death
Malaysia-bound trawler capsize: Death toll rises to 6
The death toll from Monday's Malaysia-bound trawler capsize rose to six, with the recovery of two more bodies from the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday night.
However, the identities of the two deceased, both women believed to be in their 20s, could not be ascertained immediately.
Md Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station, said that on information, they recovered one body from the Shilkhali Sea beach and another from the South Shilkhali Sea beach, respectively, on Wednesday night.
The bodies were sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for post-mortem, he said, adding that the bodies will be handed over to their families once their identities are ascertained.
Read: Trawler capsize: 29 Rohingya refugees among 33 detained en route to Malaysia
The Malaysia-bound trawler carrying over 100 Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal on Monday.
Some 45 Rohingya refugees have been rescued so far, while the bodies of five women and one child were also recovered from the sea later.
Meanwhile, police filed a case against 24 human traffickers at the local police station on Wednesday. However, none has been arrested in connection with the case.
Man killed as train hits private car in Gazipur
A businessman was killed and his driver injured when a train hit a private car at an unauthorized level crossing at Nalchata in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur district on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Sohel Hasib Khan, 50, son of Ali Azam of Fuldi village in the upazila.
Read: BGB member killed in Bhola road accident
Saiful Islam, sub-inspector of Kaliganj Police Station, said the accident occurred in the morning when the Dhaka-bound ‘Upukul Express’ train from Noakhali hit the private when it was passing the level crossing, leaving Sohel dead on the spot.
On information, police recovered the body and handed it over to his family.
Veteran journalist Toab Khan dies at 87
Veteran journalist Toab Khan, Editor of ‘Dainik Bangla’, died of old age complications at a hospital in the capital on Saturday. He was 87.
Khan, an Ekushey Padak recipient, breathed his last at the United Hospital at 12:30 pm, said Sharifuzzaman Pintu, Dainik Bangla’s Executive Editor.
Khan started his journalism career in 1953 and joined Dainik Songbad in 1955.
He was also the first Editor of ‘Dainik Bangla’ which changed its name from ‘Dainik Pakistan’ after Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
He became the Editor of ‘Dainik Bangla’ on January 14, 1972. He also served as the Press Secretary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1973-75.
Toab Khan also served as Chief Information Officer and Director General of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).
The veteran journalist also played a role as a strong voice in Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra to inspire the freedom fighters during the War of Liberation.
He also served as the Advisory Editor of daily ‘Janakantha’ and later joined as the Editor of ‘Danik Bangla’.
His body has been kept in a mortuary and decision regarding his burial place will be taken once her daughter Tania Khan returns home from abroad, said his family.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her deep shock at the death of the veteran journalist.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the death of the journalist.
In a condolence message, the President said Toab Khan was a pioneer in journalism in Bangladesh. “The void created by his death in the country's media world will never be filled.”
PM Hasina, in another message, recalled that Toab Khan, the Editor of Bengali daily ‘Dainik Bangla’, had played the role of a word hero of Swadhin Betar Kendra during the Liberation War.
She noted that the distinguished journalist served with patriotism and devotion in various fields of mass media after the independence of Bangladesh.
The prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathies to his bereaved family.
AL leader found dead in Cox's Bazar
A local Awami League leader was found dead in his own home in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam Bulbul. He was the former Vice Chairman of Chakaria Upazila and Senior Organizational Vice President of Matamuhuri Upazila Awami League.
Bulbul used to live with his wife and two daughters at their house in Chattogram's Bhoramuhuri. However, his wife and daughters are abroad now.
Read: AL unit leader murdered in Dhaka
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station Chandan Kumar Chakraborty said that Bulbul had not been seen for a few days. Finding it suspicious, he went to his house and found the door locked from the inside. Later, the police broke the door and found his body lying in his bathroom, added the OC.
No legal action was taken as the family did not file any complaint, said the OC, adding that the body has been handed over to his relatives.
SSC examinee drowns in Khulna pond
An SSC examinee who suffered from epilepsy drowned in a pond while taking a bath in Koyra upazila of Khulna on Friday.
Priya Majhi, 16, was daughter of Nitish Majhi of Khodolkati village under Moheshboripur union. She was sitting her SSC exams from a local high school this year.
Read: Two kids drown in Chandpur
Mony Roy, a member of the union parishad, said Priya drowned in the pond, possibly due to an epilepsy attack that affected her while bathing.
Later, locals recovered her body from the water body, Mony added.
Bangladesh reports 665 more Covid cases, zero death
Bangladesh reported 665 more Covid cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
The total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,360 as no death was reported during the period while with the new infections caseload rose to 2,023,810, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate dropped to 14.07 per cent from Tuesday’s 15.42 per cent as 4,728 samples were tested.
Read: Global Covid cases near 621 million
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 per cent while the recovery rate declined to 97.05 per cent respectively.
In August, the country reported 32 Covid-linked deaths and 6,689 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Death toll from Karatoa boat capsize rises to 68
The death toll from the boat capsize in the River Karatoa rose to 68 as 18 more bodies were fished out of the water in Boda upazila of Panchagarh Tuesday.
Divers from three firefighting units recovered the 18 bodies from different spots of the river, Dipongkar Roy, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of the district administration, said.
So far the deceased included 30 women, 21 children and 17 men while four others are still missing, ADC Dipongkar said while announcing the rescue operation was calling it a day for the third consecutive day on Tuesday night.
Earlier 50 bodies were recovered on Sunday and Monday from different spots of the river.
Read: Trawler capsize in Panchagarh: 8 bodies recovered in Dinajpur
Mentionable, the overloaded boat carrying mostly Hindu devotees sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya around 2:30pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Dipankar Roy, was formed to investigate the capsize, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.
The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days.
University student crushed under train wheels in Natore
A 25-year-old university student was crushed under the wheels of a train in Natore as he attempted to reboard it at Abdulpur Junction station on Saturday morning.
The deceased was identified as Nuruzzaman Entaj, son of advocate Ishaq Ali. He was a sixth semester law student of Rajshahi’s Barendra University.
According to Sheikh Ziauddin Bablu, station master of Abdulpur Junction, Entaj was travelling with his father from Pabna’s Ishwardi to Rajshahi on a Rohanpur-bound commuter train on Saturday morning.
Read: Ex-DGM of Bangladesh Bank crushed under train in city
“Entaj had disembarked from the train at Abdulpur Junction. As the train started to leave the station, Entaj tried to get inside hurriedly. His hands slipped and met with the tragedy,” said Bablu.
India: 10 dead in rain-related tragedies
As many as 10 people have died in separate rain-related tragedies in the past 24 hours in India's Uttar Pradesh state, officials said Saturday.
Incessant showers have been lashing the northern stats and neighbouring Delhi since Thursday morning.
"All the 10 died after walls collapsed on them due to heavy showers across the state's Etawah district. Of them, seven were children," a police officer told the media.
An elderly couple was among the three other deceased, the officer added.
Read: 9 dead in India wall collapse
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and asked authorities to do the needful.
Wall collapses are common in India, particularly during the monsoon season.
77 migrants killed as boat sinks off Syrian coast
At least 77 people were killed when a boat carrying migrants sank off Syria this week, the country’s health minister said Friday, amid fears the death toll could be far higher.
The incident was deadliest so far as a surging number of Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians have been trying to flee crisis-hit Lebanon by sea for a better future in Europe. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs while the Lebanese pound has dropped more than 90% in value, eradicating the purchasing power of thousands of families that now live in extreme poverty.
Syrian authorities said victims’ relatives have started crossing from Lebanon into Syria to help identify their loved ones and retrieve their bodies. The vessel left Lebanon on Tuesday and news of what happened first started to emerge on Thursday afternoon. The boat was carrying Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinians.
Syrian state-run TV quoted Health Minister Mohammed Hassan Ghabbash as saying 20 people were rescued and were being treated at al-Basel hospital in Syria’s coastal city of Tartus. He added that medical authorities have been on alert since Thursday afternoon to help in the search operations.
An official at al-Basel, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations, told The Associated Press that eight of those rescued were in intensive care. The official also confirmed the 77 deaths. There were conflicting reports on how many people were on board the vessel when it sank, with some saying at least 120. Details about the ship, such as its size and capacity, were also not clear.
Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamie said the survivors included 12 Syrians, five Lebanese and three Palestinians. Eight bodies have been brought back to Lebanon early Friday, according to Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi.
After sunset Friday, bodies of more victims, including two Palestinians, were brought to Lebanon. They were taken in seven ambulances and headed south from the Arida border crossing toward the northern city of Tripoli.
Read: Border patrol: 9 migrants die crossing swift Texas river
Earlier in the day, Tartus governor Abdul-Halim Khalil told the pro-government Sham FM Radio that the search was underway for more bodies off his country’s coast. Khalil said the boat sank on Wednesday.
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, quoted a port official as saying that 31 bodies were washed ashore while the rest were picked up by Syrian boats in a search operation that started Thursday evening.
Wissam Tellawi, one of the survivors being treated at al-Basel, lost two daughters. His wife and two sons are still missing. The bodies of his daughters, Mae and Maya, were brought to Lebanon early Friday and buried in their northern hometown of Qarqaf.
“He told me by telephone, ‘I am fine’ but the children are lost,” said Tellawi’s father, who identified himself as Abu Mahmoud. The father told the local Al-Jadeed TV that his son gave smugglers the family’s apartment in return for taking him and his family to Europe.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the Lebanese army said troops stormed Friday the homes of several suspected smugglers, detaining four in the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest and most impoverished. Three others were detained in the nearby village of Deir Ammar.
The military said the suspects were involved in smuggling of migrants by sea while others were planning to buy boats for the same reason.
Lebanon,— with a population of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees, has been in the grips of a severe economic meltdown since late 2019 that has pulled over three-quarters of the population into poverty.
For years, it was a country that received refugees from Mideast wars and conflicts but the economic crisis, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement, has changed that dramatically.
Read: 7 migrants die, 280 rescued off Italian island of Lampedusa
Prices have been skyrocketing as a result of hyperinflation, forcing many to sell their belongings to pay for smugglers to take them to Europe as the migration intensified in recent months.
In April, a boat carrying dozens of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians trying to migrate by sea to Italy went down more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Tripoli, following a confrontation with the Lebanese navy. Dozens were killed in the incident.
On Wednesday, Lebanese officials said naval forces rescued a boat carrying 55 migrants after it faced technical problems about 11 kilometers (7 miles) off the coast of the northern region of Akkar. It said those rescued included two pregnant women and two children.