United News of Bangladesh

Leaders and activists of BNP clashed with police at Jamalkhan Press Club in Chattogram city as police allegedly obstructed them during their bid to form a human chain. They gathered there to form a human chain to register the party’s protest against the ‘unilateral’ election of January 5, 2014. Meanwhile, 44 leader and activists of BNP were arrested in this connection. Mohammad Nezam Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, said BNP took permission saying that one hundred people will join the human chain. However, BNP leaders and activists blocked the road while delivering speeches and their programme disrupted traffic. Later, police requested them to leave the road but they locked into an argument with police and threw brickbats towards them, forcing police to charge baton, he added. The OC also four policemen were injured in the clash.

At least 20 leaders and activists of BNP were injured in a clash with police as police allegedly foiled their bid to form a human chain to register the party’s protest against the ‘unilateral’ election of January 5, 2014. When BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of the party's city office around 11am police charged batons to disperse the them, triggering the clash, said Khulna Metropolitan BNP member secretary Shafiqul Alam Tuhin. At least 20 BNP activists were injured in the clash, claimed Shafiqul Alam. Police also detained a BNP activist, he added. However, Hasan Al Mamun, Officer-in-Charge of Khulna Police Station, said the BNP men attempted to form the human chain without any permission from the authorities concerned. When police asked them to leave the road the BNP activists threw brickbats towards police, forcing them to charge baton, the OC added.

Eight people were killed in clashes in Chattogram, Bogura and Chandpur districts during the 5th phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections on Wednesday, including four in police firing. In Bogura, five people were killed in during the election violence. Of them four people were killed when police fired at the mob to bring the situation under control and another person was killed during a clash with the supporters of opponent group. Of the deceased, Kulsum Akter, a member candidate and wife of Khokon of Kalaihata village in BaliaDighi union of Gabtoli upazila; Alamgir Hossain, son of Mokbul Hossain of the same village; brothers Abdur Rashid and Adur Razzak, sons of Ifat Ullah, all died in police firing. District superintendent of police Sudeep Kumar Chakrabarti said that the supporters of boat symbol with other supporters of other candidates attacked police-BGB members and the executive magistrate, and vandalised government vehicles as the election results were delayed. At this time police fired at the mob to bring the situation under control. Four people were shot dead in the incident.    Also in Bogura, another man named Zakir Hossain, 36, supporter of independent member candidate Saidul Islam, was killed in a clash between the supporters of two UP member candidates at Rameshwarpur union in Gabtoli upazila. The clash began around 2:30pm at Jaiguli Govt High School ground in Rameshwarpur between the supporters of independent candidate Saidul Islam and another candidate Ferdous Hossain Mithu, leaving Zakir seriously injured. Later, he was taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital (SZMCH) where doctors declared him dead. Read:Voting underway for fifth phase of UP polls Zia Rafikul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gabtoli Model Thana, said police brought the situation under control. In Chandpur, two people were killed in separate incidents at Kachua and Haimchar upazila in violence during the UP elections. One of the deceased, identified as Sharif Hossain, 18, was stabbed dead during the clash outside Hatirbandh Kendra at Sachar Union of Kachua Upazila, said additional superintendent of police Sudip Roy. Another unidentified man, said to be in his early 40s, was killed at Ishanbala Ward-6 of Nilkamal Union in Haimchar Upazila, said Mahbubur Rahman Mollah, officer-in-charge (OC) of Haimchar Police Station. In the fifth phase, Union Parishad elections took place in 29 unions of Chandpur where 162 candidates contested the polls for the post of chairman and 1,412 for the posts of general members and reserved members. In Chattogram, a man was killed in a clash between the supporters of two member candidates at Chatori union in Anwara upazila. The deceased was identified as Omkar Dutta, 32, a supporter of member candidate Dhananjoy Biswas contesting the polls with ‘Tubewell’ symbol. Police said the clash broke out around 1:30pm at Singhora of Chatori between the supporters of independent candidate Nazim Uddin and another candidate Dhananjoy Biswas, leaving one dead on the spot and several others injured. Read: Pre-polls violence: 30 injured in Bhola Didarul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Anwara Police Station, said the situation is under control now. In Boalkhali upazila, a local Awami League leader was seriously injured in an attack by his rival party men early Wednesday at Shikdarpara in Ahla Koroldenga union. The injured was identified as Abdullah Al Harun Ripon, 32, general secretary of union unit AL. He was sent to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition, said Abdul Karim, officer-in-charge of Boalkhali Police Station.

A Cox’s Bazar court on Tuesday placed two people, including prime accused Ashiqul Islam Ashiq, on a three-day remand each in a case filed over violating a tourist in the town. Chief Judicial Magistrate Abul Mansur Siddique passed the order when police produced them before the court, said additional superintendent of Tourist Police Md Mohiuddin. Read: Writ seeks judicial inquiry into Cox's Bazar gang-rape Earlier on Monday, police filed a petition seeking remand for Ashiqu in the case. The other remanded accused is Mehedi Hasan Babu. 

Miscreants shot a man to death at Anghla Para in Lama upazila of Bandarban district early Tuesday. The victim was identified as Monkyaching Marma,35, a resident of Bangalhalia in Rajasthali upazila of Rangamati district. According to locals, Monkyaching came to visit his in-law’s family members at Ward-3 in Ruposhi Para union on Monday. Also read: Farmer shot dead in Chuadanga Around 1:30 am, six gunmen surrounded the house and fired shots at him holding other family members hostage. They left the scene firing shots, they said. Md Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Lama Police Station, said they have sent a police team to recover the body. Also read: UP polls violence: One shot dead in Sylhet

A housewife was hacked to death allegedly by her husband at her father’s house in Paikerchhara village in Bhurungamari upazila of Kurigram early Tuesday. The victim was identified as Shahida Begum, 40, daughter of Shahjahan Ali and wife of Abu Bakar Siddiqui,44, of the same village. According to Shahida’s family, Shahida came to her father’s house a few days back with her youngest daughter following a prolonged feud with her husband. Also read: Housewife stabbed to death by husband in city On Monday night, Abu Bakar, a wood trader, also came to meet Shahida, a mother of three, said Mahir Uddin, Shahida’s uncle. At the dead of night, he said, they heard Shahida’s screams and they found her dead on her bed when they reached there. Shahida’s daughter and mother also suffered injuries during the incident, said Mahir Uddin. Paikerchara union member (ward-1) Abu Md Bajlur Rahman said the injured were taken to a local hospital. Also read: Housewife murdered, family destroyed by wrath of loan shark Shahida’s body, bearing the marks of sharp injuries in her neck, was recovered around 4 am, said Ataur Rahman, a sub-inspector of Bhurungamari Police Station. Abu Bakar went into hiding right after the incident.

A group of local youths reportedly obstructed police personnel of Barishal Kotwali Model Station from performing their duty and snatched an arrestee on Monday night. The incident occurred around 10:30 pm at the speedboat terminal in Barishal city. Police said they, tipped off by locals, conducted a drive in a party held at a restaurant arranged by some youths and Speedboat Owners’ Association to arrest an accused, Shahidul. Also read: Arrestee’s ‘suicide’ in Rangpur police custody sparks unrest; family allege otherwise As they handcuffed Shahidul, some 50 youths, including Tarek, allegedly encircled them and snatched the accused. They also tried to attack the police, witnesses said. Later, senior officers and an additional team from Barishal Metropolitan Police (BMP) reached the spot, baton charged at the attackers and arrested Shahidul, said Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan, Deputy Commissioner of the Barishal Metropolitan Police (BMP). Also read: 3 women detained for ‘snatching pistol from police’ in Narail He said a case will be filed against those who tried to snatch the accused.

A team of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday disconnected the gas connection of a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital. A team of ACC, led by deputy director Humayun Kabir conducted a drive at Rajphulbaria Biswas Garments Limited at noon and found an illegal gas connection there. Also read: Social Islami Bank official sued by ACC Later, the team disconnected the gas connection taken illegally from Titas. However, no one was arrested in this connection as the authorities concerned of the garments factory managed to flee sensing the presence of the ACC team.

Within just 12 hours two dolphin carcasses were recovered from the Turag River at Ashulia Bazar area in Savar until Monday noon. After the local fisherman fished out a dead dolphin weighing three mounds on Sunday afternoon, locals spotted another floating near Felaghat area on Monday noon. This time the dolphin weighed around 5 mounds said, Kamrul Islam Sarkar, a senior fisheries officer in Savar upazila. Also read: Another dolphin carcass recovered from Halda River He said the dolphin recovered on Sunday was a Ganges Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) according to a researcher from Jahangirnagar University. “These dolphins had sanctuary in Padma and Jamuna River in Bangladesh but in the last 10-15 years this species was not heard to be spotted in this region” said Kamrul. Also read: Reward for information about Dolphin killers: Environment Minister He said they are trying to identify the species of the dolphin found today. Experts are also trying to determine the cause of their deaths. The government incorporated a punishment of maximum five-year jail or highest Tk 5 lakh fine for repeated killings of dolphins in the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act. On October 19,the government approved the "Dolphin Conservation Action Plan” to protect the habitat of dolphins in Bangladesh.

The death toll from last month’s deadly launch fire in Jhalakathi district rose to 49 on Monday as another man succumbed to his injuries at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Also read: Launch fire tragedy: Another 8-year-old victim succumbs to injury Russel, 38, breathed his last at noon at the hospital, said Coordinator of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Samanta Lal Sen. The fire broke out on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes on December 24. Also read: Marine Court sends two drivers of MV Abhijan-10 launch to jail On December 26, the chief inspector of the Department of Shipping Shafiqur Rahman filed a case against eight people, including four owners of the launch, under the Marine Act with the Marine Court.