Brahmanbaria
Photos of teacher with student’s baby on lap at classroom go viral, sparks online debate
Some exceptional photos of a school teacher teaching in a classroom with a baby on his lap have recently gone viral on social media and sparked debate.
The incident took place at the Chinair Anjuman Ara High School in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila where English teacher Pankaj Madhu was seen taking lessons holding a five-month old child of a student on his lap.
Talking to the UNB correspondent, teacher Pankaj said a class IX student of the school was married off during the closure of the educational institutions due to the Covid pandemic.
Also read: Viral: Woman tortured for failing to pay interest on loan
“When the school reopened after the long closure we noticed the girl was absent. Later, we took initiative to bring back the dropped out student to school,” said Pankaj.
“We came to know that the student was married off and gave birth to a child when we went to visit her house and requested her family to send her back to school,” he said.
On Sunday, the girl came to her school with her child.
“As the school girl was facing problem to attend the class, I took the baby on my lap and started teaching. I had no intention to make the photos viral,” said the teacher.
Many people on social media appreciated the teacher for helping the student by holding her child while some expressed concerned over the baby’s health and hygiene issue.
Many raised questions blaming the mother for taking her child to classroom.
Contacted, headmaster of the school Mosharref Hossain refused to make any comment over the issue.
Also read: Audio clip of Kurigram DC, journo Ariful goes viral
Upazila Education officer Jiban Bhattachariya said the student should not take the child to school as the government did not make school attendance compulsory.
Women's Football: Brahmanbaria become group champions outplaying Cox's Bazar 4-1
Brahmanbaria emerged Group A champions with all-win record to reach the semi-final of the JFA-U-14 National Women's Football Championship' 2021 eliminating Cox's Bazar by 4-1 goals at the Shahid Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi on Sunday.
Jasmin made a hat-trick scoring in the 9th, 34th and 55th minutes while Puja Rani netted the other goal for Brahmanbaria the 43rd minute.
Kranchi Marma scored the consolation goal for Cox's Bazar in the stoppage time of the match (70+1 minute).
Read: Women's Football: Brahmanbaria beat Mymensingh 3-1 to reach semifinal
In the day's other match, Panchagarh advanced to the semi-final as group A runners up outplaying all losers Mymensingh by 3-0 goals at the same venue Sunday afternoon.
Rimi Khatun struck two in the 22nd and 45th minutes while Trisha Rani scored the other goal for Panchagarh in the 13th minute
On completion of all the three Group A matches, Brahmanbaria clinched group title with all-win run securing full nine points while Panchagarh finished group runners up collecting four points at the coffin of Cox's Bazar.
Read: Women's Football: Bashundhara Kings clinch league crown
In the semi-finals on Tuesday, Group A champions Brahmanbaria will play either against hosts Rajshahi or Magura at 2:30 pm while Panchagarh will meet either Magura or Rajshahi at 4:30 pm.
Two top teams of the group B-- Magura and hosts Rajshahi --will meet each other on Monday at the same venue to decide the group champions .
Women's Football: Brahmanbaria beat Mymensingh 3-1 to reach semifinal
Brahmanbaria reached the semifinal of the eight-team JFA-U-14 National Women's Football Championship 2021 from Group A, beating Mymensingh 3-1 Friday.
Brahmanbaria made a good start to the competition beating Panchagarh 1-0 in the first match Wednesday.
After a scoreless first half at Rajshahi's Shahid Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium, Jasmin, Sadia and Puja netted one goal each for Brahmanbaria in the 44th, 69th 72nd minutes. Poly pulled one back for Mymensingh in the 43rd minute.
Read: Women's Football: Bashundhara Kings clinch league crown
In Friday's other match, Cox's Bazar stayed in the semifinal race after playing to a 2-2 draw with Panchagarh at the same venue in the afternoon.
Thoyen netted two goals for Cox's Bazar in the 36th and 75th minutes; Nushrat Mithu and Taposhi scored one each for Panchagarh in the 38th and 45th minutes.
Earlier, Cox's Bazar made a flying start to the final round of the JFA-U-14 National Women's Football, beating Mymensingh 3-1 in the opening match at the same venue on September 1.
So far, Brahmanbaria have dominated Group A with six points from two matches; Cox's Bazar have earned four points, Panchagarh one point, and Mymensingh are yet to open their account.
Read: Women's Football: Bashundhara Kings clinch league crown with 18-0 victory over Jamalpur KA
Top two teams of the group – Brahmanbaria and Cox's Bazar – will meet each other Sunday at the same venue.
After the group matches, the top two teams from each group will play in the semifinals on September 7. The final match will be held on September 9 at the same venue.
Brahmanbaria trawler capsize: 3 held as death toll climbs to 22
The death toll from the tragic incident of trawler capsize in Brahmanbaria reached 22 with the recovery of another body of a minor girl on Saturday morning.
Divers recovered the body of Nasran, 3, from the Laiska Canal in the morning.
Officials said 11 women, eight children and three men were among the deceased.
Meanwhile, police arrested three people, including the driver of the trawler that hit the ill-fated one from Char Islampur in Bijoynagar upazila of the district on Friday evening.
READ: 20 die as trawler capsizes in Brahmanbaria; many more still missing
Mozammel Hossain Reza, additional superintendent of Brahmanbaria Sadar Circle, said local people caught trawler driver Jamir Mia, 35, Mohammad Khokon, 22, and Mohamamd Russel, 18, while they were fleeing the scene and handed them over to police.
On Friday evening, over 20 people drowned and many more went missing as the trawler sank after being hit by another sand-laden one in the Laiska Canal.
READ: Woman goes missing in Meghna trawler capsize
The deceased were identified as Takua, 8, daughter of Abdullah, Arif Billah, 20, Manju Begum, 60, Farida Begum, 40, Munni Begum, 6, Minara Begum, 42, Anjana Biswas, 30, Tridiba Biswas, 3, Kamala Begum, 45, Momena Begum, 55, Kajla Begum, 35, Tasfia Meem, 12, Tanvir, 8, Sajim, 7, Sharmin, 18, Jharna Begum, 55, Mahida Akter, 5, Sirajul Islam, 58, Rabuna Begum, 40 and Sajid, 3.
Officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station Md Imranul Islam told UNB that fire service divers have been working relentlessly to trace out the missing passengers.
READ: Bay of Bengal trawler capsize: 4 bodies recovered
A witness, identifying himself as Rizvi, said the trawler was carrying nearly 100 passengers.
Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers, sees such tragic incidents regularly.
20 die as trawler capsizes in Brahmanbaria; many more still missing
At least 20 people drowned and many more went missing as a trawler sank after being hit by another sand-laden one in the Laiska Canal under Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Friday evening.
Although the identities of the deceased could not be known yet, sources said most of the victims were women and children.
Confirming the shocking incident, officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station Md Imranul Islam told UNB that fire service drivers have been working relentlessly to rescue the victims.
Read: Bay of Bengal trawler capsize: 4 bodies recovered
A witness, identifying himself as Rizvi, said the trawler was carrying nearly 100 passengers.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of the district Hayat Ud-Daula Khan and Superintendent of Police Md Anisur Rahman visited the spot.
Read: Netrakona trawler capsize: Death toll reaches 12
“The local administration will provide Tk20,000 to families of each deceased. The injured will get free treatment,” he said.
Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers, sees such tragic incidents regularly.
Hefazat violence in Brahmanbaria: DSA Case filed
RAM Ubaidul Moktadir, MP of Brahmanbaria-3 constituency, has filed a case against 19 named accused including Hefazat-e-Islam’s dissolved central committee joint secretary general Sajedur Rahman for allegedly tarnishing his personal image by holding a press conference after the violence in Brahmanbaria.
The case was filed Tuesday, under the Digital Security Act (DSA) with the court of Chattogram Cyber Tribunal Judge SKM Tofail Hasan.
Besides 19 named accused, hundred more unidentified persons were accused in this case.
Also read: People involved with Hefazat violence to be punished: Home Minister
MP Ubaidul said, "Leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam carried out massive violence in Brahmanbaria for three days from March 26 to 28. On March 31, they held a press briefing putting all the blame on me to save themselves.”
Since journalists were not present at the press briefing they promoted the briefing videos over Facebook-YouTube.
Also read: Hefazat violence in Brahmanbaria: 60 held, two more cases filed
At this, his image was tarnished through the propaganda so MP Ubaidul appeared in person to file the case at Chattogram Cyber Tribunal, he said
The court has been requested to direct PBI to investigate the case, plaintiff's lawyer HM Ziauddin said.
School playground turns into waterbody
A school playground is a place of recreation and relaxation for students but the playground of Shahzadpur High School in Sarail upazila has turned into a waterbody, thanks to authorities’ negligence.
The playground of the school remained waterlogged for the last two months as rainwater could not be drained out.
Read:Brahmanbaria Mayhem: 10 Khelafat leaders, 9 more Hefazat men held
If anyone sees the school ground for the first time he/she can easily mistakes it for a pond.
Due to the closure of educational institutions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic the students are not going to the school for more than a year.
When teachers and guardians come to the school for work and submission of assignments and other purposes they have to wade through the water to reach the school premises.
The school ground remained waterlogged for the past two months as no one has taken initiative to resolve the problem.
Read: Brahmanbaria: Fraudsters demand money cloning UNO’s official number
Teachers and guardians fear that if the situation continues for a longer period then the students will suffer a lot after reopening of the educational institutions.
They demanded effective measures to remove water from the playground of the school immediately but yet to get any response from the authorities.
Abinash Chandra Deb, Headmaster of Shahzadpur High School, said “The waterlogging problem has been created for land filling in the adjacent areas.”
“We have informed the matter to Sarail Upazila Parishad Chairman, UNO, Upazila Secondary Education Officer and Shahzadpur UP Chairman 20-22 days ago and the UNO asked the local UP chairman to see the matter. But still no visible measures have been taken,” he said.
He urged the government to take effective measures to free the school ground from waterlogging problem.
Read: Brahmanbaria paddy farmers' struggle to protect their land
Zaharlal Bhowmik, Chairman of School managing committee, said, “The stagnation of water has been created due to poor drainage system as there are cluster villages around the school building.”
Rafiqul Islam Khokon, chairman of Shahzadpur union, said, “I have visited the place personally and discussed the matter with the authorities concerned. A report has been sent to the UNO and hope work will begin soon to drain out the water.”
A home that gives the much-needed identity
Abu Salek, in his early 40s, had a very painful life for the last 26 years as he had no home of his own. He now thinks life could be better, much better!
“At one point of time things were horrible for me... I spent 26 years without a home,” Salek told the UNB correspondent in Brahmanbaria.
Salek is no longer a homeless man as he, along with many others, got a semi-pucca two-decimal house gifted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in January last of the Mujib Year.
Read ‘This is biggest festival ever’: Hasina about home distribution among homeless
36 India returnees sent to Cumilla for institutional quarantine
As many as 36 Bangladeshi nationals, who returned from India through the Akhaura land port on Tuesday, have been sent to Cumilla to undergo institutional quarantine as all the isolation centres in Brahmanbaria are full, officials said on Wednesday.
The 36 Bangladeshis returned home from India on Tuesday after obtaining a 'no-objection certificate' from the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala. Similarly, 27 Indian nationals have returned home through the land port.
Mohammad Nur-e-Alam, Upazila Nirbahi officer, said these 36 Indian returnees have been sent to Cumilla as all the institutional isolation facilities in the district are full. "Those who have completed their 14-day quarantine at the centres will be released soon," he said.
Read: Another India returnee dies in Jashore quarantine
So far, 718 Bangladeshis have returned from India through the Akhaura land port in the past three weeks.
Dr Mohammad Rashedur Rahman, Akhaura upazila health and family planning officer, said at present 346 people are staying at the nine quarantine centres of the district and of them three tested positive for Covid.
As India has been experiencing a new strain of Covid-19, the government has imposed restrictions along the border areas of Bangladesh. According to the World Health Organisation, the Indian variant has already spread to 60 countries across the world.
The Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days could enter Bangladesh only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari after taking permission from Bangladesh diplomatic missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala and with a mandatory Covid-negative certificates done through PCR test within 72 hours of entry.
The highly contagious Indian variant of the coronavirus has been detected in three more samples of Bangladeshis who recently returned from the neighbouring country, Prof Iqbal Kabir Zahid, assistant director of the genome centre of Jashore Science and Technology University, said.
The three infected persons are currently under institutional quarantine at Jashore and Narail, he told UNB.
On Monday, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) announced that the Indian variant was found in six Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh.
Read: 3 India returnee students test Covid positive
The Indian strain of the virus was detected in a sample test at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka and it has been published on Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), said chief scientific officer of IEDCR ASM Alamgir.
Earlier, the government closed the border with India for 14 days with effect from April 26 but cargo services were allowed to operate as usual.
On May 8, the government decided to extend the closure of border with India for another 14 days as the Covid-19 situation keeps worsening in India.
Hefazat leader Maulana Osmani held
Police have arrested Hefazat-e-Islam central assistant publicity secretary Maulana Gaji Yaqub Osmani.
He was arrested from Feni on Thursday evening.
Also read: B’baria violence: Hefazat leader Junaid Qasemi held
Osmani,44, is also organising secretary of Brahmanbaria district committee of Jamiat-e-Olamaye-Islam.
He was accused of being involved in Hefazat’s rampage in Brahmanbaria district and all across the country on March 26, 27 and 28.
Also read: Brahmanbaria mayhem: Hefazat leader among 10 arrested
A special team of Brahmanbaria district police arrested him.
The accused Hefazat leader has reportedly admitted to his involvement with the three-day long rampage by Hefazat in Brahmanbaria and across the country in primary interrogation, police said.