Police have arrested Daulatdia Union Parishad Chairman A. Rahman Mondal (50) in a case filed at Goalanda Ghat Police Station in Rajbari on charges of attacking students during the anti-discrimination student movement.

Goalanda Ghat Police Station OC Mohammad Rakibul Islam confirmed the matter on Tuesday (December 24) morning. It is learnt that the police arrested him from his house on Monday (December 23) night.

Goalanda Ghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Rakibul Islam said that student Shariful Islam filed a case as the plaintiff in the attack on students at Goalanda Rail Gate on August 4 during the student movement. The case names 59 people and 300 to 400 unknown people.

Daulatdia Union Parishad Chairman A. Rahman Mondal was the 26th accused in the case. He was arrested from his house around 8 pm on Monday.

The official start of the train from Khulna to Dhaka on the Dhaka-Khulna-Dhaka route under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project has begun.

The Jehanabad Express train left Khulna Station for Dhaka Railway Station at 6 am on Tuesday (December 24), which is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 9:45 am.

It will be inaugurated at Kamalapur Railway Station by Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Railways. The function will be presided over by Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways.

In a press release on Monday (December 23), the Ministry of Railways said that advance ticket sales for these two trains started last Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online and from the counters at designated stations. Both trains will have a weekly break on Monday.

Through this, two new pairs of passenger trains will officially start operating on the Dhaka-Jashore-Khulna-Benapole route via the Padma Bridge.

The Ministry of Railways has informed that the 'Jehanabad Express' on the Khulna-Dhaka-Khulna route and the 'Ruposi Bangla' Express on the Benapole-Dhaka-Benapole route will run regularly with a one-day break every week. With the launch of this route, the travel time has been reduced. This newly launched train can reach Khulna or Benapole from Dhaka in just four and a half hours. However, currently, it takes 9 hours and 30 minutes to travel from Dhaka to Khulna via Tangail-Iswardi and 7 hours and 35 minutes to travel from Dhaka to Benapole via Rajbari.

Of the new trains, the Jehanabad Express (825) will leave Khulna at 6 am and reach Dhaka at 9:45 am, while train number 826 will leave Dhaka at 8 pm and reach Khulna at 11:40 pm.

The train will stop at Noapara, Singia Junction, Lohagada, Kashiani Junction and Bhanga Junction stations along the route.

Meanwhile, Ruposhi Bangla Express (828) will leave Dhaka at 10:45 am and reach Benapole at 2:30 pm and train number 827 from Benapole will leave Benapole at 3:30 pm and reach Dhaka at 7:10 pm.

The train will stop at Jashore Junction, Narail, Kashiani Junction and Bhanga Junction stations along the route. There will be a total of 768 seats in 12 coaches in the two trains.

Today is the third anniversary of the Abhiyan 10 launch fire in Jhalakathi's Sugandha River. 49 passengers lost their lives in the worst launch accident in recorded history. Even though three years have passed since the horrific Sugandha tragedy, the memories of that night are still vivid in the minds of the victims. Many families have lost their only income earner and are now living in extreme uncertainty. The Deputy Commissioner assured the rehabilitation of helpless and destitute families through various government projects.

The Barguna-bound Abhiyan 10 launch left Dhaka on the afternoon of December 23, 2021. The launch reached Jhalakathi's Sugandha River in the early hours of December 24, when many were fast asleep. Suddenly, a fire broke out in the engine room. Within moments, the fire engulfed the entire launch. The intensity of the fire was so intense that the driver lost control of the launch. Many people jumped into the river to save their lives. 49 people, including passengers in the cabin room who were fast asleep, were killed in the fire. After the incident, 25 bodies were handed over to their relatives, but 24 unidentified people were buried in the Potkakhali mass grave in Barguna Sadar Upazila. After that, the CID's forensic department collected samples of 51 people in order to identify the 24 bodies buried unidentified. Of these 24 people, 16 were identified in the CID's DNA test. Some lost their brothers, some their sisters, some their parents, and some their beloved children in this accident. Even after 3 years of the fire, the memories of losing their loved ones are still burning in the relatives.

On the day of the fire in the launch, Riaz Hawlader of Kazirabad Union of Betagi Upazila was coming to Barguna to see his newly born child. He died after being burned in the launch accident in the Sugandha River. Mukta Akhter, the wife of the family, was left speechless after losing her husband, Riaz Howlader, the only breadwinner in the family. She is now spending her days in misery with her two children and in-laws. A dark cloud of sadness has descended on their lives since losing her husband.

Mukta Akhter said, 'My son Poada lost his father soon after his birth. We are losing our means of survival. His father (Riyaz Howlader) used to take care of the food and clothing of the children (boys), the upkeep of the in-laws. Now, there is no one for us. The children are growing up and the expenses are increasing. Some people have given many assurances, but none of them have worked. Even though we have provided some assistance from the DC office, no one has looked after us. As the days go by, the days of hardship are getting harder.'

Md. mHasanur Rahman Jhantu, convener of the Barguna Public Policy Forum said 'The people of the southern region have never seen such a big launch fire. Some have lost their parents, some have lost their brothers and sisters, some have lost their beloved children in this fire. There are many families whose only income-generating person has died in this fire. Although these families have been given nominal assistance, no permanent initiative has been taken for their rehabilitation. The relevant government department will be required to list the helpless and destitute families and arrange for their official rehabilitation.'

Barguna Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shafiul Alam said, 'Every family that was killed and injured has been provided official assistance. Even then, arrangements will be made to rehabilitate the destitute and helpless families killed in this horrific launch accident of the past century through various government projects.'

Police have recovered 10 bodies in road accidents, electrocutions and murders in different upazilas of Chandpur in a span of 12 hours. Just as panic is spreading in the minds of the people of the district over the recovery of so many bodies in accidents and murders in a single day, so are the residents of the district.

These incidents took place from 9 am to 9 pm on Monday (December 23).

The incident started in Faridganj upazila of the district. Sufia Begum lived in Haji Bari in Balithuba West Union. Childless Sufia went missing from this house on the evening of December 15. Later, the family members searched the houses of relatives and also miked the news of her disappearance locally.

On Monday (December 23) morning, 8 days after her disappearance, the police recovered her body from the pond of Chowdhury Bari in Madanergaon village of Balithuba West Union. Faridganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shah Alam confirmed the matter.

Another horrific incident took place in the district on the same afternoon. Miscreants hacked to death 7 people on a cargo ship in the Meghna River in Chandpur. One person was seriously injured in the incident and was sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

News of the bodies was received after 1 pm on Monday (December 23). Later, members of the Naval Police and Coast Guard went to the ship and rescued the dead and injured. The deceased were Master Kibria, Engine Driver Salauddin, Sukani Aminul Munshi, Greaser Sajibul, Azizul and Majedul. They are all residents of Narail district.

Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Naval Police in Chandpur, Syed Mushfiqur Rahman said that when the ship reached the Chandpur naval boundary, a group of robbers entered the ship and launched an ambush. In this, they were killed by hitting them with sharp weapons in different parts of the body in a separate staff room. Or there may be a family or business rivalry. It is not possible to guess when and where the incident took place.

Each body was in a different room. 2 mobile phones were found. The mystery will be solved based on their clues. The names of the deceased have not been identified yet.

On the same afternoon, a 6th grade student named Mehedi Hasan (14) was electrocuted in Shahrasti upazila of the district. Two friends Newaz (14) and Robin (13) were injured while trying to save him.

Local UP Chairman (acting) Lokman Hossain Liton said that the incident took place at Maij's house in Chandpur village of Suchipara North Union.

Another motorcyclist named Ahmed Julhas Khan (23) died after being hit by a Bogdad bus in Hajiganj of the district.

The accident took place at 8 pm on Monday (December 23) in Bakila Bazar of the upazila. The deceased Ahmed Julhas Khan is a resident of Kumrardugi Khan house in Sadar upazila of the district.

Confirming the death, Chandpur Government General Hospital doctor Mahbub Alam said that Julhas was seriously injured in the accident. He died before the locals rescued him and brought him to the hospital.

Another person was killed in a Jainpur transport accident on his way from Dhaka to Chandpur at 10 pm last night. His identity has not been known yet.