Jashore, Sept 2 (UNB) – At least five shops were gutted as a fire broke out at Boro Bazar in the district town on Saturday night.

Parimal Chandra Kundu, deputy director of Jashore Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire broke out around 10:15 pm and gutted the shops.

On information, four fire-fighting units rushed in and doused the fire after one hour of frantic effort, said the official.

However, the reason behind the fire could not be known yet.
 

Rangpur, Sept 2 (UNB) – At least six people were killed and 50 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses at Seo Bazar in the city on Sunday.

The identities of the deceased could not be known yet.

The accident took place when a bus of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) collided head-on with another bus around 12:30 pm, leaving four people dead on the spot, said Shariful Islam, officer-in-charge of Detective Branch (North) of Rangpur Police.

Among the injured, one was declared brought dead at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) while another succumbed to his injures after admission to the hospital, he added.

The BRTC bus was heading towards Panchagarh from Bogura while another to Rangpur from Dinajpur, said the DB official.

Twenty of the injured were admitted to the RMCH while the remaining ones released after treatment there, he said. 

Of them, the conditions of some 15 victims were stated to be critical, he added.
 
 

Rajshahi, Sept 2 (UNB) – A human hauler driver was found dead at a banana orchard at Chakpalashi village in Puthia upazila on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Jahangir Hossain, 35, son of Rajab Ali of Gandagohali village in the upazila.

Local people spotted the body of Jahangir with his hands and legs tied up and informed police, said Shakil Uddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Puthia Police Station.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to a hospital morgue for autopsy.

The body bore several injury marks, said police.

Snatchers might have killed Jahangir in a bid to snatch his human hauler, said the OC.

Gopalganj, Sept 2 (UNB) – Police in separate drives on Saturday night detained five people on charge of blackmailing traders and extorting money from them by taking their photo with women in compromising situation.

The arrestees are Kamrul Islam Molla, 50, Sohag Molla, 28, of Nilpha village in Tungipara upazila, Roice Sikder, 34, of Manokdaha village of Sadar upazila, Md Saiful Islam Sikder, 50 of Nabinbagh, and Sayera Aziz Tithi, 18, daughter of Abdu Aziz of Gopinathpur village in Sadar upazila.

Mohammad Sanowar Hossain, additional superintendent of Gopalganj police (Sadar Circle) said the blackmailing gang used to lure traders of buying goods from them and invited them to Kamrul Islam’s house.

When a victim comes to their place, the gang forced him to take off his clothes and pose for pictures with a female member of the gang, he said.

Later, the gang demanded huge money from them and threatened to circulate the pictures and videos on the internet.

The gang took away a huge amount from at least 16 businessmen, he said.

Police arrested the gang members by tracking their mobile phones after having written complaint from cement traders Ripon Fakir of Sadar upazila and Gazi Anis of Chandra Dighakia.

The gang allegedly took Tk 2,40,000 from the two traders, the official added.

A case was filed against them with Sadar Police Station.

Bogura, Sept 2 (UNB) – Two people were killed in separate road crashes in Sherpur upazila of the district early Sunday.

Abdul Aziz Mandal, in-charge of Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital police camp, said Sazzad Hossain, 24, was killed and 20 others were injured when a Rangpur-bound bus collided head-on with another bus around 12:30 am at Mahipur in Sherpur upazila.

In another incident, Taj Mohammad, 32, a supervisor of a bus, was killed and 25 others were injured when the bus of ‘SR Paribahan’ crashed into a covered van around 2:30 am at Dhanut intersection in the upazila.

The injured were taken to Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital.