Sylhet
Sylhet schools shut due to flooding
Hundreds of students have been hit hard as flooding forced authorities to close educational institutions in Sylhet district.
According to the district primary education office, floodwaters have entered some 550 educational institutions in the district.
Also read:No improvement in Sylhet's flood situation
Besides, 200 educational institutions have been designated as shelters for the flood-hit residents of the district, forcing students to stay away from their academic activities.
All the rivers of the district are full to the brim due to the onrush of hilly waters from the upstream and incessant rains over the past several days, according to officials.
The low-lying areas of the district have already been flooded, rendering nearly one lakh people marooned.
There are 1,477 primary schools in the district and 400 schools were affected till Wednesday. Goainghat, Kanaighat, Jointapur, Jakiganj and Companiganj upazilas are the worst hit.
District education officer Shakhawat Ershad feared that new areas in the district could be flooded soon due to the rise in water levels of all the rivers in the district.
Besides, sources said that 150 secondary schools and madrasas have been inundated due to flooding.
Flood situation in Sylhet
The overall flood situation in Sylhet district worsened further Thursday morning, with some rivers still flowing above the danger level due to the onrush of hilly waters from India.
Although the showers have subsided in the district in the last two days, the water levels in rivers and haors of Sylhet rose two more inches due to the onrush this morning.
According to the administration, at least 30 areas of Sylhet city have been flooded.
Also read: Flood situation worsens in Sylhet; low-lying areas in city inundated
The flood situation has also worse in 13 upazilas of the district -- Companiganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Jaintapur and Sylhet Sadar upazilas to name a few.
The floods have affected 20 lakh people in Sylhet district and city.
Meanwhile, the floods have triggered power cuts in different upazilas and Sylhet city, hitting hard some 11.5 lakh consumers of Bangladesh Power Development Board and Palli Bidyut Samiti.
Flood situation worsens in Sylhet
The overall flood situation in Sylhet district worsened further Thursday morning, with some rivers still flowing above the danger level due to the onrush of hilly waters from India.
Although the showers have subsided in the district in the last two days, the water levels in rivers and haors of Sylhet rose two more inches due to the onrush this morning.
According to the administration, at least 30 areas of Sylhet city have been flooded.
Also read: No improvement in Sylhet's flood situation
The flood situation has also worsened in 13 upazilas of the district -- Companiganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Jaintapur and Sylhet Sadar upazilas to name a few.
The floods have affected 20 lakh people in Sylhet district and city.
Meanwhile, the floods have triggered power cuts in different upazilas and Sylhet city, hitting hard some 11.5 lakh consumers of Bangladesh Power Development Board and Palli Bidyut Samiti.
Two sub-stations of the Development Board and two sub-stations of Palli Bidyut Samiti have been shut down due to the rise in flood waters, according to officials.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the Surma river has been flowing 127 cm above the danger level at Kanaighat Point. At Sylhet point, it has increased by 13 cm and is flowing 42 cm above the danger level.
Besides, the water of Kushiara has increased by 20 cm at Amalsid (Sylhet) point and is now flowing 158 cm above the danger level. On the other hand, at Sheola (Sylhet) point, the water level of the river has risen by 8 cm.
Surma, Kushiara rivers to be dredged to restore navigability: FM
The Surma and the Kushiara rivers in Sylhet will be dredged to restore their navigability and prevent floods in this area, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday.
“The government will extend all possible assistance, including relief, to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Sylhet affected by flash floods,” he said while distributing relief among the flood victims in Sylhet.
Also read: No improvement in Sylhet's flood situation
Momen said 33 shelters have already been set up for the flood-hit people in Sylhet Sadar and more shelters will be set up if necessary.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has always stood by the people in any difficult time, including during natural disasters,” he added.
Flood situation worsens in Sylhet; low-lying areas in city inundated
Low-lying areas in Sylhet city have been inundated as flood situation worsened in the district due to heavy rains and onrush of water from the upstream.
Floodwater started to enter dwelling houses, shops and other establishments as Surma River is flowing above its danger level, inundating the suburbs of Sylhet city, Sobhanighat, Kalighat, Chandnighat, Chararapar, Sheikhghat, Taltala, Kalapara, Majumdarpara, Machimpur.
People spent sleepless nights in different parts of the city on Monday as they had to shift their important belongings to safer places.
Also read: Flood situation worsens in Sunamganj, Sylhet; thousands marooned
Shelter centers have been opened at Kishori Mohan and Machimpur schools in the city for the flood victims, said Nur Azizur Rahman, chief executive officer of Sylhet City Corporation.
Joynal Abedin, a resident of Charapar in the city, said, "It is true that rain and onrush water are responsible for this flood situation. But the poor navigability of the Surma River, the city's clogged drains, sewerage line clogged with garbage and the lack of proper supervision of the authorities concerned are all responsible for this misery.”
Senior Lawyer and Journalist of Sylhet Taj Uddin said the rainwater in the city used to drain out through various canals through Shahparan area. But the path of drainage got clogged due to different developmental works. “Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) did not take any measure in this regard.”
In order to solve water logging problem,, Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) started the work of repairing about 1100 kms of drains in the metropolitan area in 2012.
According to SCC, 75 per cent of the work of this project involving Tk 300 crore has been completed.
Boat capsizes in Sylhet; 2 missing
Police have recovered the body of a man who went missing after a boat capsized in Kharil Beel (canal) of Sylhet Sadar upazila’s Jalalabad union.
The deceased has been identified as Ashkandar Ali, a resident of Putamara village.
OC Nazmul Huda Khan of Jalalabad Police Station said that locals spotted the body floating in the canal and informed police on Monday afternoon. Later police recovered the body.
Another person, Razzakh Ali, resident of Rayer Gao village is still missing, he said.
READ: Trawler capsizes off Chandpur
The incident occurred on Sunday night at around 10.30 pm.
Obaidullah Ishaq, chairman of the Jalalabad union, said that eight people were returning home by boat at night. The boat capsized due to a storm. Six of them were rescued but two were still missing.
The capsized boat was recovered at around 11 am on Monday. Fire service divers are conducting the search operation, he said
2 held for kidnapping and raping a teenager in Sylhet
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two people from Sylhet’s South Surma upazila for kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl.
The arrestees are Abdul Ali, 40, of Jafrabad village under the upazila and Md. Alauddin, 32, of Chhopdolpur village.
READ: Minister urges Sylhet DC not to collect entry fee at Jaflong
The victim was rescued and they were arrested from Jalalpur Bazar area of the upazila on May 8, said Somen Majumder, Assistant Director, Media Wing of RAB-9 on Tuesday.
Initially, the victim told RAB that 4 to 5 unidentified persons, including the arrestees kidnapped her in a CNG-run autorickshaw and later gang-raped her for 10 days keeping her captive.
The victim was kidnapped on April 29 from the Moglabazar area, said a RAB media release.
Statement recording deferred in Sylhet custodial death case
A trial court in Sylhet on Tuesday deferred till Wednesday the recording of statement in the case of custodial death of a 34-year-old man in 2020.
On October 10, 2020, Rayhan Ahmed, a resident of Akhalia in Sylhet city, was allegedly brutally tortured at Bandar Bazar police outpost. He died the next day at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital.
Also read: Raihan’s custodial death: Trial of ex-SI Akbar, 5 others from May 10
"The trial procedure was deferred as a writ petition has been filed in the High Court, seeking quashing of the FIR filed in the case against the accused -- five cops and a local journalist," said Nowshad Ahmed Chowdhury, the public prosecutor at Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court.
The five accused cops, including former in-charge of Bandar Bazar police outpost sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan, were produced in the court on Tuesday amid tight security.
On May 5, 2021, Awlad Hossain, inspector of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and investigating officer in the case, submitted a chargesheet in this case against the six accused.
On April 18, this year the court framed charges against all the accused. The five policemen are currently in jail but the sixth accused is on the run.
The accused in this case are suspended SI Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan, SI Hasan Uddin, ASI Asheq Elahi, and constables Titu Chandra Das and Harunur Rashid, and Abdullah Al Noman, a journalist who allegedly deleted the CCTV footage of the incident.
Also read:Raihan murder: Court asks fugitive accused to surrender
The case was filed against the accused following a complaint from Rayhan’s wife Tahmina Akter Tanni at Kotwali Police Station the next day.
Police had initially rejected the allegation and claimed that Rayhan was caught by locals in the Kastghar area during a robbery attempt and was lynched.
7 shops fined in Sylhet for overpricing soybean oil
The authorities on Sunday fined seven wholesalers of edible oil Tk 16,000 for stockpiling and selling soybean oil at a price higher than that fixed by the government during a raid in Sylhet.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has launched a nationwide drive to prevent stockpiling and overpricing of soybean oil in the market, following the record hike in the cooking oil’s house.
On the instructions of the director general of the department, the Sylhet district and divisional office conducted a drive in Sylhet from 11 am like the rest of the country.
Also read: Around 23 million litre soybean oil arrives at Chittagong port amid growing demand
During the drive, warehouses and shops of soybean oil dealers in Kalighat, Kazir Bazar, Lama Bazar, Madina Market, Akhalia and Tuker Bazar of Sylhet city were inspected.
However, no evidence of stockpiling of soybean oil was found in any warehouse in the Kalighat area of the city.
Traders claim that enough oil is not being supplied from the oil company's depots.
On the other hand, the depot authorities informed that the oil supply was a little less due to the Eid holidays. However, they have started getting enough soybean oil from Sunday.
Also read: Soybean oil price jumps as Indonesia bans export of palm oil
Assistant Director Shyamal Purkayastha and Md Amirul Islam Masud, Assistant Director of the Department were also present during the drive along with Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and law enforcers.
FM inaugurates Bangabandhu Gold Cup football tournament in Sylhet
The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman National Gold Cup Football Tournament, Boys (Under-17) 2022 and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Gold Cup Football Tournament (Under-17) 2022 were inaugurated on Sunday.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the tournaments at Sylhet District Stadium in the afternoon.
At that time, the minister said, there are not many playgrounds in Sylhet. “I have told Sylhet city corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury that an initiative should be taken to build three more playgrounds on the other side of the river.”
He further said that all those who play in the national team of Bangladesh come up from rural areas. The Awami League government is doing everything for the development of sports for the boys and girls of the rural areas.
This tournament has been organised on the initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports, under the supervision of Sylhet District Administration.
A total of 1,982 boys will participate in 105 unions and four municipalities at the upazila level of Sylhet district while 252 boys and 252 girls in 13 upazilas and a city corporation at the district level.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will select 40 boys and 40 girls from this age based tournament.
Meanwhile, four players have been sent to Brazil for advanced training. Besides, from 2021, 11 boys will be sent to Brazil and 11 girls will be sent to Spain or Portugal.
This event has been organised every year since 2018 with the aim of providing inspiration to the emerging players and improving the quality of football in the country.
No fee required for next 7 days to enter Jaflong
Tourists will not have to pay any fee for the next seven days to visit Sylhet's popular hangout Jaflong.
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mozibor Rahman said this Thursday evening after some volunteers working for the administration assaulted tourists who visited the spot in Gowainghat at 2pm.
The incident occurred in front of the ticket counter at the tourist spot.
"As the group of tourists wanted to enter Jaflong without tickets, they got into an argument with the volunteers at the counter. At one point, some volunteers attacked the tourists with sticks," said Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Tahlimur Rahman.
"This incident will hurt our tourism and as the assaulters were employed by us, I take responsibility for this. Three of them have already been sacked and I asked the police to take legal action against them."
The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. It shows some men wearing blue volunteer uniforms assaulting a group of tourists with sticks.
Some women, from the same group of tourists, also came under attack as they had tried to stop the violence.
"We have detained five people, including two volunteers, who were involved in the incident. Legal action will be taken against them. Additional police forces have been deployed at the tourist spot," said Sylhet Superintendent of Police Mohammad Farid Uddin.
Also read: Volunteers assault tourists in Sylhet, 5 held