Faridpur
Faridpur physician suspected of joining militancy arrested from Dhaka: CTTC
Members of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday arrested the banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam’s member Dr Jakir Hossain from the capital’s Jatrabari area, eight days after he went missing from work at the Bhanga upazila health complex in Faridpur.
Dr Jakir Hossain is son of Md Shamsul Alam of Bangram Residential Area in Manikganj district town.
He was produced before a Faridpur court with a remand prayer while it granted a two day remand for interrogation, Ahmedul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of the CTTC, said.
Dr Jakir joined the government’s health department as an assistant surgeon at Tujarpur Health Center under the upazila on December 11, 2019, through the 38th BCS, he said.
However, the Tujarpur facility only existed in theory, so he remained attached throughout to the Bhanga UHC.
Dr Jakir went missing from his workplace on the afternoon of November 8, after finishing his duty.
He sent an SMS to the Upazila Health and Family Planning officer and his colleagues saying that he was going to Dhaka because of the illness of his mother-in-law. Later his mobile phone was found switched off.
Read more: Militancy under full control in Bangladesh: IGP
On early November 9, he also sent another SMS to his wife Koly, saying that his mobile phone would die anytime due to low battery.
Dr Mohsin Uddin Fakir, officer of Bhanga Upazila Health and Family Planning, said they came to know about the arrest of Dr Jakir after talking to the concerned police station.
“He was a member of the banned militant outfit,” he added.
Read more: Drug, militancy to be uprooted at any cost: Home Minister
5 get life term for murder in Faridpur
A court in Faridpur on Monday sentenced five people to life imprisonment for killing a man in Alfadanga upazila in 2012.
The lifers are Nur Islam, Md Monir Sheikh, Iktar Molla, Enayet Amin of Faridpur, and Miraj Hossain, of Gopalganj district. All of them except Nur Islam were tried in absentia.
Faridpur additional district and sessions judge-1 (Special Tribunal) Ashok Kumar Dutta delivered the judgment.
Read more: UP chairman, 5 others get life term for murder in Kushtia
The court also fined the convicts Tk 20,000 each.
According to the case, Shahidul Islam, who used to drive motorcycle on rent, was found dead in Konagram in the upazila on July 28 in 2012.
Later, a murder case was filed at Alfadanga police station.
Commuters suffer as 38-hr transport strike begins in Faridpur ahead of BNP rally
Faridpur district bus workers and owners went on a 38-hour strike Friday morning amid BNP’s allegation that it was planned to thwart their rally, causing suffering to commuters.
The strike began from 6am and will end on Saturday 8pm.
On November 7, a letter signed by Golam Nasir, general secretary of the district's Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad, was sent to Dhaka Divisional Commissioner seeking ban on movement of illegal three-wheelers and battery-driven auto rickshaws on highways by November 10.
Golam Nasir said they were forced to go on strike as they did not get any positive response from the administration regarding their demands.
Movement of buses, including that of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), was halted in Faridpur this morning.
Read more: With transport strike in mind, BNP activists reach Faridpur days before rally
Passengers were seen waiting for public transport at the old bus stand, new bus stand and Imamuddin Square area of Faridpur city.
Transport worker Habibur said, "We are on strike as per our leaders’ directive. We have to follow the order of our leaders to earn our daily bread.”
However, the movement of three-wheelers and rented microbuses remained normal in the district.
With transport strike in mind, BNP activists reach Faridpur days before rally
BNP activists started gathering in Faridpur from Wednesday, three days ahead of the party’s scheduled rally.
Hundreds of BNP activists and leaders from Shariatpur, led by Khokon Talukder, BNP central executive committee’s assistant public education secretary, arrived at the Abdul Aziz Institute premises under Komorpur upazila on Wednesday at 10 pm.
Khokon Talukder said they were the first to arrive in Faridpur. On Thursday morning, hundreds of more activists from Shariatpur and Rajbari districts started coming to the venue, keeping in mind the transport strikes.
He said organisers have arranged food and accommodation for the BNP activists.
Read: Arrest, harassment continue to foil anti-government rally in Faridpur, says BNP
Helana Begum, a local woman cooking for the activists at the venue, said on Thursday noon food for 2,000 people was prepared.
Shama Obaid, BNP central committee member, said the government is creating various problems to obstruct a sea of people from joining the rally.
“As the transport workers will embark on a strike, the activists started arriving for the rally three days before,” she said.
Earlier on November 7, Faridpur transport sector workers and leaders said they would start a 38-hour long strike from 6am on November 11, demanding a ban on three-wheelers on highway.
Meanwhile, Faridpur Awami League General Secretary Shah Md Ishtiak said they won’t be obstructing BNP’s rally but will hold a rally at Rajendra College field on Friday morning, following previous schedule.
Read: Another BNP rally, another transport strike: This time in Faridpur
Sumon Ranjan Sarkar, Additional Superintendent of Police, said police activity in the area has been increased to maintain law and order situation.The organisers said the rally is meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuel, to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and demanding removal of politically motivated cases filed against the opposition activists and leaders.
Arrest, harassment continue to foil anti-government rally in Faridpur, says BNP
BNP Vice Chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain on Wednesday accused police of harassing party members and their families ahead of their anti-government protest in Faridpur on Saturday.
Zahid made the allegations at a press briefing held at Faridpur Press Club on Wednesday noon.
“On Tuesday, police arrested eight of our activists from Nagarkanda upazila and one from Faridpur Sadar upazila. Besides, police raided the houses of five of our party members and harassed their family members,” Zahid Jahid.
Read more: 250 BNP activists sued in Sylhet for vandalising PM, Bangabandhu’s photos
He said that BNP activists and leaders will defy all the obstacles, including a politically motivated transport strike, allegedly influenced by the government.
He said that the opposition people will start reaching the venue from Thursday—two days before the scheduled protest.
“The entire area stretching from Komorpur Abdul Aziz Institute field to Faridpur town will turn into a sea of people during our rally on Saturday,” Zahid hoped.
Shama Obaid, organising secretary of BNP, said that the ruling Awami League (AL) has announced a programme for Friday to foil their rally the next day.
Read more: Another BNP rally, another transport strike: This time in Faridpur
“The transport strike on Friday and Saturday is another tactic of the government to prevent our party members from joining the rally. Such plans and strategies won’t work as our party leaders and activists will make our rally successful against all odds,” said Shama.
Jahirul Haque Shahjada Mia, Advisor of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Chowdhury Nayab Yusuf, Joint Secretary of Mahila Dal, among others, were present at the press briefing.
Jute sticks: A new source of income for Faridpur farmers
Once neglected, jute sticks have now become a source of income – as they are being exported to countries, including China, due to growing demand in particle board and charcoal factories.
Jute growers in Faridpur district, who incurred losses this season due to low jute fibre prices, are now eying profits though selling jute sticks.
The farmers are expecting to earn over Tk 130 crore this season by selling jute sticks which were once used as firewood, fence for houses, and in betel-nut fields.
Atul Sarkar, deputy commissioner of Faridpur district, said, “Charcoal is produced after burning dried jute sticks. It is used in making firecrackers, carbon papers, ink for printers and photocopiers, batteries for mobiles, for cleaning teeth, fertilizers and many other things. So, demand for jute sticks is growing.”
During a recent visit to different parts of the district, including Saltha, Nagarkanda and Boalmari, this UNB correspondent found farmers busy in drying their jute sticks.
'Missing' Rahima Begum of Khulna found alive in Faridpur: Police
Rahima Begum of Khulna's Daulatpur, who had been missing since August 27, was found alive in Faridpur, police said.
Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) found her alive in Faridpur's Boalmari at around 10:45 pm Saturday, KMP Deputy Commissioner (North) Molla Jahangir Hossain told UNB.
"A team of police conducted a drive in Syedpur village after receiving information that Rahima had gone into hiding there. They are now on their way to Khulna," Molla Jahangir added.
The development comes after 52-year-old Rahima's elder daughter Moriom Mannan, whose campaign to find her mother for almost a month touched the nation, suspected that the body of an unidentified woman buried in Mymensingh recently was her mother's.
Aslo, Moriom, in a Facebook post, said they had put up "missing" posters in Khulna city, hoping that they would get their mother back.
On August 27, Rahima went missing after she had left her home in the Banikpara area of Doulatpur at 10pm to bring water.
Her daughters found her sandals, scarf and water pot. A newer pair of sandals though, had gone missing and that fuelled speculation that she had left home on her own.
The family first filed a complaint with the police, based on which the law enforcement lodged a first information report (FIR) against some people over Rahima's disappearance.
On September 13, after Rahima remained missing for 17 days and police failed to find her, her younger daughter Aduri Akter appealed to a Khulna court to transfer the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Moriom said.
Family members said Rahima often received death threats from some of her neighbours whom she had sued in 2019 over a land dispute.
Also read: Missing Khulna woman found dead in Mymensingh, family suspects
First namaz-e-janaza of Sajeda Chowdhury held
The first namaz-e-janaza of Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, presidium member of the Awami League and deputy leader of the House, was held in Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur.
The namaz-e-janaza was held around 11 am at MN Academy school premises.
Thousands of people from all walks of life took part in the janaza braving rains.
She was given a guard of honour before the janaza.
Read: AL leader Sajeda Chowdhury passes away
After the janaza and tributes, the leaders and family members of Sajeda Chowdhury left for Dhaka with her mortal remains around 12 pm.
Her body will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at 3 pm so that people from all walks of life can pay homage, said Prime Minister's special assistant and Awami League Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua.
Jute growers paying for drought that resulted in discoloured fibre
Although local markets in Faridpur district, better known as hub of jute production, have been buzzing with the presence of buyers and sellers, the smile on the faces of jute growers is fading due to low price their yield is fetching.
People involved with jute purchase say that the reason for not paying higher is the discoloured fibre they are getting, as the jute plants were not decomposed properly.
Jute growers have started appearing with their fibres at different local markets in several upazilas including Saltha, Nagarkanda and Boalmari of the district for the last few days. But they are in a sombre mood due to the low price they are getting, that is often short of their production cost during what is the peak season of jute.
The jute growers claimed that they had to count an extra cost for the process of retting that they must put the jute plants through this year, using underground water lifted by shallow machines that run on diesel.
Eloped teenage girl from India rescued in Faridpur, lover held
Police rescued a 16-year-old Indian girl from Faridpur just before she married her 21-year-old Bangladeshi lover.
The girl was identified as Puja Bishwas, daughter of Sunil Dash from Nadia district in India’s West Bengal, said Suman Kar, Assistant Superintendent of Faridpur police on Saturday.
Her Bangladeshi boyfriend is Tonmoy Rajbanshi, 21, from Gunbaha village in Boalmari municipality in Faridpur - also detained by police.
Also read: Dinajpur youth commits suicide in front of lover
On information, the girl was rescued on Friday around 11 pm from Poail village where the arrangements to officiate their wedding were made, said ASP Suman Kar.
Puja and Tonmoy were involved in a romantic affair through Facebook. On Friday 4pm Puja came to Boalmari and from there Tonmoy took her to his brother-in-law’s house in Poail village.
“The girl had no passport or visa with her and she was underage for marriage,” said Md Abdul Wahab, Officer-in-Charge of Boalmari police station.
Tonmoy was held for alluring the girl to come to Bangladesh and has been presented to court under section 54 of CrpC (Code of Criminal Procedure) on Saturday, said the OC.
Meanwhile, the court sent Puja to a juvenile correction centre under the Social Service Department, said OC Abdul Wahab.
Also read: 4 get life in jail for selling Khulna woman to Indian brothel
The matter is under investigation, he said