United News of Bangladesh

The Rohingya man, who had escaped from police custody at Chattogram court building, was arrested again from Ledapara Rohingya camp at Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Monday. Nezam Uddin, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said fugitive Abul Kalam, was arrested conducting a drive at Ledapara Rohingya camp in Teknaf in the early hours Monday. Read: 3 cops suspended as Rohingya man flees police custody in Ctg He said a police team has been sent to Teknaf for bringing Abul Kalam back to Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram. Meanwhile, one sub-inspector and two constables -- SI Mitu Khanam and two Constables Shahadat Hossain and Nazrul Islam -- were suspended on Sunday for neglect of duty. All three were working in Kotwali Police Station. A probe committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) was also formed on Sunday night, said a senior police official. Read:1 killed in Ukhia Rohingya camp clash Kalam had fled the scene while being produced in court along with other accused on Sunday afternoon. Kalam was arrested along with 1,050 pieces of Yaba from the Station Road in the port city and then handed over to Kotwali Police Station on Sundar morning.

The rail link of the country with Natore was disrupted for over five hours following a collision between a truck and a train at Tebaria level crossing in the northern district early Monday. Ashok Chakraborty, stationmaster of Natore Railway Station, said a truck drove through the level crossing around 3:30 am and collided with the Kurigram Express train from Dhaka. Read:Derailment: Rail communication between Khulna and rest of the country suspended At least five intercity trains got stuck at various stations, including Natore station, following the accident, Ashok said. He said the train service with the district was restored around 9 am after the truck was removed from the rail line. However, there was no report of any casualty in the accident.

Three policemen were suspended as a Rohingya man escaped from police custody in Chattogram court building area on Sunday. One sub-inspector and two constables were suspended following the incident. Police said Abul Kalam, a Rohingya man, fled the scene while being produced in court along with other accused in the afternoon. Also read: 1 killed in Ukhia Rohingya camp clash Earlier in the morning, Kalam was arrested along with 1,050 pieces of Yaba from the Station Road in the port city and then handed over to Kotwali Police Station. Confirming the matter, Nezam Uddin, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said a drive is on to arrest the Rohingya man. Departmental action will be taken against the policemen after an investigation, the OC added. Also read: Cox’s Bazar: 2 Rohingya 'robbers' killed in encounter

A man was killed and eight others were injured in a clash during a Rohingya wedding ceremony in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Belal, 40, uncle of the groom. Read: Rohingyas the 'most vulnerable community' in region: Caritas Additional superintendent police of the Armed Police Battalion-8 and camp security in-charge Kamran Hossain said that bride Khaleda Bibi had an affair with of Md. Idris of block  C of No 9 Rohingya camp. She left her house and got married to Idris four days ago without her family’s consent. A wedding programme was arranged on Saturday by the groom’s family. The bride's family suddenly attacked the groom’s family members, triggering a clash that left Belal dead and eight others injured, he said. Read: Cox’s Bazar: 2 Rohingya 'robbers' killed in encounter The body was sent to the morgue of Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy. Overall security at the camp has been beefed up after the incident, he added.

Three people suffered severe injuries while making a bomb at a park in Gournadi upazila of Barishal early Saturday, police said. One of the injured, who lost both his hands, was identified as Harun. Two others could not be immediately identified. Police said the incident occurred around 12am in Faria Garden Park, owned by Nuruzzaman Farhad, vice chairman of the upazila parishad and joint general secretary of the upazila Awami League. Also read: 2 injured in Madaripur bomb blast Bomb maker Harun’s both arms were ripped off in the explosion. After the explosion they escaped the scene with all the bomb-making equipment, police said. Meanwhile, police were informed that the injured were undergoing treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, but no specific information was received from the hospital authority in this regard. Sub-inspector of Gournadi police Abul Kalam said that attempts are under way to identify where the injured are undergoing treatment. Besides, Police arrested park security guard Abdur Rahman for interrogation, he said. Also read: Youth injured while making bomb in Jashore Afzal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Gournadi Police Station, said that a case has been filed under the Explosives Act against four named and 4-5 unnamed in this connection. Meanwhile, Upazila Vice Chairman Nuruzzaman Farhad Munshi, who was in Dhaka at the time of the explosion, said, “I have heard about the matter. However, the explosion did not happen inside the park but in an abandoned house outside the park area.” “I learned that some people had entered the park in the middle of the night, threatening the security guards,” he added.

Bangladesh has taken all precautions against new coronavirus variant, Omicron, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Sunday ruling out any further Covid-induced lockdown in the country “The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh is under control now and there is no possibility to enforce any lockdown in the country,” he told reporters after visiting the under-construction Bangladesh Institute of Health Management Building (BIHM) in Savar. He said the government is keeping eye on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decisions on the Omicron variant but above all the precautions and preparations people will need to follow the health protocols, he said. He, however, said that the government does not see any need for sealing the land border of the country as yet. Read:Don’t leave your workplaces: Health Minister to expats “Already letters have been sent to all the districts to take up preparations to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, “he said. Zahid said there is no need to worry about the new coronavirus variant Omicron which has no presence in the country. “Any one coming from South Africa or other Omicron-affected countries will need to possess negative certificate from tests 48 hours before the flight and will need to stay in mandatory quarantine for 14 days, “he said. Screening at airports has been increased and the Covid-19 testing labs have been expanded up to 30,000 square feet from 2,000, he said. He said Bangladesh has now enough stock of vaccines and preparation to face any situation. “Already more than seven crore people have received the first dose while around four crore have been fully vaccinated,” he said. “Like many other countries, we got the prime minister’s nod to administer the booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines, and soon it will be provided to the above-60 citizens,” he said. We are keeping eye on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decisions on the Omicron variant but above all the precautions and preparations people will need to be more health aware, said the health minister

After capital Dhaka, students in all other metropolitan cities, including Chattogram, will enjoy half fare while travelling in public transport with effect from December 11. Secretary General of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Khandaker Enayetullah came up with the announcement while speaking at a press briefing at Chattogram Press Club on Sunday. The students will enjoy the half fare from 7 am to 8 pm and they have to show their identity cards to avail of this opportunity. Read: Half bus fares for students in Dhaka metropolitan area from Wednesday However, it will not be applicable on government and weekly holidays and other holidays of educational institutions, said Khandaker. But a 50% discount will not be applicable outside cities, he added. “We’ve taken the decision to allow half fare for the students in public buses in all the cities following the demand of the students and we hope now they will go back to their respective institutions,” he added. In the face of student protests, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association on November 30 decided that all the students in Dhaka Metropolitan area will get a 50% discount from December 1.

A 23-year-old Gazipur woman "killed" her two daughters Saturday before trying to take her own life. The children were identified as four-year-old Tabiha and nine-month-old Bushra. It appeared that Liza Akhtar strangled her children to death, who were found lying on the bed, and later hanged herself from the ceiling, police said. Her husband Billal Hossain, from Cumilla's Debidwar, was not present in the house when the incident took place. He had gone to bring puffed rice, banana and cake for his children upon their insistence. As he returned, Billal, now a resident of the Moktartek area of Gazipur city, found the door of his house locked and saw his daughters unresponsive and Liza hanging herself. Hearing Billal scream, the locals came to his house running and broke open the door and rushed Liza to the hospital in a critical condition. "The bodies have been sent to the morgue of Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for autopsy," Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Zakir Hasan said. "Liza Akhter is being treated at the hospital under police custody. Her husband Billal told us that she has been suffering from mental illness for several months."

A Chinese worker of China Petroleum Pipeline (CPP) engineering company at Karnafuli area in Chattogram died on Friday night after falling sick at his residence. The deceased was identified as Tiang Yu, 40, a foreman of the company. Police said he suddenly fell sick at his rented house at Badamtali Apple Tower in the port city on Friday night. Also read: Chinese citizen dies after falling from a ship in Chattogram Pachanlaish police station Officer-in-Charge Sadiqur Rahman said his colleagues took him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. However, the cause of the death could not be ascertained yet, he said. Also read: Covid-19: Unloading of fertilizer from Chinese ship at Ctg Port halted due to symptoms

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Friday night rescued a Class VIII student who was allegedly kidnapped from her grandparents' house in Lochangarh village of Natore Sadar upazila. The kidnapper, identified as Anik Hossain, was also detained during the raid at a house in the Ekdala area of Natore Sadar upazila, officials said on Saturday. READ:  Kidnapped schoolboy found dead in Meherpur; 2 held Natore RAB deputy commander Rafiqul Islam said that the girl was kidnapped on December 2 from her grandparents' house. "Acting on a complaint filed by the girl's family, the RAB conducted an operation, rescued her and held the kidnapper." READ:  Woman kidnapped from Dhaka kitchen market, raped by 3