Barguna
1 killed, 3 injured in Barguna road crash
A 40-year-old man was killed and another three injured as a three-wheeler carrying goods overturned at Pazrabhanga in Barguna Sadar upazila, police said on Friday.
Deceased, Selim Gharami of Madartali village, was travelling by the three-wheeler.
READ: Ex-army man killed, 15 injured in Magura road crash
Ali Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Barguna Sadar Police Station said that the incident occurred at around 9 pm on Thursday as the speeding three-wheeler hit a speed breaker and lost control. It overturned into a roadside field killing Selim on the spot and injuring three others.
One injured has been sent to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in critical condition, he said.
The driver of the three-wheeler escaped , the OC added
Barguna: Poorly planned bridges render re-excavated canal unnavigable
Although Barguna’s Varani canal has finally been re-excavated after a long struggle, residents of the area fear that it cannot be resuscitated due to several poorly planned bridges built over the canal.
Varani, the canal that connects Payra and Khakdon rivers, has been dead for decades due to illegal occupation.
This canal originated from Khakdon river and went on 9 km though the city to connect to the Payra river.
Eleven bridges have been built along these 9 km. In monsoon no vessel can pass under these bridges. Due to these unplanned, or poorly planned bridges, the once vital means of naval communication turned into an impassable dead canal.
Also read: 30,000 villagers’ long wait for concrete bridge in Feni yet to end
The canal was a reliable means of trade and commerce in Barguna Sadar upazila. But over time it became a dead artery due to pollution and illegal occupation. The condition of seven more tributary canals connected with the Varani canal are the same.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) launched a re-excavate operation which is now almost complete. They have also vacated the banks. However, the 11 bridges are still untouched.
Hadisur to be buried in Barguna after janaza on Tuesday morning
Md Hadisur Rahman, who was killed on March 3 in a rocket attack on a Bangladeshi vessel stranded at a Ukrainian port, will be buried at his family graveyard in Kalatala village in Betagi upazila of Barguna on Tuesday.
His namaz-e-janaza will be held at 10 am Tuesday, said Maksudur Rahman Forkan, Betagi UP chairman and Hadisur’s uncle.
The freezer van carrying Hadisur's body reached his home at Kadamtala village of Barguna’s Betagi upazila at around 10 pm on Monday.
Hadisur was the third engineer of the vessel MV Banglar Samriddhi.
“My brother’s body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport carried by a Turkish Airlines flight Airport around 12.30 pm and after all the formalities we left for our village home around 2 pm,” said Golam Mowla Prince, Hadisur’s younger brother.
Also read:Hadisur’s body reaches Dhaka
Mother, son killed in Barguna road crash
A woman and her son were killed when a pickup van hit them in Chunakhali culvert area on Amtoli-Patuakhali regional highway in Barguna district on Monday morning.
The deceased were identified as Nurjahan Begum, 40, her son Md Rakib, 16, of West Chunakhali village in Kukua union of Amtoli upazila.
Read: Father-son killed in Hajiganj road crash
Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Amtoli police station AKM Mizanur Rahman said Nurjahan and her son were going to their relative’s house around 7:45am and when they reached Chunakhali culvert area a pick-up van hit them, killing both on the spot.
On information, police rushed to the spot and seized the pickup van, the OC added.
Read: Kushtia road crash claims two lives
However, the driver and his helper managed to flee.
Legal action will be taken in this regard, he said.
Launch fire: CID collects DNA samples of missing passenger families in Barguna
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)of police in Barguna on Monday started collecting DNA samples from families of missing passengers of MV Avijan-10 to identify the unclaimed bodies.
Earlier on Sunday, the district administration urged the family members looking for their missing relatives to submit their samples to identify the 23 unclaimed bodies that were buried in Potkakhali mass graveyard in the Sadar upazila on Saturday.
“We have collected 35 samples today at Barguna General Hospital and we will continue the collection if more people come to claim their missing relatives”, said Robiul Islam, DNA tester, Forensic DNA Laboratory CID, Dhaka.
Also read: Launch fire tragedy: Number of missing remains uncertain on 3rd day of search
A five member team is currently collecting the samples in Barguna, he said.
“We will be able to announce the results at least after a month of collecting the samples, He said.
However, the anxious families of the missing passengers complained the sample collection started at 4 pm six hours past the announced time.
A case filed with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10 Hamjalal Sheikh and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire in the launch has been lodged as a First Information Report on Monday, said Shahidul Islam Milon, inspector (Investigation) of Barguna police station.
The investigation in the case has already started, he said.
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 42 on Monday. Besides, over 81 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Also read: Launch fire: Death toll climbs to 42
However, the exact number of passengers traveling by the launch and the missing passengers is yet to be known.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested Hamjalal Sheikh, one of the owners of launch MV ‘Avijan-10’ on Monday from Keraniganj, in connection with the tragedy in the launch.
Launch fire: 23 unidentified bodies buried in Barguna mass graveyard
The bodies of 23 people, who were burned to death in a massive fire in a crowded launch near Jhalakathi on Friday, were buried in a mass graveyard in Barguna district on Saturday.
The bodies were buried at Potkakhali mass graveyard in Sadar upazila around 12 pm.
Earlier, a namaz-e-janaza of 30 launch fire victims was held at Barguna Circuit House at 11 am joined by several hundred people.
The local administration had taken preparations to bury the 30 unidentified deceased in the government graveyard but after the namaz-e-janaza seven of them were identified by their family members, said Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman .
The district administration authorities handed over the identified bodies to their respective families and buried 23 bodies in 21 graves .
Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman on Friday said they received 37 bodies on Friday night from Jhalakathi General Hospital and the bodies of seven people were handed over to the families of the victims on Saturday.
Of them, four bodies were handed over to their families in Barishal and Jhalakathi districts, he said adding three more bodies were identified at night and handed over to families from Barguna General Hospital morgue.
READ: 39 killed as fire rips through launch off Jhalokati coast
The authorities concerned have collected the DNA samples of the deceased. However, it is still not clear how many people are still missing, he said.
A control room has been opened to collect information of the missing people and the family members of the missing people have been asked to provide necessary assistance to the local administration.
“The identities of the missing people will be known within one or two days,” hoped the deputy commissioner.
Meanwhile, relatives and family members of the missing people have thronged the Sadar Hospital with the images of their near and dear ones to identify the bodies.
However, the local administration has kept the morgue open till 10 am to let the relatives of the victims to identify the bodies.
Meanwhile, UNB Jhalakathi correspondent reports the divers from local fire service and coast guard started a rescue operation around 9 am on Saturday in the Sugandha River.
At least 40 passengers were charred to death and 72 others injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of a launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila.
Two of the deceased, Taifa-7 and Labiba, 4, who were injured in the fire, died on their way to Dhaka on Friday, reports UNB Barishal correspondent after talking with the relatives of the two victims.
READ: Govt announces compensation for launch fire victims
Besides, another victim, who was undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night, taking the total death toll to 40.
The blaze broke out at 3am on the Barguna-bound Avijan-10 launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
Earlier on Friday, the government announced Tk 1.5 lakh as compensation to the families of each victim who lost their lives in the deadly fire.
Expressing profound shock and sorrow at the loss of lives and injuries in the MV Avijan-10 launch fire, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday directed the authorities concerned to ensure quick treatment of the injured and hand over the bodies to their relatives promptly.
The government on Friday formed a seven-member committee to probe the launch fire.
The committee was asked to submit a report to the shipping ministry within three working days.
Jhalakathi launch fire: 33 bodies reach Barguna
The bodies of 33 people, who were killed in a massive fire that swept through a crowded launch near Jhalakathi in the early hours of Friday, reached Barguna at night.
At around 11:15pm, the corpses were transported to Barguna Sadar Hospital by a truck of Jhalakathi municipality, Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman told UNB.
Many people thronged the hospital with heavy hearts because their family members were either missing or deceased.
Volunteers unloaded the bodies from the vehicle and lined them up. The lamentations of the deceased's relatives filled the air at that time.
Also read: 37 dead as launch catches fire off Jhalokati coast
The unidentified bodies will be buried at Potkakhali graveyard after DNA samples are collected from them, Habibur said.
The accident left at least 39 people charred to death and 72 injured.
Also read: Fire at Rangpur Medical College & Hospital under control; 5 hurt
The blaze broke out around 3am on Avijan-10, which was carrying around 800 passengers, in the midstream of the River Sugandha off the coast of Jhalakathi district's Sadar upazila.
Within five to 10 minutes, the flames engulfed the vessel.
‘Pirate’ killed in gunfight with Rab in Barguna
A pirate was killed allegedly in a gunfight with the members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Patharghata upazila of Barguna early Friday.
However, the identity of the deceased could nott be known immediately.
Read: 2 ‘robbers’ killed in Bhola ‘gunfight’
According to Rab-8 sources a team of Rab-8 took position on the bank of Bishkhali river at Badurtola area around 2 am. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the pirates opened fire at the Rab members forcing them to fire back that triggered a gunfight.
After the gunfight, Rab found a pirate lying on the ground with bullet wounds.
Read:Cumilla councillor's murder: Prime accused killed in ‘gunfight’
On information, police rushed to the spot and sent the pirate to the Patharghata Upazila Health Complex where the doctor declared him dead, said Abul Bashar, officer-in-charge of Patharghata Police Station.
Madrasa teacher gets life term for raping student in Barguna
A Barguna court on Tuesday sentenced a madrasa teacher to life time imprisonment in a case filed over raping a seventh grader in 2019.
Barguna Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Hafizur Rahman pronounced the verdict.
Read: Narail: Gallows for one, life term for 3 in farmer's murder case
The court also fined the lifer Tk 20,000.
According to the case statement, Saiful Islam, a madrasa teacher of Fuljhuri union in Barguna Sadar Upazila, called the class VII student for giving a guide book.
When the girl met Saiful, he took her to his house and raped her.
Read: Rangpur school teacher gets life term for raping student
Locals rescued the girl and admitted her to Barguna General Hospital. Later, she was shifted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital as her condition deteriorated.
The girl’s father filed a case accusing two people including madrasa teacher Saiful Islam on the same day.
Later, police arrested fugitive Saiful Islam on February 20, 2019.
Hope fading fast for 32 fishermen missing for 6 days and counting
Thirty-two fishermen on two trawlers that ventured into the deep seas in severe weather conditions remain missing six days after
The missing fishermen had started from Patharghata fish landing center of Barguna on two trawlers - FB Mayer Doa and FB Abdullah - on the 24th and 25th of September, respectively.
Read: Entire crew of 25 rescued after fishing trawler capsizes in Bay
Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Barguna District Trawler Owners Association, told UNB that all 32 men belonged to different places of Barguna and Noakhali.
"We heard from Shajahan, who was on FB Mayer Doa on September 25. Since then we have lost all contacts with them. FB Abdullah began their voyage on that date, and they have been out of contact throughout," Golam Mostafa said.
Read: 2 fishermen drown as their trawler capsizes in sea
On September 28, three separate trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal due to hostile weather, killing four seafarers. It is feared that the 32 missing fishermen may have shared the same fate.