Magura
Teen stabbed to death by friend in Magura
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death allegedly by his friend over playing a game on mobile phone using the latter's password in Beroil Palita village of Sadar upazila on Tuesday night.
The deceased was identified as Golam Rasul, a Class X student of Kazi Abdul Wahed High School and son of Rawnak Kazi of the area.
Read: 50-yr-old held for raping minor in Magura
Quoting local people, Joynal Abedin, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said that Golam used to play the game on his mobile phone by illegally using the password of his friend Sajib, son of Shahidul Islam, who was also addicted to the same.
When Sajib came to know about it, he went to Golam's house on Tuesday evening and confronted the latter. An argument between them soon turned violent and Sajib lost his cool and stabbed Golam on the chest.
Read:Devotee beaten dead in Magura mosque
An injured Golam was taken to Magura Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Cops been deployed in the area to avert further trouble, the OC said.
Riverbank erosion leaves Gashial residents on the edge
In the remote Gashial mouja of Magura district, riverbank erosion along the Garai is a frequent affair.
Every monsoon, residents of the mouja see the ground literally disappear into the raging Garai. And over the past couple of years, the erosion has washed away several houses in the area, rendering hundreds homeless.
The residents allege that local authorities have never paid heed to their urgent pleas for measures to prevent erosion of the river bank. As a result, the house of Ajit Sheikh is the last structure standing on the edge.
Read Climate migration in Bangladesh may increase 7-fold by 2050: ActionAid
According to local resident Rustom Biswash, a freedom fighter, a large portion of Gashial mouja has been devoured by the river over the past 50 years. "Erosion is a perennial affair here," he says.
"If the authorities concerned do not act immediately, then the mouja could soon become a barren land," he adds.
In fact, the residents say that some 1,500 acres of land have disappeared in the mouja in the past few years and nearly 35-40 families in Char-Chougachi village are living with the fear of their houses being swept away.
Read Prof. Ainun Nishat joins Bangladeshi teenager’s climate campaign.
Owing to poverty and occupational reasons, many people in the village live near the river, which makes them a victim of erosion.
The local administration though says that it has dumped more than 15,000 sandbags on the riverbank to prevent erosion in the area. "The sandbags will prevent erosion to a large extent," says Anwar Hossain, a sub-contractor of the Water Development Board.
Read Dhaleshwari erosion takes serious turn in Keraniganj
The local residents, however, have demanded that the authorities build a river embankment in the area to put an end to the problem of riverbank erosion once and for all.
Solaiman Molla, president of River Erosion Protection Committee, says that this is the first time in 50 years that the authorities concerned have placed sandbags, "which is good news for the residents living here"
Mohammad Zakir Hossain, chairman of Dariapur Union, said already the dredging and sand-lifting work have been done.
Also read: Riverbank erosion displacees await rehabilitation.
Engineer Golam Sarwar of Water Development Board, says, "Sandbags have been placed in the 500-metre area along the riverbank and a committee will soon be formed to protect the river. More sandbags will be dumped in phases.”
50-yr-old held for raping minor in Magura
A 50-year-old man has been arrested in Sreepur upazila for allegedly raping a minor girl more than a week ago, police said on Wednesday.
The accused has been identified as Abdul Hai, son of Abdul Hakim Sheikh, a neighbour of the rape survivor.
Read:5-year old murdered after rape in CTG; 4 held
Shukhdev Roy, officer-in-charge of Sreepur Police Station, said the seven-year-old girl was alone at her home on the day of the crime. "Abdul forced himself on the girl but fled after she started screaming in pain."
Later, the girl narrated her ordeal to her mother when she returned home. The child was admitted to Upazila Health Complex after she fell sick but was immediately sent her to Magura for better treatment.
The girl's father subsequently filed a complaint against the accused at Sreepur police station. Based on the complaint, police lodged an FIR for rape and arrested the accused. "He was produced in a court and sent to judicial custody," the OC said.
Bangladesh's rape epidemic
Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing death penalty for rapes last year.
Read:Child rape and murder case accused arrested in Rangpur
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: Out on joyride, woman raped by six on moving bus in Chattogram
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.
3 held over killing of devotee in Magura
Police arrested three people in connection with the killing of a devotee in a mosque at Polashbari Union of Mohammadpur Upazila in Magura district on Sunday.
The arrestees are Russel, son of Kuddus Molla, Sohel and Quamrul of the village.
Read:Devotee beaten dead in Magura mosque
Tarak Nath, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station, said Shahida Begum, wife of Pakhi Master, lodged a complaint against Russel and others with the police station.
Following the complaint, police arrested three people on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier on Saturday Pakhi Master came under attack reportedly by some people when he entered the mosque around 5 pm.
Read:People in Magura lose hope over district medical services
As locals rushed to the mosque hearing his screams, Rabiul and Banshi fled the scene.
Pakhi was then taken to Faridpur Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Pakhi had an enmity with some of his neighbours over raising the bank of his pond that causes waterlogging at the house of his neighbours, said police.
Read:Housewife ‘tortured by husband’ lands in Magura hospital
Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble.
Devotee beaten dead in Magura mosque
A devotee has been beaten to death in a mosque at Polashbari Union of Mohammadpur Upazila in Magura district.
Read: Housewife ‘tortured by husband’ lands in Magura hospital
Locals said Pakhi Master, 55, son of late Abdul Haque Mollah of Polashbari union came under attack reportedly by Rabiul Mollah and Banshi Mollah when he entered the mosque around 5 pm on Saturday.
The two youths grabbed Pakhi from behind and beat him with sticks as was alone in the mosque at that time, police said.
Read: 9 killed by lightning strikes in Feni, Chattogram, Manikganj, Magura
As locals rushed to the mosque hearing his screams, Rabiul and Banshi fled the scene.
Pakhi was then taken to Faridpur Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Tarak Nath Biswas, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur Police Station, said a case has been filed with Mohammadpur Police Station in this incident.
Read: Magura runs out of Covid jabs, suspends vaccination
It was not clear what prompted the two youths to kill Pakhi.
Indefinite lockdown in Magura city and Mohammadpur Upazila from Sunday
Authorities announced an indefinite lockdown for Magura city and Mohammadpur Upazila effective from 6 pm Sunday amid a surge in the corona virus infections.
The announcement came from Magura Deputy Commissioner Dr Ashraful Alam and Mohammadpur Upazila Nirbahi Office on Sunday.
The decision came after 17 people tested positive with Covid-19 in 53 sample tests as of Sunday.
Also read: Covid pandemic: Situation in Bangladesh worsening, 47 more die
According to the announcement, all the public transport services except emergency ones will remain suspended during the period.
Besides, all shops and shopping malls were ordered to remain shut except food and medicine stores.
Also read: Second consignment of Sinopharm vaccine arrives
Until now 1326 Covid cases were detected in the district after 8357 sample tests, said Civil Surgeon Dr Shahidullah Dewan.
Also 24 Coronavirus related deaths were logged while 1,222 got cured of it.
3 killed by lightning strike in Magura, Madaripur, Khulna
Three people were killed by the lightning in separate incidents in Magura, Khulna and Madaripur districts on Sunday.
Read: 9 killed by lightning strikes in Feni, Chattogram, Manikganj, Magura
In Magura, Sakiron Nesa, 50, wife of Surman Sheikh of Ghullia village in Mohammadpur upazila of the district, was killed when a thunderbolt struck her while she was working at her house on Sunday evening, said Tarok Nath Biswash, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station.
In Khulna, a man was killed by lightning amid heavy rain while he was returning home after catching fish around 10 pm on Sunday at Bunarabbad village in Batiaghata upazila, said Runa Laila, a member of Surkhali Union.
The deceased was identified as Samir Roy, 35, son of Motilal Roy.
Read:6 killed by lightning strikes in Feni, Chattogram
In Madaripur, a housewife was killed when a thunderbolt struck her while working in her peanut field on Sunday evening at Balughat village in Shibchar upazila of the district, said Miraz Hossain, officer-in-charge of Madaripur Police Station.
The deceased was identified as Ayesha Begum, 50, wife of Sorfan Hawladar.
Besides, at least nine people were killed and two others sustained injuries from lightning strikes in Chattogram, Feni, Manikganj and Magura districts on Sunday.
Read: Lightning strikes kill four in Dhaka amid rain
Lightning strikes claim hundreds of lives in Bangladesh every year. The deaths mostly occur in the warmer period of the year from April to June, as hailstorms occur most frequently during this time.
Magura runs out of Covid jabs, suspends vaccination
The Covid-19 inoculation drive has been temporarily halted in Magura district due to vaccine shortage, health officials have said.
District Civil Surgeon Dr Shahidulkalah Dewan told UNB on Tuesday that the vaccination drive was stopped on Sunday after the district ran out of Covid jabs.
Read: 3 India returnees test positive for Covid in Magura
"We have exhausted all the 78,250 vials of the Covid-19 vaccine given to us by the government. The inoculation drive will resume once we receive more doses of the vaccine," he said.
However, the Civil Surgeon could not give a definite timeline for the resumption of the Covid vaccination drive in the district.
According to the Civil Surgeon's Office, some 79,905 people have registered for vaccination in the district. Six session sites have been earmarked for the inoculation drive, including Magura Sadar Hospital, Sreepur, Mohammadpur and Shalikha Upazila Health Complex.
As of May 30, some 48,445 got the first dose of the vaccine in the district. On the other hand, as many as 28,596 people have taken the second dose of the vaccine so far.
Read: 50 India returnees put in quarantine in Magura
Some 1,655 people are now uncertain about getting the second dose of the vaccine.
Tapas Biswas, 54, of Beryl village, said, "On Monday, I received an SMS on my mobile phone stating the vaccination date. But when I went to the hospital on Tuesday, I was told that there were no jabs left."
Zillur Rahman, a medical officer at the Civil Surgeon's Office, said that the government's Institute of Pathology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) had taken blood samples from 350 people for a study.
"For them, 35 vials of the vaccine have been kept. Blood samples collected from them will be kept for up to two years and their antibodies will be tested," he said.
Read: People in Magura lose hope over district medical services
In Magura, samples of some 7,882 people were collected till Sunday and sent to the laboratory for testing. Of them, 1,254 people tested positive for Covid-19.
While 1,230 have recovered to date, some 24 people have succumbed to the virus since the outbreak of the second wave of the pandemic. The fatality rate though is 1.91, health officials said.
Deals signed for the construction of Faridpur-Magura rail line
Bangladesh Railway Sunday signed contracts with two Sino-Bangla joint-venture companies for the construction of a rail line from Faridpur's Madhukhali to Magura town.
The project will build a 19.90 km main line at the cost of Tk1,202.49 crore.
Project Director Ashadul Haque and contracting organisation representatives Liu Xue Bing and Tang signed the agreements in the capital.
When the project is completed, Magura, a southwestern district, will come under the railway network. It will also connect the southwestern part of the country with Dhaka city through the Padma bridge.
Speaking at the programme, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, "The right kind of development cannot take place in a country that does not have an integrated communication system."
"The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, construction of a separate railway bridge across the River Jamuna, construction of a new railway line from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar and rail link at Mongla Port are among the many projects that are underway now."
3 India returnees test positive for Covid in Magura
Three Bangladeshis, who recently returned from India, have tested positive for Covid-19.
Of them, one is a 50-year-old woman. The other two are men, aged 25 and 40 years. They are originally residents of Satkhira, Tangail and Kushtia, respectively.
Civil Surgeon of Magura district Dr Md Shahidulla Dewan said the three patients have been shifted to the Corona ward of Magura Hospital from an institutional quarantine centre in the district.
Read:Covid patient infected with Indian variant held in Chandpur
Genome sequencing is in process to determine if the patients are infected with the Indian double mutant variant, said the Civil Surgeon. "Within 72 hours, the reports will come,” he said.
On May 8 and 9, a total of 101 Bangladeshis returned through Benapole land port and were kept under institutional quarantine at three different hotels.
Of them, samples of 97 were sent to Jashore University of Science and Technology on Wednesday, excluding the four, who were already transferred to the hospital for treatment.
On Thursday, these three returnees were confirmed Covid positive as the administration received reports of 67 of them.
Read: 10-year-old India returnee tests positive for Covid in Jashore
As India has been experiencing a new strain of Covid-19, the government 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.
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 certificate.