United News of Bangladesh

Faridpur, Feb 14 (UNB) – Twenty people were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over establishing supremacy at Mayendia Bazar in Faridpur district on Saturday. Mahmudul Hasan, assistant superintendent of (Saltha-Nagarkanda) circle, said Mannan Matubbar, chairman of Poromeshwari union in Boalmari upazila and Tulu Mia-Zihad Mia of Saltha upazila had been at loggerheads over establishing supremacy in the area. As a sequel to the enmity, an altercation ensued between the supporters of both groups at Mayendia Bazar in the middle of Saltha and Boalmari upazilas around 10 am. Bus-truck collision leaves 2 dead in Faridpur At one stage, both groups equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other, leaving 20 people injured. A number of houses were vandalised and set on fire during the clash. On information, police and army personnel rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Police also arrested some people along with locally made weapons, said police. ​​​​​​​Two brothers among 3 killed as train hits pickup in Faridpur

On a quiet morning at the Government Pilot High School polling centre in Bhanga upazila under Faridpur-4, an elderly voter stood out on Thursday for his emotional words. Suruj Khan, 80, arrived at the polling centre slowly, leaning on his wife, Nurbahan Begum, for support. Each careful step reflected both age and determination. For Suruj, this was not just another election day; it was perhaps a final chapter in a lifelong exercise of democratic duty. Women flock to Dhaka polling centres as voting progresses Seeing the elderly voter approach, on-duty law enforcers moved forward to assist him. The presiding officer made arrangements so that he would not have to stand in line, allowing him to cast his ballot with ease and dignity. After voting for his preferred candidate, Suruj became visibly emotional. Tears welled up in his eyes as he uttered softly, “Perhaps this is the last vote of my life.” His words captured a lifetime of participation in the nation’s electoral journey, a reminder of how deeply personal the act of voting can be. When asked about the type of candidate he supported, Suruj replied with quiet conviction: “I voted for someone who will not create unrest in the area and will allow all of us to live in peace.” In the Faridpur-4 constituency, a total of eight candidates are contesting this election, offering voters a range of choices. Festive mood marks peaceful start to national election across Bangladesh

Police on Thursday recovered a bomb-like object from a meat shop beside a polling center at Dumain Bazar in Madhukhali Upazila under Faridpur-1 constituency. Officer-in-Charge of Madhukhali Police Station Fakir Md. Taijur Rahman said police reached the scene following reports and removed the item. He said the object which contained a battery and exposed wires, posed no serious threat. Police suspect that it was placed by miscreants to create fear among people.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday warned that a ‘deep conspiracy’ is underway in Bangladesh and urged people to remain vigilant, saying the establishment of ‘people’s rule’ depends on the coming days. Addressing an election rally organised by the Faridpur district BNP at Rajendra College ground on Wednesday, Tarique Rahman said, “If the alleged conspiracy is thwarted by 12 February, from the 13th, people’s rule will be established.” In his 24-minute speech, he promised that if BNP comes to power, commitments made regarding Faridpur’s development, including granting it city corporation status and recognising it as a division, would be fulfilled. The BNP chief said he had been away from the country for 17 years and claimed that what had taken place in the name of development during that period was ‘plunder’. “The time has come to restore the rights that have been taken away from you.” He also pledged to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth. Referring to families affected by the July incidents, the BNP chairman said those who had been subjected to enforced disappearances, killings or injuries were seeking the return of rights taken from Bangladeshis over the past 16 years. “Many suffered for demanding their rights.” He said individuals who publicly show disrespect towards the country’s mothers and sisters cannot be trusted with national leadership. Tarique Rahman criticised what he described as a secretive group demanding verification numbers and national identity cards, calling such actions unethical. He said people should not expect good governance from those who fail to respect citizens’ rights. “Much damage has been done to the country. Schools and colleges need rebuilding, factories must be set up, canals and rivers re-excavated, and cold storage facilities built for farmers. The nation needs reconstruction,” the BNP chief said. Tarique labels Jamaat as ‘secret organisation’, warns of new oppression Highlighting river erosion as a major problem in the region, he said preventing it could help boost agricultural exports, particularly jute, a key crop of greater Faridpur, and earn foreign currency. Introducing BNP candidates for all 15 parliamentary constituencies in greater Faridpur, Tarique urged voters to cast their ballots for the party’s ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol. BNP Central Organising Secretary Shama Obaed, Faridpur BNP Secretary AK Kibria Swapon and BNP leaders Abzal Hossain Khan Palash and Khandakar Nasirul Islam also addressed the rally.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for Dhaka Range Rezaul Karim Mallick has said that those responsible for the violence in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district will be brought to book. “We will undoubtedly bring the fascists to justice. I have instructed the authorities concerned to arrest those involved in the violence. The real perpetrators behind the attack will be identified and brought under legal action,” he told a press briefing at Bhanga Police Station Complex around midnight. Steps are being taken to ensure public safety and law and order, he added. “We have spoken with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Faridpur regarding Monday’s incident, the law and order situation and public safety. We have also talked with the people who were on duty during the violence,” the DIG said. Mallick also mentioned that four to five police personnel were injured during the incident. Constituency demarcation: Protesters vandalise police station, govt offices in Faridpur “Legal action will be taken against those involved in Monday’s attack. We are doing everything necessary to maintain public security,” he added. Referring to the damages caused by the attack, the DIG said the district police have been tasked with assessing the losses at Bhanga Police Station, while the Deputy Commissioner has been assigned to evaluate the damages at the Upazila Parishad. Meanwhile, Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Quamrul Hasan Molla said, “We have talked with the Election Commission, expressing the public's emotions and sentiments through a report. The commission will review it.” He also mentioned that a writ petition has been filed with the High Court over the alleged redrawing of two union boundaries, with the hearing expected on September 21. The DC urged Bhanga residents to remain calm and step back from protest programmes. “We understand people's emotions. We are working on these concerns. I again urge the residents of Bhanga to wait patiently for the legal process to unfold and refrain from any further protest programmes. You have a good reputation—please ensure no harm comes to the public,” he said. Regarding the extent of the damage, the DC said a full on-site assessment would be conducted and detailed information shared later. Earlier, on Monday, protesters went on a rampage in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district opposing the demarcation of the Faridpur-4 constituency by the Election Commission. They vandalised Bhanga Police Station, the Upazila Parishad building, a highway police outpost and the Bhanga municipality building, and set the local Election Commission office and several vehicles on fire.  

Local residents in Faridpur have once again blocked two highways for the third consecutive day on Wednesday morning protesting the demarcation of constituencies by the Election Commission . The protests began around 9:00 am, leaving trucks and buses stranded on the roads. The residents are protesting against the recent demarcation of constituencies in Faridpur and are demanding a reversal of the changes. Earlier, they had blocked the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway at the Bhanga roundabout and another major highway twice, causing severe suffering to commuters. Collision between two buses leaves 3 dead in Faridpur On Monday, locals set fire to tires, fell trees and electric pole, and erected bamboo barricades at nine points along the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, including the Bhanga roundabout on the expressway, halting traffic from all 21 southern districts. The demonstrations follow the Election Commission’s recent gazette which redrew boundaries for 46 parliamentary constituencies ahead of the upcoming national election. According to the gazette, Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga Upazila, previously under Faridpur-4, have been attached to Nagar Kanda Upazila under Faridpur-2. This decision has sparked outrage among local residents.

Three passengers were killed and at least 10 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses in the Karimpur area on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Faridpur on Thursday morning. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maruf Hossain of Faridpur Police said the two buses coming from opposite directions collided head-on. “Two passengers died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition,” he said. The injured were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. 2 platoons of BGB deployed in Faridpur ahead of NCP rally According to the police official, the accident occurred between a Royal Paribahan bus travelling from Satkhira to Dhaka and a local bus heading from Faridpur to Magura. Upon information, police from Kanaipur Highway Police Station rushed to the scene, rescued the injured and took them to local hospitals for treatment.

Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) left Khulna on Thursday morning to join a road march and rally in Faridpur. After spending the night in Khulna city following reported attacks by Chhatra League activists in Gopalganj, the central NCP leaders departed for Faridpur around 9:30am, said the party’s Khulna coordinator Ahmad Hamim Rahat. They are scheduled to travel via Jessore, where NCP leaders will address a march rally, he added. The NCP delegation includes Convener Nahid Islam, Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari, Northern Region Coordinator Sarjis Alam, Senior Joint Convener Samanta Sharmin, Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara and Southern Region Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah. They arrived in Khulna on Wednesday evening and spent the night at the Circuit House and Hotel City Inn. Curfew continues in Gopalganj; NCP's nationwide protests today According to party sources, the road march in Faridpur will begin at 12:30 pm from the Circuit House premises and conclude at the Janata Bank intersection, followed by a street rally. The NCP also plans to hold similar programmes in Rajbari and Manikganj districts after the Faridpur event.

In the heart of Faridpur’s Boalmari upazila, where modern jobs remain elusive and the clatter of factories is unknown, time gently drifts with the rustle of palm leaves.  Amid the sun-soaked courtyards of Satair union, an age-old tradition breathes life into generations—fans made lovingly by hand from palm leaves. As the fierce summer months of Chaitra and Boishakh arrive, nearly 200 homes across three villages awaken to a rhythm untouched by machines.  In these villages, dawn brings the crackle of drying palm leaves under the rising sun, the chatter of artisans at work and the timeless harmony of tradition woven into every fan. Ensure financial security, protection of journalists to achieve media freedom: Speakers In open yards, children and elders lay out freshly cut palm leaves, letting the sun cure them.  Inside shaded courtyards, women sit cross-legged, their nimble fingers crafting patterns as if by memory alone.  Men shape frames from bamboo and cane, giving the fans their sturdy spines. It is a symphony of craft—whispered through hands, passed down like heirlooms. “We don’t have land to farm or vehicles to earn a living. This is what our fathers and grandfathers did, and now it feeds us too,” shared Shamir Uddin of Naharchar village.  A craftsman of many seasons, Shamir lives off this humble trade with his wife, having already fulfilled a father’s dream—marrying off his daughter with the earnings from his handiwork. "I was able to get my daughter married off with the money from this job," he said, his voice tinged with both pride and hardship. Yet behind each hand-woven fan lies a deeper struggle—access to capital.  The leaves, though freely found in nature, must still be bought, dried, dyed and transformed, all of which cost money. Bus workers go on indefinite bus strike in Bhola “Buying palm leaves requires ready cash. We’re badly off, so we take loans from NGOs at high interest. Then we repay them little by little, week after week, from whatever we can earn,” Shamir explained. “If only we had low-interest government loans, it would ease a huge burden," he said.  Fellow artisan Raju Bishwas noted that a hundred fans fetch between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3,500 wholesale, depending on their design.  But the making of each one demands at least Tk 20 to 25—an amount driven ever higher by the cost of bamboo, cane, thread and leaves. In a world increasingly cooled by electric fans and air conditioners, the demand for these traditional handheld fans may have waned.  Yet, in these villages, the craft refuses to vanish. Summer months and seasonal fairs still see an embrace of the fans—not just for their function, but for the memories they stir. Within each home, the air hums with work. One woman paints palm fronds in bold colours; another binds them to bamboo frames. Children, with the curiosity of youth, sit beside their parents—sorting, tying, learning the artistry one knot at a time. No grand lessons are needed.  The tradition, like the breeze the fans create, flows naturally from one generation to the next. Satair Union Parishad Chairman Rafiul Alam recognises the cultural heartbeat behind this enduring art. “We’re in talks with the upazila administration to support this industry so it doesn’t disappear. This is more than just income—this is identity,” he said. Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanvir Hasan Chowdhury offered hope for a brighter future. “We are planning to provide training and low-interest loans through youth development and social welfare departments. We’re also arranging stalls for artisans at upcoming cottage industry fairs,” he said. 2 held over attack on Hasnat in Gazipur In these quiet corners of Faridpur, where tradition weaves its way through poverty and perseverance, each palm leaf fan becomes more than just a tool against heat. It is a quiet act of resistance—a refusal to let heritage fade into memory.    

Police have arrested former RUCSU vice president and ex-vice president of Faridpur district Chhatra League Kawsar Akand a Jubo League activist in connection with a case related to July Movement. Kawsar, a key accused in the case, is known as a close aide of Mujibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury, former MP of Faridpur-4 constituency and a presidium member of the central Jubo League. Sub-Inspector Fahim Faisal of Kotwali Police Station said Kawsar, son of Dulal Akand, a hotel businessman from Purbo Khabaspur area of the city, and his associate Moslem Biswas were arrested from Onather Mor area of the city around 11:30 pm on Tuesday. Police said Kawsar and a group of Chhatra League activists attacked protesters during the July Movement at Khabaspur Boroitala, injuring several demonstrators. 219 arrested during DMP’s special 24-hr drive on Saturday Kotwali Police Station OC Asaduzzaman said Kawsar and his associate were in connection with the attack on student protesters and investigation is underway.