Rajshahi
BNP gears up for Saturday’s rally in Rajshahi
BNP is set to hold its ninth-divisional rally in Rajshahi city on Saturday (December 3) with enthusiasm after Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) gave it permission.
The approval for BNP to hold its rally at Madrasa Ground in Rajshahi came on eight conditions, RMP Additional Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Alam told UNB on Wednesday.
BNP can hold the rally at the venue from 2pm to 5pm on that day as per the condition.
The party has to seek permission from the authorities concerned for using the venue as only RMP’s permission is not enough for holding the rally.
Read more: If Khaleda joins BNP’s Dec 10 rally, court will take steps: Home Minister
Any anti-state activities or statements at the rally venue are prohibited, according to another condition.
It also says that no propaganda or distribution of leaflets will be allowed, and no procession can be brought out from the venue.
All activities of the rally should be kept inside the venue and completed by the deadline, it says.
All security measures, including installing CCTV cameras, vehicle scanners and metal detectors at the venue should be arranged by BNP.
The party will be responsible if law and order situation deteriorates at the rally.
“Legal action will be taken if BNP fails to comply with any of the conditions,” said RMP official Rafiqul.
Meanwhile, the party leaders alleged that police were harassing by arresting and filing cases against BNP leaders and activists in various districts ahead of the rally, said advisor to BNP Chairperson Mizanur Rahman Minu at a press briefing at the party office in Malopara of the metropolis.
Read more: DMP gives BNP 26 conditions for holding Dec 10 rally at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan
“At least 50 leaders were arrested last night,” said Ruhul Kuddus Talukdar Dulu, BNP’s organising secretary and rally committee coordinator.
In another development, Rajshahi Divisional Road Transport Owners' Association threatened to enforce a strike in all eight districts of Rajshahi division from December 1 for an indefinite period.
They called the strike to press home their 11-point demand, including the scrapping of the Road Transport Act 2018 and the ban on movement of illegal three-wheelers and battery-driven auto-rickshaws on highways by November 30.
However, the party leaders are hopeful that it will be the largest rally in the country with at least 15 lakh people joining the rally.
“We will make the rally a success at any cost,” said Ruhul Kuddus.
As part of their ongoing movement, BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Read more: BNP's rally the cue for Rajshahi transport owners to strike
BNP has already arranged rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur, Sylhet and Cumilla, braving various obstacles and transport strikes.
BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government — a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen.
BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10, coinciding with International Human Rights Day.
Man sentenced to life for 2012 rape of minor in Rajshahi
A Rajshahi court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life term imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Charghat upazila of the district around 10 years back.
Rajshahi Women and Children Repression and Prevention Tribunal-2 Judge Muhmmad Hasanuzzaman also fined the convict Tk 20,000, in default of which he will have to serve one more month imprisonment in jail, according to Syed Shamsunnahar, public prosecutor of the court.
Read more: Father, son get life imprisonment for murder in Mymensingh
The convict is Ujjal Ali, 35, a resident of Purbo Kalabiparea village under Charghat upazila.
According to the case statement, the accused raped the class five-grader after taking her to a sugarcane field when the victim was returning home after providing her father food at a cropland on September 27, 2012.
The accused threatened to kill the victim if she disclosed the matter to anybody.
However, a woman whose identity has not been disclosed witnessed the crime and informed the victim’s parents.
The 5th-grader’s father filed a case under Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act against the accused on the following day.
Police pressed chargesheet accusing him while the court framed the chargesheet against him.
Read more: 5 get life term for murder in Faridpur
After completing all procedures, the court handed down the judgment in the presence of the accused on Tuesday, the PP added.
Novoair's Rajshahi-Cox's Bazar flight starts
Private carrier Novoair has started operating flight on the Rajshahi-Cox's Bazar route.
Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman inaugurated the flight Thursday at Shah Makhdum Airport.
Novoair Managing Director Mofizur Rahman and Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Masudur Rahman were also present.
The direct flights will leave Rajshahi every Thursday at 10:30am and will arrive in Cox's Bazar at 12pm.
Also, they will depart Cox's Bazar every Sunday at 3:35pm and will arrive in Rajshahi at 5:05pm, according to a media statement.
Read more: Novoair listed as world’s safe airline
One-way fare starts from Tk5,900, it added.
Novoair now operates daily flights from Dhaka to Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Saidpur, Jashore, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Kolkata.
2 killed after boat capsizes in Padma off Rajshahi city
Two women died after a boat with 20 people on board capsized off Rajshahi city in the River Padma, police said.
Eighteen others managed to swim to safety, according to Rajshahi River Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Obaidur Rahman.
The two people killed were identified as Asia Begum, 35, of the Sonaikandi area of Haripur union of Paba upazila and Rasheda Begum, 45, of the same area.
The accident occurred at 5:30pm in the Srirampur area of Rajpara in Rajshahi city, spilling 20 people into Padma.
Haripur union parishad chairman Bajle Rezbi Al Hasan Munzil said: "On Monday morning Asia and Rasheda went to a pasture on the other side of Padma for hay. As they were returning home in the evening with bales of hay, the boat capsized."
Asked what caused the boat to capsize, he said: "The vessel had been overloaded. Also, a hole appeared in the boat and water started gushing into it."
"Asia and Rasheda were trapped under the boat after it capsized. They were taken out of the water by the locals and whisked off to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The women were declared dead upon arrival," OC Obaidur said.
Later, their bodies were handed over to the families, he added.
Read more: Dredger capsized during Sitrang: Bodies of 8 workers recovered
3 arrested with arms, ammo in Rajshahi planned to create 'anarchy' ahead of polls
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) claimed to have arrested three people and recovered four foreign revolvers, three foreign pistols and a huge amount of ammunitions from Kapashia Pahara area in Rajshahi city on Friday.
The arrestees are identified as Md Atikur Rahman alias Atik, 35, son of Md Abdul Matin of Kapashia Parharpur, his cohorts Md Shaheen Ali, 25, son of Md Jhandu Mia of Charkajla and Md Shahidul Islam, 26, son of Md Nekchhar Ai of Dharampur Purbopara in the city respectively.
Lieutenant Colonel Riaz Shahriar, commandant of the Rab-5, disclosed this information at a press conference in the Rab office of the city.
Read: Arms, ammo recovered from Rajshahi border
He said on information a team of the elite force conducted a drive at house of Atik and recovered four foreign revolvers, three foreign pistols, four magazines, eight rounds of bullet, 1.1 kilogram of gunpowder, 750 gram of stone used in making bomb and cocktail, other ammunitions, two mobile phone sets and four SIM cards.
With information revealed from Atik, the elite force also arrested Shaheen and Shahidul from separate places in the city, he said.
“The arrestees informed us that Rajshahi University’s students Tanjim, 27, and Md Abdur Rahim, 28, supplied the arms to them after collecting from an unknown place on Indian border,” he said.
The varsity’s students are members of an anti-liberation force and their main target is to destabilise stability of the country, he said adding that drives are on to nab them.
Replying to a question, the Rab officer said they had information the arrestees gathered the arms and ammunitions to create anarchy in Rajshahi as well as the country ahead of the next parliament elections.
6-year-old raped in Rajshahi, youth held
A six-year-old girl has been raped allegedly by a youth in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi, said police.
Police also arrested Nadim Hossain, 22, on Sunday.
Nadim, who used to work in the rape survivor’s family’s cropland, raped the minor girl after finding her alone at her home Sunday noon, said Nazmul Hoque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Durgapur police station.
Hearing the scream of the girl, neighbours rushed to the spot and caught Nadim.
The girl was admitted to the One Stop Crisis (OCC) Center of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), he added.
Police arrested the youth following a complaint lodged at the police sation, said the OC.
2 BMDA staffers held over Rajshahi journos attack
Two staffers of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) were arrested early Monday from capital’s Mohammadpur area in a case filed over attack on two journalists in Rajshahi on September 5.
The arrestees were BMDA storekeeper Md Jibon,22, and driver Abdus Sabur,47, who were suspended in connection with the incident.
Read:HC denies anticipatory bail to six over assault of Rajshahi journo
The two absconding staffers were arrested around 4 am from a flat in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area in a drive conducted by a team of Rajpara police station, said Jahangir Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Rajpara police station.
The arrestees will be brought to Rajshahi and then legal action will be taken against them, said the OC.
On September, 5, reporter Bulbul Habib and camera person Rubel Islam of ATN News came under an attack on the premises of BMDA by it 15-20 staffs when they went there to collect information for news.
Read: Two BMDA staffers suspended over Rajshahi journo attack
Later, the reporter filed a case against seven identified people and 10 others unidentified at the local police station.
The accused are BMDA’s Executive Director (ED) Md Abdur Rashid, storekeeper Md Jibon, ED’s Peon Selim, Personal Assistant Nurul Islam, office assistant Faruk, driver Abdus Sabur and Ansar member Enamul.
Three go missing as 2 boats sink in Rajshahi
Three agricultural labourers went missing as two small boats capsized in the Padma River in Talaimari area of Rajshahi district on Sunday morning.
Those went missing were Naju, Nabi and Sadek, residents of Charshaympur area under Motihar police station in Rajshahi city.
Zakir Hossain, deputy director of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defense, said the boats carrying 27 labourers sank due to strong current in the river while they were heading towards Madhyachar from Jogar Ghat area.
Read: Kishoreganj boat capsize: 3 bodies recovered
Twenty four of them managed to swim ashore while the rest went missing, he said.
Divers of the fire service have been continuing the rescue operation, he added.
30 'special' buses hit Rajshahi city roads amid three-wheeler drivers' walkout
Rajshahi Road Transport Owners' Association Monday launched a "special" service as battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers' walkout has brought misery to the city roads.
Commoners – especially students and office-goers – faced travel delays and disruption as hundreds of battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers, who play a vital role in keeping the city moving, walked off their job Sunday morning, demanding fare increases to "offset soaring inflation."
During the ongoing walkout, the passengers alleged that they faced hours-long waits on the road for vehicles and a few three-wheelers that were still running charged extra fares, leading to altercations between them and drivers throughout the city.
"Amid travel delays and disruption, the special city bus service was introduced. Initially, 30 buses started giving services to the commoners Monday afternoon," Shafkat Monjur, president of the road transport owners' association, said.
Read: Nagar Paribahan service resumes in Khulna city after 2 years
"We launched the service on our own. However, we are yet to fix the fares and are not sure about for how long the special service will continue," he added.
"We will discuss these issues with Rajshahi City Corporation. For the time being, our priority is to ease the sufferings of the people."
RU aspirants' protest: Padma Express leaves Rajshahi after 2.5 hours
Padma Express, bound for Dhaka, left Rajshahi Wednesday evening nearly two and a half hours after Rajshahi University (RU) admission seekers barred the train from leaving the platform, protesting the sale of tickets on the black market.
The train left Rajshahi Railway Station at 6:25pm for Dhaka, Ashim Kumar Talukder, general manager of Railway's West Zone, said. "The students called off the protest after a new compartment was added to Padma Express."
The RU admission test ended with the examination of "B" unit at 2pm.
The aspirants blocked Padma Express around 4pm as they were told to get off the train, which already exceeded its maximum capacity, Ashim said.
Protesting students alleged that many RU admission seekers were not being able to return home as extra train coaches were not arranged for them and tickets were sold on the black market.
Also read: Admission seekers’ blockade snaps Dhaka’s rail link with other parts for over 3 hrs