United News of Bangladesh

A two-year-old boy, Sajid, who fell into an abandoned deep well in Tanore upazila, Rajshahi, has not survived the 32-hour ordeal, as the Fire Service mounted a painstaking operation to hopefully rescue him. He was retrieved in a lifeless state around 9pm on Thursday (December 11, 2025), and the hope was that doctors at the nearest hospital could revive him. Although Sajid was immediately taken to the Tanore Upazila Health Complex for medical examination, doctors there declared him dead. Lt. Colonel Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Director of Operations at the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that Sajid was found unconscious upon rescue, prompting his transfer to the hospital for urgent medical care. Despite efforts to revive him, doctors confirmed his death after thorough examination. Read more: Rajshahi rescue teams race to save toddler Sajid from deep tube-well It all started around 1:00 pm on Wednesday when Sajid fell approximately 30–35 feet into the open mouth of a well in Koelhat village while walking behind his mother, Runa Khatun, who was holding his elder sibling. Rescue operations began at 1:45 pm after locals alerted the Fire Service. Sajid’s mother described the frightening moment: “Suddenly, Sajid called out ‘Ma, Ma.’ When I turned, I saw him fall into a hole covered with straw. He slipped further down before anyone could reach him.” Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night and following day, carefully excavating the well and supplying oxygen to keep the child alive. Authorities and locals monitored the operation, which concluded successfully late Thursday evening. Read more: Two-year-old child trapped in deep well in Rajshahi not rescued after 10 hours The boy is now receiving medical care, and officials said his condition will be closely observed.

Anxiety has further gripped Tanore upazila as rescuers continue the desperate search for two-year-old Sajid, who slipped into an abandoned deep tube-well pipe over 24 hours ago. Fire Service teams have already dug down 42 feet, but the boy has not yet been found. Officials say they are prepared to dig even deeper, determined to reach him. A special camera was lowered into the pipe but became stuck around 35 feet but Sajid’s presence could not be detected, they said. Oxygen has been continuously supplied into the pipe since Wednesday afternoon and rescuers are exploring several strategies to trace Sajid’s exact position, said witnesses. Rajshahi Fire Service Assistant Director Didarul Alam said the initial rescue was slowed because soil had already fallen into the pipe during villagers’ early attempts. A Rajshahi village holds its breath as little Sajid remains trapped underground “We have supplied oxygen from the beginning. We dug 40 to 42 feet but still could not locate him. We may need to go deeper. If this approach fails, we will adopt alternative methods,” he said. Fire Service personnel said the toddler might have slipped further down possibly beyond 40 feet. Tanore Police Station officer-in-charge Shahinuzzaman said three Fire Service units, assisted by the Army, police and upazila administration, have been working non-stop. “The operation hasn’t ended. The digging continues,” he added. The tragedy unfolded around 1pm on Wednesday in Koelhat village of Pachandar union where the child had been walking with his mother Runa Khatun. Read more: Toddler killed in Cumilla by Land Ministry official's vehicle Runa recounted the moment everything changed. “I was holding his hand while carrying my younger child. Suddenly he called out ‘Ma!’ When I turned, he was gone,” she said, trembling. “I heard him calling out from inside the pipe.”

A day after he went missing, police recovered the floating body of a man from the Baroni River in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi. The body was found near Tata Brickyard in the Hasnipur area of the upazila on Thursday evening, police said. The deceased Nazmul Haque (35) was identified as the son of Afzal Hossain of Hasnipur village in Ganipur union. He was a mason by profession. BNP factional clash in Rajshahi leaves 10 injured Nazmul's family said that he left his house on Wednesday afternoon, saying that he was going to Hasnipur market. Since then he had been missing. On Thursday evening, workers of the local Tata Brickyard saw a body floating. Nazmul's father went to the spot and identified his son's body at around 8 pm. Bagmara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Touhidul Islam said, "After the body was recovered from the river, a post-mortem report was prepared and the body was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Initially, an accidental death case was registered at the police station. The real cause of death will be known after receiving the autopsy report."  

At least 10 people were reportedly injured in a clash between two rival factions of the BNP in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi on Wednesday night, over establishing supremacy in the area and a dispute centring a tender on a local pond. During the clash, a local BNP office was vandalised and set on fire, along with three motorcycles, according to police and local sources on Thursday. Puthia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Kabir Hossain said tensions had been brewing since the afternoon over the tender issue. “By evening, both groups brought out processions and demonstrations wielding locally made weapons, which soon escalated into a violent clash,” the OC said. He added that the situation is now under control, with law enforcement agencies patrolling the area to prevent further unrest. Locals said police initially failed to bring the situation under control, prompting the army to intervene and restore order and at least 10 people were injured in the clash. One killed, 15 injured in clash between two groups in Brahmanbaria Azizul Haque, a businessman at Puthia Bazar, said, “The clash went on for over two hours. The situation calmed down only after the army arrived. Fire service officials later brought the fire at the BNP office under control.” OC Kabir Hossain said that additional police and army personnel remain deployed at the scene and legal proceedings are underway.      

A coach of the Banalata Express, operating on the Chapainawabganj–Dhaka route, derailed near Rajshahi Railway Station on Monday morning, causing the suspension of train services on the route. The incident occurred at around 7:00am, railway officials said. According to them, there were no casualties in the incident. They said the Banalata Express had departed Chapainawabganj earlier in the morning en route to Dhaka. As the train was approaching the Rajshahi Railway Station, one of its wheels broke, causing the coach to derail. Passengers on board reported hearing a loud noise just as the train neared the platform. “A loud bang was heard, and then it was evident that one of the coach wheels had broken and gone off the track,” said one of the passengers. PBI arrests man for reportedly killing mother-in-law Following the derailment, passengers disembarked from the train safely. Rajshahi Railway Station Manager Shahidul Islam said all the train operations on the Chapainawabganj–Rajshahi route have been suspended due to the derailment. Efforts are currently underway to recover the derailed coach.      

Two people were killed when a moving train dragged their motorbike while they were attempting to cross a level crossing in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi on Wednesday evening. The deceased were identified as Mizanur Rahman, 33, and Zahurul Islam, 35, both residents of Chandpur Bazar in Natore Sadar upazila. Faisal Bin Ahsan, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police (GRP) in Rajshahi, said the accident occurred at Belpukur level crossing just before the arrival of the Panchagarh-bound Banglabandha Express from Rajshahi around 5:45 pm. Krishak Dal leader hacked to death in Sitakunda “An iron bar had been lowered at the crossing as the train approached, but the duo attempted to cross the tracks on their motorbike. The train hit the bike and dragged it away, killing both men on the spot," he said. The bodies were handed over to their families after the completion of legal procedures. An unnatural death case was filed in this connection, the OC added.

Two individuals were killed in separate clashes between rival factions of the BNP in Tanore upazila and Rajshahi city. In Tanore upazila, BNP activist Ganiul Islam (50) was killed after sustaining critical injuries during a clash over welcoming the chief guest at an iftar event on Wednesday. He passed away while undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) at around 3:30 pm. Tanore Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Afzal Hossain said, "There was a clash over the iftar programme. We have received news of Ganiul's death. The family has been advised to lodge a complaint, and legal action will follow upon receiving it." The clash took place on Tuesday evening in the Krishnapur area. Local sources said the iftar event was organised by the BNP union, with Maj Gen (retd) Sharif Uddin, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, attending as the chief guest. Supporters of the current union BNP president, Mujibur Rahman, gathered to welcome him but faced opposition from supporters of the Momin group. The confrontation escalated into a violent clash, resulting in serious injuries to Ganiul. RMCH spokesperson Dr Shankar K Biswas said that Ganiul was admitted with severe injuries to multiple parts of his body, and his condition was critical. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries in the ICU. In a separate incident, rickshaw-puller Golam Hossain Rocky (48) died after being stabbed during a clash between two BNP factions in Rajshahi city. He passed away while receiving treatment in the ICU of RMCH around 7:30 pm on Tuesday. Chhatra Dal activist stabbed to death in N’ganj Dr Shankar K Biswas said Golam was stabbed in the chest and also sustained a head injury. "He did not regain consciousness after the incident and later died in the evening," he said. According to witnesses, Golam was walking home on the night of March 7 in the Darikharbona area of the city, leaving his rickshaw behind, when he was mistakenly attacked by a BNP group who thought he belonged to a rival faction. Mostaq Hasan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Boalia Police Station in Rajshahi city, said, "I have heard that he (Golam) has died. Legal action will be taken if a complaint is received."

Two men were killed in a head-on collision between motorcycle and truck in Rajshahi. The accident occurred around 3:30 pm on Saturday on the Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj road in the Muraripur area under Damkura Police Station. Construction worker dies after falling from building in Dhaka’s Airport area The deceased were identified as Shamim Osman (28), son of Manik Ali, and Saddam Ali (30), son of Sentu Ali—both from Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj. According to police and eyewitnesses, the motorcycle collided with a Rajshahi-bound truck coming from the opposite direction, killing both riders on the spot. Upon receiving the news, police arrived at the scene, recovered the bodies, and seized the truck, which was carrying stones. Construction worker dies after falling from Kamalapur metro rail station Robiul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Damkura Police Station, said, “The bodies have been recovered. The truck driver fled the scene, but the truck has been seized. Legal proceedings are underway.

More than 50 students and guardians of Thanapara Swallowge Primary School in Rajshahi’s Charghat Upazila have fallen ill due to suspected food poisoning after consuming picnic food. A total of 52 individuals have been admitted to Charghat Upazila Health Complex since Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, according to hospital sources. Charghat Upazila Health Officer Dr Toufiq Reza said that the patients suffered from food poisoning. "Doctors, including paediatricians, are closely monitoring their condition, and they are now recovering," he said. School principal Amitabh Newaz said that 180 students and guardians participated in a school picnic at Safina Park in Godagari Upazila on Sunday. The food for the event was cooked at the school, packed, and taken to the location. Students besiege Naogaon Sadar Hospital over irregularities "Lunch was served around 2pm, and after returning home in the evening, many began experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting. As their condition worsened from Monday afternoon, they were taken to the hospital," said the principal. He added that the food was prepared and served properly, and he was unsure how food poisoning occurred. His own daughter is among those hospitalised.

Train communication between Rajshahi and the rest of the country was restored on Monday morning, four and a half hours after a bogie of the Titumir Express derailed near Sardah Station, disrupting services. Moyen Uddin, the manager of Rajshahi Railway Station, confirmed that train operations resumed around 11 am after the derailed bogie was successfully removed. The derailed Titumir Express continued its journey to Chilahati in Nilphamari after the track was repaired, he said. Read: Derailment in Gazipur halts rail communication with northern Bangladesh The derailment occurred shortly after the Chilahati-bound train left Rajshahi Station at 6:20 am. Mamunul Islam, general manager of the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway, said that the last of the train's 10 bogies went off the tracks near Sardah Station after crossing the Belpukur area. The disruption caused delays to three trains.