United News of Bangladesh

A shopkeeper was hacked to death following an argument over a juice purchase in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday morning. The deceased was identified as Mujahid Mollah, 40, son of Sarowar Jahan Mollah of Hijla village. He was reportedly the president of ward No. 3 unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Police arrested one person in connection with the incident. The arrestee – Bayezid Ijaradar, 35, is also a resident of the same village. According to locals, Bayezid went to Mujahid’s shop at the village in the morning and bought a bottle of juice. After taking the juice in hand, he allegedly complained that it was not good. Mujahid then tasted the juice himself and insisted that it was fine. An argument soon broke out between the two. At one stage, Bayezid allegedly attacked Mujahid with a sharp weapon around 7:30am, leaving him critically injured. Officer-in-Charge Nazrul Islam of Chitalmari Police Station said locals rescued Mujahid and took him to Chitalmari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. They also caught Bayezid after the incident and handed him over to police, he said. Police visited the scene and sent the body to the 250-bed Bagerhat District Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Four people were killed and two others injured as a sand-laden truck crashed into a CNG-run autorickshaw at Montalat Samitighar in Muktagachha upazila of Mymensingh district on Monday. The identities of the deceased and injured could not be confirmed immediately. All of the victims were passengers of the CNG auto-rickshaw, said Muktagachha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Kamrul Hasan. According to police and locals, the speeding sand-laden truck coming from the opposite rammed the autorickshaw around 12 pm, leaving thee female passengers dead on the spot and three others seriously injured. The CNG-run autorickshaw was severely mangled while the truck overturned on the road. The injured were rescued and taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where another victim succumbed to injuries. Police later reached the scene and recovered the bodies. Such accidents are often caused by overspeeding and reckless overtaking, said the OC.

An elderly woman was hacked to death allegedly by her grandson for refusal to transfer land to him in Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Ayesha Khatun, 70, of Jatia village under Bhaitkandi union of the upazila. Police arrested the accused – Jasim Uddin, son of late Mohidul Islam – over the incident. According to police and locals, Ayesha had been living alone after being separated from her husband many years ago. Her only son died shortly after Jasim’s birth, and Jasim’s mother married another person. However, she also passed away. Ayesha raised Jasim from childhood. Growing as an adult, Jasim got married and built a house a short distance away, where he lived with his wife and two children. However, following a recent family dispute, his wife left him, forcing him to live alone. Locals said Ayesha owned a piece of land, part of which Jasim used for cultivation. Suspecting that Ayesha’s nephews might claim a share of the property, Jasim had been pressuring his grandmother to transfer the land to him, leading to a conflict between them. Around 9:00pm on Wednesday, an argument broke out between them when Jasim again demanded that Ayesha sign over the land deed. At one point, he allegedly hacked her with a sharp weapon, killing her on the spot. Locals caught Jasim and informed the police. Law enforcers later rushed in and arrested him, said Sub-Inspector Azizul Haque of Phulpur Police Station. He said they also recovered the body and sent it Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy . 

A 35-year-old woman was killed and her son injured in an attack by some miscreants at Shibpur in Sadar upazila of Bhola district early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Nasima Begum, second wife of Al Amin, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Dubai while the injured was Abir, 8. Md Ibrahim, additional superintendent of Bhola Police, said a group of miscreants entered the house of Al Amin through the ventilator of the washroom at the dead of night. Later they hit Nasima and Abir with sharp weapons, leaving Nasima dead on the spot and Abir wounded. Hearing screams from Abir, local people rushed in and rescued Abir. He was taken to Bhola Sadar Hospital. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to local hospital morgue for autopsy. Police arrested a suspect, Md Zihad, from the area.              

Two people were killed and three others injured when a truck rammed into a battery-run auto-rickshaw on the Dhaka-Kuakata highway in Amtoli upazila of Barguna district on Tuesday night. The deceased were identified as Md Belal, 35, and Shaon, 35. The accident occurred around 8:30 pm in front of the Amtoli Fire Service Station when the truck crashed into the Mahishkata-bound battery-run auto-rickshaw carrying five passengers, leaving them injured. The injured were taken to Amtoli Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Belal dead and referred Shaon to Patuakhali Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries after being admitted.

Two farmers died and four others were injured in lightning strikes at  Kharibaria village of Shailkupa upazila on Saturday afternoon. The deceased were Apu Biswas ,20, son of Prakash Biswas of Kharibaria, and Shushil Biswas 40, son of Sushil Biswas of Laxmipur village. The four injured farmers were immediately taken to Shailkupa Upazila Health Complex for treatment. Shailkupa police station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir Molla said the victims were working in the field when lightning struck them. Dr. Ehtesham Shahid, a physician of the hospital, said the injured suffered severe burns.

A 25-year-old man suffered burn injuries in an explosion allegedly while making crude bombs at Nilfa Bazar in Tungipara upazila of Gopalganj district on Monday. The injured was identified as Matiur Rahman of the area. Sarwar Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Gopalganj Police, said an explosion occurred at the house of Matiur on Monday evening, leaving him injured. Later, local people took him to Gopalganj Medical College and Hospital. Family members of Matiur claimed he suffered burn injuries while making firecrackers for a wedding programme. Asim Kumar Dhar, a physician at Gopalganj Medical College Hospital, said the nature of the injuries did not appear consistent with a firecrackers explosion. An investigation into the incident is underway, said police.

A housewife was killed and at least 10 persons were injured in an armed clash between two BNP-backed groups over local dominance in Sujanagar upazila of Pabna On Monday.The incident occurred around 8:00 am on Monday in Vitbila Westpara village of Manikhat Union. The deceased, China Khatun, 40, was the wife of Shukur Ali of the same village.Sujanagar Circle’s Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sadik Ahmed, confirmed the death to UNB.According to police and local sources, the conflict had been ongoing between one group group led by Rafiul Islam Raja, former president of the Hatkhali Union Chhatra Dal, and another led by Islam Pramanik from Vitbila village. Late Sunday night, a fight broke out between members of the two groups, escalating tensions.On Monday morning, members of the Islam Pramanik group gathered with sticks and rods in the area. In response, Raja’s group allegedly attacked them with weapons and gunfire, also vandalizing homes. China Khatun was shot dead on the spot, while 8–10 others were seriously injured and admitted to Sujanagar Upazila Health Complex and Pabna General Hospital.Islam Pramanik said his nephew, Farhad, a supporter of the Awami League, was beaten by Raja’s group the previous night. When he went to mediate, Raja’s group attacked him as well, he alleged.Later, the villagers decided to hold talks with elders to resolve the dispute. However, Raja’s group returned in the morning with weapons and attacked the villagers, leading to the fatality and injuries, according to Pramanik.Raja, when contacted, denied involvement and said he was attending a relative’s wedding at the time, claiming he had heard that China Khatun died of a stroke.Former ward member Habibur Rahman said both groups are BNP supporters and that the conflict had escalated after clashes between youths from the two areas.ASP Sadik Ahmed said police rushed to the scene to control the situation. The body was recovered and sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy, and investigations into the motive and details of the attack are ongoing.

Two people, including a woman, were killed and at least 15 others injured when a passenger bus hit two auto-rickshaws in Bhaluka on Friday afternoon. The accident occurred in front of Tafrid Cotton Mill in the Club Bazar area on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. According to police and local sources, a bus coming from Dhaka lost control in the area and rammed into a battery-run auto-rickshaw and a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw. A woman died on the spot as the CNG auto-rickshaw was mangled in the crash. At least 15 passengers of the bus and the auto-rickshaws were injured. Another person succumbed to injuries on the way to Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex. The injured were taken to the same health complex for treatment. Senior Station Officer of Bhaluka Fire Service, Atiqur Rahman, said the deceased included a man and a woman, though their identities are yet to be confirmed.

Police have arrested a woman for allegedly killing her mother-in-law in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj. The deceased was identified as Ferdousi Islam Chowdhury, 53, wife of the late Sirajul Islam Chowdhury. Her son, Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, is an expatriate living in Dubai. Ferdousi had been living at the house with her daughter-in-law Tamanna Akhtar, 22. Police said Ferdousi’s body was recovered from her residence on Monday morning with her hands and feet tied and her face taped. The body was later sent to Habiganj Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Police arrested victim’s daughter-in-law Tamanna Akhtar. During initial interrogation, she reportedly confessed to her involvement in the murder. Police said Tamanna had an illicit relationship with a youth from Sunamganj. On the night of the incident, the man, along with two to three accomplices, entered the house. They allegedly broke open a cupboard and looted gold ornaments and cash. When Ferdousi woke up and began to scream, the accused tied her hands and feet, taped her mouth, and later strangled her to death, police said. In this connection, the victim’s brother, Faruk Ahmed, filed a murder case against Tamanna,s alleged lover and several unidentified persons. Nabiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monayem Mia said it was a planned killing. “The main accused has been arrested and drives are underway to arrest the others involved,” he added.