United News of Bangladesh

Five people were killed and two children sustained serious injuries after a private car rammed into the rear of a stationery truck on the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila early Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Nurjahan, 50, wife of Shahidul Islam of Ujjalpur village in Jhikargachha upazila of Jashore; her son Arif Islam, 24; Ayesha Begum, 28, wife of Ilias Hossain of the same village; Rakib, 18; and the unidentified driver of the private car, aged about 25. The injured were identified as Ashraful Hossain, 7, and Tachfia, 3. All were travelling in the private car. According to Shibchar Highway Police, the private car was heading to Jashore from Dhaka when it crashed into the truck parked on the roadside near Maligram Bus Stand around 4 am.  Four people died on the spot while the injured were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, where Rakib later succumbed to his injuries, said Shibchar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mizanur Rahman . He said police and members of Bhanga Fire Service carried out a rescue operation after receiving news of the accident. He said efforts are underway to identify the deceased driver, while the injured are undergoing treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital.  The damaged truck and private car have been seized. Bhanga Fire Service Station Manager Abu Zafar said rescuers had to cut through the mangled vehicle to recover the driver's body, as he was trapped inside following the collision. Police and fire service officials said an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The rush of people returning to their workplaces after the Eid holidays continued at Paturia launch terminal on Tuesday, with a large number of passengers heading towards Dhaka and other destinations. Since morning, an overwhelming crowd of homebound workers and holidaymakers from the country’s southwestern region was seen at the launch terminal. Hundreds of passengers travelled from Daulatdia launch terminal in Rajbari to Paturia by launch using the shuttle service. After reaching Paturia, they boarded local buses and other vehicles to continue their journeys to Dhaka and nearby areas.

An eight-year-old girl went missing after being reportedly dragged into a pond by a crocodile at the Khan Jahan Ali (RA) shrine in Bagerhat Sadar Upazila on Monday night. Locals said the girl entered the women’s bathing ghat of the shrine pond for bathing around 8.30 pm when a crocodile attacked her and grabbed her leg before pulling her into the water. Locals immediately launched a search operation using boats, but the child remained missing till filing of this report around 12:45am on Tuesday. The missing child was identified as Fatema Akter. Locals said she lived in the shrine area with her mother, who is mentally challenged. Eyewitness Alam Hossain said he and his friends were visiting the shrine when they suddenly heard screams and rushed to the pond ghat, but the crocodile had already pulled the child into the water. Shrine caretaker Fakir Tariqul Islam said the girl went to bathe when the crocodile attacked her and dragged her into the water. Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Md Baten said four local teams were conducting search operations with boats, and if the child is not found at night, a Fire Service diving team will join the rescue effort on Tuesday morning. Superintendent of Police Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar said efforts were underway to rescue the child, adding that security measures around the shrine will be strengthened and bathing in the pond may be restricted. Local MP Shaikh Monzurul Haque Rahad said steps will be taken to ensure protection of the pond area, noting that several similar incidents had occurred in the past.

A woman and a child died after a boat carrying passengers capsized in the Chikni Beel area of Purbadhala upazila in Netrakona on Monday afternoon. The boat sank while carrying five to six people, police and local sources said. According to locals, several relatives from Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh had come to visit the house of Ekin Ali in Bishwambharpurvillage. During the visit, they went on a boat ride in Chikni Beel. The boat reportedly capsized after becoming overloaded with passengers. The deceased were identified as Jamila Akter, 30, of Kolohori village in Tarakanda upazila, and Nusrat, 8, daughter of Abu Taher of Hasanpur village in Gouripur upazila. Locals rescued the victims and rushed them to Purbadhala Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead. Another passenger, Mim, 12, daughter of Asmat Ali of Bishwambharpur village, was injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment at the same hospital. Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge of Purbadhala Police Station Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun said the boat is suspected to have capsized due to overloading. Legal procedures are underway, he added.

President Mohammed Shahbuddin has accepted the resignation of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan. The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Dipen Dewan resigned from the Cabinet, citing health reasons. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, mentioning that his health condition was preventing him from carrying out his official duties properly. “The Prime Minister accepted his resignation,” he added. “Due to my physical illness, various problems are being created in carrying out the regular responsibilities of the ministry,” Dipen Dewan wrote in the letter. Stepping down from his current position became necessary in the interest of maintaining the momentum of the government’s development and administrative activities, he said. Dipen Dewan served as the CHT Affairs Minister in the government formed after the BNP's landslide victory in the February 12 general election.

Five people were killed and four others injured in separate road accidents in Fatikchhari and Banshkhali upazilas of Chattogram district on Monday. In Fatikchhari, a man and his son were killed when a bus hit a motorcycle at Pidong around 10:30am, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nazirhat Highway Police Station Mobarak Hossain. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Shahjahan, 48, and Muhammad Arif, 18. Angered by the accident, local people set the bus on fire. Police arrested bus driver Md Russel, 38, from the spot. In another accident, Rabiul Hossain Robi, 24, was killed and another injured when a bus hit a motorbike around 4:30pm in Lelang union of the upazila. In Banshkhali, two people were killed and three others injured when a fish-laden pick-up van rammed a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Munsuria Bazar in the afternoon, said OC Rabiul Haque of Banshkhali Police Station. The deceased were identified as Bahadur Alam, 28, and Md Noman, 35. They met the tragic end of their life while returning to Chattogram city for work after Eid vacation. The injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

A couple was found dead at a hotel in Foy’s Lake area of the Chattogram port city on Monday. The deceased were identified as Mohamamd Ripon and Sonia. They checked into Royel's Park Hotel on Sunday night identifying themselves as a married couple. Kamruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Akbarshah Police Station, said getting no response from the room of the couple, the hotel authorities informed the matter to police who recovered the bodies around 11 am. Man hacks sister-in-law, nephew to death in Manikganj However, efforts are underway to know their detailed addresses, he said. “It is still unclear how the couple died. However, an investigation is ongoing to unearth the mystery behind the incident,” said OC Kamruzzaman. The bodies were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Two young men were killed as a motorbike crashed into a roadside tree at Taltala in Manirampur upazila of Jashore on Sunday night. The deceased were identified as Rakib, 27, son of Ismail, and Mehedi Hasan, 25, son of Kamruzzaman. Both were residents of Nadra village under Kashimnagar Union in Manirampur. Locals and police said the accident occurred when Rakib and Mehedi were returning home from Rajganj Bazar on the motorcycle around 9:30 pm, leaving them injured. Locals rushed them to Jashore General Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared them dead. Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Abu Sayeed said the bodies have been kept at the morgue of Jashore General Hospital. Legal procedures in connection with the accident are currently underway, he added.

Police have arrested three women including the suspected leader of notorious criminal gang ‘LadyKanta’  during a special overnight operation in Sunamganj district town. The arrestees are Kanta Begum, widely known as ‘Lady Kanta, Subarna Akter Akhi, wife of Abdul Aziz of Hasannagar; and Jannat Akter, daughter of Alhad Mia of Laxmipur village in Jamalganj upazila. Police also recovered a locally made sharp weapon resembling a sword from their possessions during the operation conducted in different parts of the town late Sunday night. Police said the gang had been involved in organised criminal activities in the district town and its surrounding areas for a long period. Investigators said the group used a unique strategy to carry out crimes. Members of the gang used to disguise themselves and enter homes as assistance seekers or posing as domestic workers. Once inside, they would take advantage of opportunities to steal cash, gold ornaments and valuable mobile phones before fleeing the scene, they said . Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station, Ratan Sheikh, said Kanta, also known as Lady Kanta, and her associates had allegedly been carrying out thefts and robberies for years by entering homes in disguise. He said they were arrested in an operation conducted on the basis of intelligence information and that legal action against them was underway.

Trade between Bangladesh and India through Benapole land port resumed on Monday following a seven-day suspension during the Eid holidays. Benapole Port Director Shamim Hossain said with the holiday now over, bilateral trade through the land port has resumed. Around 3,000 workers joined their duties from early morning to handle cargo loading and unloading, restoring normal operations at the port. Eid-ul-Azha: Trade through Benapole port to remain suspended for 7 days Import and export activities at Benapole land port  remained suspended from May 25 to May 31 due to Eid vacation. However, despite the halt in trade, passport-holder passenger movement between the two countries continued as usual during the holiday period. Aminul Haque, Vice President of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said businesspeople, C&F agents, customs officials, port authorities, and workers are now busy clearing goods. He said prolonged holiday caused a backlog of cargo on both sides of the border but the situation is expected to improve as import-export activities and cargo clearance have resumed. According to port data, import and export operations began at 9 am and by 11 am 39 trucks carrying imported goods entered Bangladesh from India, while 13 trucks loaded with export goods crossed into India.