United News of Bangladesh

A drug addict allegedly killed his mother with a sharp weapon after she refused to give him money to buy drugs in Rajshahi city on Saturday night. The victim was identified as Sohagi Khatun, 55, wife of Azizul Islam and mother of two sons and a daughter. After the attack, locals said, the man left her body on the street and locked himself inside his house before being arrested by police. They said the incident occurred around 9:30 pm near the old Krishi Bank in Khorkhori area of the city. According to them, the accused, Suman, demanded money from his mother for drugs.  When she refused, he stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and abdomen with a sharp chopper, killing her on the spot. Read More: Motorcycle rider killed in truck accident in Sylhet After the incident, Suman returned home and locked the door from inside. Neighbours later informed police, who arrived at the scene and arrested him. Police recovered the body and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Neighbour Mozammel Haque said Suman had long been a drug addict and was involved in petty theft. He often carried a chopper or a spade, he added. Chandrimma Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said the accused is being interrogated and legal action is underway.

Police recovered the body of a female student of Rajshahi University (RU) hanging from the ceiling of a house adjacent to the university area in Meherchandi of Rajshahi on Friday. The deceased was identified as Zobaida Islam Ety, a student of the Department of Social Work. Manirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Chandrima Police Station, said Zobaida had been living in a rented house in the area. Motorcycle rider killed in truck accident in Sylhet Zobaida was found hanging from the ceiling of her room on Friday evening and was later taken to the emergency department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead, said RU Proctor Mahbubur Rahman. Police suspected that Ety might have committed suicide. An investigation is underway in this regard, the OC said.

One person was killed in a head-on collision between an engine-driven human hauler and a battery-operated auto-rickshaw in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi on Friday. The accident occurred around 12:00 pm on the Puthia-Taherpur regional road in front of Dhopapara Mohanpur Madrasa. The deceased was identified as Robiul Islam, 28, son of Abdur Rahman. He was an auto-rickshaw driver from Ramkrishnapur Digha village of Naldanga upazila in Natore district. According to local sources, Robiul Islam was traveling from Puthia to Taherpur when his auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a cattle-loaded human hauler coming from the opposite direction. The rickshaw was badly damaged, and Robiul suffered severe head injuries. He was rescued in critical condition and admitted to Puthia Upazila Health Complex, where he died during treatment. Police have seized the human hauler, but the driver escaped. University student, 2 others killed in Rajshahi road crash Faridul Islam, officer-in-charge of Puthia Police Station, confirmed the incident and said no written complaint has been filed yet. “Since no complaint was filed, the body was handed over to the family”, he added.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday called on the interim government to carry out a fair and thorough investigation into the recent incident in Sherpur, stressing that his party seeks peace, not conflict. “We believe in peace. If there is peace, we will be able to implement what we promise. We do not want to get into quarrels or disputes,” he said while addressing an election rally at the Rajshahi Madrasa Ground in the afternoon. Tarique said he is not criticising anyone while standing on the stage at the rally, as criticism will not fill people’s stomachs, create jobs, or waive their agricultural loans. In an oblique reference to the clash between BNP and Jamaat activists that left one person dead, he said, “If any unwarranted incident occurs anywhere, it is the responsibility of the interim government to conduct a proper investigation.” “If any BNP member is found involved, we will fully cooperate with the investigation. If the investigation is done properly, justice must be ensured according to the country’s laws,” the BNP Chief said. Tarique said people of all religions — Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians — want to live peacefully in this country. Tarique reaches Rajshahi to launch fourth phase of BNP campaign “In 1971, we did not see who belonged to which religion. On August 5, 2024, we also did not see religion. Now is the time to build the country and protect our freedom. We do not want to see religion — we want to see people, we want to see Bangladeshis. We will stand with all those who believe in democracy,” he said. Tarique said if the BNP’s electoral symbol sheaf of paddy wins on February 12, a people’s victory march will begin across the country from February 13. “That is why I always say that we will work, we will build the country and Bangladesh first.” The BNP chairman said that if BNP comes to power, it will waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 including interest and take steps to build a barrage over the Padma River. “Rajshahi reminds us of Padma. Sadly, whether it is the Padma, Teesta or Brahmaputra, there is no water. The canals connected to the Padma are also dry. We need water in our rivers,” Tarique said.

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.