local-business
Vessel with 11 lakh litre fuel sinks in Meghna river
A lighter vessel with 11 lakh litre of fuel sank after being hit by another vessel in Meghna river due to dense fog in sadar upazila of Bhola district early Sunday.
KM Shafiul Kinjal, media officer of Coast Guard South Zone, said the vessel named ‘Sagar Nandini-2’ carrying 11 lakh litre of fuel from Chattogram port sank in the Meghna as another vessel hit it at Tulatuli Majher Char while heading towards Chandpur Padma Depot around 4 am.
The accident took place due to poor visibility caused by the dense fog.
All the fuel spilled into the river. Local people later collected the fuel in containers.
Fortunately, all 13 crew members of the vessel have been rescued by another vessel passing through the area.
On information, a team of coast guard rushed to the spot and took necessary measures to protect the river from pollution.
Police-BNP clash in Panchagarh: 81 named, 2000 unnamed sued
Police filed five cases against 81 named and around 2,000 unnamed people over a clash with BNP activists in Panchagarh on Saturday that left one BNP activist dead and at least 50 including policemen injured.
The cases were filed by five sub-inspectors of Panchagarh sadar police station on Sunday, said SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh police.
Police detained eight BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami activists on Saturday night during a drive over the incident, he said.
The cases were filed on allegation of obstructing government activities, beating government officials, creating anarchy and under the Explosive Substances Act, said Abdul Latif Mia, officer-in-charge of Panchagarh sadar police station.
Read more: Govt selectively killing opposition leaders, activists: BNP
Meanwhile the body of deceased Moyna Dighi Union BNP convener Abdur Rashid Arefin, 50, has been handed over to his family after an autopsy on Sunday, he said.
District BNP member secretary Farhad Hossain Azad said, “Our brother has died. We will decide our next step after discussing with family and the party following Arefin’s burial.”
On Saturday noon, as part of BNP’s movement for pressing home the 10-point demand it unveiled at its Dhaka divisional rally on December 10, the party's Panchagarh-based leaders and activists gathered at the local party office.
Before they could bring out any procession though, the law enforcers released tear shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the gathering, according to witnesses. Those who protested the police's actions were baton-charged.
Read more: Another BNP activist killed during clash with police
The BNP activists eventually dispersed, and then a series of chase-counter chase ensued, that continued for nearly 90 minutes. The BNP activists at this stage resorted to throwing brick chips at police.
It was only after additional backup forces arrived in the evening, that the police were able to finally take control of the situation well after 6pm.
Panchagarh SP SM Sirajul Huda, however, denied the allegation and claimed Arefin died of a heart attack..
He also claimed there were no signs of injury on Arefin’s body.
Rab launches special drive to free Sundarbans from robbers
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have launched a special drive to free the world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, from robbers – to ensure security of fishermen.
A special team named “Elite Tigers” of the battalion launched the drive on Saturday noon through a long range patrolling in Sharankhola, Joymoni, Baroitala, Andarmanik, Mrigamari and others spots. The drive will continue while another team, “Bengal Tigers”, with trawlers is kept standby to response to emergency calls.
Robbers abducted 11 fishermen from different areas of the Sundarbans between December 13 and 18.
Read more: 11 kidnapped fishermen rescued in Sundarbans: Police
Last Wednesday, police claimed that the robbers left the fishermen in the face of their drives. Some of the rescued fisherman, however, claimed that they were released after paying ransom to the abductors. Police denied this claim.
Commandant Md Badruzzoha, of Rab-6, said they launched the special drive to bring the robbers, who recently kidnapped fishermen, under the law through identification.
Read more: Killing tigers in the Sundarbans: Offenders get off scot-free for lack for evidence
“We are determined to free the Sundarbans from the criminals at any cost,” Lt Col Mostak Ahmed, commandant of the Rab-6, said.
The Rab officer further said that law enforcers will always stand by the fishermen to provide security.
Biker, pillion rider dead in Kushtia road accident
A biker and his pillion rider were dead as the motorcycle carrying them collided with a trolley in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on Saturday night.
The deceased were identified as motorcycle rider Irfan, 34, and Ashiq, 24, of the district.
Read more: 2 inc. wife of expatriate killed in road crash after receiving him at airport
The accident occurred around 9:30 pm when the motorcycle collided with the goods-laden trolley in Shyamnagar market area of the upazila, leaving the duo seriously injured, said Daulatpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mojibur Rahman.
They succumbed to their injuries on the way to hospital, he added.
The bodies were sent to Kushtia General Hospital morgue.
Read more: Road accidents in Kurigram, Savar leave 5 killed, 5 injured
Police seized the trolley. However, the driver fled the scene immediately, said the OC.
Tourists throng Sajek Valley: A night under the open sky?
The weekend melding with Christmas falling on Sunday this year, translating to a 'long weekend', has brought life to the country's tourism sectors including Sajek Valley.
At the same time, it has also brought suffering to the tourists who have gone to enjoy the scenic beauty of Sajek valley.
Thousands of holidaymakers of all ages have thronged to the hill district to enjoy the beauty of Sajek at Bagaichhori in Rangamati.
Resorts are experiencing a room crunch as more tourists enter Sajek - already almost double its capacity!
As a result, many tourists are forced to spend the night in cars or in mosques and local clubs.
Sultan Mia, 28, who came with his family from Mymensingh and Ashraf Ali, a tourist from Netrakona, said that they had come because of their children's holidays. But there is no room vacant in any hotel due to the overflow of tourists, leaving them in great trouble.
Alfred Lusai, the owner of two Sajek resorts (Neel Pahari and Morning Star), said that rooms were booked almost a month before Christmas. Today, many tourists can't get even a single room which is really sad, he added.
Read more: Jhum fire destroying reserved forest in Sajek
According to Sajek Resort Owners Association, almost 7,000 tourists entered Sajek on Saturday. The valley's 112 cottages can accommodate only 4,000. Many of the tourists who came here did not have advance bookings.
As a result, many tourists returned in the afternoon due to lack of rooms for overnight stay, sources added.
Those who stayed are passing the night by renting rooms on the verandas of various cottages and in the homes of local residents.
Subrata Chakma, manager of Khasrang Hill Resort, said that the inflow of tourists started on Wednesday. No rooms are available at any resort currently, he added.
Read more: Visit Sajek Valley: Amazing Hilltop Cottages, Resorts, to Spend Your Vacation
Mother, daughter electrocuted to death in Khagrachhari
A 32-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter were electrocuted to death in Khagrachhari's Manikchhari Saturday.
Kulsum Begum and her daughter Ishrat Jahan Koli were from the Shah Nagar area of Manikchhari.
The mishap occurred in the evening as Kulsum and her daughter came into contact with a live wire of an electric pole while going to a nearby field to bring their cow back home, Manikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahnoor Alam said.
Both the mother and daughter were rushed to Manikchhari Upazila Health Complex where they were declared dead on arrival, he added.
Read more: Sixth-grader electrocuted in Kurigram
Another BNP activist killed during clash with police
A local BNP leader who was beaten up by police died from his injuries and at least 50 others from both sides were injured during a clash between cops and opposition activists in Panchagarh on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Abdur Rashid Arefin, 50, from Boda upazila. He was serving as the joint convener of Moyna Dighi Union BNP.
Resident Medical Officer at Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital, Towfiq Ahmed, said an injured man named Arefin was brought to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. The precise cause of death can be confirmed after an autopsy, he said.
As part of BNP’s movement for pressing home the 10-point demand it unveiled at its Dhaka divisional rally on December 10, the party's Panchagarh-based leaders and activists gathered at the local party office on Saturday around noon, said witnesses.
Read more: Nayapaltan clash: HC orders giving division in jail to 5 BNP leaders
Before they could bring out any procession though, the law enforcers released tear shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the gathering, according to witnesses. Those who protested the police's actions were baton-charged.
The BNP activists eventually dispersed, and then a series of chase-counterchase ensued, that continued for nearly 90 minutes. The BNP activists at this stage resorted to throwing brick chips at police.
2 inc. wife of expatriate killed in road crash after receiving him at airport
Two people were killed and six others were critically injured as their microbus crashed into a roadside tree after losing control on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Feni Sadar upazila on Saturday morning.
The deceased---Jannatul Ferdous, 36, wife of Kuwait expatriate Belal Hossain of Gobindarapur village under Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni and the microbus driver Imam Hossain Ripon, 23, son of Abdul Matin Babul Miah of Dakkhin Mohammadpur village under Senbagh upazila of Noakhali.
Belal, 45, is among the injured. Five others have been identified as injured and receiving treatment at Feni Sadar Hospital: Saber Hossain, 14, Sabbir Hossain, 10, Fahmida Aktar, 22, Sharif Uddin, 30, Limon Hossain, 8.
Read more: oliceman killed in Naogaon road accident; wife injured
Highway police and fire service department said the group was returning home to their village in Gobindarapur after receiving Belal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The accident occurred Saturday morning when the speeding microbus hit the roadside tree, presumably after losing control on the highway. The driver died on the spot. Although seven others were rushed to the hospital, Jannatul's injuries did prove fatal by the time they arrived.
Mostafa Kamal, officer-in-charge of Feni Highway police station, confirmed the tragedy saying that the bodies of Jannatul and Ripon were sent to the morgue for autopsies.
Read more: Train crash leaves wife dead, husband injured in Natore
The bodies will be handed over to their respective families upon completion of legal formalities, the OC added.
Missing man’s body recovered a day after wife drowned in Padma river
Firefighters today recovered the body of a man, missing from Padma river in Rajshahi — a day after his wife drowned in the river.
The deceased was identified as Salauddin Quader Rupan, 38, a banker from Srimantapur area under Godagari upazila.
The body was recovered around 11:30 am near the spot where his wife Manjuri Tanvir Nishi, 32, drowned on Friday, said Nabir Uddin, station officer of Godagari Fire Service Station.
Kamrul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Godagari police station, said the body will be handed over to the family after completing legal procedures.
Read more: Wife drowns, husband goes missing while bathing in Padma
A Rajshahi fire service diving team was conducting a search operation from Friday noon and suspended it around 7 pm due to darkness. They resumed it again on Saturday morning and recovered Rupan’s body.
Rupan, posted in Kishoreganj, his family members and some 15 others were having a picnic on the bank of the river on Friday.
Read more: 2 killed after boat capsizes in Padma off Rajshahi city
After traveling by boat, he and his family members were bathing in the river at noon. Suddenly a heavy tide came along and four members of the family, including Nishi, went missing at first.
Though others could rescue Nishi and her two children, Rupan went missing. Nishi breathed her last on the way to hospital.
Road accidents in Kurigram, Savar leave 5 killed, 5 injured
At least 5 people were killed and 5 were injured in road accidents in Kurigram and Savar on Saturday morning.
In Kurigram, three people died and five were injured in two accidents that took place in Trimohini area of the Kurigram-Rangpur road and on Phulbari-Dharla road in Phulbari upazila.
According to police and locals, at around 8 am, a dhaka-bound bus of Aman Paribahan lost control and hit an auto-rickshaw and a nearby grocery store. The accident left the passenger of the auto-rickshaw and a passerby dead on the spot.
One of the deceased is Md Abdul Hannan, 45, but the identity of the other could not be ascertained.
Five injured passengers were admitted to Kurigram General Hospital. Abdus samad, one of the injured, was later transferred to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital due to critical condition.
Confirming the matter, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Kurigram Sadar Police Station, Zahid Hasan, said they seized the bus after recovering the dead bodies. The bus driver was sent to Rangpur for treatment.
Also read: 1 killed, 15 injured as 2 buses collide in Dhaka-Barisal highway
In another incident, a tractor helper, Shariful Islam, 16, fell off the tractor as the driver suddenly hit the brake.
According to locals, the teenager was in a critical condition as he was run over by a truck.
Shariful later died after being taken to the hospital.
Confirming the matter, Sarwar Parvez,In-charge (Investigation) of Phulbari Police Station, said legal action will be taken in this regard.
In Savar, two people were killed when a bus hit a motorbike at the Noyarhar area on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway.
According to Savar highway police, the accident left one person dead on spot. Another passenger later died after being taken to the hospital.
The identity of the deceased is yet to be known.
Also read: Tourist killed in Rangamati road crash