United News of Bangladesh

A 35-year-old man, who sustained injuries in an explosion while allegedly making bombs in Kushtia district, succumbed to his wounds at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Abu Bakkar, a resident of Bilgathua village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia. Read:N’ganj bomb: 2 Neo- JMB men held in city Mohammad Shafique, officer-in-charge of Daulatpur police station, said that Bakkar and his wife Madhubala, 30, were injured when a bomb exploded in their house last Thursday. They were initially taken to Kushtia General Hospital, from where Bakkar was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital as his condition had deteriorated. Around 7pm on Tuesday, Bakkar died, the  OC said. Read:RAB destroys four country-made bombs in Natore An FIR has already been filed against 13 people in connection with the explosion, and Madhubala and Abu Bakkar were named as the main accused in the case. Madhubala managed to flee from Kushtia General Hospital, police said.

Sylhet division on Wednesday morning logged 10 new Covid-related deaths in 24 hours. Of the total deaths, nine were reported in Sylhet district alone, said officials of the Sylhet health department. During this period, some 230 people were found positive, taking the total tally of cases to 51,855. Read:Sylhet div logs 17 deaths in single day With the fresh figures, the total fatalities in the division now stand at 1015. Moreover, 41,791 people have recovered to date. Besides, 218 people are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital, while 609 Covid patients are recovering at other hospitals of the division.

At least three persons were killed when a speeding truck hit a battery-operated auto-rickshaw on the Dhaka-North Bengal highway in Sirajganj in the early hours of Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Haider Ali, 55, son of Phulchand, Khoda Baksh, 35, son of Motahar Hossain of Ullapra upazila, and Shahadat Hossain, 50, of Kamarkhand upazila. The victims were all occupants of the three-wheeler. Read: 2 army personnel killed in Sirajganj road crash Shahjahan Ali, officer-in-charge of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station, said the Rajshahi-bound truck rammed the auto-rickshaw near Pachalia Bazar in Sirajganj's Ullapara upazila around 5.30 am after its driver lost control of the speeding vehicle. The impact of the crash was such that the driver of the auto-rickshaw died on the spot. The remaining two, both passengers, later succumbed to their injuries, the OC said. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent them to the local hospital morgue for post-mortem. Road accidents in Bangladesh At least 2,329 people, including 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of this year, according to a report published in July. Read: Barguna road crash kills two Chinese and their Bangladeshi interpreter It says the road accidents occurred on various highways, national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country. Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), a platform of journalists, prepared the report based on news items carried by 22 national dailies, 10 regional newspapers and eight online news portals and agencies.

Police arrested 78 Rohingyas, who fled Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp, from Boalkhali upazila of Chattogram district on Monday night. Sumon Kanti Dey, sub-inspector of Boalkhali Police Station, said the Rohigyas were working at different lemon orchards in the area. Read:Involve locals in Rohingya management: Speakers They used to live  at the rented houses in Buali Kalandar Shah Shrine gate area of the upazila as the owners of the orchard has long been involved in hiring the Rohingyas at a low wages, said local people. On information, a team of police arrested them from Buali Kalandar Shah Shrine gate area in the night. Read:Bodies of 11 Rohingya boat escapees from Bhasan Char recovered The arrestees will be produced before a court after filling of a case, said Mohamamd Abdul Karim, officer-in-charge of Boalkhali Police Station. Earlier on June 26, police arrested 31 Rohingya people from the upazila.

Police have recovered a huge cache of local handmade spear-like sharp weapons from the house of an Awami League (AL) leader in Pabna's Faridpur upazila. On a secret tip-off, police raided the house of Helal Talukder, former legal affairs secretary of upazila AL on Monday afternoon. During the raid 95 local weapons made with steel pipes were recovered from his Ratanpur village house in Pungali Union of the upazila. However, police could not arrest Helal and his companions as they managed to escape. Faridpur Police officer-in-charge (OC) Masud Rana said a team of police raided the house on the basis of information that Helal had a large quantity of weapons in his house. READ: 999 call: TCB goods recovered from AL leader’s house Sensing the presence of police, Helal Talukder and his associates fled by boat, he added A case was being filed in this regard and police were running operations to arrest them, OC Masud further said. Faridpur AL general secretary Ali Ashraful Kabir said, “Helal Talukder is the former legal affairs secretary of Upazila Awami League. I have heard about the recovery of weapons from his house.” READ: Anti-graft body approves charges against AL leader Enu and three others A decision about him will be taken after discussing it at the party meeting, he said.

A couple drowned and their minor daughter went missing when a boat overturned in the Titas River due to strong current in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Monday. The deceased were identified as Riyad, 30, son of Dulal Mia of Kaitala, Riyad’s wife Liza Akter, 25. The couple’s only daughter Maria, 7 went missing. Nure Alam, inspector of Nabinagar police station, said the couple along with their child went for a boat ride in the river. Also read: Speedboat capsize: 4 bodies retrieved in Patuakhali When the boat reached Bhairabnagar-Khulia point of the river, it capsized in swift current. Three people managed to swim ashore while Riyad, Liza and Maria went missing. Later, local people recovered the bodies and sent those to the local hospital. Also read: Padma boat capsize: Bodies of missing AIUB student, cousin found after 8 days

A police constable apparently committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree at Maniknagar in Sadar upazila on Monday. The deceased was identified as Joy Dey, son of Ranjit Dey of Chattogram district. Also read: 4 girls attempt suicide at Social Services Dept-run rehab centre Quoting other police members, Mir Modasser Hossain, superintendent of Rangmati police, said Joy was attracted to a girl and used to quarrel with her over phone. Joy took his own life by hanging himself from a tree at the Arshinagar Police camp as the girl refused his proposal, Modasser said. Also read: Woman poisons daughter, commits suicide in Jashore An unnatural death case will be filed in this connection.

Over 100 families in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district have lost their homes to erosion by the Teesta River in just one week. Villages like Arjun in Daldalia Union and Gorai Pier, Dalal Para, Hokdanga and Doctor Para in Thetrai Union of the upazila have been hit hard by the turbulent river. Read:Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help Five educational institutions, two community clinics, roads and one hundred acres of arable land now stand threatened due to the gushing water from the river, locals said. At least 500 families of these areas have turned paupers as they lost their homes and lands in this monsoon alone, the UNB correspondent reported after visiting the affected areas. Ziaur Rahman, a resident of Arjun village in Daldalia union, said,” Although much of the village was devoured by the river, no visible steps have been taken in this regard by the authorities concerned.” The residents of other affected villages also made the same allegations. Read: Riverbank erosion leaves Gashial residents on the edge

Unloading of goods from a ship carrying DAP fertilizer from China at Chattogram Port has been halted after 7 crew members exhibited Covid-19 symptoms.The port authorities have instructed the crew to remain in quarantine for 14 days.Chattogram Port Secretary Omar Farooq Sunday night said the body temperature of seven crew members of the MV Seren Juniper, which brought fertilizer from Nantong port of China, was found to be high.“According to the advice of the health officer of the port authority, they have been asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days,” the secretary said.In addition, the unloading of goods from the ship has been halted for the time being, he added.Port Assistant Health Officer Nurul Abshar said the ship's captain himself informed through a local shipping agent that the sailors had the Covid symptoms.Samples have been collected by sending health workers to that ship. Further step will be taken after the test results arrive, he said.

Police have recovered the body of a woman from an ambulance in Lamakazi area of Sylhet’s Bishwanath on Sunday morning.   The deceased was identified as Makhlichun Begum (32), daughter of Abdus Salam of Mirzargaon village in Lamakazi union of Bishwanath upazila. It was learned that she was 5 months pregnant but had an abortion and died on Saturday night while undergoing treatment at Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital (OMCH). According to the locals, Makhlichun Begum lived in her father's house with her two children after her husband left her. She worked as a maid at the house of Komla Mia, a night guard at Lamakazi Bazar, to make ends meet. Komla Mia made Makhlichun marry 70-year-old Raich Ali of Sattish village of the same upazila. On the fourth day of the marriage, Raich Ali found that Makhlichun was 5-month pregnant. Later, he with Komla Mia took her to OMCH for an abortion. Returning from the hospital on Friday afternoon, Raich Ali refused to accept Makhlichun as his wife and she was sent back to her father's house.That evening, Makhlichun in a critical condition was taken back to the hospital by her father with help of the police. On the same night, the police arrested Komla Mia and Raich Ali. On Saturday night while her father Abdus Salam was at Bishwanath police station with local UP member Abul Kalam to file a case, heard that his daughter died at the hospital while undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, an unidentified woman who claimed to be a guardian of Makhlichun, with an ambulance from the hospital took the body for Lamakazi, in the early hours of Sunday. On the way she got down from the ambulance in Medina Market area and was not seen again. Locals held that ambulance roaming in the area with the woman’s body and informed the police.On Sunday morning police recovered the body and seized the ambulance.Bishwanath Police Station SI Alok said that the body was recovered and sent to OMCH for autopsy. Makhlichun Begum's father Abdus Salam said he lived in Shahparan area of Sylhet Sadar Upazila for his work, leaving his daughter alone at home. Raich Ali with the help of Komla Mia illegally married his daughter, that he had not known. “Upon the information of my daughter’s illness on Friday (August 20) evening I went home and found Makhlichun lying devastated in a pool of blood.” Abdus Salam alleged that his daughter Makhlichun was raped. In this regard Bishwanath Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Gazi Ataur Rahman said whether Makhlichun was raped or not could be said after the autopsy. Two people have already been arrested and a case has been filed in this regard.