Beneficiaries of the government's vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme in Dimla upazila ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha are getting less than the allocated amount due to alleged malpractice by the people in charge of distribution.

Students of Khulna Medical College (KMC) accompanied by outsider Chhatra League activists yesterday demonstrated on the campus demanding immediate removal of Principal KP Sarker and his punishment for 'dishonouring' father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

A fugative member of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was arrested in front of Panchagarh Sadar Hospital in the town yesterday afternoon.

A large number of farmers in Pabna and Natore districts are now engaged in bean cultivation as the profitable farming has changed the lives of many people in the region.

Twenty leaders and activists of local organisations of landless people were sued on Saturday night for allegedly occupying a 270-bigha shrimp enclosure on khas land at Norarchak in Debhata upazila.

A faction of Moulvibazar BNP has demanded expulsion of M Naser Rahman from the party for holding district unit conference “defying” central committee's order.

Two factions of BNP Chittagong south district unit yesterday held their councils at separate venues. No untoward incident occurred during inaugural session of the councils of both factions.

The council of Khulna City BNP will be held at local circuit house maidan on Wednesday.

Ten people including three robbers were injured during a robbery at Maijpara village in Satkania upazila early yesterday.

Work on Barisal river port development project will begin next month at a cost of about Tk 18 crore after procrastination of over a half century since 1964.

Four children, including two siblings, were buried alive under a huge chunk of soil that fell upon them while playing by the Karotoa river in Shahajadpur upazila of Sirajganj on Saturday.

Children formed a human chain in the city on Saturday afternoon demanding punishment to the killers of schoolboy Ishtiaq Khan Sourav.

A three-day fair opened on Saturday at East Majhipara village under Kalkini upazila of Madaripur, paternal house of noted litterateur of the sub-continent poet Sunil Kumar Ganguly.

Huge quantity of jute and fuel of a spinning mill in BSCIC industrial estate at Kanipur near Faridpur town were destroyed in a devastating fire on Saturday night. Sources said, the fire originated from a machine of Sayeed Jute Spinning Mills at about 9:00 pm and engulfed several units quickly which lasted till 4:00 am on Sunday. Five units of fire fighters from Faridpur, Boalmai, Rajbari and Magura rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after about 5 hours of effort. The damage in the fire was estimated at over Tk 2 crore.

Robbers looted valuables worth Tk 10 lakh from the passengers of three buses and injured about 50 people at Mazu Chowdhury ferry ghat on Bhola-Laxmipur road in Sadar upazila of Laxmipur district early Saturday. Victims said, a gang of armed robbers intercepted the buses coming from Chittagong at about 4:00am and took the passengers hostage at gun-point. They then looted cash, mobile phones, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Tk 10 lakh. The robbers at one stage beat up passengers injuring 50 when they tried to resist them.

Three people were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers at Deuri in Sadar upazila on Saturday morning. The injured are Jahanara Begum, 55, her nephew Faku Khalifa, 35, and Hillol, 22, of the village. Locals said, the clash ensued at around 10:00am when the two rival groups locked into an altercation over planting tree on a disputed land. Critically injured Jahanara and Khalifa were rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital while Hillol of the rival group was admitted to Jhalakati Sadar Hospital.

A house owner and a robber were killed and two robbers injured at Aliganj in Rajpara upazila early Saturday. Police quoting locals said, three robbers swooped on the house of Lal Mohammad at about 3:00am. They killed Lal as he tried to resist them. As the house inmates raised a hue and cry, locals rushed to the spot and caught all the three robbers. Among them, Alamgir died in mob beating.

A cosmetics trader was gunned down by unknown assailants in front of Pagla Shahibazar Mazar under Fatulla police station on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Shah Alam, 45, son of late Ratan Hawlader, of Bou Bazar area. Family sources said, a gang of criminals, numbering 3-4, opened fire on Alam at about 10:30pm while he was returning home, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where the attending doctors declared him dead.

A case was filed with Sadar police station against three people allegedly for realising toll from bordering people identifying themselves as source of BDR. BDR arrested Shawkat Ali alias Khoka, 46, hailing from village Baichana in Sadar upazila. The other two are Abdul Alim and Shaheb Ali of village Bhomra in Sadar upazila. Nayek Subedar Monsur Helal of Bhomra BDR camp filed the extortion case. The complainant alleged that the accused identifying themselves as the source of BDR have been demanding and realising toll from innocent people of Bhomra, Taluigachha, Jhhowdanga, Baichana and Banshdah villages in Sadar upazila for long.

Police recovered the body of an unidentified young woman from Char Korneshona area on Thursday evening. Police said, locals found the body of the victim, aged around 24, and informed them. Later, they recovered the body. The body was handed over to Rajbari Anjuman-e-Mofidul Islam after post- mortem as nobody claimed it. Police suspect that the victim might have been killed after rape.

Police on Friday recovered the body of a sexagenarian man from the Dashani River bank at Kajaikata in Nokla upazila. The deceased was identified as Ahmad Baidda, 60, son of Haji Haider Baidda and a trader hailed from Natunchar Ghoradari village in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka. Locals said, they saw the body and informed police. Later, police sent the body to hospital morgue for autopsy. Police suspect that criminals might have murdered the person elsewhere and left the body on the bank of the river late at night. An unnatural death (UD) case was filed in this connection.

A special tribunal in Sylhet on Tuesday sentenced five people in a murder case. The convicts are: Abdul Karim, Dilara Begum, Komola Begum, Hosna Begum and Syeda Jesmin Nahar. Additional District and Sessions Judge-V Md Belayet Ullah at the special tribunal also fined the accused Tk 30,000 each, in default, to suffer four more years in jail. According to the prosecution story, following a family feud, the convicts in the case swooped on Jamal Uddin alias Rosu Miah of village Moricha under Zakiganj upazila at about 11:30 pm on March 3, 2004. Rosu died on the spot as he was hit by an axe. His son Nurul Islam later filed a case. On investigation, police filed charge sheet against the accused on July 22 same year.