United News of Bangladesh

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) seized 6 lakh metres of banned current nets and 4,000 pieces of China Chai, another type of fishing net, worth nearly Tk 3.5 crore, during a drive in Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj district on Saturday. Acting on tip off, a BCG team led by Station Commander Pagla Lieutenant Shams Sadekin conducted a special drive at Anandabazar area of Boidderbazar union from 12 noon to 3pm, said Lieutenant Commander Abdur Rahman, media officer of BCG Headquarters. The items were seized from five shops and a godown, said the media officer. Later, the seized nets were burnt in the presence of the executive magistrate and the district fisheries officer, he added.

A 19-year-old girl was gang-raped in Ekrampur area of Narayanganj on Monday evening (March 7). The victim filed a case against six people with Bondar police station under the Women and Children Repression Act on Friday night. According to the statement, the victim from Katiyarchar area of Kishoreganj Sadar came to visit her aunt's house in Ekrampur area on Feb 15. On March 6, she went to the pharmacy for some medicine, where she overheard a woman talking to another person about going abroad. Having an ambition to go abroad, the girl engaged with the woman at the pharmacy and got the mobile number of one Alauddin, who apparently sends people abroad, from her. Later, she called Alauddin and talked about wanting to go abroad. On March 7, Alauddin called the girl at around 6pm and asked her to meet him at Farajikanda railway area. When they met, Alauddin and 5 of his friends took her to an empty field next to the Marine Training Center in Hajipur, where they all proceeded to rape her. Confirming the matter, officer-in-charge of Bondar Police Station, Deepak Chandra Saha said that a case has been filed in this regard. The victim has been sent to hospital for medical examination, and efforts are underway to arrest the accused, the OC said.

The members of the Forest Department detained 7 fishermen early Saturday while they were catching fish deep inside the Satkhira range of the Sundarbans without permission. The detainees are Kamrul Islam, 33, Momin Gazi, 57, Ismail Morol, 20, Saidur Rahman, 30, Roshan Gayen, 50, Gazi, 36, Abu Bakkar, 36, and Jamal. According to the Satkhira range Forest Department, a special team has been conducting a drive to cut down on illegal fishing, with the aim to  ensure increased breeding of fish in the Sundarbans.   Following a tip off, the team detained the fishermen from Dingimari canal in the forest. During the drive three fishing boats, eight nets, 10 anchors, and 20 Kg of fish were seized, said MA Hasan, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Sundarban Satkhira Range. A case was filed against the fishermen under the Forest Act and they were sent to jail by a court, he said.

A 48-year-old man died after he was stung "hundreds of times" by swarming bees in Kurigram's Roumari Saturday. The deceased Omar Faruque was from Dantbhanga union. The huge swarm of bees attacked in the evening, stinging Omar multiple times as he was working with bamboo at his house. Read: Two more held for attack on RU student "Omar was stung hundreds of times and succumbed to his injuries on the spot," Dantbhanga union parishad Chairman Rezaul Islam said. However, he could not confirm if any large open hive was located in a tree nearby.

A man was killed and five people were injured early Saturday as a train hit a private car  on a level crossing in Palash upazila of Narsingdi. The deceased was identified as Yusuf Ali, 30, son of Monudiin Bhuiyan of  Dattergaon area in Shibpur upazila. The injured victims-Mokarram Mia, 26, Md Rewan,9, his brother Md Abdullah,10, Mahbub,35, and Al Amin Mia, 43- are undergoing treatment at Narsingdi sadar hospital. Read: Couple’s body recovered in Barguna According to witnesses, the car was hit by Chattogram-bound Turna Nishita express train around 1:30 am while it was passing  the level crossing at the east side of the Ghorasal station , leaving Yusuf dead on the spot. Imaydul Jahedi, in-charge of railway police outpost. said,  the accident occurred when  they were heading towards Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by the car from their home in Shibpur to see off injured Mahbub. He said the accident occurred as the level crossing was unguarded. The body was sent to the hospital morgue for an autopsy, said the police officer.

Police recovered the hanging bodies of a couple from their house at Joar Karuna in Betagi upazila of Barguna district on Saturday morning. The deceased were identified as day labourer Md Aslam and his wife Tamanna Akter. Additional superintendent of Police Mehedi Hasan said being informed by neighbours police recovered the bodies at around 10.30 am. Read: Worker dies, 4 hurt as wall collapses in Rajshahi The bodies were sent to Barguna Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Aslam used to work as a day laborer in Dhaka. They got married one year and a half ago.  

A worker was killed and four others  were injuries as a wall collapsed on them on Saturday at Chotobangram Bimanchattar area in Rajshahi city. The deceased was identified as Riazul. Injured Enamul Haque,35, Dilip,43,Kazem Ali,27, and Monjurul Alam, 35, were rescued from under the debris and admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). A  wall collapsed as the workers were working to install a Reinforced Concrete Column(RCC), said Rajib, one of the workers. Also read: Worker dies as wall collapses in city He said, “Nine workers were working when the wall collapsed. We don’t know what happened to  four others.” Emran Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Chandrima police station said the five workers were rescued from the site of an under-construction house of one Entaj Ali. As they were taken to RMCH doctors announced Riazul dead. Also read: Wall collapses at DU hall canteen; 2 injured Didarul, Assistant Director of fire service, said three rescue teams have managed to rescue five workers. “We will conduct  search and rescue operation for few hours more,” he said.

A fire swept through Kutupalong Rohingya Camp-4 in Ukhiya Friday, burning seven shanties and a learning centre to ashes. Black smoke billowed over burning shanties as people scrambled to recover their possessions. The fire originated from a shanty in Camp-4 at 4:30pm, said Mohammad Noor, a Rohingya leader from Kutupalong camp. On information, firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control, said Emdadul Haque, station officer of Ukhia Fire Service and Civil Defence. "However, the extent of damage could not be confirmed immediately." Tuesday, a blaze swept through parts of Kutupalong Camp-6, killing a three-year-old boy and leaving about 3,000 people homeless in the sixth fire this year. It followed a massive fire in January, four smaller fires between January and March. A devastating blaze last March tore through another Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar, killing at least 15 people and destroying more than 10,000 shanties. "The shelters made of dry bamboo and tarpaulin are incredibly flammable. More fire-resistant materials must be permitted and additional openings in the fencing need to be built so that refugees can reach safety in an emergency," Save the Children's Country Director Onno van Manen said. "The risk of fires in these densely populated and confined areas is enormous, but it is avoidable with the right support and infrastructure in place."

At least four people were killed and 30 were injured after a bus collided with a truck in Habiganj's Shayestaganj Friday night. The accident occurred on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Ulukandi at 9pm, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shayestaganj Police Station Ajay Chandra Dev. A Sylhet-bound bus carrying passengers from Dhaka collided with a stone-laden truck coming from the opposite direction, killing two people on the spot, the OC added. "Also, the same number of people died after being rushed to Habiganj Modern Sadar Hospital." Police are yet to identify the deceased, Ajay said.

The Forest Department released a saltwater crocodile in Sundarbans on Friday. Earlier, the crocodile was captured by fishermen while they were netting in the Bhaga area of Rampal. The crocodile was rescued by the Sundarbans Division after receiving a call from Habibun Nahar, Deputy Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Affairs, said Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center in the Sundarbans. Later, the 4 feet long crocodile was released around 8pm, he added. “The crocodile is 6 to 7 years old”.