ঢাকা

An operative holding the rank of sub-inspector (SI) attached to the Special Branch (SB) of the police was lynched to death purportedly by a band of attackers stemming from a dispute over the parking arrangement of a private automobile situated outside his son's apparel manufacturing unit in Aminbazar, Savar, during Saturday night.

A former teacher passed away on Sunday morning after plunging into a vacant lift shaft within a property located in the Sultanganj Tali Office sector of Hazaribagh inside the metropolis. The departed individual was recognized as Subhash Chandra Paul, aged 73, a prior instructor at Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School. Paul was extracted in a grave state and transported promptly to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) casualty unit, where attending physicians pronounced him deceased near 8:30 am. Read More Hili Land Port Trade Halted Indefinitely as Indian Exporters Go on Strike Subhash’s offspring, Krishna Gopal Paul, stated that they reside within their personal apartment situated on the 7th level of the property under construction, and his father departed for his morning stroll as customary. "This morning the construction workers at the building informed us about the accident. They rescued him and took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead," he expressed. Md. Faruk, the inspector commanding the DMCH Police Outpost, mentioned that the remains have been retained within the hospital mortuary while Hazaribagh law enforcement officers probe the occurrence.

A vibrant and traditional boat race was hosted on the Buriganga River on Friday to celebrate the 416th anniversary of Dhaka as part of the month-long ‘Hridoye Dhaka 416’ festival, organized by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The competitive event commenced in the afternoon, stretching from Kholamora Ghat to Wise Ghat, and featured six participating teams representing various regions across the country. Thousands of spectators gathered along both banks of the river, creating an energetic atmosphere and revitalizing the capital's deep-rooted cultural heritage and traditions. Read More Cleanup Campaign Launched to Restore Historic Old Buriganga Channel Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shaikh Rabiul Alam attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest, alongside Dhaka-7 constituency Member of Parliament Hamidur Rahman Hamid, who was present as the special guest. The event was presided over by DSCC Administrator Md. Abdus Salam. Massive crowds began assembling on both sides of the Buriganga starting from noon to watch the contest. Hundreds of private boats and passenger trawlers carrying families and local citizens also stationed themselves along the watercourse, transforming the occasion into a festive celebration of Dhaka's historical legacy and community spirit.

A comprehensive cleanup campaign was launched on Friday targeting the Durani canal and surrounding areas to restore the navigability of the historic 7-kilometer Old Buriganga channel near Kamrangirchar and Rasulpur in Dhaka. The joint initiative was spearheaded by the Dhaka district administration alongside the youth volunteer group BD Clean, following instructions from the Prime Minister to State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam to clear accumulated waste and rejuvenate the waterway. To execute the directive, plans have been set in motion for dredging, re-excavation, removal of illegal structures and the development of modern recreational walkways along the unblocked channel. Prior to commencing the cleanup, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam administered an oath to participants and BD Clean volunteers.  The event was attended by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator M Abdus Salam, Dhaka-7 lawmaker Hamidur Rahman, and Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam. Encroachment and dumping have severely impacted the 3.2-kilometer Old Buriganga channel—the oldest waterway in Old Dhaka—particularly around a 1,000-foot stretch near the Durani Bridge area.  The resulting stagnant water, foul odors, mosquito infestation, and local waterlogging have created significant hardships for nearby communities. Environmental experts note that the natural flow of the Old Buriganga channel was severely disrupted following the construction of the Dhaka flood-control embankment (Beribadh) in the early 1990s, which was built to shield the city's western and northern regions from seasonal flooding. Read More DMP to Deploy Drones for Traffic Monitoring and Gridlock Management The current government drive aims to transform the degraded channel into an eco-friendly public resource.  Alongside active garbage removal from the canal and its margins, authorities are running public awareness campaigns urging residents to refrain from discarding trash into the water. According to DSCC sources, once the trash removal phase concludes, work will pivot toward restoring water flow, landscaping both banks, and constructing public walkways for community recreation. Collected Photo "It is imperative to keep canals and rivers free from waste to protect the environment and public health. The joint initiative of the Dhaka district administration and BD Clean is praiseworthy," stated the state minister during the launch.  "We hope that the programme will be successfully completed and local people will benefit from it." To ensure long-term sustainability, the Dhaka district administration will maintain continuous monitoring to prevent re-encroachment and future dumping along the waterway.

Following the successful implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cameras for traffic management, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is preparing to introduce drone surveillance to tackle gridlock across the capital city. DMP Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman recently told a local media that the technology will be deployed at key urban locations to enable traffic officials to gather real-time data on congestion directly from the spot and take swift corrective action. Initially, the experimental deployment of drones will focus on monitoring vehicles on roads vulnerable to heavy gridlock, thereby improving the overall operational efficiency of law enforcement officers, according to the DMP official. Eventually, the system will be expanded to detect vehicles operating in violation of traffic regulations, broadcast audible warnings, and initiate legal proceedings based on video footage once the aerial devices are integrated with automated number plate readers (ANPR). Acknowledging that drone surveillance is already utilized in several nations globally, the DMP official noted that it remains an entirely novel approach in Bangladesh. In Dhaka, severe congestion frequently develops along flyovers, particularly near the elevated expressway, Bahadur Shah Park, and the Gulistan flyover, where identifying the root cause of a bottleneck often faces delays, he noted, adding, "The device will help us to find it and take action immediately." Addressing the primary drivers of traffic congestion, the DMP official explained that most urban public buses fail to utilize designated bus stops to pick up and drop off passengers. Across city routes, these public buses are operated by transport crews under a daily-payment scheme, creating reckless competition among drivers who stop arbitrarily to board passengers rather than utilizing fixed designated bus stops, ultimately causing heavy gridlock. In contrast, public buses in developed countries operate on fixed schedules managed through structured transit systems, a framework currently lacking in the country. To establish discipline in urban transit, the DMP official stressed the necessity of implementing an e-ticketing framework alongside bus route rationalization, warning that city residents will continue to face daily travel hardships unless these measures are introduced. Elaborating on the technical capabilities of the aerial units, Rahman explained that each drone comes equipped with an integrated public address system to deliver direct warning messages to offending motorists. He noted that if a specific vehicle causes a road blockage, the drone will issue an alert stating, "you [the particular vehicle] are creating gridlock, so please go away and make the road clear." Read More BRTC Set to Roll Out All-Female 'Pink Bus Service' in Dhaka on Tuesday The advanced hardware will also enable authorities to file official traffic citations against non-compliant vehicles while providing a comprehensive real-time view of the city's traffic flow. However, the technology remains in its early testing phase, according to the DMP additional commissioner. "The DMP has received a drone from an organization and it is currently under testing and hope that work will begin at the field level soon," the official stated. While the system yields real-time data, the DMP official highlighted that establishing a robust internet and server infrastructure is required to support the facility fully. Clarifying whether traffic citations would be issued automatically or logged manually after reviewing video records, Anisur Rahman explained that while the department has not fully transitioned to automated citation processing, the technology possesses automated case-filing capabilities. The DMP official emphasized that the total volume of citations issued does not reflect overall performance, as a higher number of cases indicates widespread non-compliance with traffic rules. "Our goal is not to file more cases but to make people abide by the traffic law," he noted. To prepare personnel for field operations, Anisur Rahman confirmed that training programs have already begun, with officers from the Tejgaon division having completed their instruction, while training for traffic personnel in the Uttara division is set to begin next week.

To provide female commuters across the capital with a secure, convenient and seamless transit experience, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is launching a dedicated 'Pink Bus Service' in Dhaka on Tuesday. Introduced to fulfill the government's election manifesto commitments, the initiative stands out for featuring an all-female operational staff, with women serving as both drivers and conductors.  According to official BRTC sources and an agency press release, the novel service aims to enhance female participation in public transportation while fostering a safe and comfortable environment for women passengers. Read More 7 Workers Die in Toxic Gas Leak at Sitakunda Shipbreaking Yard The official inauguration of the women-only bus service will take place at 10 am at the BRTC Dhaka Truck Depot premises in Tejgaon, attended by senior representatives from relevant government ministries and departments. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam will attend the event as the chief guest. State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Habibur Rashid and Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr. Mohammed Ziaul Haque will be present as special guests while BRTC Chairman Abdul Latif Mollah will preside over the ceremony. With thousands of women navigating the capital's public transit network daily, BRTC officials view this dedicated bus fleet as a crucial step toward easing routine commuting hurdles.  Beyond providing a far more comfortable travel option for women, the initiative is expected to drive economic inclusion by creating direct employment opportunities for female drivers and conductors in Bangladesh's transport industry.

A fire triggered by a suspected gas leak early Friday morning in Narayanganj Sadar upazila has left three members of the same family in critical condition with severe burn injuries.  The victims have been identified as 24-year-old Maidul, his 24-year-old wife Beauty and their eight-year-old son Maruf. Following the incident, the trio was rescued and rushed to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for emergency medical care.  Read More Gabtoli–Dasherkandi Metro Rail Proposal Reaches Final Approval Stage Dr. Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident surgeon at the institute, confirmed that all three individuals remain in critical condition and are currently receiving life-support treatment within the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  Regarding the extent of their injuries, the physician noted that Maidul sustained burns covering 85 percent of his body while Beauty suffered burns on 80 percent and young Maruf was the most severely affected, with 90 percent of his body suffering from burn trauma.