Sylhet
Tea garden workers continue strike in Sylhet
Tea garden workers in Sylhet continued with their strike on Wednesday, the 16th day of their protest movement, demanding revision of their wages to Tk 300 from the existing Tk 120.
In tea gardens across Sylhet, UNB found that tea garden workers were carrying on with their movement by staging protests and forming human chains in groups.
After a meeting with the tea garden workers' union leaders on Tuesday, the Panchayat heads decided to carry on with their movement until their demand for higher wages is met.
Read:Moulvibazar tea workers resume strike defying union leaders’ decision
The movement started on August 9, when workers from 241 tea gardens of the country abstained from work for two hours, demanding Tk 300 as daily wages. As their demand was not met, they decided to go on a full-scale strike from August 13.
After holding meetings with tea garden owners and other stakeholders in the past two weeks, the tea garden workers’ union agreed to resumption of work from Monday and get Tk 120 as wages for the time being, but that was rejected by the workers.
The ongoing strike is the continuation of the previously declared movement by the tea garden workers.
Tea workers return to strike for Tk 300 wage; block Dhaka-Sylhet highway
Tea garden workers, who rejected the wage hike by Tk 25 to Tk 145 a day staged demonstrations on Dhaka-Sylhet highway and Airport Road in Sylhet on Sunday demanding Tk 300 as their daily wage.
They abstained from joining work as the leaders of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union on Saturday night announced that they did not withdraw the strike upon assurance of a Tk 25 hike in wage.
Tea garden workers from five gardens including Teliapara, Surma, Noyapara staged rally at Jagdishpur Muktijoddha Chattar area of Madhabpur upazila around 11:30 am and blocked the highway, creating a long tailback of vehicles on both sides of the road.
Around 3 pm they suspended the blockade on instruction from Bangladesh Tea Worker Union leaders as they assured by August 23 their demand will be fulfilled.
The workers from Sylhet valley gardens blocked the road connecting to MAG Osmani International Airport from 12 pm to 2 pm, creating a huge traffic gridlock.
Also read: Tea garden workers’ strike not withdrawn: leaders
8 of 2 families found unconscious in Sylhet
Eight members of two families have been found unconscious at their respective house in Sadar upazila of Sylhet, said police.
Two members of a family found them unconscious on Saturday morning in their tin-shed houses and rushed them to MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).
They are Shajeda Begum, 50, her son Sohanur Rahman Sagar, 17, daughter Nigar Sultana, 29, of a family and Subhas Chandra Dey, 65, Sreebhas Chandra Dey, 60, Satyen Dey, 35, Shibani Chandra Dey, 52, and Gouri Rani Dey, 57 of another family.
Nigar Sultana, who gained consciousness at the hospital, said the members of the two families slept in their respective rooms after having dinner on Friday night. However, her brother Saheed was awake almost the whole night.
“Around 5 am on Saturday, our eyes were burning and we woke up. We vomited several times,” she added.
Later, Nigar’s brother found the window grill of their kitchen broken.
Sylhet Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mainul Zakir said they suspect that thieves might have done this.
“We have collected some evidence. However, nothing can be said before investigation,” he added.
Read: 2 die after 5 members of UK expat family found unconscious in Sylhet
On July 26, two members of a UK expatriate family died at a hospital in Sylhet after five members of the family were found unconscious at rented house in Osmaninagar upazila of the district.
The deceased were Rafiqul Islam, 50, and his 16-year-old son Mahikul Islam.
On August 6, Samira Islam, daughter of Rafiqul Islam, died at a hospital.
Schoolgirl dies as boat sinks in Sylhet haor
A 12-year-old schoolgirl died as a boat capsized in Burikeyari haor in Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet early Wednesday, said police.
The deceased was identified as Morshed Jahan Ferdousi, of the upazila. She was a sixth grader of Fariza Khatun Girls’ High School.
Read: Lightning strike leaves fisherman dead in Sylhet
A boat carrying 17-18 people including Ferdousi sank in the haor around 9 am, said Md Shafayet Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Fenchuganj police station.
Although locals rescued the other people the girl drowned in the haor.
Later, police fished out the body, said the OC.
Tea workers strike for wage hike in Sylhet
Hundreds of workers of 23 tea gardens in Sylhet observed a two hour work abstention on Tuesday demanding a daily wage of Tk 300 due to price hike of daily essentials.
The workers of Sylhet Valley went on work abstention around 10 am on Tuesday demanding a hike in their wages.
They also brought out a procession in front of Lakkatura Tea Garden near Sylhet Airport road and formed a human chain there.
Read: Sylhet tea workers go on work abstention amid coronavirus fear
Raju Goala, president of Tea Workers Union Sylhet Valley, said “We have been demanding to raise our wages for loa ng but no response has come yet. Already the daily essentials items shot up in the local kitchen market and the price hike of fuel also brings a double blow for us. It is difficult for us to maintain our family with Tk 120 daily wages.”
The authorities concerned did not pay any heed to our demand for the past two years though there is a norm to renew the contract between two years but no effective steps have been taken yet, forcing us to go for two hour movement, he said.
He also threatened to go for a tougher movement if their demand for Tk 300 daily wage was not met immediately.
Blackmail behind Sylhet college student's suicide; one sent to jail
A Sylhet court has sent a man to jail for blackmailing a college student who committed suicide in a hostel in Sylhet city two months ago.
The accused is Shyamal Das, 21, of Habiganj district.
Judge Saifur Rahman of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 passed the order on Thursday after recording the accused’s statement.
Syed Anisul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahporan police station,said they arrested Shyamol from Jalalabad residential area of Sylhet and presented him before the court on Thursday.
Shyamal Das gave a confessional statement in the court regarding his involvement in the suicide.
Read:MC College student found dead in dorm
Referring to the statement, the OC said Shyamal hacked into the Facebook messenger of the victim Smriti Rani Das and blackmailed her with her private photos for money.
He took Tk 2,500 from her which she had sent through Bkash before committing suicide.
The police arrested Shyamol after tracking him based on that transaction, said the OC.
A case of instigating suicide was filed at Shahporan police station following a complaint of the victim’s father, said OC Anisul.
On May 25, Smriti, a 21-year-old student of MC College, was found hanging inside a room in her hostel in the Tilagarh area of Sylhet city.
Prof Saleh Ahmed of MC College said Smriti used to stay in a room on the second floor of the hostel but her body was found in an unoccupied room on the third floor.
Attack on interns: Osmani Medical College students suspend strike
Students of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital who embarked on a strike on Monday night in protest against the attack on two medical interns by relatives of a patient, suspended their movement early on Tuesday morning.
"We have suspended our strike after getting assurances from the authorities that steps will be taken against the accused," said Amit Hasan Sunny, a fifth-year student of the medical college.
“But the suspension is till 2 pm as the authorities have already arrested two people in connection with the attack. The hospital authorities have assured us that they will file a case in this regard and that others involved will also be held,” he said.
Also read: Osmani Medical College students block road protesting attack by patient’s relatives
If the authorities fails to fulfill the demands of the medical interns, the strike will resume from 2pm, said Sunny.
Ajbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said, “We have already arrested two people and identified the others involved and they will be arrested soon. Additional police force has been deployed at the medical college to ensure the safety of the students.”
The arrestees are Muhid Hasan Rabbi, general secretary of Sylhet ward-3 of Bangladesh Chhatra League, and his associate Ehsan Ahmed.
Injured interns -- Rudra Nath and Naimur Rahman Imon -- are currently being treated at the hospital.
On Sunday, two relatives of a patient misbehaved with a female medical intern at the hospital. They were later handed over to the police.
To take revenge, relatives of the patient entered the college campus and stabbed two intern doctors on Monday night.
Also read: Students demand establishment of medical college in Panchagarh
On Monday, at 10 pm, all intern doctors of the hospital suspended their services and announced to go on strike until all the attackers were arrested. They closed all the hospital gates and took position on the main road in front of it creating a blockade.
Mother, son killed as bus hits them on Sylhet-Bholaganj highway
A woman and her son were killed as a bus mowed them down on the Sylhet-Bholaganj highway in Companiganj upazila, Sylhet, Thursday, police said.
Dulvi Begum, 40, and her son Siddikur Rahman, 12, of the upazila were going to Meghergaon of Sadar upazila.
The accident occurred around 12pm near Baharghat as a bus of Shadapathor Poribohon hit the mother and son as they were crossing the road, leaving Dulvi and her son critically injured, Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, in-charge of Salutikor Police Investigation Centre, said.
Also read: 35 km tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway after road accident
Police rushed them to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where they were declared dead upon arrival.
The bodies were sent to the hospital morgue for autopsies, Shafiqul said.
Also read: Two killed, 15 hurt in Bagerhat bus accident
Meanwhile, police managed to detain the driver of the bus, he added.
2 die after 5 members of UK expat family found unconscious in Sylhet
Two members of a UK expatriate family died at a hospital in Sylhet after five members of the family were found unconscious at rented house in Osmaninagar upazila of the district Tuesday morning, said police.
The deceased were identified as Rafiqul Islam, 50, and his 16-year-old son Mahikul Islam.
Rafiqul Islam’s wife Hosne Ara Begum, 45, his son Sadiqul Islam, 25 and daughter Samira Islam, 20, are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).
Sajjad Ahmad, brother-in-law of Rafiqul, said Rafiqul came to the country with his family on July 12 for the treatment of his son Sadiqul.
After staying in Dhaka for six days, Rafiqul rented the house in Tajpur of the upazila on July 18.
Rafiqul with his family slept in one room after having dinner on Monday night and Rafiqul's father-in-law Anfar Ali, mother-in-law Badrunnesa, brother-in-law Delwar Hossain and his wife Shobha Begum and their daughter Sabila Begum, 8, slept in other rooms.
Additional Superintendent of Sylhet Police MD Lutfar Rahman said they rescued the five people in unconscious condition from a house on Mangalchandi road in Tajpur Bazar around 11:30 am after receiving a call from the National Emergency Service 999.
Read:Parts of Sylhet city to experience 13-hour load shedding per day
They were rushed to SOMCH where the father and the son died around 2pm, said the official.
SOMCH Director Brigadier General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan said that the bodies were kept at the hospital morgue.
Besides, a medical Board has been formed headed by Professor Shishir Ranjan Chakraborty for the treatment of three others as their condition is very critical, he added.
Superintendent of District Police Farid Uddin said they might have died due to food poisoning. “An investigation is on in this regard.”
A team of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has also reached the spot to collect evidence.
Rafiqul's father-in-law Anfar Ali, mother-in-law Badrunnesa, brother-in-law Delwar Hossain and his wife Shobha Begum were taken to police custody for interrogation.
Two die a week after Sylhet gas cylinder blast
Two people, who sustained severe burn injuries after a gas cylinder blast at a CNG filling station in Sylhet on July 15, succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka Thursday and Friday respectively, said police.
The deceased were identified as Nurul Hoque, a resident of Sunamganj district, and Nurul Hoque, another resident of Kumargaon area in Sylhet district.
Nazmul Huda Khan, officer-in-charge of Jalalabad police station, confirmed the death news through Dhaka police Saturday evening.
Read:10 hurt in N'ganj gas cylinder blast
On July 15 night, four people including the deceased sustained severe burn injuries after a gas cylinder explosion at “Safat Ullah CNG Filling Station” in Kumargaon area in the district.
Helal Ahmed, owner of the filling station, claimed that the blast occurred at a reserved cylinder room when one of the victims was about to plug his mobile phone charger on a switchboard triggering a spark with a big bang.
The accident left the staff injured, he said, adding that they were rushed to Dhaka where two of them died while undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.