United News of Bangladesh

Hundreds of Argentina supporters took to the streets of Barishal on Friday, celebrating the team's victory over England and qualification for the FIFA World Cup final with a colourful procession. The celebration began at around 4pm from the historic Bell's Park in the city, where more than a hundred fans gathered wearing Argentina's iconic blue-and-white jerseys and carrying the country's national flags. The procession passed through several major roads, including Sadar Road, the Ashwini Kumar Hall area and Fazlul Haque Avenue, before returning to Bell's Park. Supporters chanted slogans such as "Argentina, Argentina" and "Messi, Messi" throughout the rally. Many waved large Argentine flags, while some joined the procession on motorcycles and private cars and others participated on foot. The festive atmosphere drew the attention of passers-by, many of whom stopped along the roadside to watch the celebrations and capture photos and videos on their mobile phones. Fans said Argentina's impressive victory over England in the much-anticipated semifinal had filled them with pride and strengthened their belief that the team would lift the World Cup trophy once again. Several supporters said their affection for Argentina had grown even stronger since the team's previous World Cup triumph, adding that they gather in Barishal to celebrate every major victory. The organisers said the procession was entirely spontaneous and concluded peacefully without any untoward incidents. They expressed hope of holding similar celebrations if Argentina wins the World Cup title.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and several other political leaders fell after a stage collapsed during a flood relief distribution programme in Chattogram's Chandanaish upazila on Friday. The incident occurred around 11:30 am in Dohazari municipality while relief was being distributed among flood-affected families. No injuries were reported from the stage collapse. Eyewitnesses said the finance minister had just stepped onto the stage after arriving at the venue when an excessive number of local leaders, activists and guests climbed onto it, causing the structure to collapse. Among those who fell were Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain, Chattogram-14 MP Jasim Uddin Ahmed, Patiya MP Enamul Haque and Boalkhali MP Ershad Ullah, along with other leaders present at the programme. Chandanaish Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abdur Rahman said  that after the minister went onto the stage to distribute relief, it collapsed and everyone present fell down. However, no one was injured. Later, once the situation was under control, relief distribution activities resumed. Meanwhile, after the minister left the venue, local leaders began distributing relief, triggering a stampede among the beneficiaries. At least 10 men and women, including Rasheda Akhtar, 60, of Burma Colony in Dohazari, Ayub Ali of Khagria, Urmi Akhtar of Guchchagram and Ayesha Akhtar of Ullapara in Dohazari, were reportedly injured in the ensuing scuffle. The injured are being treated at Chandanaish Upazila Health Complex.

Two primary schoolgirls drowned while bathing in a water body in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi on Friday morning. The deceased were identified as Nipa, 7, daughter of Saddam Hossain, and Jannati, 8, daughter of Nuruzzaman, residents of Bheluarchar village under Sreenagar union and students of Bheluarchar Govt Primary School. According to families, the two girls went to bathe in the Namar Char Beel in front of their homes around 10:00am along with 4-5 other children. At one stage, the two slipped beneath the water and drowned. The other children raised the alarm, prompting locals to rush to the spot and rescue them from the water. They were taken to Raipura Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared them dead, said Officer-in-Charge of Raipura Police Station Md Mujibur Rahman. Medical Officer at the health facility Dr Shila said the two children were brought to the hospital around 11:30am but had died before the arrival. On Thursday, four other children, including two siblings, drowned while taking bath in a river at Barokanda village in the same upazila.

A young journalist was found dead at his residence in the Sheikhhati Taraf Nowapara area of Jashore Sadar upazila on Thursday night. The deceased was identified as Sakin Hossain, 27, Jashore district correspondent of satellite television channel Green TV and staff reporter of the Jashore-based Subornovumi. He was the son of Ramzan Ali of the area. According to family members, Sakin hanged himself in his room around 8:00pm following prolonged mental distress. Relatives rescued him and rushed him to Jashore General Hospital, where the on-duty physician declared him dead. Family sources said Sakin had been experiencing prolonged mental stress, and he and his wife had been living separately due to marital discord.

A woman was killed after being hit by a bus while crossing the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Chhagalnaiya of Feni on Friday. The deceased was identified as Nazma Akter, 35, a resident of the Samity Bazar area in Chhagalnaiya upazila. Sub-Inspector Fazilpur Highway Police Station Abu Noman said Nazma was crossing the highway towards Old Muhuriganj Bazar around 12:30pm when a bus coming from Feni ran her over, leaving her critically injured. With the help of locals, police rescued her and took her to Chhagalnaiya Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared her dead. Police seized the bus involved in the accident, Noman said.

A bridge under construction at a cost of around Tk 2.2 crore in Chandpur's Matlab municipality has developed major cracks before the work is even completed, triggering allegations of poor-quality construction and prompting residents to demand an independent technical investigation. The nearly 100-foot bridge, being built near Bardia Bazar to replace an old 10-foot culvert, has been under construction for about four months. The project also includes approach roads on both sides. According to locals, visible cracks have appeared in different parts of the bridge, although construction is still underway. They alleged that substandard construction materials and irregularities have marked the project from the beginning.

Police have claimed to have cracked the mystery behind the sensational murder of a housewife in Chandpur's Shahrasti upazila within days of the incident, arresting the victim's sister-in-law, who allegedly confessed to the killing before a court. The accused, Kazi Sumaiya Hossain Mina, 23, gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a judicial magistrate on Thursday, admitting that she strangled her elder sister-in-law, Rigan Akter Mim, 26, to death out of personal vengeance, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahrasti Model Police Station Mir Mahbubur Rahman said on Thursday night. According to police, the murder took place between 1:35am and 3:30am on Wednesday at a house in the Baola area under Ward No. 9 of Shahrasti municipality. Victim's father Md Kabir Hossain filed a murder case against unidentified persons. Following the case, Chandpur Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman and other senior officers visited the scene, while a special investigation team, led by the OC, began collecting evidence. Police said investigators analysed physical evidence, witness statements and technical data before detaining the victim's sister-in-law within hours on suspicion of involvement. During interrogation, Sumaiya allegedly admitted to strangling Mim over personal resentment. She was subsequently shown arrested and produced before the court, where she gave a confessional statement under Section 164, the OC said. He said the accused also admitted to fabricating a robbery story in an attempt to divert the investigation and conceal the murder. Mim is survived by a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Saifa, and a four-month-old son, Siraj. Her husband Rony was in Dhaka for work at the time of the incident.

Days of relentless rainfall have battered nearly 180 kilometres of roads in Bagerhat, causing an estimated Tk 80 crore in damage to roads and transport infrastructure and disrupting traffic. According to the local Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officials, the prolonged downpour has stripped bituminous surfacing from roads at multiple locations, eroded road shoulders, damaged guide walls of 40 bridges and culverts, and affected approach roads to four ferry terminals. The RHD has already sought an initial allocation of Tk 35 crore from the ministry concerned to carry out urgent repair works on the damaged roads and infrastructure. Visiting different parts of the district, including the Bagerhat-Pirojpur Road, Signboard-Sarankhola-Bogi regional highway, Fakirhat and Chitalmari areas, it was found that road surfaces were badly damaged, exposing brick and stone layers beneath bitumen.

A man from Sunamganj has returned to Bangladesh through the Sheola Land Port in Sylhet after serving a prison sentence in India, nearly four years after he went missing, officials said on Thursday. Md Zakir Hossain, 34, son of Md Abdul Mannan of Kalikapur village in Doarabazar upazila of Sunamganj, was handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities by India's Border Security Force (BSF) through the Sheola Immigration Check Post in Beanibazar at around 10 am. According to his family, Zakir had been suffering from mental health issues before he went missing in mid-2021. Family members said they searched extensively for him in different places after his disappearance but failed to trace him. Having exhausted all efforts, they eventually lost hope of finding him. About a year after he went missing, the family learned through a local human rights activist in India that Zakir was being held in Silchar jail. With the assistance of the rights activist, the family completed the required legal formalities, including obtaining a travel permit, paving the way for his repatriation. Following the completion of all procedures, Zakir was brought back to Bangladesh through the Sheola Land Port. His return after nearly four years has brought relief and joy to his family. "We are grateful to the Almighty for bringing our son back. We had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again," said his father, Abdul Mannan. Asked how Zakir had crossed into India, he said the family did not know. SI M H Sajal, in-charge of the Sheola Land Port Immigration Police, said Zakir was received in the presence of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the BSF and immigration officials from both countries. After verification of his identity and completion of legal formalities, he was handed over to his family, the official added.

Three young men were killed and two others seriously injured in a head-on collision involving three motorcycles in Habiganj's Azmiriganj upazila on Thursday evening. The deceased were identified as Antar, 25, son of Chandan, of Paharpur village in Azmiriganj; Tanvir, son of Ful Mia, of Amirkhani village in Baniachong; and Abidul Laskar, 32, son of Nurul Laskar, also from Amirkhani village in Baniachong. The injured are Shahidul Islam Bachchu, 35, son of Abdus Shahid, of Sheikhergaon village in Chunarughat, and Md Mizan Mia, 27, son of Abdul Jabbar, of Thaigaon village under Gochhapara post office in Chunarughat. Both are employees of NGO BURO Bangladesh. The accident occurred at around 7:30 pm near Jalsukha Bridge on the under-construction Azmiriganj-Shalla regional highway in Jalsukha union. According to police and local sources, the three speeding motorcycles collided head-on, leaving one rider dead on the spot. The four injured victims were rescued and taken to Habiganj 250-bed District Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared two more dead. The remaining two injured were later referred to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Officer-in-Charge of Azmiriganj Police Station Akbar Hossain said police visited the scene and are investigating the cause of the accident. The bodies have been kept at the Habiganj District Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, he added.