Barishal
Sitrang likely to hit by midnight or early Tuesday with 5-8 ft tidal surge
Cyclone Sitrang is likely to intensify further, move in a north, north-easterly direction and cross Barishal-Chattogram coast near Khepupara by midnight or early Tuesday, the latest Met office bulletin said.
“Sitrang over east-central Bay, adjoining west-central Bay and north Bay, moved north-northwest wards over northwest Bay and adjoining northeast Bay,” said the bulletin.
Most parts of the country, including Dhaka, are seeing moderate to heavy rains since Monday morning under the impact of the approaching cyclone.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Power distribution, transmission entities asked to open control rooms
Authorities have prepared more than 7,000 cyclone shelters to evacuate people while all fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been asked to remain anchored until further notice.
Authorities in Chattogram and other hilly districts have warned that landslides could occur if incessant rains continue.
Besides, the low-lying areas of coastal Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar districts and their offshore islands and char areas are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surges at 5-8 feet, said the bulletin.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Power supply disrupted in Pirojpur, Madaripur
UNB correspondents from southern coastal region reported heavy rains and tidal surges since this morning.
The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep danger signal No 7 hoisted while for Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar it’s signal No 6.
Sitrang was centered at 12 pm on Monday about 440 km southwest of Chattogram port, 395 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 365 km south-southwest of Mongla port, and 335 km south-southwest of Payra port.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: PM Hasina monitoring situation, giving instructions
The coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and three others offshore islands will come under danger signal 7.
Besides, the river ports of these districts have been advised to hoist danger signal 3.
The coastal districts of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar and three other offshore islands will also come under danger signal 6.
Read Cyclone Sitrang: Nothing much to worry, says State Minister Enamur
Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kms of the cyclone centre is about 62 kph rising to 88kph in gusts or squalls, it added.
North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh are likely to experience gusty or squally winds of 50-60 kph due to cylone Sitrang.
Police get 999 call from ‘thief’ for help!
Usually, people seek help when calling National Emergency Service 999. A “thief” in Barishal calling 999, however, makes for an interesting story.
Police today said they received a call from a “thief” who wanted to be “saved from a possible mob beating”, as he was stuck inside a shop in Barishal town.
Yeasin Khan (41), entered a shop in the AR Khan Bazar area of Sadar Upazila and got stuck inside the shop on Wednesday morning after sensing the presence of people in the market, said Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Metropolitan Bandar Police Station.
Read: Rickshaw puller awarded prize for 999 call to save women in Chattogram
The man called 999 for help, fearing that he might be beaten up by the locals if caught, the OC added.
When police asked him why he was not coming out of the shop, Yeasin told them that it took him a long time to pack “the stolen goods” and when he was done, it was already morning and people started arriving at the market.
“In this condition, if he came out, he would be beaten up by a mob,” said OC Asaduzzaman.
Read: Stranded tourists rescued from Kaptai Lake after 999 call
Shop owner Jhantu said he didn’t realize that a thief broke into his shop.
Later, police arrested Yeasin, the thief who called 999 National Emergency Service, from the spot after rescuing him from the shop, said the OC.
2 workers hurt as under-construction gate of Durga Sagar Dighi collapses
Two workers were injured as the under-construction gate of historical Durga Sagar Dighi (lake) collapsed at Madhabpasha union in Babuganj upazila of Barishal on Thursday.
The incident occurred around 11 am and the injured workers were sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, said Kamalesh Chandra Haldar, Officer-in-Charge of Barishal airport police station.
Anisur Rahman, one of the injured workers, said he and another construction worker was hurt as the gate suddenly collapsed while they were doing welding work.
Also read: Khulna: Embankment collapses again
Kamrul Hasan, executive engineer of Barishal Public Works Engineering Department (PWED) said, Messrs Khan Builders was given the work of Tk 16 cror project and the 22 feet high gate was being constructed as part of it.
A three-member probe body led by an additional district magistrate has been formed to identify if any negligence in construction work caused the collapse, said Goutam Baroi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Barishal.
Also read: Student dies as school gate collapses in Khagrachhari
3 killed in Barishal road crash
Three people were killed and several injured as a bus hit a trolley on Dhaka-Kuakata highway in Bakerganj upazila of Barishal on Monday, said police.
The deceased were identified as trolley driver Zohirul Talukdar, 25, his helpers-Rakib, 23, and Bayezid, 25.
The accident occurred around 10:30 am when the Barishal-bound bus of ‘Humayra Paribhahan’ crashed into the trolley on the highway and plunged into a roadside ditch, said Abul Kashem, leader of Bakerganj Fire Station.
Read:Roads turning more perilous: 10 people killed in Barishal in 24 hours
The accident left the trolley driver dead on spot as the vehicle overturned after being hit by the bus, he added.
The two injured were rushed to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared the duo dead, said Alaudding Milon, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bakerganj police station.
Several passengers of the bus were injured and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital, he added.
Police seized the vehicles but the bus driver managed to flee the scene, the OC added.
Bulkhead sinks in Barishal
A sand-carrying bulkhead capsized in a Barishal river after hitting a passenger launch on Monday night.
Passengers of the Dhaka bound Morning Sun-9 said the speeding bulkhead hit the launch coming from Bhandaria of Pirozpur towards Dhaka at Mirerhat under Ujirpur upazila of Barishal and capsized.
Two people on the bulkhead went missing after the incident. They are Milon and Kalam Sizuddin of Nanduhar village under Swarupkathi upazila of Pirojpur.
Read: Nor’wester in Bhola: Bulkhead sinks in Meghna
The launch has also been affected by the incident.
Later, the launch is anchored in the Chowdhuryhat area and all passengers are safe.
Ujirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ali Arshad said they are on the spot.
"Efforts are on to find out the missing two people," he added.
Indian dancer comes to Barishal to meet 'girlfriend,' but fails
An Indian youth named Premkanto came to Barishal, the southern division of the country to meet his so-called girlfriend and was rejected by his desired lover.
Premkanto and the girl loved each other through social media.
The incident came into the spotlight recently as the lover has already been rejected by his girlfriend and tortured by another boyfriend of the girl.
Being cheated and tortured, Premkanto went to the local police and described his ordeal.
The youth from Tamil Nadu of India came to Bangladesh on July 24 to meet his lover. The following day they met each other at Barishal Govt College. Later they met several times at various places. At one stage, Premkanto was informed about the second lover of the girl.
Read: Bangladeshi woman's quest for love lands her in Indian jail
Hearing the news of Premkanto, another lover of the girl beat the Indian youth up on July 27.
Premkanto alleged that he complained to the police. But police have yet to take action about the matter.
Later, the Indian High Commission to Bangladesh picks the youth and sent Dhaka to India.
Cultural activist found hanging at Barishal house
A cultural activist was found dead at her house at Uttar Mallik Road in Barishal city on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Samsunnahar Nipa, 25, daughter of Fazlul Karim of the area.
Aklima Begum, sub-inspector of Kotwali Model Police Station, said Nipa used to live with her sister Dalia.
When Dalia woke up in the morning, she found Nipa hanging from a ceiling fan of the house, said Aklima.
Read: Newly married woman found hanging in Thakurgaon
Nipa was a member of Udichi Shilpighoshti, Barishal and ‘Bashial Natok’, a cultural organisation.
On information, police recovered the body of Nipa and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy.
Azimul Karim, officer-in-charge of Barishal Kotwali Model Police Station, said primarily it is suspected that Nipa killed herself. “Actual reason behind the death will be known once autopsy report is available,” he said.
2 including child drown in Barishal
Two including a child drowned in separate places of Agailjhara upazila in Barishal on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Yasin Foria, 20, from Sullashi village and Ibrahim Shikder, 1, from Chadtrishira village.
Also read: Two kids drown in Chandpur
Yasin went missing after he went for a bath in the pond at noon, said his father Shahjalal Foria.
He was later rescued from the upazila health complex where doctors announced him dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim drowned in a pond while playing and was declared dead after being taken to upazila health complex,said his father Mozam Shikder.
Also read: Two siblings drown in Panchagarh
Dr Farhana Islam from upazila health complex said, “Both of them died vbefore arrival.”
Roads turning more perilous: 10 people killed in Barishal in 24 hours
Within 24 hours of a tragic road accident that left six people dead in Barishal on Wednesday, four people have lost their lives in the same district in a collision between two vehicles.
Four people were killed and 12 others injured in a collision between a bus and a microbus on Dhaka-Barishal highway in Ujirpur upazila of Barishal on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Ruhul Amin, Abdur Rahman, Md Hasan and Nurul Amin of Gazipur district.
All the deceased were passengers of the microbus.
Also read: Bangladesh sees 7 years’ highest 398 deaths on roads during Eid journey
Ali Arshad, officer-in-charge of Ujirpur Police Station, said the accident occurred at noon when the Dhaka-bound ‘Molla Paribahan bus’ from Patuakhali rammed the Barishal-bound microbus from Dhaka at Shikarpur, leaving a man dead on the spot and 15 other people injured.
Of the injured, three died on the way to Upazila Health Complex.
Police seized the vehicles but no one was arrested in this connection.
Besides, six people were killed in another road accident occurred on the busy Dhaka-Kuakata highway Wednesday noon.
Alauddin Milon, officer-in-charge of Bakerganj Police Station, said the accident occurred when the Barishal-bound bus hit a three-wheeler in the upazila, leaving four of its passengers dead on the spot and three others injured.
The three injured of the same family were sent to SBMCH where Sathi Akther succumbed to her injuries Thursday morning and her child Farhana died in the afternoon.
Road accidents in Bangladesh
As many as 524 people including 73 children were killed and 821 others injured in 467 road accidents across the country in June.
Of these, 204 people died in motorbike accidents alone during this period, which is 38.93% of the total fatalities, the Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released on July 4.
Besides, 107 pedestrians, 86 drivers and their assistants were killed in the accidents .
Meanwhile, Bangladesh witnessed 398 deaths on roads in 319 accidents in just 15 days during journeys before and after Eid-ul-Azha this year.
Also read: Barishal road crash: Death toll climbs to 6
The accidents and deaths recorded on Bangladesh roads during Eid-ul-Azha were highest in the last 7 years, according to a report prepared by Jatri Kalyan Samiti, a passenger welfare organization.
Barishal road crash: Death toll climbs to 6
The death toll from Wednesday's accident on the busy Dhaka-Kuakata highway rose to six on Thursday, with two more passengers of the ill-fated three-wheeler succumbing to their injuries at Barishal Hospital in the past 24 hours.
The deceased were identified as Sathi Aktar, and her one-year-old daughter Farhana, residents of Bagdha union of the district.
The deceased’s family said Sathi’s husband Faisal Hossain is also battling for his life at Sher-e-bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) after sustaining serious injuries in the fatal accident, in which a speeding bus crashed into their battery-run three-wheeler.
Read:Four killed in Barishal road accident
Alauddin Milon, officer-in-charge of Bakerganj Police Station, said the accident occurred on Wednesday when the Barishal-bound bus hit the three-wheeler at high speed in the upazila, leaving four of its occupants dead on the spot and three others injured.
The three injured of the same family were sent to SBMCH, where Sathi succumbed to her injuries, said Dr Rezaul Karim Sikder, of the emergency department of the hospital.
The child died of her injuries at the hospital later in the afternoon, he added.
Meanwhile, a three-member probe committee has been formed and directed to submit its report within seven working days, Barishal District Commissioner Jasim Uddin Haider said.