Faridpur
Lockdown: Youths respond as ‘ food crisis looms’ in Faridpur
A group of youth is reaching out to the people in need in Faridpur town at night, feeding as many people as they can amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Also read: Lockdown unproductive due to mismanagement: BNPActivists of the Communist Party and the Chhatra Union are distributing packets of hotchpotch (khichuri) among the helpless people throughout the town.The government enforced a weeklong lockdown to contain the transmission of coronavirus. It has been strict at some places and lax at others.
Faridpur violence: 4 more cases filed
Four more cases were filed on Thursday over the violence in Faridpur’s Saltha on April 5.
In the five cases filed so far, 17,000 people have been accused. Police arrested 26 suspects until Thursday.
Names of 261 suspects have been mentioned in the cases with 16,800 anonymous accused.
Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence
Freedom fighter Bachchu Matubbor filed one of the four cases. It mentioned the names of 25 men and accuses 800 others.
Another case was filed by UNO’s driver Md Hashmot Ali. It names 58 men and accuses another 3,000-4,000 others who have not been named.
Another one was filed by the security guard of the assistant commissioner of land. It named 48 men and accused 3,000-4,000 others without naming them.
Also read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super
The fourth case was filed by AC Land’s driver Md Sagor Sikder naming 42 suspects and another 3,000-4,000 unnamed accused.
Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman of Saltha Police Station filed the first case on Wednesday naming 88 accused and another 4,000 anonymous people. They have been charged with attacking and obstructing government work.
Faridpur’s Additional Superintendent of Police Jamal Pasha said they have so far arrested 26 suspects over Saltha violence.
Also read: Upazila parishad, police station vandalised in Faridpur
The court on Wednesday granted police two days to interrogate 11 of the suspects. Police have sought seven days to interrogate each of the 15 accused.
Two men were killed and 20 others, including eight members of law enforcement agencies, were injured in the April 5 violence in Saltha.
Rumours of killing and arrests triggered violence that saw thousands of people vandalising and torching government establishments.
8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence
Eight men have been arrested and some 3,000-4,000 people booked in connection with the violent clashes between police and locals in Saltha upazila of Faridpur district on the first day of lockdown, officials said Wednesday.
Monday's clashes left one youth dead and at least 20, including eight cops, injured.
"A case was filed against 3,000-4,000 people at the Saltha Police Station on Tuesday night, on a complaint by sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman. Of those booked, 88 people have been identified and eight arrested so far," said officer-in-charge Md Ashikuzzaman.
Read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super
According to Md Alimuzzaman, police superintendent of Faridpur, a mob attacked several government offices and houses of government officials on Monday, following rumours of some deaths in police firing and assault on two maulanas by cops.
Few offices and houses of government officials were also set on fire by locals during the mayhem that continued from 8 pm to 11 pm on Monday night, the SP said.
The Upazila Parishad building, the residence of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), the local police station, the office of the Assistant Commissioner (land) and the sub-registry office were all vandalised by the mob, the SP said.
Vehicles of Saltha UNO and the AC (land) were also torched by the mob, said Upazila Parishad Chairman Wadud Matabbar.
How it occurred
It all happened when a team led by AC (land) Marufa Sultana Khan Hiramoni went to Saltha on Monday to ensure a smooth lockdown in every corner of the upazila, said UNO Hasib Sarkar.
Seeing a gathering of people at a spot, Marufa Sultana returned to her office and sent a team of police there.
Read: Upazila parishad, police station vandalised in Faridpur
When the cops reached the spot, an altercation ensued but it soon turned violent when the locals attacked sub-inspector Mizanur Rahman, the UNO said.
"Subsequently, violent clashes broke out across the upazila between local people and the cops in the wake of rumours that some people died in police firing and two maulanas had been assaulted at the police station after their arrests," he said.
The UNO said that police have been trying to identify all the attackers from a video footage of the clashes. "A huge police force has been deployed in the area."
12 killed in Gaibandha, Faridpur as nor’wester lashes country
At least twelve people were killed in Gaibandha and Faridpur on Sunday when nor'wester and rain swept over different regions of the country.
In Gaibandha, 5 people died as they were crushed under collapsed tree and house due to the stormy wind and 5 more died later while undergoing treatment.
The deceased were identified as Abdul Goffar, Jahanara Begum, Moyna Begum from Betkapa union of Palashbari Upazila, Sheuli Akter from Fulchhari, Josna, Monir, Arjina, Sayra and the other person was unidentified.
Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Abdul Matin said many houses collapsed and trees were uprooted during the storm in the afternoon. The victims were killed after being hit by uprooted trees and in house collapse.
Also read: Nor’wester destroys 250 houses in Bhola
Meanwhile, in Alfadanga of Faridpur, a mother and her four months old daughter were killed as a tree branch co on them.
The deceased were identified as Mst. Halima and her daughter Afsana from Bajitpur village of Modhukhali Upazila.
Inclement weather forced suspension of transportation in many places while the power supply was also disrupted until 5 pm in the district.
Meanwhile, the tropical storm, the first of the season, also hit the capital around 6:30pm and lasted for a few minutes, according to the Met Office.
Also read: Nor’wester kills one in Bogura
It recorded a wind speed of 68km per hour, said Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque.
The sudden rain caused widespread traffic chaos in the congested city, inflicting suffering on those returning home from work.
Meanwhile, the nor’wester swept over Rajshahi while rain and gusty wind hit Sylhet, Khulna, Jashore and Noakhali.
Met Office has also forecast rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind for one or two places over eight divisions in the next 24 hrs.
Also read: Nor’wester sweeps Joypurhat; 4 killed
The depression over North Andaman Sea and adjoining area moved north-northeastwards and weakened in to a well-marked low and then a low pressure area over North Andaman Sea and adjoining Myanmar coast, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said.
It is likely to become unimportant, BMD said, adding that a trough of Westerly low lies over West Bengal and adjoining area.
In a regular bulletin, the Met Office said a mild heat wave sweeping over the regions of Rajshahi, Pabna, Chuadanga, Kushtia and Rangamati may continue.
Day temperature may rise slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged all over the country.
Dhaka-Khulna highway turns death trap
The 35 kilometre stretch between Faridpur Sadar and Kamarkhali Bridge in Madhukhali on the Dhaka-Khulna highway has become a virtual death trap for commuters.
In the past 13 months, at least 30 people have reportedly died in different road accidents on the high-speed corridor. Apart from claiming lives, road crashes on the stretch have caused permanent disabilities in hundreds of victims.
Also read: 8 killed in separate road crashes in Faridpur 2 Shares
What's worrying is that accidents and fatalities are on the rise on the stretch despite the local police setting up a number of check posts in accident-prone areas to curb speeding.
On March 21 this year, as many as nine people, including six members of a family, were killed in a collision between a microbus and a truck at Majhkandi on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. All the victims were from Jhenaidah district.
On January 6, 2020, six people, including four members of a family, lost their lives on the same highway when a bus rammed a microbus at high speed.
Read 17 killed Rajshahi road accident
Cops attribute the rise in the number of accidents on the highway to speeding as well as careless and negligent driving.
Superintendent of Faridpur Highway Police, Mostafizur Rahman, told UNB that a number of check posts have been set up on the highway. "But nothing seems to be working."
"Despite accidents on the highway stretch claiming a number of lives every year, there's no end to motorists' fetish for speed," he added.
Also read: Bangladesh's roads remain perilous; 37,170 killed in 5 years
Advocate Shipra Goswami, however, said that "stricter enforcement of law is the need of the hour". "Those involved in reckless driving should be brought to book."
Mohammad Kabirul Islam Siddique, president of Faridpur Press Club, agreed. “Police must strictly enforce traffic rules to curb speeding and accidents on the highway. At the same time, motorists should adhere to speed limits," he said.
Shahrier Rumi, executive engineer of Faridpur Roads and Highways Department, also urged motorists and other occupants of vehicles to stay alert while using the highway.
The highway also known as N7 connects the Daulatdia Ferry Terminal on the south bank of the Padma River near Dhaka with the Port of Mongla in Bagerhat district. It serves some of the largest cities and towns in southwestern Bangladesh, including Faridpur, Magura, Jhenaidah, Jessore, and Khulna.
Also read: 3 dead in Jashore, Panchagarh road accidents
Newly announced president of Faridpur BCL allegedly married
A married young man has been made president of the newly-announced 25-member committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Faridpur unit, alleged a faction of the student front.
Youths rescue rare vulture in Faridpur
A rare vulture was rescued by two young men in Faridpur Sadar upazila’s Shovarampur area.
DoE demolishes 4 illegal brick kilns in Faridpur
A mobile court of the Department of Environment (DoE) demolished four illegal brick kilns and fined another one in Faridpur with the help of RAB, Police and Fire Service.
Tackling Covid-19: ‘Community Support Team Interventions’ launched in Faridpur
The “Rural Community Support Team (CST) Interventions” was launched in Faridpur on Thursday “to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.”