United News of Bangladesh

Two people were killed when a bus rammed into a human hauler, locally known as a Leguna, in Jatrabari area of the capital on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Azizul Islam, 58, son of Salam Mridha and Saiful Islam, 55, son of Lokman Khandaker of the Gendaria area. The accident occurred around 9 am in the Mir Hazaribagh area when the bus hit the human hauler, leaving two people injured. Inspector Faruk, in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital Police camp, said the injured were taken to the  emergency department of the hospital where doctors declared them dead.

A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Alauddin Patwari attended his father’s funeral in Rajbari on Saturday night after being granted temporary parole. The JCD leader joined the funeral at Eidgah ground near his family home at Nimtala village of Sadar upazila around 7:30 pm, with a rope tied around his waist. Alauddin, 28, the son of Shukur Patwari from Nimtala, organisational secretary of Sadar upazila unit Chhatra Dal, has been in Rajbari District Jail for the past two and a half months in connection with an arms case. Alauddin’s father passed away on Saturday afternoon. After hearing the news, Alauddin expressed his wish to attend the funeral. The JCD leader’s family then filed a petition to the Rajbari Deputy Commissioner for his parole, which was approved by DC and District Magistrate Sultana Akter. Alauddin was granted parole for one and a half hours, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. He was escorted to his home village in Nimtala by police and DB personnel and during the funeral prayer, his hands were uncuffed while a rope was tied around his waist. Contacted, Alauddin said, “I am a victim of political vengeance. I was sent to jail on false charges of possessing weapons. Unable to endure my imprisonment, my father passed away today.” Ariful Islam Roman, president of Rajbari District unit Chhatra Dal, said, “Alauddin is a victim of political revenge. Khondakar Ziaur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said Alauddin was allowed to attend the funeral under police supervision following the family’s request and the district magistrate’s approval. He was brought back to jail after the funeral. Regarding the rope tied around his waist, the OC said the jail authorities could provide clarification. Police arrested Alauddin along with a foreign made revolver and a sharp weapon from Nimtala area on December 1, last year. A case was filed with Rajbari Sadar Police Station and then he was sent to the district jail.

A minority family in Patuakhali has alleged assault, intimidation and attempts to grab their land by local influential people in Marichbunia union under the sadar upazila. At a press conference held at the Patuakhali Press Club on Saturday noon, victim Gopal Majhi read out a written statement detailing the allegations. He said some locals had long been trying to forcibly occupy their recorded and possessed land. According to him, he owns about 40 decimals of land in the Marichbunia mouza area. He alleged that due to the land dispute, several people including local Awami League leader and now a member of Bangladesh Krishak Dal, Zakir Bhuiya, along with Suman Payda, Nasir Akon, Harun Matbar, Jafar Bhuiya and Nizam Payda, have repeatedly threatened him and his family. Majhi claimed that even after filing a complaint with police, the accused came to his house with sharp weapons, threatened them and obstructed his children from going to school. He also alleged they were threatened to leave the country for India. In the written statement, he said that around 9pm on February 16, the accused intercepted him while he was returning home by motorcycle, assaulted him and tried to kill him with local weapons. He and his brother were seriously injured and are now undergoing treatment at Patuakhali Sadar Hospital. He further alleged that the attackers snatched Tk 2.2 lakh in cash and two gold chains from him during the incident. He named Zakir Bhuiya, Suman Payda and Nasir Akon as accused and claimed that 7–8 unidentified persons were also involved. “We have been harassed in various ways for being a minority. We feel insecure and want quick administrative intervention and punishment of the culprits,” Majhi said. Responding to the allegations, Zakir Bhuiya said his son-in-law Suman bought the land about five years ago and built a house there. He also claimed the matter had earlier been settled through local arbitration and denied giving any threat to force them to go to India. Officer-in-Charge of Patuakhali Sadar Police Station, Moniruzzaman, said police were aware of the clash and one person had previously been arrested. However, he added that no complaint had been received regarding threats to leave for India. Legal action will be taken if complaints are filed, he said.

At least five people, including three women, were killed when a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a gas cylinder-laden truck on the bypass road in Kushtia on Saturday afternoon. The identities of the victims could not be immediately ascertained. The accident occurred around 2:05 pm, said Abu Obayed, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Highway Police. Among the deceased were the CNG driver, a male passenger, and three women, police said. Upon receiving information, police and Fire Service personnel rushed to the spot and conducted rescue operations. Traffic movement on the road was disrupted for some time following the accident but was later restored. Police said both vehicles involved in the accident have been seized, while the truck driver fled the scene. Legal action is underway regarding the accident.

A truck collision in Jhenaidah city’s Pobhati Kalarhat area on Friday night left one young man dead and another seriously injured. The accident occurred around 11:00 p.m. when a truck hit a motorcycle. The deceased has been identified as Shanto Shahriar Rahman Shanto (31), son of Shahin Rahman of Arappur area. His friend, Titon, son of Abdus Sattar of Bayaripara, was seriously injured in the crash. Officer-in-Charge of Arappur Highway Police, Mrityunjoy Biswas, confirmed the incident, saying Shanto died at the scene while Titon was critically injured. Titon has been rushed to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment, and his condition is reported to be critical.

Business leaders in Bauphal upazila shut shops on Friday after alleged extortionists threatened to kill them for refusing to pay regular tolls. The president of the Kalaiya Daspara Construction Materials Owners Association, Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury, was first threatened on Thursday. Traders later filed a written complaint with the police that evening. On Friday, the group’s general secretary Masud Rana was also threatened with a sharp weapon. Locals and shop owners confronted the suspect, who then fled the scene. In protest, traders closed shops from 10:30am to 1:30pm. The strike was withdrawn after newly elected MP Shafiqul Islam Masud visited the area and promised legal action against those involved. Traders alleged that Shanto Pyada, 22, son of Daspara Union BNP Ward No. 2 general secretary Sohrab Hossain Pyada, 55, along with a few others, regularly collected extortion money. Talking to traders, it was learned that there are 32 shops in the Daspara bus stand area on the west side of the Kalaiya Dhanhat Bridge. They said they bring rods, cement, sand and stones by trawlers and cargo vessels from different parts of the country. At least 15 to 20 trawlers and cargo vessels arrive there every day. Traders alleged they were forced to pay Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 per vessel as extortion. Association general secretary Masud Rana said they decided in an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening to stop paying extortion. He said Shanto Pyada became angry over the decision. On Thursday morning, when Shanto came to collect money, association president Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury refused to pay. Shanto then openly threatened to kill him, Masud Rana said. Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury confirmed the incident and said Shanto always carries weapons. He said they are living in fear and demanded his immediate arrest. Attempts to contact Shanto failed. His father, BNP leader Sohrab Hossain Pyada, said he had taken a water body lease for Tk 40,000 from Daspara Union BNP president Ali Azam Chowdhury. He claimed that his son collected Tk 200 per trawler and said it was not extortion. However, sources at the Upazila Land Office and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer office said the Kalaiya and Daspara canals had not been leased to anyone. BNP leader Ali Azam Chowdhury could not be reached as his mobile phone was switched off. Assistant Superintendent of Police Arif Muhammad Shakur said he had spoken to the MP and that legal action would be taken soon against those involved.  

A tragic road accident in Jamalpur claimed the lives of a father and son on Friday, prompting locals to block the road in protest. The victims were Delwar Hossain (60) and his son Istiak Ahmed (30) of Kenduar Char area in Sherpur Sadar. According to police, the accident occurred around 1:00 pm near the Sherpur Bridge on the Jamalpur-Sherpur regional highway. During routine traffic checking by transport police, a truck traveling toward Sherpur was stopped. At that moment, a motorcycle tried to bypass the checkpoint, but was struck by another truck coming from the opposite direction. Both father and son died on the spot. Enraged locals blocked the road to protest the incident. The transport police on duty retreated in the face of the demonstration. Jamalpur Sadar police officer-in-charge Mizanur Rahman confirmed the accident and said additional police were quickly deployed to control the situation. He added that legal action regarding the incident is underway.

Khairul Kabir Khokon, Member of Parliament for Narsingdi-1 (Sadar) and BNP Joint Secretary General, has warned unscrupulous traders against creating artificial shortages or hiking prices during Ramadan. He said strict action will be taken against anyone found violating these rules. Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon after monitoring the Narsingdi Boro Bazar, Khokon said the administration is vigilant to ensure people can observe the holy month peacefully without financial hardship. We want people to fast peacefully. I have instructed consumer rights authorities and the administration to continue regular monitoring so that no one can exploit the public, he added. Earlier, Khokon visited various wholesale and retail shops in the market, checking the prices and stock levels of essential commodities. During the inspection, he directed traders to display price lists properly and sell goods at fair prices. Officials from the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate and members of law enforcement were present during the monitoring exercise.

To mark Shaheed Dibash and International Mother Language Day 2026, the Magura District Shilpakala Academy organized drawing and poetry recitation competitions, celebrating the occasion with due respect. The events began at 10 a.m. on Friday, drawing lively participation from schoolchildren. Winners in three categories of each competition were awarded certificates and prizes. The initiative aims to commemorate the sacrifices of language martyrs of February 21, 1952, who fought to preserve the Bengali language. Observed globally as International Mother Language Day, the competitions highlighted the spirit of Ekushey, the Shaheed Minar, and the creativity of the language movement, while fostering awareness among the younger generation about its history and significance. Parents appreciated the event, noting that such organized activities had not been held in recent years, and thanked the authorities for arranging it. Paarth Protima Das, District Cultural Officer of the Shilpakala Academy, said around 200 students participated in the competitions. He added that regular participation in such events helps nurture talent and mental development among children.

Local residents blocked the Dhaka–Bogura highway in Shahjahanpur on Friday morning, placing the body of a housewife killed in a road accident on the road and demanding deployment of traffic police at the accident-prone spot. The blockade took place at Lichutola Second Bypass intersection in Shahjahanpur Upazila, causing long tailbacks on both sides of the highway. The demonstrators withdrew the blockade after about an hour. The deceased was identified as Chameli Begum, 35, wife of Jewel from Betgari South Para village. According to local sources and police, Chameli and three members of her family were critically injured when a bus collided with an easy-bike at the Lichutola Second Bypass intersection on Wednesday afternoon. They were taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura, where Chameli died around 2am on Friday while undergoing treatment. Her two-year-old child, Soaed, also injured in the crash, had one leg amputated through surgery and is now receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After news of her death spread, locals gathered at the bypass intersection around 10am with the body and blocked both lanes of the highway, creating traffic congestion stretching several kilometres. The protesters demanded immediate deployment of traffic police and construction of a foot overbridge at the accident-prone intersection. Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Mostafa Manjur said the situation was brought under control following police intervention and assurances from the MP of Bogura-4 constituency. Traffic movement on the highway has since returned to normal.