United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that electricity demand in the Rajshahi region will go three-times higher in the next five years. “So, you should take necessary projects to cope up with the demands,” he told officials of the Northern Electric Supply Company Limited (Nesco) while virtually inaugurating the newly installed data centre of this  power distribution entity on Saturday. He also asked the Nesco officials to initiate a move to take the overhead cables of the Rajshahi city underground. “The city will get a more beautiful look if overhead cables go underground,” he told the function.   Appreciating the initiative for installing the data centre, the state minister said the number of electricity consumers is increasing day by day due to cent percent electrification. Read: Bangladesh produces 14,001MW of electricity: A new record “Now it needs increased use of technology to reach services to the doorstep of the consumer,” he said, adding that, it is impossible to ensure transparency, accountability, and perfection without building up information technology (IT) infrastructures. A secured and credible IT infrastructure will play a major role in easing the customer services, he said.   He advised the officials to set up a “Unique Call Center” for all the power distribution companies. According to Power Division, Nesco has been providing electricity services to 1.8 million consumers in Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions through its 55 Sales and Distribution offices since 2016. It took up a project to set up the data centre in order to improve the services and ensure uninterrupted power supply to its customers. Under the data centre, the customer will get post-paid billing, smart pre-payment metering system, and ERP services while it would be used for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems as well.

A fire that broke out at ‘Begum Rokeya’ ferry near Majhirkandi channel while heading towards Majhi Ghat in Shariatpur on Saturday. There were around 50 people and 36 vehicles on the ferry during the fire incident but no causalities were reported. “Damages were prevented through the timely use of fire extinguishing equipment and water pump,” said Shafiqul Islam, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at the Shimulia Ghat.  BIWTC authority has said that the fire originated from a locked room inside the ferry’s canteen. “Nothing serious happened except a little burn on the canteen’s ceiling. The Marine Department of BIWTC has inspected the spot. The ceiling of the canteen will be repaired later. At present, the ferry is being operated on Shimulia-Majhirkandi route,” said Shafiqul. Read: 7 die in Philippine ferry fire; over 120 rescued from water

Police have arrested eight Rohingya people from a hotel in Feni’s Mohipal area. The arrestees are—Abdul Mannan, 20, son of Nur Ahammed, Abdus Shukkur, 18, son of Hamid Hasan, Md Jamal Hossain, 22, son of Abul Kalam, Shafi Alam, 25, son of Badi Alam, Mohammad Ilias, 30, son of Abu Sayeed, Enamul Haque, 21, son of Kabir Ahmed, Nabi Hossain, 14, son of Ali Hossain, and Nur Hossain, 18, son of Fazal Ahmed. All the arrestees are from Kutupalong and Balukhali refugee camps in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Officer In-charge (Investigation) of Feni Model Police Station Abdur Rahim said that the Rohingya men  secretly arrived in Feni from their respective camps in Ukhia some three to four days ago.  “Upon receiving information, a police team raided  Goldstar hotel on Friday and arrested the Rohingyas. A case has been filed against the arrestees,” said the OC. A court sent the Rohingyas to Feni district jail.   “We suspect that the Rohingyas were planning to involve in drugs  trading and carry out terrorist activities while staying at Goldstar Hotel,” said Md Nizam Uddin, OC of Feni Model Police Station. Read: Rohingya teens arrested from airport area with over 6000 pcs Yaba

A-30-year-old engineer was killed and 15 others were injured in a road accident in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur on Friday. The deceased Mozaharul Islam was from Tengrapara Vinail union. He worked as a sub-assistant engineer of Gaibandha’s Palashbari upazila. However, the identities of the injured are yet to be known. The accident occurred when a pickup van hit Mozaharul when he was returning home on his motorbike and overturned the pickup after it lost control, leaving him dead on the spot and 15 others, including the driver injured, said Ziaur Rahman Zia, sub-inspector of Ghoraghat police station. The injured were admitted to a local hospital, he said, adding that the condition of 6 injured is critical.  Also read: Road accidents claim 7 lives in 3 districts

Police arrested two activists of Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of ruling Awami League, along with hemp from in front of the university's main entrance on Friday. The arrestees were identified as Tanu Shikder, a former student of public administration department under 2014-15 academic session and Gulhar Masud Rana Rifat, a final year student of the same department of the university. They were the activists of IU BCL unit. Tanu was also the incumbent general secretary of IU unit Muktijoddha Mancha. Acting on a tip off, a team of IU police conducted a drive in front of the university's main entrance and arrested the duo along with 25gram of hemp from their possession around 5:30pm, Islamic University police station sub-inspector Onik said. They were taken to IU police station for interrogation and legal action would be taken against them, the SI added. The process of filing a case with the police station under the Narcotics Act was underway, IU police station officer-in-charge Mostafizur Rahman said.  Alsor read: Man held with 63kg hemp

A 32-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide by taking poison at Sogunia village in Sherpur upazila in Bogura, his family said on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Abdul Karim, son of Juran Ali in Bishalpur union of the upazila. Also read:Child killed as branch falls off tree in Bogura Family members said Karim had borrowed loans from several NGOs and individuals. But due to the loss of paddy and other crops in the current season, he defaulted in repaying the loan. Meanwhile, creditors were pushing for money. Karim took poison around 11 pm on Wednesday night, said the family. He was rushed to Upazila Health Complex. Later, he was shifted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College in Bogura where he died while undergoing treatment there. Also read: Case filed over killing Bogura Polytechnic student The body was handed over to the family after completing the legal procedures, said Rabiul Islam, sub-inspector (SI) of Sherpur Police Station. An unnatural death case has been lodged at Bogra Sadar Police Station in this regard, added the SI.

Renewed floods triggered by incessant rain and onrush of water from upstream hills have inundated vast areas of Sunamganj for the second time in weeks, putting thousands of people in extreme misery. People from Surma, Lakhsmipur, Bogula, Banglabazar, Norsingpur and Doara unions of Sunamganj Sadar upazila have been the worst hit by this flooding, said district officials. Although water from the first round of flooding late last month is yet to receded fully, the latest blow came within just three weeks causing untold suffering for the people of the affected areas. The affected people are enduring various water-borne diseases as the tube wells have submerged and the sanitation system has broken down in the flooded areas. Besides, road communications between  Surma, Lakhsmipur, and Bogula unions and the upazila Sadar have been cut off due to the flooding. Read: Flood situation worsens in Sunamganj; 11 upazilas flooded Thousands of people incurred huge losses as their paddy and vegetable fields were inundated during last month’s flooding. Just when they started to recover from their losses, the latest bout of deluge has compounded their plight.   Most of the rivers running through the Sunamganj Sadar upazila were flowing above the danger mark until Friday morning. Increased water flow submerged most of the houses and roads of the upazila in the last 24 hours. Upazila Nirbahi Officer(UNO) of Sunamganj Sadar Farzana Priyanka said that the district administration was keeping in touch with the Water Development Board (WDB) constantly. Besides, they’ve also kept their flood monitoring rooms open. “The administration and the public representatives are always active to deal with any emergency. We’ve also stored up enough relief materials for the flood-affected people,” said Farzana.

Police on Friday claimed to have arrested a man on charges of killing his wife in Gazipur’s Kaliakair upazila on Thursday night. The deceased was identified as Akhi Akhter, 23, wife of Akbar Hossain, a garment factory worker. The couple lived in a rented house near Palli Bidyut Somiti. Also read: Councillor arrested for rape attempt in Gazipur According to police, the couple got married a few years ago but they often had fights. On Thursday night, again an argument broke out between Akbar and Akhi. In a fit of rage, the accused smashed her head with a stone leaving her dead on the spot. After the locals informed the cops, the body of the deceased was recovered. Officer-in-charge of Kaliakair Police Station, Akbar Hossain, said the man was arrested for killing his wife. "Necessary legal action will be taken in this regard."

An intensive care unit (ICU) ambulance gifted by the India to Bangladesh is lying idle in the Chuadanga Civil Surgeon’s office for the past six months. The Indian government gifted the ambulance to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on November 26, 2021, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence and also, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But, the ambulance hasn’t been used yet due to a shortage of trained medical personnel and necessary equipment. None of the public or private hospitals in Chuadanga currently has ICU facilities. The same goes for ICU ambulances. The first ICU unit of the district was started by Sajeda Foundation on August 7, 2021, at a new building inside Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on a temporary basis. Unfortunately, the foundation stopped the operation of the ICU unit as the Covid-19 situation became normal in the district. Read: Chuadanga Sadar Hospital presents stark image of poor waste management “Sometimes, cardiac patients die on their way to the hospital due to not getting life support facilities that can only be provided by ICU ambulances," said Coordinator of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital Dr Ataur Rahman. "We’ve already spoken with higher authorities to restart the ICU facility at our hospital. I expect that the currently unused ICU ambulance will start operating once ICU facilities begin at our hospital,” he added. Chuadanga Civil Surgeon Dr Sajjat Hasan said that the ambulance can’t be operated without trained personnel and necessary equipment. "I’ll take necessary steps to run the ambulance at the earliest,” he said. 

Two children drowned in a pond near their home in the village of Arjuntola in Barura upazila of Cumilla district on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Gopal Chandro, 12, son Jagobandhu Chandro and Shipto Pal, 9, son of Surho Lal of the village. Family members said Gopal and Shipto were playing football along with some other children near the pond adjacent to their house. The duo drowned in the pond while going to collect the ball, said Iqbal Bahar Mojumder, officer-in-charge of Barura police station. Later, locals rushed them to Barur Upazila Health Complex where upazila health officials declared them dead on arrival.