United News of Bangladesh

Two Rohingya men allegedly abducted four school students for ransom from Khuniapalong in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar Tuesday. The abducted students are, Mohammad Kaysar, Mizanur Rahman Nayan, and Mizanur Rahman, students of class eight in Sonarpara High school and Zahedul Islam, a student of class 10 at the same school. The two alleged accused are identified as Jahangir and Ibrahim, residents of camp-26 at Noapara in Teknaf Upazila, and both staff of Batighar cottage in Cox’s Bazar, according to locals. The two reportedly lured the boys with a promise to take them to Saint Martin’s Island on a visit. Meanwhile the family members of the students said the abductors already demanded Tk 20 lakh as ransom money. A complaint has been lodged at the Ramu police station by the victim’s families, said Arup Kumar Chowdhury, Officer-in-Charge of Ramu police station. According to the complaint, the four students had a friendship with two Rohingya staff. On Tuesday the two staff took the students to Whoaikang area in Teknaf by telling them they are going to visit Saint Martin’s Island. On Wednesday noon, calling from an unknown number the abductors demanded the ransom money and threatened to kill the students if their demand was not met, said the complaint. Victim Zahedul’s father Abdus Salam said, the mobile numbers of the four students along with the two Rohingyas remained unreachable since Tuesday. “The abductors claimed money identifying them as Rohingya terrorists,” he said. OC Arup Kumar said they have advised the families to lodge a complaint with the Teknaf police station as the incident occurred there. “With the assistance of the Teknaf police we will investigate the incident, “ he said.

A progamme to vaccinate prisoners against Covid-19 began at Chattogram central jail on Thursday. Around 8,000 inmates of Chattogram central jail will get the jabs under the programme, said divisional health director Dr. Hasan Shahriar Kabir. Eight hundred prisoners were inoculated with Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on the opening day, he said. Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Chief Health Officer Dr Selim Akhtar Chowdhury inaugurated the vaccination campaign. “There are 7,800 prisoners in Chattogram central jail. We cannot be safe without vaccinating them. So, all prisoners will get vaccinated in phases,” Dr Shahriar Kabir said. He said all jail inmates who got the first dose today will be given the second dose in time. Prisoners who will be released on bail after receiving the first dose will be able to receive the second dose subject to showing vaccine card and new prisoners will also be brought under the vaccination programme, he added.

The bus driver who drove through Jhautala level crossing in Chattogram city leading to death of  three people was arrested on Wednesday night The arrestee is Md Shahidul Alam, 48, said Nurl Afsar, assistant director (media) of Rapid Action Battalion-7 (Rab) on Thursday. He said Rab members detained the absconding driver from Saherkhali dam area in Mirsarai upazila. Read: Ctg boy’s body recovered 3 days after falling into drain Earlier on Sunday, Jhautala railway level crossing gateman Ashraful Alamgir Bhiyan was detained from city’s Pahartali area. On Dec 4, a collision occurred among a bus, two auto-rickshaws and a train when Shahidul drove through the level-crossing hitting the two auto-rickshaws from behind and dragging those onto the level crossing when the train was approaching. Three people were killed and none others were injured in the accident. Meanwhile, a three-member panel, headed by Additional Superintendent of Chattogram Railway Mohammad Abdul Gafur, was formed to look into the incident, said Hasan Chowdhury, assistant superintendent of Chattogram Railway Police. Shaheda, a witness, said the gateman of the level-crossing was found sitting in an adjacent shop when the accident occurred.

Two children died while playing with an electric wire at Kalhor area in Nachol upazila of Chapanawabganj on Thursday morning. The deceased were identified as Sajib, 10, son of Md Masud and Lamia, 8, daughter of Md Mithu of the upazila. Police said the two children were playing with an electric wire of Power Development Board (PDB) lying on the ground  during the  extension work of power line from Nachol to Bogura in the morning. Also read: Man dies from electrocution in city When a machine pulled the electric wire Sajib and Lamia went up with the wire. At one stage, both fell down from the hanging wire and Sajib died on spot. Lamia died on the way to hospital. Selim Reza, Officer-in-charge of Nachol Police Station, said it was not a live electric wire. Also read: Construction worker dies of electrocution in the city

A major fire broke out at a textile recycling godown in the Atura Depot area of Chattogram city early on Thursday, officials said. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Read: 4 of a family suffer burn injuries in Narayanganj fire The blaze started around 8am in the godown and soon spread to four other godowns in the vicinity, said Kapil Uddin of Agrabad Fire Service. On information, six firefighting units rushed to the spot and are trying to contain the fire. A probe will ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage, the official said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ambitious plan to give Cumilla a much-needed makeover on the lines of a smart city has gained momentum. Better water and energy management as well as enhanced mobility options ensuring last-mile connectivity make modern cities across the world sustainable and liveable. Read: Growing vegetable export revives Cumilla farmers’ hopes Cumilla would boast of all such modern facilities under the "renovation project", for which a whopping Tk 1,500 crore has now been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Cumilla City Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku thanked Prime Minister Hasina, who chaired the committee meeting on Tuesday, on behalf of the residents. "The residents of Cumilla are very happy to receive this gift on the Golden Jubilee of independence and the centenary of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," an elated Mayor said. The project plan includes great infrastructural development in the city, officials said. Cumilla City Corporation execution officer Shafiqul Islam said the Mayor, engineers and officials of the civic body have all been working on this mega project for the past one year as per the government's directions. Read: Cumilla pottery: Heritage on the verge of extinction "The corporation is, in fact, adhering to all the step-by-step directions of the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives," he said. "Through the implementation of this project, everyone's dream of building a modern, developed, livable city will come true," said Shafiqul.

A sub-inspector of the Detective Branch of police was arrested in Khulna  on Wednesday on charge of raping a woman at a hotel. The arrestee is SI Jahangir Alam. Read: Madrasa teacher gets life term for raping student in Barguna Officer-in-Charge of Khulna Sadar Police Station Hasan Al Mamun said the woman came from Mongla of Bagerhat to see a doctor for her daughter. She along with her daughter was staying at room-13 of Sundarbans Hotel in the city at night. DB sub-inspector Jahangir Alam entered the room around 2:30 am and raped the mother. Read:5-yr-old raped by cousin in Bhola When the victim cried out for help, people in the hotel rushed in and detained Jahangir Alam. They later handed him over to police, he said On Wednesday morning, Jahangir was sent to jail through a court in a case filed by the victim. The victim has been sent to One Stop Crisis Center of Khulna Medical College Hospital, the OC added.

At least seven students of Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia were injured in an attack carried out by a group of miscreants, allegedly at the behest of a varsity official, in Anandonagar adjacent to the campus on Tuesday night. The injured students of different departments have been identified as Kamal Uddin, Sultan Mahmud, Jewel Rana, Majharul Islam Nayeem, Abdur Rahman, Abdur Razzaque Rakib and Sumon Reja. Eye-witnesses said that Al-Quran and Islamic Studies department's assistant registrar Jahidul Islam had a verbal altercation with the seven students over playing of loud music in their mess in the area around 9pm. Though the students forced Jahidul to leave the mess premises then, he soon returned to take revenge -- this time with 10 to 15 men. The miscreants attacked the students with sticks and bricks, leaving them injured on the spot. Later, the injured received first aid at IU central clinic. Read: Journo among 20 hurt as BNP men, police clash in Natore As the news of the attack spread, several students of the university brought out a protest rally in the small hours of Wednesday, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice. The protesters dispersed only after IU's former pro-vice-chancellor Professor M Kamal Uddin and assistant proctor Shofiqul Islam assured them of action in the matter. Al-Quran and Islamic Studies department assistant registrar Jahidul Islam, however, refuted the allegations levelled against him. Proctor Jahangir Hossain said, "I have directed Assistant Proctor Shofiqul to visit the spot and lodge a police complaint."

Four teenagers playing near a railway track were crushed to death by a speeding train in Nilphamari's Sadar upazila early on Wednesday morning. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. But all of them were boys aged between 12 and 14 years, police said. The accident occurred around 7am when the four teenagers were playing near the railway track in the Boubazar area of the upazila. Read: Unidentified youth killed in train Accident "Rajshahi-bound Titumir Express hit the boys, leaving them dead on the spot," said Lutfur Rahman, the officer-in-charge of Nilphamari Government Railway Police. Train accidents in Bangladesh Train accidents are common in Bangladesh, many at unmanned level crossings and some due to the poor condition of tracks. According to data provided by the Bangladesh Railway, in August 2019, only 466 gates of its 1,412 level crossings had gatemen. In November 2019, a deadly collision occurred between Dhaka-bound Turna Nishita Express and Chattogram-bound Udayan Express on the Dhaka-Chattogram route near the Mandbagh railway station in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria. Read: Railway staff responsible for Brahmanbaria train accident: Probe bodies The train crash had left at least 16 people dead and over 100 others injured. At least 113 people, including 26 women and 11 children, were killed in railway accidents between January 1 and June 30 this year, according to a July report, jointly prepared by the Green Club of Bangladesh (GCB) and the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways.

A university student was killed when a truck hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying him at Sonapur zero point in Noakhali Sadar upazila Tuesday noon. The deceased was identified as Ajay Majumder, a third-year student of Department of Information Sciences and Library Management of Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU). Read: College student dies in Panchagarh road accident University Proctor Professor Newaz Mohammed Bahadur said the accident occurred when Ajay was going towards Maijdee in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw around 1pm. Sultan Ahsan, in-charge of Sonapur police outpost, said they are trying to arrest the killer truck driver. Meanwhile, NSTU students blocked a road at Maijdee protesting the accident around 4:30pm. Upon assurance from the law enforcers, the agitating students withdrew their blockade around 6pm.