District
After 10-month pause, second ship from Russia in a week anchors at Mongla Port
A Russian ship carrying machinery for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has arrived at Mongla port.This is the second transport of any Russian vessel to Bangladesh since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February this year.The Liberian flag carrier, MV Dragonball, carrying 5,601 MT of machineries for the power plant, docked at the port’s jetty-7 on Friday afternoon, said Sheikh Fakar Uddin, harbour master of Mongla port."As the depth of the ship is high, it is being lightened by discharging some goods," said harbor master Sheikh Fakar.
Read: Petroleum prices to go up from SaturdayLater, the vessel will be brought to Jetty-9 of the port on Saturday afternoon.After that, the machineries will be unloaded at the jetty and sent to the power plant.Earlier, the Russian flag carrier, MV Kamilla, carrying 3,328.237 MT of machineries for the power plant docked at the port’s jetty-6 on Monday afternoon.On October 18, 2021, the last Russian container ship -- MV FESCO ULISS -- carrying equipment for Rooppur NPP arrived in Bangladesh, said Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, Chairman of Mongla Port.
Blackmail behind Sylhet college student's suicide; one sent to jail
A Sylhet court has sent a man to jail for blackmailing a college student who committed suicide in a hostel in Sylhet city two months ago.
The accused is Shyamal Das, 21, of Habiganj district.
Judge Saifur Rahman of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 passed the order on Thursday after recording the accused’s statement.
Syed Anisul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahporan police station,said they arrested Shyamol from Jalalabad residential area of Sylhet and presented him before the court on Thursday.
Shyamal Das gave a confessional statement in the court regarding his involvement in the suicide.
Read:MC College student found dead in dorm
Referring to the statement, the OC said Shyamal hacked into the Facebook messenger of the victim Smriti Rani Das and blackmailed her with her private photos for money.
He took Tk 2,500 from her which she had sent through Bkash before committing suicide.
The police arrested Shyamol after tracking him based on that transaction, said the OC.
A case of instigating suicide was filed at Shahporan police station following a complaint of the victim’s father, said OC Anisul.
On May 25, Smriti, a 21-year-old student of MC College, was found hanging inside a room in her hostel in the Tilagarh area of Sylhet city.
Prof Saleh Ahmed of MC College said Smriti used to stay in a room on the second floor of the hostel but her body was found in an unoccupied room on the third floor.
One-year-old baby charred to death as Chattogram house catches fire
A one-year-old baby girl was charred to death as a house caught fire in Chattogram's Mirsarai upazila Friday.
The deceased Lamiya Akhter, daughter of Rajib Ahmed, was from Ichhakhali union of the upazila.
Mirsarai Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Imam Hossain Patwari said the blaze broke out in Rajib's house and quickly engulfed it.
On information, firefighters rushed to the spot. They recovered the charred body of Lamiya after dousing the flames.
"Prima facie it appears an electrical short circuit caused the blaze," Imam said. "A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage."
Read: Child killed, 3 hurt in city fire
Six human traffickers arrested in Narayanganj: Rab
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) said on Friday they arrested six members of a human trafficking gang foiling their bid to smuggle three young women out to India with promises of lucrative jobs.
The arrests were made at Siddhirganj upazila in Narayanganj district.
The arrestees were identified as Jhuma Akter, 28, Sharmin Akter, 29, Minara Rina, 35, Rabeya Akter, 27, Komly Khatun, 32, and Shahjamal, 40.
The Rab also recovered several mobile phone sets and debit cards of the targeted women from the possession of the arrestees during the drive, Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Mahmud Pasha, captain of the Rab-11 told a press conference in the district on Friday noon.
The human traffickers took a woman to Benapole boarder to try to take her to neighbouring India. She was promised a job at a beauty parlour across the border with a handsome salary.
Realising the trap the woman somehow escaped from the alleged traffickers and returned to Narayanganj where she lodged a written complaint against them at the headquarters of the Rab-11 on Thursday afternoon.
Read: International human trafficking gang member held in Meherpur
As per the complaint, the elite force conducted a drive in Mijmiji Batanparra area of the upazila and arrested the human traffickers. Rab rescued another two women from their custody, he said.
The Rab officer said the traffickers usually target poor women alluring them with jobs and better life abroad.
A case related to the incident was filed at the local police station and the arrestees were sent to a court, he added.
Mirsharai tragedy: Death toll rises to 12 as another dies at Ctg hospital
A 21-year-old student succumbed to injuries on Friday, raising the death toll to 12 from the accident involving a running train hitting a microbus stuck on a level crossing in Mirsharai upazila in Chattogram, a hospital doctor said.
The deceased was identified as Ayat Hossain, of Hathazari upazila, a passenger of the ill-fated microbus.
Ayat died around 2:30 pm while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for the last seven days, said CMCH Neurosurgery Department Head Prof Dr SM Noman Khaled Chowdhury.
Dr Noman said Ayat was treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) as his oxygen saturation was very low. He suffered severe head and neck injuries in the accident.
“His condition started to deteriorate this morning,” he added.
Read:11 tourists killed, 6 injured after train hits microbus in Ctg
On July 29, eleven people, all aged 20 to 30, died after a speeding express train hit the microbus carrying them at a level crossing in Mirsharai. Seven of them were SSC and HSC examinees, while three of them were young teachers from a coaching centre named ‘R&J Private Care’ and another was the microbus driver.
They were returning home at Aminbazar area of Hathazari after a tour of the Khoiyachora Waterfall in the hills of Mirsharai, according to accounts of rescue workers.
The Chattogram-bound Mahanagar Provati express from Dhaka ploughed through the microbus, dragging it around a kilometre down the railway track.
Father-daughter die, 3 of family hurt as car falls into canal in Sylhet
A man and his 40-day-old daughter died on Friday as the car carrying them fell into a canal along Sylhet-Tamabil highway in Jaintapur upazila of Sylhet, police said.
The deceased were identified as Rubel Ahmed, 35, from Shibpur upazila in Narsingdi and his daughter Rahi Akter Adori, said Golam Dastagir, Officer-in-Charge of Jaintapur police station.
Rubel’s wife Kajal Akter, 30, her brother Rasel Ahmed,48 and his wife Anika Akter,30 sustained injuries in the accident. They were admitted to MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital in Sylhet.
Read: 5 killed in Gazipur road crash
The family was heading toward Jaflong from Sylhet on a sight-seeing tour, said the OC.
Rasel who was driving the car lost control of it as they reached a bridge near Lakshmipur area around 9:30 am and the vehicle fell into the roadside canal.
The locals managed to rescue the five injured passengers from the vehicle but doctors at Jaintapur upazila health complex announced Rahi dead on arrival.
Later, Rubel was declared dead when taken to MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital, said OC Golam Dastagir.
The bodies have been sent for an autopsy and the highway police have been informed to recover the vehicle from the canal, said the OC.
Malaria grips Jurachari, 388 cases in two months, say docs
Malaria has gripped an inaccessible hilly upazila of Rangamati district.
Jurachari upazila has seen as many as 388 cases of the vector-borne disease in the past two months, a sudden spurt that has put the local health authorities on high alert.
Caused by Plasmodium parasites, malaria affects over 200 million people worldwide annually. This is according to the World Health Organization.
According to the Jurachari upazila health complex authorities, some 265 people were infected with malaria in July. The figure was 123 in June.
Most of the victims were from the inaccessible Moidang and Dumdumya union parishads.
Read: Geoengineering can put 1 billion people back at risk of Malaria: Icddr’b study
Ward members of Dumdumya union, Laxmi Lal Chakma and Kala Cokha Tanchainga, told UNB, “Every week, at least 7-8 cases of malaria are reported from here."
According to doctors, June and July usually see a spurt in malaria cases in the hilly region. "The situation may prevail till October,” said Dr Ananya Chakma, upazila health and family planning officer.
Samur Pangkhoa, headman of Dumdmya mouza, said, “In the last two years, malaria cases were low. However, this year, we are witnessing a rise in the cases."
Amar Shanti Chakma of Bagakhali Community Clinic, also said that the number of malaria cases are on the rise.
However, Dr Ananya allayed fears. "Even if malaria cases are increasing, there is no need to panic. We have adequate stock of medicines at the upazila health complex and community clinics."
First coal shipment for Rampal power plant arrives from Indonesia
The first shipment of fuel for the coal-powered Rampal Power Plant in Bagerhat has arrived from Indonesia, paving the way for electricity production from October, officials said on Friday.
"Bangladesh flag-bearer 'MV Akij Heritage' docked at Chittagong port on July 31, carrying 54,650 metric tonnes (MT) of coal imported from Indonesia," said Anwarul Azim, deputy general manager of Rampal Power Plant.
From the port, 18,650 metric tonnes were ferried to the terminal of the power plant on Thursday afternoon on three lighter vessels, he said.
“From now on, coal will be supplied to the plant on a regular basis as it will be operated experimentally from August to September. After that, Rampal Power Plant will go into official power production from October," said DGM Anwarul.
Read: Power flow set up from Payra plant to Rampal sub-station
Md Khanadakar Riazul Haque, manager of Toggy Shipping that owns 'MV Akij Heritage', said, "The ship sailed from Indonesia’s Tanjung port on July 20 and after unloading 18,650 MT of coal at Chittagong port, it headed for Mongla port with the remaining 36,000 MT. It will reach Harbouria-11 buoy of Mongla port by Friday evening."
According to Rampal Power Plant authorities, Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), a Indian state-owned company, is responsible for the construction of the main infrastructure of the plant.
Work on the project began in 2010 with acquisition of land, and official construction started in 2012.
Being built at an estimated cost of Tk 16 thousand crore, the plant aims to produce a total of 1,320 MW of electricity in its two units (660 megawatts in each).
15 injured as rival groups clash in Magura
At least 15 people have been injured in a clash between two rival groups in Baharbag village of Magura Sadar upazila, police said on Friday.
Twelve of the injured have been identified as former union parishad chairman Liakat Munshi, Salim Sardar, Tuhin, Badsha Mia, Anwar Hossain, Kajol, Imran, Mizan, Harun, Indris, Rauf, and Nayeb.
Also read: Bhola BNP-Cops clash: Injured JCD leader dies in Dhaka
According to the police, the clash on Thursday was the fallout of a long-standing rivalry between the two groups -- one led by Saimuddin Chunnu and another by Saddam of Baharbag village.
On Thursday morning, supporters of Chunnu allegedly attacked Aminur, a follower of Saddam. As he news spread, supporters of Saddam attacked Chunnu's men to take revenge, leaving a total of 15 people from both sides wounded.
Also read: Teen hacked to death after clash over football game in Magura
The injured were admitted to Magura District Hospital. Two of them were later shifted to Faridpur hospital for better treatment, police said.
"The condition of one of the injured is critical," said Nasir Uddin, officer-in-charge of Magura Police Station. "A case has been filed in this connection."
36 cops sued over killing of Bhola Swechchasebak Dal leader
Thirty-six policemen including the officer-in-charge of Bhola model police station were sued over the death of Swechchasebak Dal activist Abdur Rahim in ‘police firing’ during a clash between BNP activist and police.
The case was filed at Senior Judicial Magistrate Ali Haider’s court on Thursday following a complaint of Abdur Rahim’s wife Khadiza Begum.
Bhola Model Police station OC Arman Haque was made the main accused in the case, said the plaintiff’s lawyer Amirul Islam Baset.
Also read: BNP withdraws daylong general strike after 6 hrs in Bhola
According to the complaint, on July 31, Abdur Rahim was shot dead by OC Arman Hossain as a clash broke out between police and BNP activists during a demonstration of the party and its likeminded political groups against the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector.
The case was filed under section 302 and 304 of the Penal Code, he said.
However, OC Arman Hossain told UNB he was not yet informed of any case filed against him in this regard.
Also read: 1 killed, 30 hurt as BNP, police clash in Bhola
“I was performing my duty on that day and was not intending to hurt anyone. The rally was illegal. BNP activists rather attacked police, opened fire on them and injured our members,” he said.
On Sunday, as part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola.
At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11.30am, triggering a clash.
Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left local Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party injured including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) district unit president Noor-e-Alam.
Noor-e-Alam succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday at a hospital in Dhaka.
On Thursday, BNP observed a 6-hour general strike in Bhola protesting the killing of the JCD leader.