Cox’s Bazar
Proliferation of beach bikes threatens well-being of Cox’s Bazar
Beach bike rides, a common tourist attraction at Cox’s Bazar sea beach, is becoming a death trap for crab, snail, turtle, oysters of the government announced Ecologically Critical Area (ECA).
On a recent visit the UNB reporter saw numbers of battery-operated bikes, jeep, cars and other vehicles moving at Pechar Dwip beach in Ramu upazila, and at Kakra Beach in Himchari Para area. It is the zone where marine invertebrates and turtles habitat, breed and wander.
Most of those unpermitted vehicles were seen operating without any care as crabs, snails and oyster got crushed under them.
The beach area starting from Reju canal estuary to Kakra beach is the egg-laying zone of marine turtles.
READ: Guliakhali Sea Beach declared as reserved tourism zone
According to locals, they did not spot any sea turtles coming to lay eggs in this area this year like regular. The number was on the decline anyway as mother turtles while laying eggs and newborn turtles on their way to sea often got crushed under those deadly wheels of beach bikes.
The ueven surface, sound pollution and an overly lit beach was making the zone unsuitable for turtles to lay eggs, and that is very concerning for the biodiversity and ecology according to the experts.
“Adam Tamiji Haque and his other family members, proprietor for Haque Company, are operating beach bike service at Pechardwip area while Cox’s Bazar Beach Bike Owners Cooperative Association is at Himchari Para area”, said Shamir Ranjan Shaha, Range Officer of Himchari National Park.
He said the concerned individuals and organizations involved with the business have been verbally warned about the laws but they continue to operate vehicles on the beach showing complete disregard to it.
Over 1 kg Crystal meth, Yaba seized in Cox’s Bazar
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in a drive seized 1.01 kgs of crystal meth and 10,000 Yaba pills from Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district early Saturday.
Tipped off, a team of BGB challenged two smugglers coming from Myanmar by a boat trough the Naf River, said commanding officer of Teknaf Battalion-2, Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar.
READ: Crystal meth worth Tk 12.5cr seized in Teknaf
Sensing danger, the smugglers jumped into the river and managed to flee the scene.
Later, the BGB men seized 10,000 Yaba pills and 1.01 kgs crystal meth worth Tk 5.37 crore from the boat.
READ: 1 kg Crystal meth recovered from Teknaf
Owner of pick-up van that killed six brothers in Cox’s Bazar held
Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) on Tuesday arrested the owner of the pick-up van that hit nine siblings walking back home from a temple in Cox's Bazar, leaving six dead.
The arrestee is Mahmudul Karim.
PBI Cox's Bazar Special Superintendent of Police Sarwar Alam said the PBI team arrested the pick-up owner from Chakaria of Cox’s Bazar.
Read: Cox's Bazar road tragedy: Another brother dies of injuries at Ctg hospital
He was later produced before a court in the afternoon, the official added.
Earlier on February 16, Chakaria Senior Judicial Magistrate Rajib Kumar Dey directed the PBI to investigate the case.
On February 11, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained the driver of the pick-up van from Dhaka's Mohammadpur area.
On February 8, the fatal accident occurred near Memorial Christian Hospital in the Malumghat area of Chakaria when the nine siblings were crossing a road, leaving five of them dead on spot. Four other siblings were also injured in the accident.
The deceased were Anupam Shil, 47, Nirupam Shil, 45, Dipak Shil, 40 Champak Shil, 30, Smaran Sushil, 32, and Raktim Shil, 33 sons of late Suresh Chandra Shil of Dulahazra union in Chakaria upazila.
Read:RAB detains driver of pick-up van that killed 5 brothers in Cox's Bazar
On February 22, Raktim Shil died at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).
The nine, all Hindus, had gone to a nearby temple to offer prayers for their father who was killed a day before.
Plaban Sushil, another brother lodged a complaint with Chakaria Police.
BGB recovers Tk 3 crore worth Burmese yaba in Cox’s Bazar
Border Guard Bangladesh Cox’s Bazar battalion (BGB 34)recovered 1 lakh pieces of Burmese yaba worth Tk 3 crore on Monday.
The recovery was made from Goldebar Pahar area of Ukhia upazila during a drive, said BGB 34 in a press release.
READ: Rohingya refugee held with Tk 5.7cr worth Yaba tablets in Cox's Bazar
Following a tip off, a BGB-34 patrol team took position in the area and challenged the smugglers while passing the border with Myanmar. The smugglers fled from the spot leaving a bag after an exchange of fire with the patrol team, said BGB 34.
The drugs were recovered from the bag later.
READ: 5 held with 18,600 Yaba pills in city
4 brothers killed in Cox’s Bazar road crash, 5 injured
Four brothers were killed as a pickup van knocked them down on Cox’s Bazar-Chatogram highway in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Anupam Shil, 47, Nirupam Shil, 45, Dipak Shil,40 and Champak Shil, 30, sons of late Suresh Chandra Shil of Dulahazra union in Chakaria upazila.
Read: 3 killed in Cox's Bazar road accident
Their five siblings injured in the accident are Plabon Shil,22, Raktim Sharma, 33, Sharan Shil, 24, Hira Shil, 32,and Munni, 30.
The accident occurred at 5 am near Memorial Christian Hospital at Malumghat area in Chakaria when the nine siblings were crossing the road, said witnesses.
The pickup van hit them when they were returning home after offering prayers for their father in a nearby temple, leaving all injured.
Read: 3 die in two separate road crashes in Cumilla
Local people rescued them and took them to a local hospital where doctors announced the four dead, said Safayat Hossain, In-charge of Malumghat Highway police station.
The pickup van has been seized and efforts are on to arrest the driver, he said.
BGB recovers drugs worth Tk 48.9 crore in Cox’s Bazar
BGB's Cox's Bazar battalion seized 9 kg of crystal meth drug and 130,000 pieces of yaba with a combined worth of Tk 48.9 crore.
On Sunday the battalion seized 9 kg of crystal meth (ice) worth Tk 45 crore and 1,30,000 pieces of Burmese yaba worth Tk 3.9 crore, said a media release.
Tipped off, a patrol team of the battalion seized the drugs from the hideout of drug peddler Nabi Hossain in Ukhia upazila’s Katapahar area of Palangkhali UP. But the team couldn’t nab anyone there.
READ: BGB seizes Yaba worth Tk 6 crore from Cox’s Bazar
Meanwhile, the patrol team on Monday recovered 80,000 pieces of Burmese yaba worth Tk 2.4 crore fron Tulalatli Ambagam of Palangkhali and 50,000 pieces of Burmese yaba worth Tk 1.5 crore from Balukhali area, the release also said.
READ: BGB seized smuggled goods, drugs worth over Tk1073 crore in 2021
Sinha murder verdict: Security beefed up in Cox’s Bazar
Security has been beefed up in Cox’s Bazar town ahead of the delivery of judgment in Maj (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case.
Additional police personnel have been deployed in and around the court premises while a number of check-post were set up at different points.
The movement of pedestrians around the court is also being restricted.
Read: Sinha murder trial: arguments remain incomplete on the third day
On January 12, a Cox’s Bazar court fixed Monday for delivery of the judgment.
District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail will pronounce the verdict, said Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam.
On July 31, 2020, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.
On August 5, 2020, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including former officer-in-charge of Teknaf model police station Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, same year, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including ex-OC Pradeep, police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case.
On June 27, 2021, a Cox’s Bazar court framed charges against them.
Read:Sinha murder: Court warns against 'media trial'
All the 15 accused are currently in jail. Of them, 12 have given confessional statements before court except ex-OC Pradeep Kumar Das, Constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.
Other accused in the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
1.80 lakh Yaba pills seized in Cox’s Bazar
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 1.80 lakh Yaba pills worth Tk 5.40 crore from the Naf River along Kharangkhali area in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Wednesday.
Tipped off, a team of BGB-2 conducted a drive in the area and challenged a boat coming from Myanmar around 12:15 am.
READ: 90,000 yaba pills recovered in Cox’s Bazar
Being challenged, the smugglers opened fire on BGB members, forcing the border guards to fire back in self –defence.
Later, they seized the Yaba pills from two sacks.
READ: BGB seizes Yaba worth Tk 6 crore from Cox’s Bazar
No one was arrested as the smugglers managed to flee the scene.
Ice worth Tk 25cr seized in Cox’s Bazar
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have seized five kg of recreational drugs worth TK 25 crore in Cox’s Bazar.
This is the largest haul of crystal meth or ice in the country to date, BGB's Cox's Bazar unit said in a statement.
The drugs were seized from the Palangkhali area of the district's Ukhia upazila during a special drive conducted by the Cox’s Bazar battalion of BGB (BGB-34) on Thursday.
Also read: Crystal meth worth Tk 12.5cr seized in Teknaf
Following a tip off that some drug traders would enter Bangladesh from Myanmar with a large consignment of crystal meth, the BGB petrol team took position under a bridge near Palangkhali Bazar around 7pm.
Some 39 minutes later, the BGB team spotted an armed group of drug traders crossing the border and challenged them but they managed to escape by firing at the petrol team.
The crystal meth was found in the bags they left behind. "Legal action is underway regarding this," said the statement.
Also read: 2 held with 1 kg Crystal meth, 50k Yaba in separate drives in Ramu
BGB seizes Yaba worth Tk 6 crore from Cox’s Bazar
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered two lakh pieces of Burmese Yaba worth Tk 6 crores during a drive at Ukhiya Upazila in Cox’s Bazar, said a BGB media release on Saturday.
The illegal drug was being smuggled to Bangladesh from Myanmar through Balukhal Katapahar area on Thursday, added the release.
Read: Follow the chain of command, PM tells BGB personnel
Tipped off, a patrol team of BGB-34 under Balukhali BOP, conducted a drive in the area around 12:30am and challenged 4-5 people.
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the suspected smugglers abandoned a sack and fled into the deep jungle.
Read: BGB seized smuggled goods, drugs worth over Tk1073 crore in 2021
Later, the patrol team recovered the Yaba pills from the sack they left at the spot.
Legal steps are being taken in this regard, said the release.