District
Rescued python released in Sundarbans
A 10-feet python was released in the Sundarbans after being rescued by members of Village Tiger Response Team (VTRT) and WildTeam, wildlife conservation organization, at North Tafalbari village in Sarankhola Upazila Tuesday afternoon.
Locals spotted the python in a pond of Jiten Gain of the village and informed the Forest Department.
On information, VTRT members rushed to the spot and rescued the python weighing 20-25 kg.
Read: Python released in Kaptai National Park
Md. Shamsul Arefin, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Sarankhola Range, said the python might have entered the locality in search of food.
On December 13, another python was caught by local people at Zilbunia village of Sarankhola Upazila and then it was released in the Sundarbans.
According to the Forest Department, over 100 pythons were rescued in the last one year from different adjacent areas of the Sundarbans.
Jhalakathi launch fire: Death toll climbs to 50
The death toll from the deadly Jhalakathi launch fire rose to 50, with another victim succumbing to her injuries at a hospital on Tuesday night.
The deceased was identified as Manika Rani Haldar, an assistant teacher at Gagan Memorial High School.
Manika, who had suffered 30% burns and was on life support in the intensive care unit of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, passed away around 9.30pm, said resident surgeon Dr SM Ayub Hossain.
The toll reached 49 on January 3, with the death of another person, a 38-year-old, at the institute.
Read: Jhalakathi launch fire: Probe body submits report
The fire broke out on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka, off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24.
On December 26, the chief inspector of the Department of Shipping, Shafiqur Rahman, filed a case against eight people, including four co-owners of the launch, under the Marine Act in the Marine Court.
India returnee escapes from Chuadanga hospital
An Indian returnee, who tested positive for Covid-19, has escaped from the isolation ward of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital on Tuesday.
The Covid patient has been identified as Abul Kalam Azad, 45, son of Siraj Ali of Nandani village in Bholahat upazila of Chapainawabganj district.
Resident medical officer of the hospital, Dr Wahid Mahmud Robin said the patient had been undergoing treatment in the red zone of the isolation ward of the hospital since January 9. "He went missing from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon."
Read: Global Covid cases surpass 333 million
Kalam returned from India on January 9 through the Darshana border and tested positive for Covid-19. Later, he was taken to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital.
On Tuesday morning, the hospital authorities collected his sample for retest and his results emerged negative, said Dr Wahid. "We suspect that Kalam left the hospital without informing anyone."
Govt primary school shut after all teachers test Covid-19 positive in Cumilla
Authorities indefinitely shut down a government primary school in Laksam upazila of Cumilla district on Tuesday after its all eight teachers tested Covid-19 positive.
The teachers, including the headmaster, were from Paschimgaon Government Model Primary School in Laksam municipality.
Abdullah Al Mamun, upazila education officer told UNB the school was ordered to close at 12 pm on Tuesday after being informed by the teachers. “It will remain shut until further notice,” he said.
Also read: Classes to go online if Covid spreads to educational institutions: Minister
The Covid infected teachers are headmaster Shampa Rani Saha, assistant teacher Md Shah Alam, Md Ekramul Haque Khondoker, Montu Chandra Cghosh, Umme Kulsum, Bilkis Nsarin, Kamrunnahar and Rubina Islam.
Shampa Rani said she and another teacher were on leave Saturday due to fever while on Sunday two more teachers reported being sick.
On Tuesday my husband and my samples came out Covid-19 positive. Later samples of the other teachers in the school were sent to the upazila health complex.
After all of them tested Covid-19 positive, the upazila education officer was informed about the matter.
Also read: 80% Covid patients in Bangladesh of Delta variant: BSMMU survey
Around 600 students are currently enrolled in the Paschimgaon Government Model Primary School.
It was not immediately known if any of the students has been affected.
Madrasha student found dead in Savar
A 12-year-old madrasha student was found dead along the Nabinagar-Chandra highway in Savar on the outskirts of the capital on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Arafat, son of Azhar Ali of Rangamati district. The body bore several injury marks, police said.
Read: 29-yr-old to hang for killing rickshaw puller
Sub-inspector of Ashulia police station, Nurul Islam said that locals spotted the body of Arafat on the roadside near the Kabirpur bus stand in the Ashulia area and rushed him to Bangladesh Korea Friendship Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The body was sent to Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy, said the officer. "A probe is on," he added.
Schoolboy killed in Dinajpur road crash
A 14-year old boy was killed in a road crash on his way to receive Covid-19 vaccine jab in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur on Monday.
The deceased was Hummayun Kabir, a student of class IX of Helencha High School and son of Shariful Islam Pradhan of Shibrampur village.
Also read: Dinajpur road crash leaves 2 dead
The accident occurred around 11 am when a sand-laden trolley truck hit an auto-rickshaw carrying Humayun and some six or seven of his classmates to Upazila Health Complex, said Bibhutibhusan Brati Ray, Sub-Inspector of Nawabganj police station.
Efforts are on to arrest the truck driver, said the SI.
Also read: Father, son killed in Thakurgaon road crash
Top Rajshahi officials test positive for Covid-19
Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi GSM Zafarullah and Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil have tested positive for Covid 19, officials said on Monday.
Assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner office, Abhijit Sarkar, said Zafarullah gave samples at a local hospital for Covid test to join the January 18-20 DC conference in Dhaka.
DC Jalil was found infected with Covid-19 on the same day, said Additional Deputy Commissioner Kalyan Chowdhury.
Also read: Asaduzzaman Noor contracts Covid-19
Both of them were in isolation in their respective residence.
Earlier, Rajshahi city Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Rajshahi-3 constituency MP Ayen Uddin, Rajshahi-4 constituency MP Enamul Haque also contracted the virus.
Also read: GM Quader contracts Covid-19
Pre UP-poll clash: 10 including police member hurt in Madaripur
At least 10 people were injured on Sunday including a police personnel during a clash between supporters of two chairman candidates in the upcoming Ghatmajhi Union Parishad election in Madaripur.
The incident occurred around evening when supporters of candidate advocate Babul Akter and Khalil Darji locked in an hour-long clash in dispute over electioneering.
Also read: Clash at BNP rally in Chattogram, stage collapses
The injured were admitted at Madaripur Sadar Hospital, said Kamrul Islam Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Madaripur sadar police station.
A police constable named Avijit was injured as police on information went to take control of the situation, said the OC.
The election in the Ghatmajhi Union parishad is set to be held on January 31.
Also read: Pre-polls violence: 1 killed, 10 injured in Pabna clash
The defeat is of the government: Taimur
Taimur Alam Khandaker, the defeated independent candidate in the Narayanganj City Corporation mayoral election, termed his defeat as the defeat of the government on Sunday.
He made the remarks in a press briefing after his defeat was ascertained by the landslide victory of Awami League mayoral candidate Selina Hayat Ivy on Sunday evening.
Taimur said, “The defeat was of the government, not ours.”
He said it all started from arresting his chief coordinator at Siddhirganj police station and after that everyday his supporters had been arrested.
Also read: NCC Polls: Ivy rewrites history with a hat-trick
“While filing case against them they were identified as Hefazat-e-Islam members even though many of them were Hindu by religion,” he said.
Taimur claimed from Sunday morning eight people were arrested who were in his support including his Bandar upazila coordinator. Besides, numerous raids were conducted including at his chief polling agent’s house, he said.
“In these circumstances it’s hard for an independent candidate to survive anyway.”
Taimur said in many centres Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were defective and slow, due to which many voters couldn’t cast their vote and it only contributed more to his defeat.
He said, “The game was government vs public and also government vs Taimur.”
Ivy, the country’s first female city mayor, also became the first person ever to be elected thrice as mayor of any city in the country, as she secured a landslide victory by a margin of 69, 102 votes over Taimur.
Also read: NCC polls: Voting underway amid tight security
She bagged 1,61,273 votes while her nearest contestant Taimur Alam polled 92, 171.
Returning officer Mahfuza Akter announced the results on Sunday evening, a few hours after voting ended. Voting had continued past 4pm due to the slow pace of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and the presence of voters in some centres of Bandar upazila.
UP member arrested over harassing Barishal University female student
A Union Parishad member was arrested Sunday in a case filed over harassing and torturing a Barishal University student and her husband.
Ward-6 member of Charkaua Union Parishad Saidul Alam Liton was arrested from Islampara road in Sagardi area of the Barishal city around 5 pm by Rapid Action Battalion-8 (Rab), said Major Jahangir Alam, Company Commander of Rab-8.
The accused will be handed over to police, he said.
Earlier on Wednesday night, the main accused in the case Zahid Hasan Joy was arrested by police from Madaripur.
On the night of January 11, a case was filed at Bandar police station followed by a complaint lodged by the female student's husband accusing Zahid Hasan Joy, Makun Molla, Saidul Alam Liton and some two or three more anonymous people.
According to the complaint, earlier that evening the student of the varsity’s Management department and her husband went to visit the campus when the accused held them and beat them up.
In protest against the incident the next day, students of BU vandalized Sheikh Russel Library, UP ward member Liton and Joy’s house. They took position on Barishal-Kuakata Highway obstructing vehicle movement which they later removed after the administration assured them of taking actions.
Meanwhile on Thursday, Liton’s wife Lutfor Nahar Kajal filed a case against 40 people including the victim’s husband at Barishal Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate’s court.