Rajshahi
DSA case: Rajshahi Katakhali mayor put on 3-day remand
A Rajshahi court on Monday placed the mayor of Rajshahi's Katakhali Municipality Abbas Ali on a three-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Judge of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Magistrate Court-2 Shankar Kumar passed the order when sub-inspector Shahabul Islam, also the investigating officer of the case, produced him before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.
READ: Child dies hit by bus in Rajshahi
The court also rejected the bail petition of Abbas.
Advocate Pervez Toufik Zihadi stood for the mayor while Advocate Aslam Sarkar, Mozaffar Hossain and Musabbirul Islam represented the petitioner.
On December 1, Abbas Ali, was detained by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from a hotel in Dhaka.
The detention comes days after he was booked under the Digital Security Act (DSA) over his alleged derogatory remarks on Bangabandhu and announcement to stop the construction of a mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmna in the city.
A RAB team conducted a drive at Razmoni Ishakha hotel in Dhaka and detained Abbas.
Mayor Abbas, in his second term as mayor, came under fire after an audio clip of his remarks on Bangabandhu went viral on social media recently.
READ: Rangpur & Rajshahi may see drizzle in next 24 hours
"The Katakhali city gate will be built soon but the private contractor has submitted a design of Bangabandhu's mural to be installed at the gate," Abbas was heard as saying in the clip.
"It will be a sin if I allow construction of Bangabandhu's mural... it is not right as per the Islamic Shariah laws."
Abdul Momin, councillor of ward no 13 of Katakhali Municipality, lodged a complaint against Abbas under the Digital Security Act (DSA) at the Boalia police station, following which an FIR (first information report) was filed on that day.
Police arrested Liton, the personal assistant of Abbas, and following his confessional statement, cops came to know about the whereabouts of Abbas.
Child dies hit by bus in Rajshahi
A child on Friday was killed after a passenger bus hit him while he was crossing a road in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila, police said.
The incident occurred at around 10 am on the Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway at Jamdani intersection.
The child was identified as Tawfiq, 5, son of Md. Babu in Charghat area of Bagha upazila.
Read: Tajik engineer killed in Pabna accident
Witnesses said Tawfiq was going to his grandfather's house in Jamdani village with his mother. His mother was paying the auto rickshaw fare at the Jamdani junction. While the child was crossing the road all by himself, he was hit by a Dhaka-bound Grameen Travels bus from Chapainawabganj and died on the spot.
Godagari Model Police officer-in-charge (OC) Kamrul Islam said the bus was stopped by locals at Baslitala area and later handed over to the police.
The OC said necessary action would be taken if any complaint was received from the child's family.
Rangpur & Rajshahi may see drizzle in next 24 hours
Some places in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions are likely to witness drizzle in the next 24 hours. The prediction has come from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
According to the Met office regular bulletin, “Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky over the country, having chances of drizzle at one or two places over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.”
The depression over coastal Tamil Nadu in southern India and adjoining areas moved west-northwestwards, weakened into a well-marked low first and then into a low and became unimportant. The trough of low lies over Northwest Bay.
READ: Light rain or drizzle likely in six divisions
Night temperature may rise slightly but day temperature is likely to remain nearly unchanged over the country.
According to the weather report, the lowest temperature was recorded at 13.6 degrees in Srimangal on Saturday.
READ: Drizzle disrupts city life
Child drowns in Rajshahi
A one-and-a- half year old baby girl drowned in a pond at Gochha village in Mohonpur upazila on Sunday morning.
The deceased was identified as Orin Afroz, daughter of Mosharraf Ali of the village.
Read:Drowning kills 2.5 million people in last decade: WHO
Locals said Orin came out of home at one stage of playing and slipped into the pond.
Later, her floating body was recovered from the pond.
Tauhidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Mohonpur Police Station, said an unnatural death case was filed in this regard.
Files missing from Health Ministry: Man held in Rajshahi
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) members detained a man from Keshabpur in Rajshahi city on Monday night in connection with the missing of 17 files from the Health Ministry.
The arrestee is Nasimul Goni Toton, a contractor of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Read:5 to die for killing college student in Rajshahi
A team of CID conducted a drive at the house of Toton and detained him for interrogation, said special superintendent of police Abdul Jalil.
Earlier, 17 files of the Health Ministry went missing from the ministry’s Health, Education and Family Welfare division on October 28.
The Health Ministry formed a three-member probe body in connection with the missing the files on October 30.
Read: ‘Drug peddler’ held with 1.9 kg heroin in Rajshahi
Shah Alam, additional secretary (administration) of Health, Education and Family Welfare division, was made the chief of the probe body, said Shahadat Hossain, additional secretary to Health, Education and Family Welfare division.
A general diary was lodged with Shahabagh Police Station.
Train hits truck stranded on tracks in Pabna
An inter-city train bound for Rajshahi hit a truck stranded on the railway tracks at the Mahendrapur level crossing in Pabna Sadar upazila in the early hours of Thursday, officials said.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Read: Dhaka-Chattogram rail services hit as freight train derails in Gazipur
The accident occurred around 5am within minutes of the iron rods-laden truck getting stranded on the Pabna-Rajshahi track after crashing into the island of the crossing. The truck driver fortunately managed to get off the vehicle moments before the collision.
Western Railway Pakshi Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) Anwar Hossain said that rail communication on the Pabna-Rajshahi route was suspended for nearly three hours because of the accident.
Read:Derailment: Rail communication between Khulna and rest of the country suspended
Road communication was also suspended on the busy Pabna-Dhaka highway for about three hours, officials said.
"Train communication resumed only after the damaged engine of the ill-fated train was replaced with one brought from the Ishwardi locomotive factory, the DTO said.
Rajshahi 'to own' Fazli mangoes
The country's northwestern Rajshahi region is known for its delicious mangoes.
This time mango's bond with Rajshahi has become stronger as the Fazli variety has been recognised as a unique product of Rajshahi and given the geographical indication (GI) tag.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
Now the Fazli mango will be registered internationally as "Fazli Mango of Rajshahi."
Read: Russia keen to import mangoes from Bangladesh, says its envoy
5 to die for killing college student in Rajshahi
A Rajshahi court on Tuesday sentenced five people to death for killing a college student in 2010.
The condemned convicts are—Azizur Rahman, Sazzad Hossain Saju, Rinku of Darikharbona of Rajshahi city, Ismail Hossain of Brambhapur village in Durgapur upazila and Mahbubur Rashid Rentu of Bagmara upazila.
The court also fined them Tk 10,000 each.
Read: One to die, 5 get different jail terms for carrying cocaine in Khulna
According to the prosecution, victim Raju Ahmed, a HSC examinee of Durgapur Daudkandi Degree College and son of Esar Uddin of Hasnipur village in Bagmara upazila, and Rentu had been at loggerheads over a piece of land. Raju also had a jewelry shop in the area.
As a sequel to the enmity, Rentu demanded Tk 50,000 from Raju as extortion. Being refused, Rentu along with his associates vandalized his shop.
Later, Raju lodged a complaint with Bagmara police.
Read: Man to die for killing wife in Khulna
Angered by the incident, Rentu threatened Raju and hired four people for killing him at a cost of Tk 30,000.
On March 15, 2010, the convicts stabbed Raju to death the in city’s New Market area. A case was filed the following day.
After examining the records and witnesses, Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Anup Kumar handed down the verdict and acquitted nine people as allegations brought against them could not be proved.
‘Drug peddler’ held with 1.9 kg heroin in Rajshahi
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have arrested a suspected drug peddler along with 1.9 kgs of heroin from Basudebpur-Sluicegate Bridge area in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi.
The arrestee is Selim Reza, 42, son of late Rafiqul Islam of Joragachhi Bottolahat area of Chapainawabganj Sadar.
Read: 5 Rohingyas held with arms and drugs in Ukhia
According to Rab, tipped off, members of Rab-5 of Chapainawabganj camp arrested Selim Reza conducting a drive on the Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway in the upazila around 8pm.
Rab members also seized the heroin worth Tk 1.90 crore concealed in a bag.
During interrogation Selim reportedly confessed that he has been involved in drug dealing for a long time.
Read:Two held with Tk 10cr drugs in Chattogram
Company commander of Rab Major Sanaria Chowdhury said a case has been filed with Godagari Model Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act.
IBBL Rajshahi holds clients' get-together
Rajshahi Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) organised clients' get-together at a local hotel Friday.
Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and CEO of the bank, addressed the programme as chief guest.
Muhammad Qaisar Ali, additional managing director, JQM Habibullah, deputy managing director, and Miftah Uddin, executive vice-president of the bank, addressed the programme as special guests.
Read: IBBL Shari'ah Supervisory Committee meeting held
Md Mizanur Rahman Mizi, head of Rajshahi Zone, presided over the programme. Also, Munshi Rezaur Rashid, head of the Rajshahi branch, spoke at it.
Md Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Aman Group, Anup Kumar Saha, chief operating officer of Nabil Group, Md Sazzad Hossain, director of Sopura Silk, Md Emdad Hossain, chairman of Seven Star Fish Processing Company, and Md Akbar Hossain, managing director of Nawab Auto Rice and Feed Mill, spoke at the programme on behalf of the clients, according to a media statement.