Keraniganj
Two of a family killed in Keraniganj road accident
Two members of a family were killed and an 8-year-old child was injured as a pickup van hit them in Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj on Saturday.
The accident took place in front of the BRTA office on the south side of Postogola bridge.
The deceased were identified as Rup Banu, 65, and her daughter-in-law Mousumi, 27.
Read: 2 of a family die in Noakhali road crash
Family sources said Mousumi along with her mother-in-law and daughter were coming back from Mitford Hospital after being vaccinated in the morning. In the meantime, a pickup van hit them leaving the mother-in-law dead on the spot.
After being taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, duty doctors declared Mousumi dead.
After primary treatment at the hospital, injured Mohona was taken home. Later, she was admitted to Keraniganj’s Addin Hospital as her condition deteriorated.
Read: Two Class X students die in Chandpur road crash
Afzal Hossain, acting Officer-in-charge (OC) of Hasara Highway Police Station said, "I have visited the spot after being informed."
However, the pickup could not be seized yet.
A case has been lodged with South Keraniganj Police Station in this regard, the OC said.
Child dies after being trapped under wall collapse in Keraniganj
A child on Monday died while undergoing treatment at the capital’s Ajgar Ali hospital where he was admitted after being trapped under a collapsed wall.
The deceased was identified as nine-month-old Abrar, son of Supti Begam.
The wall collapse occurred on Sunday in South Keraniganj’s Abdullahpur Kalakandi area, where Abrar was at his late maternal grandfather's house. Abrar’s aunt took him to the rooftop in the afternoon. The aunt sat him down on one of the boundary wall, but it suddenly collapsed, trapping Abrar under the bricks.
READ: Fire breaks out at glass factory in Keraniganj
The child was rushed to Ajgar Ali hospital where he died on Monday at around 12 pm.
One of Abrar's grandfathers claimed that it was a pre-planned murder.
It was learned that Abrar's father is an expatriate, and he had lived in his grandfather’s house with his mother for the last three months.
READ: Five ‘members of Ansar Al Islam’ held in Dhaka, Keraniganj
Officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj police station said that an investigation in this regard was underway.
Fire breaks out at glass factory in Keraniganj
A fire broke out at the One-Time Glass Factory in Della village in Keraniganj on Friday evening.
Md Raihan, Station Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense Headquarters, said the fire broke out in the factory in Della village around 7:07pm.
Read:7 burnt as fire breaks out in Narayanganj cotton factory
Being informed, five units of the Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after an hour.
However, the source of the fire could not be known immediately. No casualties were reported.
Islamic speaker arrested for allegedly inciting temple attack
An Islamic preacher from Keraniganj was arrested on Thursday for comments that allegedly incited temple attacks over desecration of the holy Quran in Cumilla.
The arrestee was identified as Maulana Abdur Rahim Biplobi,39, resident of Dholaipar in Dhaka.
He was arrested at 7:20 am outside Chunkutia Purbapara Jame mosque under South Keraniganj police station by a team of Crime Investigation Department (cyber monitoring cell) led by inspector Mst Shajeda Lata.
On October 13, Maulana Rahim in a waj mahfil in Dhaka said if the perpetrators who kept holy Quran with a Hindu idol don’t get arrested by October 14 an unruly protest will start from each mosque the next day after Jumma prayer.
He also said, “No puja mandap will be spared in Bangladesh.”
Maulana Rahim also blamed police for killings in Chandpur during communal violence and made extremist comments about the law enforcing forces.
Read: Communal attacks in Bangladesh: 72 cases filed, 450 arrested
His comments spread on social media created extreme reactions among the netizens and public, said CID in a press release.
Also his comments had contributed to deterioration of law and order across the country, it said.
Cyber monitoring cell of CID immediately marked Abdur Rahim after it came into their notice.
In primary interrogation Abdur Rahim confessed to making inciting statements regarding puja mandaps in his waz, said CID.
CID filed a case at the Paltan model police station against Abdur Rahim under the Digital Security Act.
20-year masterplan to revive Dhaka's rivers in the works
A 20-year masterplan will be adopted by the government to return life to the rivers surrounding capital Dhaka - by preventing their pollution, ridding them of illegal occupation and long-term beautification.Work is already underway to remove illegal establishments along the rivers and building walkways and through afforestation.Besides, the government plans to generate electricity from river waste and to take steps in closing the sources of river pollution, said sources within the Ministry of Shipping.
Read: 60 illegal establishments evicted from Kirtankhola river banksThe masterplan which also aims to increase the navigability of rivers alongside preventing river pollution and encroachment, is currently in the final stages of being drafted.The masterplan has been prepared by reviewing the current situation of the tributaries, rivers and canals of Dhaka and the surrounding districts.According to the draft plan, the status quo will be developed in four steps, through a 1-year crash program, a short term plan of three years, a middle term plan of 5 years and a long term plan of 10 years.
Read Experts seek master plan for sustainable river dredging
According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, around 113 acres of illegally occupied land belonging to rivers has already been regained as part of the process.In the first phase, 10,000 boundary pillars, 52-km walkways, 3 eco parks and 19 jetties will be constructed on the banks of the rivers freed by the eviction drive.The project will cost Tk 800 in crore in the initial stage as per the draft, added the sources.
Read Government urged to prepare integrated power-energy master plan
Emphasis has been given to build eco-parks on the banks of the Buriganga and Turag to attract tourists.
Two youths killed in Keraniganj ‘gunfight’
Two youths, who sustained bullet injuries in a "gunfight" with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) late last night, died during treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed.
Read:Criminal wanted in robbery & murder case killed in Chattogram ‘gunfight’
Md Bacchu Mia of DMCH police outpost said that the two youths were admitted to the hospital around midnight on Monday with bullet wounds. They died around 10 am on Tuesday, he added.
Sources within the elite force told UNB that the gunfight took place between RAB and a local gang in the Jhilmil residential area of Keraniganj on Monday night.
While most of the gang members managed to escape, these two youths were found dead and were brought to DMCH by RAB personnel, the sources added.
Read: ‘Rohingya robber’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with Rab in Cox's Bazar
While contacted, the officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Police Station Abul Kalam Azad told UNB,” We have assigned a team to gather more information about the gunfight. Details about it will be revealed to the media soon."
Youth arrested for raping Madrasa girl in Keraniganj
A youth was arrested in Keraniganj for allegedly raping a 14-year-old madrasa girl on Sunday night.
The arrestee was identified as Biplob alias Dipu, 28, son of Kolim of Bamonshur area.
Read:Teenage school girl gang raped in Panchagarh: Prime accused held
Abu Salam, officer-in-charge of Keraniganj Model Police Station, said Biplob abducted the girl and raped her in a house. He freed the girl after eight hours with a threat to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone.
Later, on Sunday night, Police arrested Biplob when rape-survivor's mother filed a case against him.
The arrestee was sent to jail after being produced before court on Monday afternoon, the OC added.
Bangladesh's rape epidemic
Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing death penalty for rapes last year.
Read: Man loses the plot after divorce, rapes wife's underage sister keeping her hostage
A police headquarters report, released recently, said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below.
Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data.
However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape.
In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali.
Read: Woman gang raped in Sylhet tea estate; 4 arrested
In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country.
But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, as the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in the society.
5 of family injured as cylinder leak triggers fire in Keraniganj
Five members of a family sustained burn injuries in a fire triggered by a cooking gas cylinder leak in their house in South Keraniganj upazila on Thursday night.
The injured have been identified as Raju Ahmed (28), his daughters -- Jannat (5) and Roja (3) -- his sister Sharmin Akter (24), and his cousin Habibur Rahman Habib (19).
The accident happened around 7.30pm in their house in the Bhir Baghoir area of the upazila. "Raju was preparing food for dinner when a leakage from the cylinder led to the fire," Habibur’s father Motaleb said.
Also read: Ctg Cylinder blast: One injured dies in Dhaka
The injured are being treated at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. "All are in a critical condition,” said Dr Partha Shankar Paul, a doctor.
"While both Raju and Habibur suffered 30 percent burns, Jannat, Roja and Sharmin sustained 26 percent, 46 percent and 10 percent burns, respectively," said Dr Partha.
Also read: 6 of family hurt in Chattogram as cylinder leak causes fire
Launch services resume in Keraniganj
Launch services resumed here on Thursday morning, with the government easing the lockdown curbs for a week ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
On Wednesday, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury visited Sadarghat Launch Terminal and asked the authorities to ensure that all passengers comply with Covid-safety protocols.
Read:Now mad rush to return to Dhaka; river terminals overcrowded again
“Everyone should follow health safety guidelines and those found without a mask will be fined,” he had said.
Khalid had also urged the launch owners and officials of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to remain alert in view of the worsening Covid situation in the country.
On July 13, the Bangladesh government decided to ease all lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
In a notification on Tuesday morning, the cabinet division said that the lockdown restrictions would be lifted from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23.
Read: 5 die in stampede, heatstroke at Banglabazar ferry terminal
However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue till August 5, as per the order.
A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown.
All modes of public transport, including the road, river, rail and air, remained suspended during the lockdown.
On June 22, the authorities suspended the movement of all passenger vessels in Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Madaripur, Rajbari and Gopalganj to curb the spread of Covid in these districts.
Read: Homebound people flock at launch and bus terminals dreading ‘lockdown’
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) announced its decision to suspend the movement of launches, speed boats and trawlers on June 21, following the Cabinet Division’s circular on the imposition of lockdown in these seven districts.
However, the restrictions won't apply on the movement of cargo vessels and emergency services. And legal action will be taken against violators, according to the BIWTA notification.
Journalist Kajol freed from jail
Photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol has been freed from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.