News in brief
EPZ towel factory catches fire
A fire broke out at the towel factory at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) early Thursday.
Fire Service officials said the fire broke out at the roof of the tin-shed room of a four-storey factory building of Mitali Textile Ltd around 5 am and spread soon.
On information, two firefighting units from Agrabad Fire Station rushed in and doused the flame after a half an hour of frantic effort, said Jashim Uddin, deputy assistant director of Chittagong Fire Service.
The fire might have originated from any burning biri or cigarette at the godown of the factory, he said.
However, none was injured in the incident.
The extent of losses caused by the fire was said to be around Tk 5 lakh.
9 held with huge pirated CDs
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in an anti-piracy drive arrested nine people including a ringleader of a piracy syndicate along with arms and huge pirated, pornographic CDs from different parts of the city on Wednesday night.
The ringleader was identified as Selim Khan while the identities of other eight gang members could not be known immediately.
Tipped off, a team of Rab conducted separate drives in the city and arrested them along with arms, huge pirated CDs at night, said, Rabs media wing director Mufti Mahmud.
5 BRTC buses gutted in Ctg
Five double-decker buses were gutted in a fire at a depot of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) in Baluchhara area under Hathazari upazila in Chittagong early Wednesday.
Bayezid Fire Service and Civil Defense Station sources said the fire incident took place around 5.55am in the depot. Three fire service units rushed to the spot and brought the flame under control at 7am, the sources added.
Five double-decker buses, kept in the depot, were completely burned, Bayezid Fire Service and Civil Defense Station Enamul Hoque said. However, the origin of the fire could not be known immediately, he added.
The district administration has formed a committee to investigate the fire incident.
Road crash kills schoolgirl
A schoolgirl was killed as a speedy bus hit her in Barpa area on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway under Rupganj upazila of the district Wednesday morning.
The deceased was Nilufa Akhter, 13, a student of class eight of Haji Nur Uddin High School and daughter of Anwar Hossain, a resident of the same area.
Police said the accident occurred when a bus ran over Nilufa in the area at about 8am while she was crossing the road. She died on the spot.
71 held, 1657 yaba tablets seized
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) in a series of drive arrested 71 people from different areas in the city during the last 24 hours.
They also seized 1,657 yaba tablets, 100 liters liquor and one kilogram hemp during the drives, police said.
Six cases were filed with concerned police stations.
Construction worker dies
A construction worker died after falling from the roof of an under-construction five-storey building in Chandgaon area in Chittagong on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Rakib Uddin, 20, hailed from Sonagazi upazila of Feni district.
Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) sources said Rakib was critically injured as he fell down from the roof of the under-construction five-storey building.
Later, he was rushed to the CMCH where the on-duty doctors declared him dead.
Independent/agency
