Chattogram
Cyclone Sitrang weakens into depression
Cyclonic Sitrang crossed the Barishal-Chattogram coast near Bhola around midnight on Monday (October 24, 2022) but weakened rapidly into a depression by giving precipitation, the weather department said in its latest bulletin on Tuesday.
Sitrang moved north-northeastwards very fast and crossed the Barishal-Chattogram coast, and now lies over Dhaka-Cumilla-Brahmanbaria and adjoining areas as a land depression, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
The maritime ports of Mongla, Payra, and Chattogram have been advised to lower danger signal number 7 and hoist local cautionary signal number 3 instead.
Read 110 evacuated from isolated char in Bhola ahead of Sitrang landfall
Meanwhile, the maritime port of Cox’s Bazar has been advised to lower danger signal number 6 and hoist local cautionary signal number 3.
Under the influence of the new moon phase and steep pressure gradient, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surge height of 3-5 feet above the normal astronomical tide.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Educational institutions in 3 divisions declared closed
The front part of the cyclone started lashing Bangladesh from Monday evening, while its centre made its landfall in the early hours of Tuesday.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kilometres of the cyclone’s centre at that point was about 62 kilometres per hour rising to 88 kilometres per hour in gusts or squalls.
As Sitrang started lashing the country’s coastal areas, nearly all of Bangladesh suffered under inclement weather with uprooted trees or falling branches killing people and disconnecting power transmission lines, and incessant rainfall causing waterlogging in urban areas.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Many areas in Dhaka, Narayanganj plunge into darkness following disruption in power supply
Authorities scrambled to move at risk populations to the nearest of some 7,000 cyclone shelters that were opened up, mostly in the 19 coastal districts. According to reports coming in late on Monday night, over 2 lakh people were evacuated to these shelters by the time of Sitrang’s landfall.
Authorities in the three southern divisions, meanwhile, declared the closure of all educational institutions till further notice, with some of their premises pressed into operation as cyclone shelters.
Most parts of the country, including Dhaka, witnessed moderate to heavy rains throughout Monday under the impact of the cyclonic storm.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Fire service on high alert, opens monitoring cell
Authorities prepared more than 7,000 cyclone shelters to evacuate people, while all fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been asked to remain anchored.
Authorities in Chattogram and other hilly districts warned that landslides could occur if continuous downpour continued.
UNB correspondents from across the southern coastal region reported heavy rains and tidal surges since Monday morning.
Meanwhile, many areas in capital Dhaka and neighbouring Narayanganj plunged into darkness, following a huge disruption in power supply that authorities blamed on Cyclone Sitrang.
Read IGP orders police to be alert in dealing with impact of Sitrang
According to officials of the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) and Desco, the two entities which control the distribution network in Dhaka and Narayanganj, many areas experienced blackouts for hours following a fault in the Sympur, Ulan and Maniknagar grid line.
“Due to the grid disruption, power supply went off in Dhanmondi, Sher-e-Banglanagar, Kakrail, and Kajla in Dhaka city and also in some areas in Narayanganj city," Bikash Dewan, managing director of DPDC, told UNB.
He said many areas also experienced blackouts due to the collapse of trees on the power distribution lines due to the impact of cyclone Sitrang.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Power entities open control rooms
Sitrang likely to hit by midnight or early Tuesday with 5-8 ft tidal surge
Cyclone Sitrang is likely to intensify further, move in a north, north-easterly direction and cross Barishal-Chattogram coast near Khepupara by midnight or early Tuesday, the latest Met office bulletin said.
“Sitrang over east-central Bay, adjoining west-central Bay and north Bay, moved north-northwest wards over northwest Bay and adjoining northeast Bay,” said the bulletin.
Most parts of the country, including Dhaka, are seeing moderate to heavy rains since Monday morning under the impact of the approaching cyclone.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Power distribution, transmission entities asked to open control rooms
Authorities have prepared more than 7,000 cyclone shelters to evacuate people while all fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been asked to remain anchored until further notice.
Authorities in Chattogram and other hilly districts have warned that landslides could occur if incessant rains continue.
Besides, the low-lying areas of coastal Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar districts and their offshore islands and char areas are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surges at 5-8 feet, said the bulletin.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Power supply disrupted in Pirojpur, Madaripur
UNB correspondents from southern coastal region reported heavy rains and tidal surges since this morning.
The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep danger signal No 7 hoisted while for Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar it’s signal No 6.
Sitrang was centered at 12 pm on Monday about 440 km southwest of Chattogram port, 395 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 365 km south-southwest of Mongla port, and 335 km south-southwest of Payra port.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: PM Hasina monitoring situation, giving instructions
The coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and three others offshore islands will come under danger signal 7.
Besides, the river ports of these districts have been advised to hoist danger signal 3.
The coastal districts of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar and three other offshore islands will also come under danger signal 6.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Nothing much to worry, says State Minister Enamur
Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kms of the cyclone centre is about 62 kph rising to 88kph in gusts or squalls, it added.
North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh are likely to experience gusty or squally winds of 50-60 kph due to cylone Sitrang.
Cyclone Sitrang: Loading, unloading suspended at Chittagong Port; Alert-3 issued
The Chittagong Port authorities on Monday suspended loading and unloading of containers fearing possible damages due to the approaching cyclone Sitrang.
The authorities issued Alert No 3 for the port.
“All the ships of New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) have been sent to the outer anchorage. Besides, lighter vessels have also been removed from the channel and shifted to Shah Amanat Bridge area. Loading and unloading of goods and containers are currently suspended, while large ships have been sent to the deep sea” said Md Omar Faruq, Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority.
Read: Cyclone Sitrang: Everything you need to know
A control room has also been opened, he said.
The met office has hoisted cautionary signal no 6 in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar ports and signal no 7 in Mongla and Payra ports.
The wind is blowing at a speed of 62kph within 54km of the cyclone center, which has the possibility of reaching 88kph when the cyclone reaches its peak.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Flood protection embankment is at risk in Bagerhat
Fire at Eastern Refinery in Ctg, main installation not impacted: Officials
A fire broke out on the premises of the Eastern Refinery at Patenga in Chattogram on Saturday, but the main refinery was not impacted, officials said.
Abdul Hamid, deputy assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence in Chattogram, told UNB that no major damage was reported, and the fire came under control before it could spread at the country’s lone state-owned refinery.
He said several units of the fire department responded quickly after the fire broke out near the metering area of the refinery around 10:30 am.
Read Fire breaks out at Old Dhaka plastic factory
He said several units of the fire department responded quickly after the fire broke out near the metering area of the refinery around 10:30 am.
He said the blaze came under control. The cause of the fire could not be determined immediately, he said.
In Dhaka, an official at the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) told UNB that the main refinery was safe from the fire, and personnel from the Bangladesh Navy and the Air Force joined the firefighters to douse the fire. The refinery is a subsidiary of the BPC.
“The drainage system has been impacted, not the main refinery,” the BPC official said on condition of anonymity.
Read Depot Fire: UN for joint efforts in addressing “safety deficits” in safety deficits in workplaces
Municipality mayor from Mirsarai among 3 injured in trawler shooting
Three people, including Baroiarhat municipality mayor of Chattogram's Mirsarai, sustained bullet injuries in an attack by miscreants near the Muhuri Project Friday morning.
The injured are Baroiarhat Mayor and local Awami League leader Md Rezaul Karim Khokon, his assistant Ashok Sen and local Jubo League leader Sayeed Khan.
Locals said there had been a dispute between two groups over the lifting of sand from the Feni River in the Muhuri Project area of Sonagazi upazila, Feni.
A team led by Mayor Khokan was going to the project area in the morning to settle the dispute.
A group of miscreants, "led by a local union parishad chairman," fired on the trawler Khokon and his associates were on in the river around 11am, leaving them critically injured, they said.
Nur Hossain Mamun, officer-in-charge of Zorarganj Police Station of Mirsarai, said the injured were first taken to Mirsarai Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for better treatment.
Read: Bullet injured Noakhali BCL leader dies at DMCH
The mayor sustained multiple bullet wounds in the abdomen, waist and shoulder, he said, adding that they are looking into the matter.
Our Feni correspondent added that there had been a long-running feud between the mayor and Fazilpur union parishad (UP) Chairman Mujibur Rahman of Feni Sadar upazila over the lifting of sand from the River Feni.
Mujibur said he had no involvement in the attack as he had been in Dhaka for the last three days. "However, the locals told me that the mayor and his supporters got into a clash with them over the sand lifting."
During a drive Tuesday, Sonagazi Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Manjurul Hoque seized two dredgers, used for lifting of sand, of the UP chairman from the Kalmichar area.
Khaled Hossain Daiyan, officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Police Station, said on information they rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
He said they would take legal action if any written complaint is made.
Dr Mahmuda Akter of Mirsarai Upazila Health Complex said the mayor was shifted to the CMCH due to his critical condition.
7-year-old girl killed after ‘rape’ in Ctg
A seven-year-old girl was killed allegedly after rape in Port Colony area of Chattogram port city on Sunday morning.
The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.
Mahfuzur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bandar Police Station, said being informed by locals, they recovered the body from an abandoned house in the area around 11.30am.
The body was sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC said adding that the victim’s father is a rickshaw puller and mother is a begger.
A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team visited the spot.
Four killed in Chattogram as covered van crashes into auto-rickshaw
At least four people have been killed and five, including an inspector of Highway Police, hurt in Chattogram's Mirsharai, where a collision took place close to one hour before midnight.
"Wednesday's accident occurred at 10:45pm at Dakshin Sonapahar of Zorarganj as a covered van crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. The identities of the deceased could not immediately be confirmed," Mohammad Khairul Alam, officer-in-charge of Zorarganj Police Station, told UNB.
Before that, there was a crash involving a Chattogram-bound bus and a Dhaka-bound lorry. Although there were no casualties, the drivers and passengers of the vehicles got into a heated debate.
A team of Highway Police went to the spot to calm things down. Also, four locals went to the scene on an auto-rickshaw. At this time, a covered van rammed into the vehicle and ran over Highway Police Inspector Monir Hossain, killing four on the spot.
"Locals rushed Monir to the hospital in a critical condition. He was later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as his condition worsened," Khairul said.
Also read: 8 killed in India elevator crash
Madrasha teacher held for raping minor girl in Chattogram
A madrasha teacher was detained on charge of raping a seven-old-year girl in Fatikchhari upazila of Chattogram district on early Tuesday.
The detainee is identified as Md Hanif, 27, an Arabic teacher of Jamirul Ulum Islami Madrasha and son of Abul Kalam of Patachhara village in Ramgarh upazila of Khagrachhari district.
Locals said the victim, a second-grader of a government primary school in Guardpara village under Bhujpur Police Station of the Fatikchhari upazila, went to the accused for Arabic studies at the madrasha on Monday afternoon where he raped her in the absence of other students.
The victim shared the matter with her guardians after returning home.
Read: Madrasa girl raped inside school in Gazipur, case filed
Motaher Hossain, a sub-inspector of Bhujpur Police Station, said the locals handed the accused over to Datmara Police Investigation Centre after catching from the madrasha around 2am.
The rape survivor was admitted to One-Stop-Crisis Centre of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment, he adding that no case is yet to register in this connection
Mitu murder: PBI submits chargesheet against ex-SP Babul, 6 others
The Police Bureau of investigation (PBI) on Tuesday pressed charges against former Chattogram Superintendent of Police (SP) Babul Akter and six others in a case filed over the killing of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu.
Abu Zafar Md Omar Faruk, inspector of PBI and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the chargesheet to the prosecution unit of the Chattogram court.
On June 5, 2016, unidentified assailants gunned down Babul's wife Mitu at the port city's GEC intersection while she was going to drop her son Mahir Akhter, 7, for a bus of Chittagong Cantonment Public School and College.
Read: Babul hired killers at Tk 3 lakh to kill Mitu: PBI
Soon after the crime, Babul filed a murder case at Panchlaish Police Station against three unidentified men.
The case was transferred to the Police Bureau Investigation (PBI) in 2019 after Mitu's father, himself a retired police officer, filed a complaint against the CMP's mishandling of the case.
Read: Mitu murder case: Record statements of Babul's children, says HC
On May 12, 2021, the PBI submitted its final report and arrested Babul Akter in another case filed by Mitu’s father and since then he has been in prison.
Babul Akhter also filed a ‘naraji petition’ against the PBI report on October 14, 2021.
On November 3 last year, a Chattogram Court rejected the final report of PBI in the murder case and ordered it to conduct further investigation.
Eviction drive in Jangal Salimpur: 63 protestors detained on way to Dhaka to form human chain
Police detained 63 people, who were heading towards Dhaka to form a human chain protesting their eviction in Jangal Salimpur, from two buses at the upazila town early Sunday.
Confirming the news, Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda police station, said they detained 63 people from buses of Shantia and Parharika Paribahan around 1.30am.
The accused will be produced before court after scrutinizing all information so that no innocent is subjected to harassment, he said.
On September 8, at least 10 people including police and Bangladesh Ansar members were injured during a clash with illegal occupants of Jangal Salimpur.
The occupants of the hilly Jangal Salimpur got involved in clashes with the law enforcers over the eviction when cops moved to remove them from the busy Dhaka-Chattogram Highway after putting barricades on it.
Later, eight cases were lodged accusing 500 to 600 people at the concerned police station in this connection.
Earlier on August 30, the district administration warned the illegal occupants of Jangal Salimpur of an eviction drive to if they don’t relocate willingly.