United News of Bangladesh

A 23-year-old  woman was raped allegedly by a youth at Badekarapara village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila early Tuesday. Police said Rubel Hawladar, 26, a youth from neighboring Polghat village, entered the woman’s house and raped her after threatening her of  killing her minor daughter in the  early hours of Tuesday. Read: DB SI held for rape in Khulna Police sent the woman to the One Stop Crisis Centre Center of Bagerhat Sadar Hospital for medical examination. Rubel also looted cash Tk 47,000 and gold jewelries from the house, alleged the woman. Superintendent of Police Mahmud Hasan of Bagerhat Sadar Circle said another youth Sajal was detained for his suspected involvement in the incident. Read: 5-yr-old raped by cousin in Bhola KM Azizul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station, said a case was filed in this connection.

President Abdul Hamid will start a dialogue with registered political parties on December 20 next to discuss issues relating to the reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC).  “The President will hold talks with registered political parties before appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and commissioners," President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB on Tuesday. The dialogue will formally begin on Monday (Dec 20) with the main opposition (Jatiya Party) in Parliament, he said. The parties that have representation in Parliament will be invited first to join the talks.  The five-year tenure of the incumbent Commission, led by Chief Election Commission KM Nurul Huda, will expire in mid-February next. Now there are 39 registered political parties, according to the EC website. But only nine parties have representation in Parliament. Read:Not right to enact EC formation law in a haste: Law minister  The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP. Contacted, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said their party still did not receive any formal letter for joining the talks. He, however, said they came to know that the President will sit with Jatiya Party on Mandy afternoon. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they also still did not get any letter from Bangabhaban to participate in the dialogue. “If we get any such letter, we’ll make a decision at our party forum whether we’ll join it or not,” he added. As per the constitution, the EC should be formed under a law, but this law has not been enacted yet in Bangladesh. The new election commission will have to arrange the 12th national election within November 2023 to January 2024. Article 123 (3) of the Constitution states that a general election of the Members of Parliament shall be held- (a) in the case of a dissolution by reason of the expiration of its term, within the period of ninety days preceding such dissolution; and (b) in the case of a dissolution otherwise than by reason of such expiration, within ninety days after such dissolution. On November 18 last, Law Minister Anisul Huq said it would not be right to enact a law for forming the Election Commission in haste. READ: Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder boycotts meeting, again    Earlier, a representative team led by Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of civil rights organization Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), handed over the copy of ‘Draft Election Commission Enrolment Law’. The Law Minister said, “It won’t be right to put the law into practice sidestepping parliament,” as Dr Badiul Alam suggested promulgating an ordinance to enact the law. However, the law minister on November 29 said a bill would be placed in parliament in any coming session to enact a law on the Election Commission formation. BNP has long been demanding the formation of the EC after having in place a non-party polls-time government. On November 2 last, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party has no interest in the formation of the Election Commission through a search committee under the current government. He said the Election Commission cannot do anything if there is no polls-time neutral government in place. In December 2016, President Abdul Hamid also held a series of talks with the registered political parties over the EC’s reconstitution and then formed a six-member search committee to recommend names for the CEC and election commissioners. The search committee sought five names from every political party. The committee later submitted 10 names before President Md Abdul Hamid to appoint CEC and election commissioners among them. The President finally formed the present commission-headed by KM Nurul Huda. Then the CEC and other commissioners took oath on February 15, 2017. In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman constituted Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led Election Commission also through a search committee after holding meetings with political parties.

A Noakhali court on Tuesday sentenced 13 people to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in a case over torturing a housewife after undressing her at Joykrishnapur village in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali district in September last year. Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Judge Jainal Abedin handed down the verdict. Read: Noakhali housewife molestation: 2 get life term The convicts were fined Tk 50,000 each, in default, to suffer three months more imprisonment. The convicts are Delwar Hossain Dulu, Noor Hossain Badal, Abdur Rahim, Mohammad Ali alias Abul Kalam, Israfil Hossain Miah, Moyeen Uddin Sazu, Shamsuddin Sumon, Abdur Rob Chowdhury, Mostafizur Rahman, Jamal Uddin, Noor Hossain Russel, Mizanur Rahman Tareq and Anwar Hossain Sohag. Among them,  Abdur Rob, Mostafizur Rahman, Jamal Uddin and Mizanur Rahman were tried in absentia. Earlier on October 4 in 2020, the victim filed the case against nine people of ‘Delwar Bahini’ at Begumganj Model Police Station. The case was later handed over to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). The PBI farmed charges against 13 persons in the case. The victim was molested by some local miscreants of ‘Delwar Bahini’ at Ward No. 9 of Eklashpur Union on September 2 in 2020. The incident came to light after a video of the barbaric incident went viral on the internet. Read:Noakhali Housewife Molestation: Probe finds involvement of victim’s husband The miscreants tortured the housewife after undressing her and captured it on phone. The video sent a shock wave throughout the country, triggering protests everywhere. The victim filed two cases accusing nine people 33 days after the incident. One of the cases was filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and another under the Pornography Control Act. Earlier on October 4, the court sentenced Delwar an Abul Kalam to life imprisonment in a case filed over raping the woman.

Five workers were killed as a fire broke out in a plastic factory at Santahar in Adamdighi upazila of Bogura district on Tuesday. The identities of the deceased could not yet be known. Read:Fire breaks out at Segunbagicha highrise Abdul Malek, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Bogura, said the fire broke out at BIRS Plastic Industry Limited, owned by Santahar municipality mayor Tofazzal Hossain Bhutto, around 11:30 am and it spread around soon. On information, 13 firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 2 pm.

A 12ft-long python was rescued by forest officials from a paddy field in Sarankhola upazila of Bagerhat on Monday. The snake was later released in the Sundarbans. However, the python had attacked a 15-year-old boy, named Omar Hawladar, during the rescue operations, according to the forest officials. The boy received primary treatment at the Upazila Health Complex. "The reptile weighing 16kg was rescued by the forest department on Monday afternoon from the paddy field in Jilbunia village. It was released in the Sharankhola range of the Sundarbans at night," said Md Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (East). Read:18-feet long python captured in Bagerhat Originally from the Sundarbans, the python entered the village by crossing the Bhola river, according to the DFO. “In the past one year, more than 100 pythons have been rescued from the Chadpai and Sarankhola range,” said DFO Belayet. He also urged people to inform the forest department whenever they spot any wild animal in their localities rather than harming them.

A local garment trader allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his factory office in the port city of Chattogram Monday night. The deceased was identified as Nasir Uddin, 43, the owner of JNK fashion. Sadekur Rahman, inspector (investigation) at Panchlaish police station, said the trader ended his life around 7.30 pm in his office inside Chowdhury Mansion. Also read: Rohingya father ‘kills self’ after ‘poisoning’ 3 kids in Cox’s Bazar; 1 child dies Locals rushed Nasir to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, said the Inspector. Preliminary interrogation has revealed that Nasir took the extreme step as he was in huge debt, said Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Pahartoli police station. "We will have a chat with his family members. The body has been sent for an autopsy," said inspector Sadekur. Also read: School girl ‘kills self’ jumping off high-rise building in Dhaka

A 35-year-old man was on Monday sentenced to death for killing his pregnant wife by setting fire to her seven years ago. Kushtia additional district and session court judge Md Tajul Islam passed the order. Accused Shahinul Islam, son of Shahjahan Malitha of Nowda Kharara village in Mirpur upazila was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced, said Anup Kumar Nandi, public prosecutor. He was sent to jail from the dock. Also read: Two to die for murder in Rajshahi According to the case complaint, on October 9, 2014, around 3 am Shahinul set fire to his wife Champa Khatun’s clothes and house with kerosene when she was seven-months pregnant. With severe body burns Champa was first taken to Kushtia General Hospital and was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition. Champa succumbed to her injuries under treatment at the DMCH. Also read: One to die for killing wife over dowry in Satkhira A murder case was filed at Mirpur police station upon a complaint filed by Champa’s uncle Shahadat Ali against Shahinul. The Investigation Officer in the case submitted a charge sheet of the case finding the accused guilty.

A 26-year-old woman and her 13-month-old baby boy were stabbed   to death allegedly by her husband at Ghoradia in Sadar upazila of Narsingdi district early Monday. The deceased were identified as Reshmi Akter, 26, wife of Fakhrul Mia and their child Salam Safayet, residents of  Narsingdi municipality area. Quoting local people, Saugatul Alam, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said Fakhrul married Reshmi two years back and he used to torture her. Also read: One to die for killing wife over dowry in Satkhira On Sunday night, Fakhrul returned home around 12 am and local people heard the sound of groaning from the house around 2 am. When neighbours entered their house, they found Reshmi and her child lying in a pool of blood. They also caught Fakhrul while he was trying to flee the scene. Also read: Couple arrested for allegedly killing domestic help in city’s Niketon Pervez Mia, father of Reshmi, said, “Fakhrul was a drug addict and we had no idea about it before the marriage.” Police said Fakhrul might have killed his wife and baby boy suspecting that she had an extramarital affair.

A Rajshahi court on Monday sentenced two people to death for killing a man in 2013. The condemned convicts are-Phuljan Bibi, 40, wife of Deraj Mistri and Mafiz Uddin, 45, son of Moijuddin of Kathalbaria in Durgapur upazila of the district. The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each. According to the prosecution, Phuljan had maintained illicit relationship with Nurunnabi alias Ayub Nabi and Mafiz Uddin despite having her husband. Also read: 9 to die, 22 get life term for killing BCL leader in Rajshahi When Mafiz came to know about the relationship between Phuljan and Nurunnabi, he got angry. To make Mafiz happy, Phuljan then made a plot to kill Nurunnabi with the assistance of Mafiz. On April 15, 2013, Phuljan called Nurunnabi near a poultry farm where she along with Mafiz killed Nurunnabi. Later, they severed the head of Nurunnabi and dumped the body. Also read: DSA case: Rajshahi Katakhali mayor put on 3-day remand Hashem Ali, son of Nurunnabi, filed a case with Durgapur Police Station. After examining the records and witnesses, Rajshahi Public Safety Disturbance Crime Prevention Tribunal Judge Akbar Ali Sheikh handed down the verdict.

Two people were killed when a truck hit a van on Dashuria-Muladuli highway at Saraikandi in Ishwardi upaizla of Pabna district on Monday. The deceased were identified as Selim Sardar, 40, son of Ashraf Sardar and Rakib Hasan, 35, son of Abdul Goni of the Upazila. Also read: 2 killed, 3 injured in road accident in Dinajpur The accident occurred around 11:30 am when the truck hit the van from behind , leaving two people injured, said Asaduzzaman Asad, officer-in-charge of Ishwardi Police Station. Also read: Biker killed, pillion rider injured in Dhaka road accident Later, they were taken to a local hospital where doctors declared them dead.