Rafiul Islam

Explosions from accumulated gas: How to keep your homes safe

But when there is a leak and gas accumulates inside a closed space or room, it is akin to a ticking time-bomb. And when that accumulated gas comes in contact with a spark from an electric short-circuit or when someone lights a matchstick, an explosion rips through the room.

2w ago

‘How would I console my father?’

Mansur Hossain, 42, and his cousin Al Amin, 20, had gone to Siddikbazar of Gulistan to buy sanitary ware for Mansur’s new flat

2w ago

‘Why can’t law enforcers catch escaped militants?’

Wife of slain publisher Dipan asks as 2 escaped death-row militants still at large after more than 3 months

3w ago

Fanfare as train tickets available a day before journey

"It is like a dream that AC tickets are available online even just a day before the departure date ... Earlier, we had to book tickets four to five days before the departure date to travel to and from Chattogram"

3w ago

Freedom fighter killed not by robbers but by son

Police Bureau of Investigation came up with the findings after arresting Rubel and inspecting CCTV footage that they recovered

From a postal worker to top militant

Working as a post office worker till 2007, Mashukur Rahman started out on his path to serious crime committing robberies.

‘I am innocent, why is my bail being delayed?’

She was arrested by Rampura police on November 10 in a case filed over the death of Buet student Fardin Noor Parash. On Wednesday, DB said they found that Bushra was not involved in his death.

‘Why is my father not talking to me anymore?’

When eight-year-old Mithila Akter saw her father's body at Dhaka Medical College Hospital mortuary, she kept asking other family members, "Why is my father not talking to me anymore?"

A murder planned to fund a pleasure trip

The killing of an elderly man in his Chawkbazar flat in Dhaka on November 17 was not a simple case of robbery as law enforcers suspected primarily after seeing the nature of the crime.

Militant snatching incident exposes security loopholes

Only four cops were escorting 12 militants, including death row convicts, when unidentified attackers attacked and snatched two of them away from Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate court premises on Sunday.

Earned Tk 52 lakh legally, bought flat worth Tk 3.09cr

As a government servant, the suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons, Bazlur Rashid, had earned only Tk 52 lakh legally during his service between 1993 and 2018.

Don’t know why I’ve been sent into retirement: SP Baqui

Mirza Abdullahel Baqui, one of the three superintendents of police sent into retirement today, said he had no idea about his early retirement.

“My mother died in my arms in the crushed car”

“My mother was in my arms as she breathed her last – crushed inside the car.”

BAPEX calls jobseekers for written test after 8 years!

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) has called jobseekers for a written test – for assistant manager post – nearly eight years after they applied.

“Death row fugitive worked as Imam; ran fake cancer cure centre”

Sheikh Enamul Haque – sentenced to death for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – moved to Gazipur from Gopalganj in 2001, changed his name, and had a National ID card made with fake information later on.

Remaining in Dhaka, "missing teenager" didn't contact family in Pallabi for 12 years

Seventeen-year-old Md Suman did not return home after he lost his mobile phone, worth Tk 3,000, while gambling in 2010.

Slain Sailor Hadisur Rahman’s Father Wails at Dhaka Airport

‘My son, why didn’t you come back too?’

Abdur Razzak Hawlader was wailing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as the body of Hadisur Rahman, third engineer of MV Banglar Samriddhi, did not arrive in Dhaka with 28 crew members.

Carelessly discarded cigarette butts 3rd top cause of fires in 2021: Fire Service

Not only responsible for causing cancer, heart, and lung diseases, cigarettes have been listed as the third highest cause behind frequent fires in the country, after short circuits and burners, according to a report.

Isolated incident or widespread practice?

Amid the ongoing student protests for safe roads, the teen demonstrators came across someone similar to their age driving a microbus, while the actual driver was dead asleep.

Teenager driving microbus while driver sleeping in the back

A teenage boy was driving a microbus, trying to go through the Rampura Bridge area, this afternoon. Driver of the vehicle was found sleeping in the back.

Killers trained, target clear

The killers’ target was clear: shoot and confirm the death of Cumilla city Councillor Syed Mohammad Sohel on the spot.

Five arrested for confining and forcing teen into prostitution for 5 years in Dhaka

She was confined, tortured and forced into sex work for more than five years.

Watch your step: Road 800m, lidless manholes 10, woes manifold

Maneuvering through the 800-stretch of a connecting road in South Matual is tantamount to partaking in extreme sports, with danger lurking every few steps.

Firefighters think on their feet to rescue 18-yr-old from 4th-floor cornice

On Thursday morning, an 18-year-old boy was poised precariously on the fourth-floor cornice of a building, causing onlookers to fear that he might fall to his death at any time.

Mother's search for son ends with identifying clothes; body already buried as unclaimed

It was their daily routine to try to reach him over phone, after Sadman Sakib Rafi went missing on January 13 this year.

Battery-Run Rickshaws on DSCC Roads: Defying ban, they keep on running

“Run,” shouted battery-powered rickshaw driver Sajib to his cohorts. A police van was approaching their group of five standing at the Section area beside Gabtoli-Babubazar Road near Kamrangirchar, and they could not afford to stay still.

Helping defaulters secure loans with fake NIDs: 5 including election office operators arrested

They are data entry operators of election offices. Having the access to the NID database server, they -- in collusion with some others -- created a gang that provide fake National ID cards, helping defaulters secure bank loans using those.

Will pray, be back soon to watch cartoon

“Ma, do not change the cartoon channel. I will go to the mosque with Baba, pray, and then come back and watch cartoons again.”

Trafficking Victims: Jail straightaway, not rehabilitation

Eighty-one migrant workers who returned to the country after being exploited in Vietnam for months were thrown into jail yesterday, whereas the perpetrators either remain scot-free or face little action.

Hoping against hope

Sumi Rani Das never forgets to wear her sakha (bangles) and sindoor (vermillion).

‘Shootout-Deaths’ in Custody: Law enforcers liable only on paper

On September 4 last year, Belal Hossain, an accused in several cases, surrendered to Khulshi Police Station under Chattogram Metropolitan Police with intent to return to a normal life.

As crooked as a cop can get

In November 2015, a police probe found the then officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das of Bayezid Bostami Police Station guilty of filing a false case against an oil company high-ups to harass them.

32 perished in Buriganga: Steering to disaster

A novice was allegedly at the helm moving the Moyur-2 astern when the vessel slammed into a smaller launch, causing it to sink and drown at least 32 people in the Buriganga at the capital's Shyambazar yesterday.

Lockdown helped in East Rajabazar

The two-week lockdown of East Rajabazar has resulted in reduced number of cases of Covid-19 transmission.

Living with the dead to save the living

His workplace and home are 150 yards apart, a distance that takes no more than five minutes to cover.

Living in DMC mortuary for 3 months to keep his family safe

His workplace and home are 150 yards apart, a distance that takes no more than five minutes to cover.

Policemen’s children still await return of their fathers fallen in Covid-19 battle

“Why does my father not come to me? When will he wake up?” These are the questions three-and-half-year-old Rayed Muntasir Alif frequently asks his mother and close ones.

As we saw it: Lockdown in the red zone of East Rajabazar

The first day of experimental lockdown in the city’s East Rajabazar area was enforced strictly, with no residents except those in emergency duty allowed to go outside today.

Over 50 involved in trafficking racket

More than 50 people were involved in the trafficking of the 26 Bangladeshis killed by kidnappers in Libya last week, say investigators.

Arrested ringleader trafficked over 400 Bangladeshis to Libya: Rab

Kamal Uddin had trafficked over 400 people to Libya in the last 10 years. Some of the Bangladeshis killed and injured in Libya on Thursday were among them. The man even forced some of the victims’ families to pay ransom recently when they were tortured in Libya, days before being killed.

Unbroken oaths: Frontline healthcare staff continue treating Covid-19 patients on Eid

Despite the joyous occasion of Eid, frontline fighters in the battle against the coronavirus carry on with their jobs -- doctors, nurses and hospital staff celebrate Eid with Covid-19 patients, who are away from their families just like the people in charge of their wellbeing.

Mugging goes unabated on Dhaka streets amid shutdown

Incidents of mugging are happening on the apparently empty city streets, especially after dark, during the shutdown when law enforcers are focusing on containing the spread of Covid-19.

Nitor struggles with bike crash victims

Abul Hashem was going to his betel leaf field in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila as a pillion passenger of his son’s motorcycle on May 10.

Prof Muntassir Mamoon beats Covid-19

Panicking does not help; all should remain resilient during this time of crisis, said noted historian Prof Muntassir Mamoon yesterday, after winning the battle against Covid-19.

Prof Muntassir Mamoon wins battle against Covid-19

After winning the battle against Covid-19, noted historian Prof Muntassir Mamoon has said panicking does not help, rather he urged all to remain resilient during this time of crisis.

All’s well that ends well

Tasikul lost his mind after his seven-month pregnant wife tested Covid-19 positive.

'Shootout' continues amid covid-19 outbreak as 40 killed in March and April: ASK

Incidents of so-called shootouts continue unabated during the Covid-19 outbreak with at least 40 persons killed across the country in March and April, the two months in which the country was hit hard by the virus.

Burn unit not testing all deceased

The burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients, has not been testing many who died there after exhibiting Covid-19-like symptoms.

May 1, 2020

Covid-19: Police hospital, DMP struggling to accommodate infected, quarantined

With more and more police personnel being infected with the highly contagious virus, the 250-bed police hospital in Dhaka is struggling to accommodate patients.

April 28, 2020

Street vendors selling PPE: Disaster waiting to happen

Many vendors, who are now jobless due to the ongoing countrywide shutdown, are engaging in the sale of PPE to make a living. Public health experts warn that the use of these PPE suits can be fatal for health and a source of Covid-19 infection.

April 25, 2020

‘30 doctors infected with Covid-19 daily on average last week’

On an average, nearly 30 doctors across the country have tested Covid-19 positive daily in last one week, according to a tally of Bangladesh Doctors Foundation (BDF), an organisation of physicians.

April 23, 2020

How strict self-isolation spared a coronavirus patient’s family

When a 38-year-old school from Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila started showing symptoms of coronavirus back in April 5, she immediately locked herself up in her room, fearing she was indeed infected.

April 20, 2020

Combating coronavirus: Bagerhat volunteers restoring faith in humanity

While some refuse to help their own family members out of fear of the coronavirus, others step up to take care of complete strangers. United under the banner of ‘Health Service Volunteers’, around 100 people took an oath recently to aid people infected with Covid-19, in Bagerhat Sadar and Kachua upazilas.

April 17, 2020