District News

Mother, two sons killed in Bhola house collapse
Our Correspondent
A woman and her two sons were killed when a thatched house collapsed on them during a storm at Kocchopia village in Charfashion upazila of Bhola on early Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Rinku Begum, 30, wife of Hanif Patwari and their sons – Zunayed, 7, and Tanzid, 5, of the village. Harun-or-Rashid, officer-in-charge of Dakkhin Aicha Police Station, said the incident took place around 1am when the roof of the house collapsed on them during a storm, leaving the trio dead on the spot.
Hanif had gone out for fishing the previous night.
He built the thatched house seven months ago and there were goods and logs on the ceiling which also fell on the victims during the incident. On information, police recovered the bodies in the morning.

Cargo vessel sinks in Meghna
Our Correspondent
A cargo ship sunk in Meghna River at Harina in Chandpur Sadar upazila on Tuesday evening, due to heavy current. However, the Coast Guard rescued all the 14 crew members of the ship. Lt Hayat Ibne Siddique, media officer of Bangladesh Coast Guard, said the MV Izzah-3 was carrying fly ash from Kolkata to Meghna Ghat of Chandpur.
After reaching Harina, it had to drop anchor there due to strong current in the river. At one stage, the ship sank after its anchor got uprooted. On information, Coast Guard members from Chandpur station rushed there and rescued the crews.

2 girls die falling into drain during heavy rain in Chattogram
Our Correspondent
Two teenage girls have died after falling into a roadside drain during heavy rain in Agrabad area of the port city.
The deceased were identified as Munni Akhter, 14, daughter of Md Yusuf and Md Jhuma, 17, daughter of Jamal. Jahed Chowdury, official of Agrabad Fire Service, said that the girls fell down a drain while walking in the road on Tuesday afternoon as the area including roads went under water due to heavy rain and tidal water.
On information, a diver team came to the spot and carried out rescue drive. The team recovered Munni’s body at night and Jhuma’s body on Wednesday morning, said the official.
According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, 55mm rain was recorded in Chattogram in last 24 hours since 6am on Wednesday.

Cop dies in Kushtia road accident
Our Correspondent
A police officer was killed as a truck hit his motorcycle on the Kushtia-Pabna highway in Bahalbaria area here on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Rasheduzzaman Tanmoy,28, constable of Railway Police’s Kushtia circle and son of Moniruzzaman, hailed from Rifayetpur village of Daulatpur upazila.
Kushtia Mirpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Kalam said a Kushtia-bound truck hit Rasheduzzaman in the area while he was heading towards Kushtia riding on his motorcycle, leaving him dead on the spot. The police recovered the body and sent it to Kushtia sadar hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Flood leaves hundreds marooned in Mirzapur
Our Correspondent
Fresh areas in Mirzapur upazila of Tangail district are being submerged by flood waters, leaving hundreds of families marooned in 11 unions and one pourasava.
People’s sufferings have increased in Bohuria Mohera, Vadgram, Latifpur, Anaitara, Banail, Bhaora, jamurki, Uarshi and Tarafpur unions.

Meanwhile, river erosion has taken a serious turn in the upazila. A number of houses have gone in the riverbed. Mirzapur UNO M Abdul Khaleque informed that distribution of 27 tons of rice has began in some flood-hit unions. He also said that a list of marooned people is being prepared.

Blacksmiths passing busy time
Alam Sarowar Tito, Kishoreganj
Blacksmiths are passing busy time making sharp tools used for slaughtering sacrificial animals and processing the meat at the different markets across the country .
A good number of people are approaching blacksmiths for machetes , chopped, knives and other iron-made tools. The shops are selling mostly new tools, but at the same time repairing and sharpening the old ones.
Blacksmiths of 8 municipality and 13 upazilas of Kishoreganj are now spending busy times in making the items used for cattle slaughtering ahead of Eid-ul-Adha.
According to sources, the blacksmith profession was very profitable four to five decades ago when there was tremendous demand for iron and steel-made tools including sharp edged ploughs spikes on the wheels of cattle-driven cart, knives, sickles, choppers and others such tools.
But nowadays, due to introduction of mechanical ploughs, tractors or power tillers, machanised vehicles and machine-driven harvesters, the use of those age old iron or steel tools have been obliterated. As a result, thousands of blacksmiths who used to earn their livelihood by making those indigenous tools for centuries are now switching to other professions. A good number of blacksmiths said that they can’t expand their business due to the shortage of fund.
We do not want to change our profession. If the government introduces loan facility, it would be helpful for us, they added .
According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Kishoreganj office and other sources, there were over 600 blacksmiths in the district 30-40 years ago but now their number has come down to around 300.Blacksmiths Habib Miah and Abdul Mannan Katiarchar under Kishoreganj Sadar upazila said only this time in the year the demand of their products increases centering Eid-ul-Adha.

Risky Ctg illegal hill dwellers asked to evacuate soon
Our Correspondent
The District Administration on Wednesday asked the residents of its nine risky hill areas about possible landslides which could claim their lives.
In order to prevent casualties from landslides caused by heavy rainfall, the authority also decided to evacuate the residents who have been resided at these risky hill pockets as soon as possible time. In this regards, they opened 19 shelter centers in Chandgaon, Bakalia, Agrabad and Kattli circles of the port city..
During the coronavirus pandemic, the authorized persons also asked to maintain social distancing for personal safety while staying in the shelters.
The authority carried out continued miking through the loudspeakers since morning from nine separate spots including Motijharna, Batali Hill, Ak Khan Pahar, Tankir Pahar, Amin Jute Mills Area, Raufabad Hill, Khulshi Hill, Pahartali Hill, Fayez Lake, Akbar Shah Area Lake-1,2,3 Area Hills, Mujib Nagar and Kaibalyadham and asked the residents of these risky hilly areas to leave their makeshift houses as Chattogram and its adjoining areas experienced heavy rains in the third consecutive days.

Sonargaon marooned people passing days thru’ immense sufferings
Our Correspondent
Inhabitants of Sahapur, Baninathpur, Bhottopur and Raghu Bhanga villages under Sonrgaon municipalty in Narayanganj are passing their days through immense sufferings due to flood water.
Most of the roads and houses are went under water following torrential rain of last two days.
Local people alleged that there is drainage system which can prevent flood. For this, the houses and shops go under water if some rain falls. No public representatives are visiting them now.
Sonargaon marooned people passing days thru’ immense sufferings
They demnded the intervention of top governmnet officials and the public representatives for repairing the drain or renovation of it to free the inhabitants from water.
Sonargaon municipalty’s ward no:9 councilor Maniruzzaman Madhu said, “We have already talked to municipalty engineers. The water will be removed within two or three days by set up irrigation pump.”