar. They formed a human chain in front of Hazi Yunus Ali School and College in Chitrashail area of Ashulia in the morning. They demanded  immediate arrest of killer student Ashraful Islam Jitu who allegedly beat the college teacher to death with a cricket stump and sought maximum punishment.   The students also demanded implementation of their six-point demand including to create a teenager gang-free area. They warned of a tougher movement in future if their demands are not met. Read: College teacher ‘beaten by students with cricket stump’ dies in Savar On Saturday, Utpal Kumar, a lecturer of the Humanities Department of Hazi Yunus Ali School and College, suffered critical injuries allegedly a student beat him up with a cricket stump in the college campus following previous enmity. Later, Utpal was rescued and admitted to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar. Utpal breathed his last while undergoing treatment around 6:00 am on Monday, said Nasir Uddin, operation theatre in-charge of Enam Medical College and Hospital. The accused student remained absconding since the incident. Efforts are on to arrest the suspects, said Emdadul Haque, sub-inspector of Ashulia Police Station.

At least six people have been bitten by foxes in Charjhama and Armajhi villages of Magura in the last two days, officials said on Tuesday. According to Mohammadpur Upazila Health Complex, two men named Khokon Mia, 50, from Charjhama village, and Farid Molla, 65, from Armajhi village, were treated for fox bites on Tuesday. Read: Magura onion farmers in tears as prices plummet A day before, four more were treated for the same reason, said health authorities. According to the injured, a skulk attacked them as they were working in the field. Dr Moksedul Momenin, upazila health and family planning officer, said, “All the six have been advised to take vaccines.”

Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, Kalo Manik is hogging the limelight in Khulna's Rostompur village. Kalo Manik isn't any other ordinary bull, technically a steer, a neutered male popular for its meat -- the 7ft tall cattle weighs around 32 maund. Read:Cattle farmers worry over spread of lumpy skin disease Prabir Mazumdar, its owner, said that he reared the bull in his dairy in Rostompur village of Dumuria upazila's Atalia union along with three more cattle. Prabir, a former expat worker, started his dairy some five years ago after returning to Bangladesh from abroad. “For the last two years, I have been rearing Kalo Manik. He eats around 10kg of food daily, which includes wheat bran, rice bran, maze, dried hay and raw grass," he said. Read: Sher Khan may trigger bull run in Kushtia cattle market Everyday locals throng Prabir’s dairy to catch a glimpse of the big bull. Enamul Gazi, a local, said, "I was curious to see the bull with my own eyes.”    Dr Mahmuda Sultana, upazila livestock officer said, “Enough sacrificial animals are available in the upazila. However, farmers are a bit worried about getting good prices.”