Three people were shot dead reportedly by members of a law enforcement agency during a clash over elections at Khangaon union in Pirganj Upazila of Thakurgaon district on Sunday night and early Monday.

Jahangir Hossain, Superintendent of Police of Thakurgaon, said, “As officials of the local administration were confined to a polling center, a BGB team went there to rescue them. They had to open fire at one point to bring the situation under control. The three might have died in BGB firing. However, we need further investigation to be sure about it.”

Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Pirganj Police Station, said one of the three deceased died on the spot while two others succumbed to their wounds at Sadar Hospital.

Two of the injured are undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital and Thakurgaon Adhunik Sadar Hospital.

The deceased were identified as Aditya, 18, Mojaharul Islam, 35, and Hossain, 26.

Police said Nuruzzaman, an independent candidate, and his supporters confined the officials of the administration, including the presiding officer, to Ghidob Primary School when the vote count ended around 8:00 pm.

When Haripur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Abdul Karim reached the spot along with a BGB team, the candidate’s supporters attacked them and vandalized the vehicle.

After nearly two hours, BGB men opened fire to bring the situation under control, leaving one dead on the spot and four others injured, said the OC.

The injured were sent to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where two others succumbed to their injuries.

With the death toll in Thakurgaon, at least eight people were killed and over 100 others injured as the 3rd phase of Union Parishad (UP) elections ended on Sunday afternoon amid sporadic violence and irregularities.

Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, Jashore, and Khulna.

The first and second phases of UP elections were marred by violence and irregularities.

At least six people were killed and over 100 others injured in the 2nd phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections on 11 November.

Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla, and Chattogram.

Three people were killed and a number of people were injured in the first phase of the Union Parishad election that concluded with reports of sporadic violence and clashes on 20 September.

Law enforcers have installed nineteen check-posts in Sylhet to avoid any kind of chaos and untoward incident centring BNP’s divisional rally, scheduled to begin today.

According to Sylhet Metropolitan Police, 19 check-posts have been installed at the entry points of Sylhet city and hundreds of plainclothes policemen will perform their duties on Saturday to maintain the law and order situation.

Besides, four mobile court teams will be deployed to check security.

Nisharul Arif, Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner said that police are on high alert and will monitor the situation closely.

Sylhet city wore a festive look with posters, banners and billboards and processions on Friday, ahead of BNP’s first rally here in nearly a decade.

BNP is all set to stage another mass rally — seventh in the series — at the Sylhet Govt Alia Madrasa field.

Party leaders and activists have erected a stage at Alia Madrasa field where the rally is scheduled to begin at 2pm. Local leaders said the rally may begin before scheduled time like previous rallies.

Though bus communication remained halted between Sylhet and other parts of the country since Friday morning, BNP activists from all districts under the division were seen coming to the rally venue by train, trucks, launches and boats and small vehicles like human haulers, auto rickshaws, three-wheelers, motorbikes, and micro-buses from Thursday.

- UNB

Awami Jubo League will arrange a youth grand rally at historic Suhrawardy Udyan here on November 11 on its golden jubilee as Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present as the chief guest.

The youth gatherings will start at 2.30 pm on the day, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash today said at a press conference at AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in city. 

He said the biggest youth organization of the South Asia Bangladesh Awami Jubo League played key role in any crisis in the country. 

He said the anti-state evil force BNP-Jamaat is trying to create unstable situation in the country. 

After Nov 11, Jubo League leaders and activists will resist the BNP-Jamaat and their followers on the street if they try to make anarchy, he added. 

Parash said Jubo League believes that if Bangladesh fails, the pro-liberation force will lose. 

He said the countrymen didn't forget the strike of 92 days imposed by BNP-Jamaat. 

During the strike, the BNP-Jamaat clique killed innocent people through arson while a total of 560 educational institutions were burnt into ashes, he said. 

They (BNP-Jamaat) had shifted the country into burn unit, he continued. 

The Jubo League chairman hoped that the Suhrawardy Udyan will be turned into sea of people during the youth grand rally. 

A total of 10 sub-committees were formed to successfully hold the youth gatherings, Parash informed.

Five gats will be there to enter the Suhrawardy Udyan, he went on saying as Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil was present at the press briefing.

Jubo League Presidium Members Advocate Mamunur Rashid, Manjur Alam Shaheen, Abu Ahmed Nasim Pavel, Sheikh Sohel Uddin, Dr Khaled Shawkat Ali, Sheikh Fazle Fahim, Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon, Tajuddin Ahmed, Jewel Areng, Anwar Hossain and Shahadat Hossain, Joint General Secretaries Biswas Matiur Rahman Badsha, Subrata Paul, Md Badiul Alam, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Nayeem and Md Rafiqul Alam Joarder, Organizing Secretaries Kazi Md Majharul Islam, Dr Helal Uddin, Md Saifur Rahman Sohag, Md Jahir Uddin Khashru, Md Sohel Parvez, Abu Munir Md Shahidul Haque Russell, Mashiur Rahman Chapal, Advocate Md Shamim Al Saiful Sohag and Prof Dr Md Rezaul Kabir, among others, were also present. 

- BSS

In Barisal, BNP's mass gathering ground has been disrupted in mobile phone and internet network.

Since 10.30 am today, the people staying at the gathering ground are not getting mobile phone and internet connection. Due to this, they are not able to connect with their relatives or colleagues. The victims claimed that mobile phones and internet networks were deliberately shut down to prevent BNP’s mass gatherings from being broadcast in various media and social media.

They claim that whenever there is a BNP rally, there is no internet and mobile phone network. They allege that the network has been shut down to prevent the promotion of BNP rallies. However, they warned that BNP cannot be suppressed by doing such things. 

People are facing huge sufferings as a two-day transport strike has continued in Patuakhali district.

Due to the ongoing transport strike ahead of BNP’s divisional rally, the district has been virtually disconnected from other parts of the country.

Transport owners and workers have called the strike, demanding a ban on three-wheelers and other illegal vehicles. But BNP leaders said the bus and launch services have been stopped targeting BNP’s divisional rally.

There are no buses on roads. As a result, three-wheelers, Nasimon, Karimon, battery-run auto-rickshaws and other vehicles are plying on roads.

Therefore, the passengers were forced to leave for their destination in these vehicles by paying double the fare.

Meanwhile, due to the ongoing strike, the tourist arrival at Kuakata beach has decreased. Most of the hotel motel rooms are empty. So, tourism related businessmen are spending a lot of idle time.

Sohel Sikder, a passenger standing at the Patuakhali intersection, said, “I am a furniture (wood) trader. I have to go to Bakerganj for business. Now, we have to go by three-wheeler but they are asking extra fare”.

The construction works of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River here are progressing fast as 46 percent work has already been completed.

The 4.8km-long rail bridge is being built 300-metre upstream of the Bangabandhu Bridge aimed at enhancing rail connectivity between the capital and the country's northwestern regions and it is expected to be the largest dedicated rail bridge in the country.

Construction works of 12 out of total 50 pillars were completed and the bridge is becoming visible gradually, said Engineer Al Fattah Muhammad Mashudur Rahman, director of the project.

The bridge is being constructed in 49 spans on 50 pillars that will create scopes of running trains at 100-120 kilometers per hour.

Upon successful implementation of the Taka 16,780-crore project by 2024, the bridge will contribute a lot towards reducing pressure on Bangabandhu Bridge and highway besides reducing the cost of export and import.

He said 46 percent work of one of the country's mega projects was completed.

Railway communication had been introduced between Dhaka and the north and south-western regions of the country first after opening the Bangabandhu Bridge in 1998.

Engineer Rahman said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge on November 29, 2020.

The dual-gauge, double-track bridge is being constructed on 50 pears as the construction works are going on at two ending points of Sirajganj and Tangail.

A 7.6km-long double-line railway approach embankment, a 30.73km dual-gauge railway track and 16 viaducts will be built under the railway bridge project.

Apart from this, the Bangabandhu Bridge East and West stations and yards will be renovated and remodeled.

Rahman said the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge will be capable of running trains at a speed of 120km per hour on broad gauge line and 100km per hour on meter gauge track compared to the present speed of 10kmph on the Bangabandhu Bridge.

Site Chief Engineer Abdul Khaleque said the dual-gauge double-track railway bridge will save at least 20 minutes commute time as no train will have to wait for line crossing.

Only 38 trains can now travel through the Bangabandhu Bridge on a daily basis. But after the construction of the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge, it will allow as many as 68 trains to operate every day.

This will also give the authorities the option to increase the number of both passenger and freight trains, which is expected to develop the country's rail services and strengthen regional connectivity.

President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries Masudur Rahman said the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge will develop train services.

It will also help boost the economy of the northern region of the country, he said.

The bridge is expected to improve the country's connectivity with such neighboring countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan.

- BSS