United News of Bangladesh

A government project aimed at providing training and rehabilitation for destitute children remains incomplete more than three years after its original deadline, prompting authorities to seek yet another extension for its completion. The government has moved to extend the implementation period of the project titled “Reconstruction of Destitute Children Training and Rehabilitation Centre, Konabari, Gazipur (1st Revised)” for the fourth time, pushing the deadline to June 2026 without increasing the project cost. Gazipur Agricultural University to receive major upgrade worth Tk 567cr The initiative, undertaken by the Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Welfare, is part of the government’s social protection efforts and is fully financed by the government. The project seeks to ensure the constitutional rights of destitute children by providing a safe, child-friendly living environment along with education, care and skills training so they can become self-reliant and eventually integrate into mainstream society. Initially approved in July 2019 with a budget of Tk 81.66 crore, the project’s cost was later revised upward to Tk 92.23 crore under its first revision. The original completion deadline was set for June 2022. However, the timeline has been extended multiple times — first to June 2023, then to June 2024 and later to June 2025 — all without any additional financial allocation. Officials say the latest proposal would grant another year to complete the remaining work while keeping the overall cost unchanged. It involves reconstruction of the existing training and rehabilitation centre, construction of new facilities and creation of a supportive environment for vulnerable children. Planned activities include construction of non-residential buildings, procurement of machinery and equipment, and purchase of furniture for dormitories and guest rooms. Authorities attribute the repeated delays to a combination of factors, including the lengthy process of appointing a consultancy firm, revisions to the master plan, recruitment of manpower and procedural delays linked to demolition of old structures and tree cutting. These issues delayed the start of physical construction works. Despite the setbacks, officials say notable progress has been achieved. Civil works procurement was completed through three packages, with work orders worth about Tk 71.81 crore issued — representing nearly 88 percent of the total project cost. Construction activities are currently underway and overall implementation progress has reached around 80 percent, according to official estimates. However, officials noted that physical work stalled for a period due to prevailing circumstances. The project also did not receive any allocation under the Annual Development Programme for the 2024–25 fiscal year, preventing any expenditure between July 2024 and March 2025. Funding was restored only in April 2025 through the Revised ADP. Officials say the lack of funding during that period made it impossible to complete the remaining work by the June 2025 deadline or to fully utilise the allocation within the existing timeline. The project has now been included in the ADP for the 2025–26 fiscal year with a token allocation of Tk 0.01 crore. As of October 2025, cumulative expenditure stood at Tk 77.32 crore, indicating financial progress of 83.83 percent and physical progress of about 85 percent. Officials expressed hope that the additional time would allow completion of the remaining work and enable the centre to begin providing full training and rehabilitation services to destitute children as originally planned.

Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Sunday said no canal excavation project would be halted under pressure from influential quarters, as allegedly occurred during previous unelected administrations. “The government led by Tarique Rahman will not suspend canal excavation projects in the face of any obstacles,” he told reporters while visiting the historic Choukkar Canal in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur. The minister said the Choukkar Canal was originally excavated during the presidency of Ziaur Rahman and emphasised the government’s commitment to restoring and protecting the country’s waterways. Canals to be reclaimed from illegal occupants: Water Resources Minister State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, who accompanied him, said legal action would be taken against industries and individuals responsible for encroaching on canals and rivers. During the visit, environmental activists campaigning for canal protection submitted a memorandum to the minister, urging stronger enforcement measures to safeguard natural water bodies. The minister later inspected the Lablong Canal as part of his tour of the area.

Police recovered the burnt body of a young man in Brindabon area of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur on Saturday. Locals spotted the body along the Bormi-MC Bazar road in the morning. The identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed. Witnesses said the victim’s body was burned and had a rope tied around the neck. ASI Ruhul Kaiyum of Sreepur Police Station said on information police recovered the burnt body. After collecting evidences, the body was sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, he said.

A railway police officer was injured after being hit by a train at Joydebpur Rail Station in Gazipur district on Thursday. The injured was identified as sub-inspector Habib. Md Kaiyum Ali, officer-in-charge of Joydebpur Railway Police Outpost said, the accident took place on line No. 4 at Joydebpur Railway Station when a train hit SI Habib while he was talking on his mobile phone and walking along the railway track, leaving him injured. His right arm and right leg were severed during the accident, said OC. He was first taken to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

A fire that broke out at a jhut godown in the Ambagh area under Konabari area of Gazipur on Friday night was brought under control about one and a half hours later. Md. Mamun, assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service, said the blaze started around 7:30pm. Five firefighting units were deployed to the scene to control the fire and was brought under control about one and a half hours later. 18 injured in gas balloon blast during electioneering in Gazipur The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Authorities are set to assess the full extent of the damage  

A man was hacked to death by miscreants in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur late last night. The victim was identified as Helal Uddin, 55, from Kotbazar village of Chandpur Union. The incident took place in the Kotbazar area of Chandpur. Additional Superintendent of Kapasia Circle police Md. Asaduzzaman confirmed this incident. Police and local sources said Helal was returning home on his motorcycle from a market when miscreants, who were lying in wait in a nearby litchi orchard, blocked his way, and attacked him with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. Read More: 3 sentenced to death in Feni schoolboy killing case He was rushed to Dhaka for treatment but died on the way. Police, after visiting the spot, said the killing might have occurred due to a previous enmity. A blood-stained shovel was recovered from the scene as evidence. Police also said the body was recovered and sent to the morgue of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Diploma engineers and students blocked railway tracks and roads in Gazipur on Saturday to protest the 33 percent quota for BSc engineers in the recruitment of sub-assistant engineers and to press their five-point demands. The protest disrupted train services to northern districts when demonstrators stopped the Silk City Express at the West Bhurulia rail gate. Protesters sat on the train and the tracks, chanting slogans for their demands. Earlier, they gathered at the Mist More area in Bhurulia, marched along Shimultoli Road, and reached the rail gate. They also blocked Gazipur-Shimultoli Road and the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, causing traffic disruption. Consensus committee formed over demands of BSc, diploma engineers The demonstration was organized under the banner of the Diploma Engineers Welfare Foundation. Leaders including Ishak Piku and Saiful Islam Shuvo highlighted their demands and vowed to continue the movement until they were met. After about two and a half hours, the protesters lifted the blockade and train services returned to normal.

A woman and ‘her’ two young children were killed on Monday after being hit by a passenger train in Gazipur district. The accident occurred around 10:30 am at Pubail Bazar-level crossing in Pubail area when an Akhaura-bound Titas commuter train hit the woman and the children, killing them on the spot, witnesses and railway officials said. The woman was identified as Hafeza Khatun Mala, daughter of Mozammel Haque of Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur district. The identities of the two minors, believed to be her children and aged about five to six, could not be immediately confirmed. Md Musa, stationmaster at Pubail Railway Station, said initial indications suggested the woman jumped in front of the train along with her children. Authorities, however, said the circumstances surrounding the deaths were still under investigation. Muggers loot Tk 24 lakh firing shots, exploding crude bombs in Gazipur Local residents later recovered a voter identification card from a bag believed to belong to the woman, police said. No further details were immediately available, and officials said the motive behind the incident remained unclear.

Muggers looted Tk 24 lakh by firing gunshots and exploding crude bombs in Basan area of Gazipur on Sunday afternoon. Witnesses said Saiful Islam, a staff of Dutch-Bangla Bank agent outlet, owned by Shafiqul Islam, was heading towards Chandona intersection around 4:00pm to deposit money at a bank. When Saiful reached in front of Kajimuddin School in the area, a group of six muggers riding motorcycles intercepted him, fired two rounds of bullelts and looted Tk 24 lakh from his possession. They also exploded several crude bombs to create panic in the area. Read More: 35 bhori gold, Tk 6 lakh looted from Joypurhat shop On information, a deputy police commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police and Basan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harun-or-Rashid visited the spot. However, no one was arrested in this connection. Police are investigating the incident, said OC.

Auto-rickshaw drivers in Shreepur of Gazipur withdrew their blockade of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway after about one and a half hours on Sunday, following police intervention. The drivers had blocked the highway in the morning, demanding legal permission to operate auto-rickshaws and an end to alleged police harassment, causing severe traffic disruption. According to police, around 200 to 250 auto-rickshaw drivers gathered in the New Market area of Shreepur and halted vehicular movement on the busy highway. The blockade led to long tailbacks, inconveniencing commuters, students and pedestrians.  Traffic movement returned to normalacy around 10:00am after police cleared the protesters from the road. Officer-in-Charge of Shreepur Police Station Md Nasir Uddin said multiple police teams were deployed to bring the situation under control. Read More: Law Adviser urges social resistance to prevent public suffering from road blockade Police worked to remove the protesters from the highway and restore normal traffic flow, he added.