Kishoreganj
President Hamid visits dev projects in Kishoreganj
President M Abdul Hamid on Tuesday witnessed the progress of the construction work of Mithamoin Cantonment in Kishoreganj.
Engineer-in-Chief (E-n-C) Major General Md Jubayer Salehin along with some high military officers welcomed the President on his arrival in project area under Mithamoin upazila of the district,
Later, a brief discussion was held regarding the construction work. The president planted a banyan sapling there.
President Hamid, also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, witnessed the 275-acre cantonment area and the Abdul Hamid Polli adjacent to it.
Read: President going to home district for four days
Body of missing REB officer recovered from Haor in Kishoreganj
Body of a Rural Electrification Board (REB) officer, who went missing in a haor faced with with a heavy current while fishing Monday, was recovered in the district Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Hossain, son of Nur Mohammad at Char Jabbar union in Subarnachar upazila of Noakhali district. He was assistant enforcement coordinator (ANC) of Mithamoin zonal office in Kishoreganj Palli Bidyut Samity.
Kalindra Nath Goldar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mithamoin police station, said the REB officer went to a Haor near Itna-Mithamoin-Astagram road to catch fish with net around 6 pm Monday.
A heavy current took him away when he threw the net in the Haor as the net was tied with his hand, the OC said.
Read: Missing tourist’s body fished out of Kishoreganj haor
On information, divers of fire service and civil defense rushed to the spot and carried out the salvation work but failed to find him initially.
The divers finally were able to find body of the missing officer some 200 meters away from the road Tuesday, the OC added.
Missing tourist’s body fished out of Kishoreganj haor
A tourist’s body was fished out of Mithamoin haor (back swamp) in Kishoreganj Thursday morning, more than 16 hours after he went missing.
The deceased was identified as Md Himel, 26, a resident of Kishoreganj municipality.
Joynal Abedin, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Karimganj Police Station, said Himel, along with 15-20 members of his family, went to Mithamoin haor on a trawler from Balikhola Ghat in Karimganj upazila Wednesday afternoon.
Read:Third missing tourist's body found in Mirsharai
On their way back, Himel and his two friends stopped the trawler near Hasanpur Bridge in Mithamoin haor to take a bath and at one stage Himel drowned, he added.
On information, divers of Kishoreganj Fire Service started a search and rescue operation on Wednesday evening.
The fire service divers fished out Himel's body from the haor near Hasanpur Bridge this morning, said the OC. "Legal steps are underway in this regard," he added.
Teenager dies of electrocution in Kishoreganj
A teenaged boy died after coming in contact with an electrical line at Panschim Sharifpur village in Kishoreganj's Mithamoin upazila on Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Babul Mia, 16, son of expatriate Islam Uddin, resident of Saudi Arabia, at Gopdighi union.
Quoting locals, police said Babul came in contact with a live electric wire while repairing it.
Locals rescued him and sent him to Mithamoin upazila health complex where doctors declared him dead.
Read: Ship engine mechanic dies of electrocution in Ctg
Mithamoin police station officer-in-charge Kalindra Nath Golder confirmed the matter to UNB.
Kishoreganj haor farmers not getting fair price for paddy
The paddy farmers of haor upazilas Austagram, Itna, Mithamoin, and Nikli of Kishoreganj district are not getting a fair price of paddy in Chamraghat, Bhairab, and Ashuganj wholesale markets in this Boro paddy harvesting season.
As a result, paddy farmers have been counting Tk 150-250 loss per maund of paddy which will push them into financial trouble.
Haor farmers have already faced two flash floods triggered by incessant downpours and onrush of water from upstream areas in India’s eastern zone. Farmers in the haor areas continue to harvest half-ripe paddy fearing more flash floods instructed by the administration, local lawmakers, and the Department of Agricultural Extension to cut further loss.
As farmers are harvesting half-ripe paddy, they are unable to utilize it fully. This is a huge loss for them. Moreover, the Boro labour crisis has increased the losses as farmers are counting on extra money to get the necessary number of labourers to harvest Boro crops.
This time, the unfair price of paddy has turned the haor farmers unhappy. They are now lamenting and passing days thinking about how they will repay their loans from local lenders.
READ: 90% of haor paddy harvested: Deputy Minister
Boro farmers of haor areas have expressed their resentment about the unfair paddy price. Their disappointment comes when farmers go to the wholesale market to sell BRRI dhan 28 (a Boro paddy variety which ripens early).
Visiting the Chamraghat rice market, the UNB correspondent found farmers from haor areas bringing paddy here by river routes. Rice mill owners buy paddy directly from farmers at this spot.
Farmers said they have been counting huge losses as they are not getting a fair price this year. Mill owners are buying maximum paddy at a low price produced in the haor areas.
The production cost per maund of coarse paddy, including the labour cost, is near Tk 900 while its selling price is only Tk 650 to Tk 750, while plain paddy is being sold at Tk 750 to Tk 850 against the production cost near Tk 1000.
Karim Mia, a farmer of Dhanpur of Itna upazila, said he has expended more than Tk 1,000 to grow one maund paddy. But he is not getting a fair price in the local market which has forced him to sell paddies at lower prices counting huge losses.
Farmer Amin Mia, who has come to sell paddy in Bhairab Bazar wholesale market from Austagram upazila, said most of the farmers in Austagram cultivated Boro croplands by taking lease from the land owners. Many of them have also borrowed money from local creditors. As farmers are not getting a fair price for paddy this year, it will be a tough task for them to maintain their livelihood after paying debts.
He also urged the government to procure paddy at a fair price directly from the farmers.
Ujjal Saha, agriculture officer of Itna upazila said, “Most of the farmers of the haor areas are ultra-poor. They are bound to sell paddy in early Baishakh to pay the borrowed money. Money-lenders put huge pressure on them in Baishakh. If they sell paddies a few days later, they will get a good price.”
BCL leader hacked dead in Kishoreganj, 1 held
A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was stabbed to death allegedly by his rivals as he resisted establishing dominance at Karimganj in Kishoreganj on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Nazmul Huda, former vice president of district BCL, police said.
Also read: Ramna Batamul carnage: Fugitive death row convict held in Kishoreganj
The attack took place in Kandail village around 11am when alleged terrorist Sabuj with his associates attacked Nazmul and stabbed him indiscriminately following a feud over establishing dominance in the area, leaving him dead on spot.
Sobuj was involved in various criminal activities in the area and in Haor. On Tuesday, they also clashed over establishing dominance in the area, said police.
Also read: Fugitive ‘serial killer’ held in Kishoreganj
Shamsul Alam Siddiqui, officer-in-charge (OC) of Karimganj police station said they detained a person named Manju Mia in this connection.
The body was sent to Kishoreganj General Hospital for an autopsy, he added.
Sholakia to host Eid congregation at 10am
The largest Eid congregation at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj will be held at 10am on Eid day, after a Covid-induced hiatus of two years.
Kishoreganj deputy commissioner Md Shamim Alam, also the president of the Eidgah Management Committee, said this on Thursday after inspecting the maidan ahead of the 195th Eid-ul-Fitr prayers.
Also read: Thick security blanket for Eid Jamaat at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan
Maulana Farid Uddin Masud will lead the Eid congregation and Maulana Shoaib bin A Rauf will be the standby Imam.
Worshipers will be allowed to enter the maidan with only prayer mats and masks. They will, however, be allowed to carry their mobile phones.
Lightning kills woman, daughter in Kishoreganj
A 55-year-old woman and her daughter were killed as a thunderbolt struck them at Belonka village in Tarail upazila of the district on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Asma Akter, wife of Mujibur Rahman and her daughter Yeasmin Akter, 35,wife of Nurul Amin of the village.
Also read:Lightning strikes kill 2 in Cox’s Bazar
Joynal abedin, officer-in-charge of Tarail Police Station, said a streak of thunderbolt struck them while they were trying to save paddy and husk from rain after sehri.
Later, they were taken to Tarail Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead.
Ramna Batamul carnage: Fugitive death row convict held in Kishoreganj
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has claimed to have arrested a fugitive death row convict in the 2001 Ramna Batamul carnage case.
The arrestee has been identified as Mufti Shafiqur Rahman alias Abdul Karim alias Shafiqul Islam, 61.
He was arrested during a drive conducted by Rab-2 members in Bhairab upazila of Kishoreganj on Thursday, said Imran Khan ASP (media) at Rab headquarters.
"During primary interrogation, the arrestee has admitted to his involvement in the attack," he said.
READ: New bench to hear death references for convicts in Ramna Batamul bombing case
Mufti Shafiqur told interrogators that he came in contact with Mufti Hannan, then head of banned Islamist organisation Harkat-ul-Jihad, when he went to study at Yusuf Bin Nuri Madrasah in Karachi in 1987.
While on a subsequent trip to Afghanistan from Pakistan, he became involved with the militant group. Returning to Bangladesh from Afghanistan, he formed the militant organisation, 'Harkat-ul-Jihad (B)'.
From 1990 to 1993, he served as the publicity secretary of the militant group. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Amir of the group. From 1997 to 2003, he was a member of Harkat-ul-Jihad's Sura.
He was involved in 2001 Ramna Batamul bombing on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh, the August 21 granade attack in 2004, and killing of five people, including former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, in Habiganj on January 27, 2005.
From 2001 to 2008, after the attack on Ramna Batamul, he remained secretly associated with the organisation. After that, he stayed at a madrasa in Narsingdi from 2008 and then went into hiding.
While in Narsingdi he was using the pseudonym Abdul Karim and used to work as an Imam at a local mosque for a salary of Tk 5,000.
He used to meet his family members at different places. "Legal action against the arrestee is underway," said the Rab ASP.
President visits development projects in Kishoreganj
President Abdul Hamid on Monday visited various development projects of Mithamain and Itna Upazilas in Kishoreganj district.
He enquired about the progress made in the projects, including Hasanpur Bridge under Mithamin Upazila and Balikhola Ferry Ghat at Chong Noagaon under Karimganj.
He also visited the under-construction Technical School and College in Itna.
Also read: Work for national welfare, President Hamid urges scouts
During the visit, the president was informed about the progress of the construction work.
Hamid, on a five-day visit to his native district Kishoreganj since March 27, also went to the Balda Ferry Ghat on the Ujandhanu River and Moheschandra Govt Model High School of Itna upazila.
Local MP Rezwan Ahammad Taufiq, local people's representatives and senior officials concerned accompanied him.
Also read: ACC annual reports handed to president