ld come back or not, please pray for me and take care of my children” these were the last words of Hasan Molla, 42, a local businessman of Gopalganj district, to his wife. He has been missing for the last nine days.NEWS IN BRIEF
One killed, 500 houses damaged as tornado hits Lalmonirhat
UNB, Lalmonirhat
A woman was killed and over 500 houses were damaged as a tornado lashed four unions under Patgram upazila yesterday.
The deceased was identified as Aleza Begum, 50, wife of Ibrahim Hossin of Shoulmari village of the upazila.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Karim said the tornado hit Dohogram union of the upazila first and then swept over Patgram, Burimari, Srirampur unions, leaving the woman dead and many other villagers injured.
The injured were admitted to Patgram Upazila Health Complex. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Ahsan Habib said that they have instructed the UNOs to collect information about the damages. We are taking necessary steps to help the victims, he added.
School teacher suspended for harassing female students
UNB, Kushtia
A secondary school teacher in Khoksha upazila of Kushtia was relieved of his post on Saturday after accusations surfaced of him stalking and even sexually harassing female students.
Earlier, the governing committee of the Sengram Secondary School at a meeting held on Saturday afternoon decided to fire the teacher, identified as Nazrul Islam alias Dukhu.
Meanwhile, the guardians and school authority lodged two separate complaints with the local police stations against assistant teacher of the school Nazrul Islam.
Students, guardians and local people formed a human chain demanding exemplary punishment of the alleged stalker. Nazrul Islam, who got married seven years ago, has been stalking girls with indecent proposals throughout his time as a teacher.
In the very latest incident on Thursday morning, the teacher called a class-VIII girl to the library of the school and forced her to remove her veil. He then tried to kiss the girl forcibly. The girl informed the matter to her fellow students. It prompted the students to boycott the class protesting the sexual harassment.
About the submitted complaints, Officer In-Charge of Khoksha Police Station ABM Mehedi Masud said they have received written complaints against disgraced teacher Nazrul Islam, and the matter would be followed up legally.
Trader missing for nine days
Staff Reporter, Dhaka
I do not know whether I would come back or not, please pray for me and take care of my children these were the last words of Hasan Molla, 42, a local businessman of Gopalganj district, to his wife. He has been missing for the last nine days.
Police are yet to track down the whereabouts of the businessman, said the ill-fated traders family members. Hasan is the son of late Afzal Hossain Molla. Hasans wife Reba Begum told The Independent that on July 5 he went out of his house for going to Madaripur. He wanted to collect some money from another businessman.
He called us at noon and said he reached there. But in the evening he again called us and said his mobile was taken away and he was not sure about his returning home, said his wife.
Jakir Molla, brother of the missing person said on Saturday, a day after he went missing, they received a call from an unknown person who demanded fifty thousand taka as ransom for his release.
Later, I went to our union parishad chairman who talked with the person and wanted to talk with my brother. But they did not allow him to talk with my brother, he added.
Md Bakul, sub-inspector of Gopalganj Sadar Police station said they have received complaints from the missing persons brother. We tracked the mobile number. The case was transferred to Rapid Action Battalion and we are also trying our best, he added. Ali Reza, company commander of RAB-10 said they are trying to get him back but the case is not under their jurisdiction.
He has been missing from Madaripur but the complaint was made here in Gopalganj. The missing persons family members should have gone to RAB-8 in Madaripur, he added.
Massive tree plantation plan to create green nature
BSS, Rangpur
Freedom fighters and environmental campaigners at a function have called for massive tree plantation to create a green nature for adaptation to climate change and bring ecological balance.
They made the call at the function arranged for plantation of tree saplings on Rangpur High School campus in the city on Saturday afternoon said a press release.
Manobadhikar and Poribesh Andolan (MAPA) Bangladesh organised the function at its launch tree plantation campaign this season with Assistant Headmaster of the institution Siddikur Rahman in the chair.
Moderated by Chief Executive of MAPA Bangladesh Advocate AAM Munir Chowdhury, freedom fighters, teachers, students, socio cultural and professional activists attended the function.
Freedom fighters Shushanto Chandra Khan Rakhi, Akbor Hossain, Alam Hossain and Moksudar Chowdhury Ranju, environmental activists Professor Maloy Kishore Bhattacharya, Professor Md. Shah Alam, Dr Mafizul Islam Maantu, Banamali Paul, Rumana Zaman, among others spoke on the occasion.
Munir Chowdhury said that MAPA would plant some 3,000 tree saplings on campuses of different educational institutions in the city this year to create a green nature and play their part to improve environment.
