United News of Bangladesh

Another case has been filed in connection with the violent clashes centering the National Citizen Party (NCP) rally in Gopalganj, bringing the total number of cases to 11 and the accused to over 10,000. Officer-in-Charge of Kashiani Police Station  Kamal Hossain said the case was filed on  Thursday night. Sub-inspector Nasir Uddin of Ramdia Police Outpost lodged the latest case with Kashiani Police Station, naming 87 people, including Kashiani Upazila Awami League General Secretary Kazi Jahangir Alam and Kashiani Union Chairman Mohammad Ali alias Khokon, alongside 250 unidentified individuals, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. With this, a total of 11 cases have been filed at Gopalganj Sadar, Kashiani, Tungipara and Kotalipara police stations. Govt forms six-member body to investigate Gopalganj violence These include charges of murder, arson, attacks on police and anti-state activities. So far, 687 people have been named and around 9,500 unidentified individuals accused in the cases. On July 16, violence erupted as unidentified miscreants attacked the NCP motorcade on its way from Gopalganj to Madaripur following the rally. 2 more case filed over attack on NCP rally in Gopalganj Later, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement agencies, leaving five people dead and over 50 injured.  

The Gopalganj administration has extended the curfew till 6am on Sunday to maintain law and order in the district following Wednesday’s violence that left five dead. District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Kamruzzaman came up with the announcement on Saturday. Earlier the curfew was relaxed for 14 hours on Saturday allowing public movement from 6am to 8 pm. Curfew relaxed for 14 hours in Gopalganj The curfew was imposed after violence on Wednesday centring a rally organised by the National Citizen Party (NCP).   Activists of the Awami League and its banned student wing Chhatra League reportedly carried out the attacks on the rally , triggering clashes with law enforcers that left at least five people dead and many injured. Law enforcers will remain deployed, and authorities will review the situation before making further decisions, according to officials.

The government on Wednesday imposed curfew in Gopalganj district amid heightening tensions over clashes between police and Awami League activists over an NCP rally. The curfew will remain in force from 8pm on Wednesday to 6pm on Thursday, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing. Supporters of the AL, banned BCL and other associate bodies, equipped with sticks and brickbats took positions at different streets and lanes, prompting Rab, army and BGB teams to intensify their patrol in the city. The local administration slapped Section-144 in Gopalganj Sadar. Deputy Commissioner of the district Muhammad Kamruzzaman enforced Section-144 but did not set any timeframe for it. Alongside the police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and army personnel, four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the Sadar headquarters to avoid further untoward incidents, said Md Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the BGB Headquarters. A tense situation was prevailing in the city as chase and counter-chase continued between the law enforcers and the AL supporters. Violence in Gopalganj ‘utterly indefensible’, those responsible to face justice: Govt Meanwhile, the interim government said the use of violence in Gopalganj is ‘utterly indefensible’ and those responsible for this brutality will face justice. “Let it be made absolutely clear: violence has no place in our nation. Justice must and will prevail,” said the interim government in a statement on the attacks on a peaceful NCP rally in Gopalganj. The government said preventing young citizens from peacefully holding a rally to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their revolutionary movement is a ‘shameful violation’ of their fundamental rights.

Several people, including police personnel, were injured in an attack in what the local administration claimed was carried out by activists of Awami League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to foil NCP’s scheduled programme in the district on Wednesday.  “As part of NCP’s July march, there is a scheduled march and a meeting in the municipal park of Gopalganj today. To disrupt their programme, Awami League and Chhatra League activists initially attacked the police and later attacked and vandalized my car convoy,” said Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Rakibul Hasan. The attack was carried out in Gandhiyashur area of Gopalganj Sadar upazila in the morning.  Echoing the UNO, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Mir Md Sajedur Rahman said the NCP central leaders were supposed to visit the district as part of their month-long pgroamme.   Additional police forces have been deployed to prevent further trouble, he said, adding that no arrests have been made so far. Army personnel injured in worker attack at Gopalganj toll bridge He, however, could not figure out the number of the injured police personnel immediately. On August 10 last, at least seven people, including five army personnel, were injured and an army vehicle was set on fire during a clash near Gopinathpur bus stand in Sadar upazila. Around 40,000 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations took to the streets in a procession, protesting the forced exile of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and demanding her immediate return to the country. Later, a case was filed in Gopalganj naming 106 people and over 3200 unidentified ones for assaulting army personnel, vandalizing vehicles, arson attack, and snatching weapons.

Two people were killed and 12 others injured when a bus crashed into a tree in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj on Saturday morning.  The accident occurred around 10am in front of the Hiranyakandi Sampan Highway Restaurant on the Dhaka-Khulna highway, said Azizul Haque Rajan, station manager of Bhatiapara Fire Service.  The deceased were identified as Montu Sheikh, 55, the driver of Tungipara Express, and Arif Hossain, the bus supervisor.  3 killed in Bogura road crash According to fire service officials, the Tungipara Express bus first hit the rear of a Khulna-bound Sohag Paribahan bus and  then hit the tree, leaving 12 people injured, including the driver and supervisor.  The injured were rushed to Kashiani Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Montu Sheikh and Arif Hossain dead.

In a somber announcement on Tuesday (February 20, 2024), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed the identities of eight Bangladeshis who met a tragic fate while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. The individuals, embarking on an unauthorized voyage from Libya to Europe, drowned in a devastating incident that underscores the perilous journey faced by many seeking a better life abroad. The victims, identified as Sajal, Nayan Biswas, Mamun Seikh, Kazi Sajeeb, Kaisar, Rifat, Russell, and Imrul Kayes Apon, hailed from the Madaripur and Gopalganj districts of Bangladesh. Specifically, the first five victims originated from various villages within the Rajoir upazila of Madaripur, while the remaining were from Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj. Read more: Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll The details were shared in a press release distributed by MoFA, which aimed to shed light on the tragic event and its impact on the victims’ communities. The ill-fated journey began on February 13, when a boat carrying individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria set sail from a Libyan coastal area with hopes of reaching Europe. The group comprised 27 Bangladeshis, 8 Pakistanis, 3 Egyptians, 5 Syrians, and an Egyptian individual who navigated the boat. However, their aspirations were cut short when the vessel capsized off the Tunisian coast in the early hours of February 14. Rescue operations later recovered the bodies of the eight Bangladeshis and one Pakistani, which were subsequently transferred to local hospitals. The foreign ministry's report further highlighted that among the Bangladeshi victims, seven were traveling without passports, indicating the desperate measures taken by individuals in pursuit of better opportunities. Read more: Bangladesh wants to boost cooperation with Libya to curb illegal migration

A woman and her SSC examinee daughter were hacked to death over land dispute in Durgapur village under Gopalganj sadar upazila on Sunday (February 18, 2024) night. The deceased were identified as Beauty Begum, 40, and her daughter Lamia, 16, of Durgapur village under Jalalabad union of the upazila. The daughter was an SSC examinee from Khalia United Academy. Police and locals there had been a long dispute between Lamia’s father Tuku and her uncle Harun over ancestral land in the village. Around 7:30 am on Sunday, as Lamia entered uncle Harun’s yard while talking on her mobile phone he asked her to leave the yard and hurled abusive words, leading to an altercation between Lamia’s mother Beauty and her uncle. Read more: Man killed ‘by daughter’ in Chuadanga, wife, daughter held At one stage of the altercation over the matter, Harun, equipped with sharp weapons, hacked Beauty and Lamia, leaving them critically injured. Hearing their screams, locals rushed in and took them to 250-bed Adhunik Hospital in Sadar upazila where physicians declared them dead upon arrival. Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Harun-Or-Rashid though the accused and his family went into hiding shortly after the murders police managed to arrest Harun. The bodies were sent to the Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy, the police officer added. Read more: Man hacked to death over extramarital affair in Rangpur

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (August 17, 2023) urged the people to keep their trust and confidence in her government as she wants to make the life of the country’s every citizen meaningful. “I want to make the life of everyone meaningful and thus improve their living standard by completing the unfinished tasks of my father,” she said while rolling out the much-anticipated Universal Pension Scheme. The premier opened the pension scheme, joining a virtual function from her official residence Ganabhaban. The participants and beneficiaries were connected from three districts –Gopalganj, Bagerhat and Rangpur-- and the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  The universal pension scheme was introduced aiming to bring the country's all citizens aged above 18 under the pension coverage. Also read: PM Hasina rolls out long-awaited Universal Pension Scheme  Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made Bangladesh as a least developed country by building a war-ravaged country and now Bangladesh gained the status of a developing country following the footsteps of Bangabandhu. “Inshallah, Bangladesh will be transformed from a developing to a developed country,” she said. The PM said the people’s trust, confidence and affection are the sources of her strength. “So, keep this trust and confidence. I want it from you,” she said. She said Bangladesh had to face many blows --Covid-19 pandemic, the brunt of Ukraine war, economic sanctions and counter-sanctions and worldwide high inflation, as well as arson violence. “Since the people are with us, Bangladesh is moving forward facing everything –natural calamities, pandemic and manmade disasters,” she said. Also read: Universal Pension Scheme: How will it work? What's in it? Describing the universal pension scheme as an inclusive programme, she said her government has been able to bring even the grassroots and disadvantaged people under their development plans. The PM said the inaugural day of universal day is really a very significant day for Bangladesh. “The day will remain written in the golden letters in the history of Bangladesh,” she said. Under the universal pension scheme, four different packages– Pragati, Surokkha, Samata and Prabashi– out of a total of six planned ones were initially introduced under the universal pension scheme to ensure the lifetime pension facility for the participant citizens. The Pragati package will cover private job holders, while the Surokkha is designed for self-employed persons, the Samata for the low-income people and the Prabashi package for the expatriate Bangladeshis. The two remaining packages will be launched later. Also read: All citizens aged 18-50 can join universal pension scheme: Cabinet clears a draft law Any citizen aged above 18 can participate in the universal pension scheme to get the pension facility during the retirement life, by paying installments till the person reaches the age of 60. An individual aged even above 50 can join the scheme but the person will need to pay installments for 10 consecutive years. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, also spoke on the occasion. PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the function, while Senior Secretary of the Finance Division Fatima Yasmin delivered the welcome speech. In the event, a video documentary on the Universal Pension Scheme was screened. Read more: Some foreign powers are taking interest in Bangladesh's election to hinder progress: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday ( August 17, 2023) rolled out the much anticipated Universal Pension Scheme aiming to bring Bangladesh's all citizens aged above 18 under the pension coverage. She opened the pension scheme joining a virtual function from her official residence Ganabhaban. The participants and beneficiaries were connected from three districts –Gopalganj, Bagerhat and Rangpur-- and the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Four different packages– Pragati, Surokkha, Samata and Prabashi– out of a total of six planned ones were initially introduced under the universal pension scheme to ensure the lifetime pension facility for the participant citizens. Universal pension system to be rolled out from FY 2023-24 The Pragati package will cover private job holders, while the Surokkha is designed for self-employed persons, the Samata for the low-income people and the Prabashi package for the expatriate Bangladeshis. The two remaining packages will be launched later. Any citizen aged above 18 can participate in the universal pension scheme to get the pension facility during the retirement life, by paying installments till the person reaches the age of 60. An individual aged even above 50 can join the scheme but the person will need to pay installments for 10 consecutive years. Bill on the universal pension returns to the House after scrutiny Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, also spoke on the occasion. PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the function, while Senior Secretary of the Finance Division Fatima Yasmin delivered the welcome speech. In the event, a video documentary on the Universal Pension Scheme was screened. JS passes bill to introduce Universal Pension Scheme

A bus rammed into a motorcycle and a bicycle, killing three people on the Dhaka-Khulna highway, in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj on Tuesday. Motorcyclist MA Hasib, son of Samsul Haque of Hellencha village in Alfadanga upazila of Faridpur district, was killed in the crash, as were bicyclists Nabir Sheikh, 22, son of Lokman Sheikh, and Abdur Rahimm, 20, son of Raza Miah, both from the same village of Pona in Kashiani. Manobindra Biswas, sub-inspector (SI) of Bhatiapara Highway Police, said the accident occurred this noon when the bus of Dola Paribahan coming from Dhaka hit the vehicles, leaving motorcyclist Hasib dead on the spot and two cyclists critically injured. The injured were rushed to Kashiani Health Complex where Nabir Sheikh and Abdur Rahim were declared dead, SI Manobindra added.