Police have arrested four more suspects in the Sirajganj councilor-elect Tariqul Islam Khan murder case, including the brother of the main suspect who still manages to evade the law enforcers.

The most important of the latest four arrests would seem to be of Sanoar Hossain Ratan, an advocate and brother of the key suspect Shahadat Hossain, who lost the councilor election to Tariqul. The other three arrested are Enamul Hossain Likhon, Golam Mostafa and Saiful Islam.

Also read: Sirajganj Municipal Poll: Tariqul was killed for winning, arrested suspect confirms

Sirajganj sadar police station’s additional police super Snigdho Akter said acting on a tip off, a DB police team directed by the investigating officer of the case reached Dhaka on Friday and arrested the 3 suspect Ratan, Likhon and Mostafa from Khilgaon area. Saiful was arrested from Sirajganj on Saturday.

All the 4 arrestees were sent to jail through the court within Saturday afternoon and police asked for 10 days remand for each.

Also read: Sirajganj municipality polls: Councillor-elect killed

Previously police arrested Swapan Bepary, brother in law of the key suspect, and Zahidul Islam, who acted as the hitman. Police is continuing the investigation drive to arrest the key suspect and his assistants in the murder case.

Shahadat is General Secretary of the Awami League local unit.

A rare vulture was rescued by two young men in Faridpur Sadar upazila’s Shovarampur area.

The vulture has been handed over to the livestock office after first aid.

Md Emdadul Hasan and Bayezid Hossain played key roles in the rescue.

Emdadul said he learned about the vulture from Bayezid and they rescued it around 1pm on Friday.

Also read: Injured Himalayan vulture rescued in Bogura

Faridpur Livestock Officer Nurullah Md Ahsan said the vulture has injury marks on its body and it was sick. He could not specify the vulture’s species.

“It’s a local species. The vulture came down to locality in search of food,” he said, adding that it would take two or three days for the vulture to recover.

Three persons, including two children, died and eight others were injured after a gas cylinder used to inflate balloons exploded in Moheshkhali of Cox’s Bazar.

Moheshkahli Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Abdul Hai has so far confirmed three deaths in the explosion that occurred at Matarbari.

Also read: Man killed as gas cylinder explodes in Barguna ice factory

One of the victims, 12-year-old Mohammad Ehsan, son of Jahangir Alam of Matarbari Union’s Dakkhin Miaji Para, died on the spot.

Sadekul Islam Rahat, 13, son of Sikdarpara resident Faridul Alam, died while being taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Also read: 4 killed in Sylhet microbus cylinder blast

Balloon vendor Mohammad Alamgir, 42, a resident of Chokoria, was being treated at CMCH, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Alamgir was selling balloons on Matarbari High School ground where a two-day programme was being held by Azizul Ulum Madrasa. The injured include bystanders.

Also read: Two killed in Noakhali gas cylinder blast

They are being treated at the CMCH and Chakaria hospitals.

Cheap substandard gas cylinders are often used in Bangladesh thanks to lax monitoring by the authorities concerned. Incidents of gas cylinder explosions are often reported. In 2019, five children died and 17 others were injured in a similar blast in Dhaka.

Police arrested a suspect Friday from Dhaka’s Jatrabari for the murder of BNP-backed Sirajganj councilor Tariqul Islam Khan just minutes after his victory in the recently concluded phase-II municipal elections.

The arrestee was identified as Zahidul Islam (20), son of Tikka Bepari of Byaparipari in Sirajganj Municipality.

Police also seized the murder weapon from a  pond in Sirajganj based on Zahid’s confession, said Police Super (BPM) of Sirajganj Sadar Thana Hasibul Alam in a press conference today.

Also read: Jubo League leader hacked to death in Sirajganj

Zahid, a supporter of losing candidate Shahadat Hossain, confessed to planning to murder councilor candidate Tariqul Islam in case they lost the poll to him. And they went to the polls prepared to attack him as planned on the night before the Election.

The other candidate for councilor and key suspect of the case, General Secretary of Awami League local unit Shahadat Hossain and his supporters were the masterminds behind the murder, he added.

Zahidul went from Dhaka to Sirajganj as a supporter of Shahadat three days prior to the election as planned. For the first two days he campaigned for him and on the last day he joined a meeting to plan the attack, Hasibul Alam quoted the accused.

Also read: AL leader shot dead in Sirajganj

Zahid later stabbed Tariqul as planned after the result was announced and fled to Dhaka disposing of the weapon at Sirajganj in a pond.

Hasibul Alam further said he and his team are working tirelessly to capture the rest of the accused and hope to be successful.

He also said, ‘Those who are involved with the murder will be brought under the law.’

Also read: Ansar member killed in Sirajganj clash over land

Deputy Police Super of Sadar Circle Snigdho Aktar, Officer in Charge Bahauddin Faruqi and the investigation officer of the case Tariqul Islam were also present at the press conference.

Tariqul Islam Khan won the ward council election of no 6 ward by 85 votes. He was stabbed to death soon after the announcement of his victory on Saturday.

His son Ikramul Hasan Hridoy lodged a case under Sadar Thana the next day against the defeated candidate Shahadat Hossain along with 50 more known and unknown.

Dense fog and a cold wave are disrupting everyday life in Kurigram. The sun is hiding behind the clouds for most of the time.

Long-distance vehicles have to move with headlights on even in the daytime, and a cold snap is forcing people to stay home.

Also read: Winter in Bangladesh not over yet, another cold wave coming

The local met office on Friday said the temperature in Kurigram dropped to 11.1 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours.

As the weather is getting colder, more senior citizens and children are getting admitted to hospitals with diarrhoea, pneumonia and cold-related diseases.

Also read: Severe cold threatens Boro seedbeds in Kurigram

At least 700 to 800 people were taking treatment every day, Kurigram General Hospital source said.

However, Tk64 lakh and 35,000 blankets were distributed among cold-hit people of nine upazilas and three municipalities of the district, Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Rezaul Karim said.

Also read: Mild cold wave sweeps Rangpur division, 8 districts