United News of Bangladesh

Protesting the bus burning by Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) students centring the deaths of their two fellows in a tragic road crash on April 22, a transport organisation called for a 48 hour bus strike beginning from 6am on Sunday in Chattogram division to press home their four-point demand. Brihattor Chattogram Ganaparibahan Malik Sramik Oikkyo Parishad, meaning ‘Greater Chattogram Public Transport Owners Workers Unity Council,’ announced the programme from an emergency meeting of the organisation on Saturday afternoon, confirmed its member secretary Md Musa. As per the programme, the strike will end at 6am on Tuesday, he said, adding that all kinds of emergency vehicles including ambulances will remain out of purview of the strike. Demanding security of property and lives of transport workers, Musa alleged that their vehicles were burnt despite the issue related to the deaths of two students was resolved.    “We called for a 48 hour strike with effect from 6am tomorrow on four- point demand including protesting the burning of vehicles,” he said. On April 22, two Cuet students—Shanto Saha, a 3rd year student and Tawfiq Hasan, a 2nd year student of Civil engineering department, died when a bus of ‘Shah Amanat’ paribahan hit a motorbike on Chattogram-Kaptai road at Zianagar in Rangunia upazila. As soon as the news spread, some Cuet students vandalised three buses and set one more on fire on that day. The students took to the streets boycotting classes and examinations and continued their protests till April 25 blocking the Chattogram-Kaptai road by setting fire on logs and tyres to press home their 9 point demand for safe road. They demanded arrest of the bus driver and his assistant and their exemplary punishment. The other demands include providing compensation to the deceased and bearing the medical expenses of the student injured in the accident, establishment of modern treatment centre with all facilities on the campus, proving ambulances with modern equipment, stopping movement of all local buses including Shah Amanat and AB Travels on the road, examining licenses of the buses and CNG-run auto-rickshaws that ply the road , making the Student Welfare Council under accountable and forming students representative group. Bus driver Md Tazul Islam was arrested from the Kotwali area of Chattogram city on April 25. On the same day, the Cuet was declared closed for an indefinite period as students burst into protests demanding road safety and they were asked to vacate their dormitories. Protesting the move, the students again blocked the road and burnt buses. Considering the circumstances, the Cuet administration held a meeting with the protesting students at night of the same day. Later, the students postponed their movement and said they would return to academic activities. Again on April 26, the Cuet authority decided to keep campus closed till May 9 after holding an emergency meeting of the syndicate committee. A day after, the transport organization called for the strike.    

A passenger bus caught fire apparently due to a motorcycle's oil-tank explosion in the city's Banani on  Saturday afternoon. Quoting eyewitnesses, firefighter officials said the fire might have been caused due to a motorcycle tank explosion. The incident took place at around 4:00 pm when a passenger bus from Mymensingh was going to Mohakhali Bus Terminal. In the meantime, a motorcycle went under the wheels of the bus while it was taking a U-turn in front of the Navy headquarters, said senior station officer of the Kurmitola Fire Station Atiqur Rahman. "The bus pulled the motorcycle some ways. It might be that the bus caught fire due to the motorcycle's tank exploding underneath," he said.  Being informed, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and doused the flame at around 4:37 pm, the Station Officer added. Two riders of the motorcycle were injured in the incident. They are undergoing treatment at nearby Kurmitola General Hospital. He also said that there were very few passengers in the bus. Due to this, no passenger of the bus was reported to be injured.

A six-year-old boy died after falling from the roof of a six-storey building in Dhaka's Bangshal on Saturday.  The deceased was identified as Ayan Chowdhury, a student in class two and the son of Emon Chowdhury, an auto parts business owner. Ayan lived on the second floor of the building with his parents and younger brother, said his uncle Masum Mia. “I can’t comprehend how he fell, the roof has a parapet and grills on top of it,” he said. Ayan was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition, where doctors pronounced him dead. The body has been sent for an autopsy, and the concerned police station has been informed about the matter, said Inspector Bacchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH Police Outpost..

The Awami League and its affiliated organisations have paid homage to  Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq at his tomb on the occasion of his 62nd death anniversary. Tributes were paid first on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and then by the Bangladesh Awami League. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and other senior leaders of the party were present at that time. Speaking on the occasion, Quader said that national leader Sher-e-Bangla was one of those who took politics to the masses. The AL leader said that farmers in Bengal’s rural areas would never forget Sher-e-Bangla for protecting them from moneylenders through the Tenancy Act and Debt Settlement Board. Awami League Dhaka South City unit, Jubo League, Swechasebak League, Tanti League, Dhaka University Chhatra League and various affiliated organisations of Awami League paid tribute later.  

Two people including a woman, died and four others were injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a CNG-run autorickshaw in the Alalpur area of Mymensingh Sadar upazila on Saturday morning. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Main Uddin confirmed the matter. Reckless driving by teen driver takes 3 lives in Bagerhat According to police and locals, the accident happened about 11:00 am when a Nalitabari-bound bus collided with an autorickshaw in front of Alalpur Sabjipara Millers Auto Rice Mill on the Mymensingh-Sherpur road, killing two passengers and injuring four others. The injured were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for treatment. The bus was seized, but the driver fled the scene, said the OC. Legal action is under process in this regard, he added.

Respite from the prevailing heat wave condition across the country is unlikely and it has turned very severe in three districts. Very Severe heat wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Chuadanga and Pabna, said a regular bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Saturday. Besides,  Tangail, Bogura, Bagerhat, Jashore and Kushtia are experiencing severe heat wave while parts of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Barishal divisions, Moulvibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and Bandarban districts are experiencing  a mild to moderate heat wave and it may continue, it said. The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 42.7 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga on Friday while today’s minimum temperature was recorded at 21.5 degrees Celsius in Srimangal. Chuadanga witnesses season’s highest temperature at 42.7°C Meanwhile, rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with hails at isolated places. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country. Day temperature may rise slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Due to increase of moisture incursion, the discomfort may persist.

Dhaka's air quality has been identified as ‘unhealthy’ this morning. With an air quality index (AQI) score of 143 at 09:05am, Dhaka ranked 6th on the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality. Nepal’s Kathmandu, Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Vietnam’s Hanoi occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 188, 162 and 160, respectively. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 151 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', and a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Dhaka’s air quality again ‘unhealthy’ this morning In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon. Amid heat wave, Dhaka's air quality is still "unhealthy"

A teenager died and her cousin is in critical condition after being electrocuted while trying to hang clothes on the rooftop of their aunt's house in Sylhet. Samia Rahman, 18, succumbed to her injuries at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery on Friday afternoon (April 26). Samia, a resident of Boroail village in Bianibazar upazila, suffered 90% burns. Her cousin, Sadia Jannat Eva,23, also got electrocuted but is receiving medical treatment in Dhaka. Samia and her cousin Eva went to the rooftop of the three-storey house to bring in clothes on Wednesday evening. At that moment, Samia was struck by an electric wire on the rooftop. Eva, in an attempt to save her, also got electrocuted. Samia's cousin Dipu Ahmed said, "Samia passed away while undergoing treatment at noon." They were admitted to Sylhet M.A.G. Osmani Medical College Hospital. Dr. Soumitra Chakraborty, the assistant director of the hospital, said after initial treatment, they were referred to Dhaka for advanced medical care. Within a day of being transferred to Dhaka, Samia succumbed to her injuries.  

German news agency DPA's Nazrul Islam Mithu and Julhas Alam, Bureau Chief of Associated Press (AP), have been elected president and general secretary of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB), a platform of Dhaka-based journalists working for foreign media. The committee was formed after the election which was held following the organization's general meeting at the National Press Club on Friday. The general meeting was chaired by the convener of the organization Qadir Kallol. The election was conducted by senior journalists Shahjahan Sardar and Qadir Kallol, said a press release. Shafiqul Alam of AFP was elected vice-President while Naeem-ul-Karim of Xinhua and Pulak Ghatak of Benar News elected as joint-secretary and treasurer, respectively of the organisation. Besides, senior members of the organization Harun Habib, Farid Hossain, Rafiqur Rahman, Parveen F Chowdhury, Mir Sabbir and Kamran Reza Chowdhury were elected as executive members of the new committee. Some amendment proposals of the organization's constitution and other organizational proposals were accepted unanimously in the general meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, the OCAB members adopted a condolence motion on the deaths of some members of the organisation and one minute silence was observed for the peace of their departed souls.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the leaders and activists of Awami League to work for the development of Bangladesh and its people.  “You should work for the development of the country and its people,” she said when a delegation of Thailand Awami League paid a courtesy call on her at her place of residence. PM’s Speechwriter Md. Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters. The President of Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, asked them to spread the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “The Father of the Nation was killed untimely but his ideals remained among us. That is why I’ve been working to implement his ideals,” she said, adding that Bangabandhu had dreamt to bring smiles to the faces of poor and destitute people of the country. Referring to the remarkable progress and development Bangladesh witnessed in the last 15 years, the premier said it has been possible to attain the progress as they (her party) are in power uninterruptedly for a long time. The leaders and activists told the Prime Minister that many Bangladeshis have accepted the citizenship of Thailand, but they are keen to keep the dual citizenship. They sought the PM’s intervention for maintaining dual citizenship. In response, the prime minister said that she would talk with the Thai government in this regard.