The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Barisal

Aggrieved passengers of a paribahan Bus, who were to join Eid-ul-Azha festival with their family Members, torched the bus in the early hours of Friday at Babuganj upazila of this district damaging properties worth Taka 10 lakh, police said.

Police source said, a Sugandha Paribahan bus (Dhaka Ja-4561) boarding about 55 passengers left Dhaka for Neyamoti under Bakergonj upazila of this district at 9 AM on Thursday. Due to the fault of the engine of the bus, driver Obaidul had to stop the bus at four different places on the way from Dhaka to Babuganj to repair it somehow.

Lastly, driver Obaidul and conductor Kamal Hossain failed to repair the bus at Rakudia area near Shikarpur Bridge under Babuganj upazila of this district at around 12 midnight. The aggrieved passengers made hue and cry due to their inconveniences and demanded the return of their bus fares from the driver. All on a sudden, these two persons fled the scene leaving the bus at Rakudia.

Finding no other alternative, the aggrieved passengers torched the bus at 1 am on Friday to burn it causing loss to properties worth about Taka 10 lakh, the source added.

While contacted, owner of the bus Shahadat Hossain told this correspondent that he would file a case against the passengers. The damaged bus is now under the custody of Babuganj police.

BSS, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and his wife Professor Dr Anwara Begum on Friday hosted a reception and exchanged Eid greetings with distinguished personalities and diplomats of different countries here at Bangabhaban.

Speaker Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Chief Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Advisers of the Caretaker Government Md Anwarul Iqbal, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdury and Dr CS Karim, Chief of Bangladesh Navy Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam, Chief of Bangladesh Air force Air Marshal Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rahman and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury joined the reception.

Ambassadors and high commissioners of different countries to Bangladesh, judges of the Supreme Court, secretaries, leaders of different political parties, high civil and military officials, Vice-chancellors of universities, editors and senior journalists of news organizations, distinguished persons of different sections and professionals also joined the reception.

Military Secretary to the President Major General Mohd Aminul Karim and Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader were present.

BSS, Dhaka

The busy Dhaka city has become almost quiet yesterday as millions of city dwellers have left the capital for their village homes to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second greatest religious festival of the Muslims.

As most of the educational institutions are in year-ending closure, parents took the opportunity to take their kids to their ancestral homes mostly in villages where their near and dears live in.

Almost all roadside business centres and shops closed their shutters in the evening on Thursday and left the city putting the blazing urban life into more depress.

Though the three-day public holiday began today, the city dwellers have started leaving the city early this week in different modes of transports mostly in buses, launches and trains.

Most of them rushed to the different bus terminals today. But they had to wait for hours to board on transports as authorities concerned failed to maintain their schedules due to tremendous pressure.

The city's main train station Kamalapur also remained overcrowded with homebound people since the last three days. However, the railway authority already have arranged special train services to meet the rising demand of passengers during the holy Eid-ul-Azha.

BSS, Dhaka

Teachers of subsidised independent ebtedaye madrasas under MPO have been requested to draw their grant money from the respective branches of Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali Bank by January 7 next.

Teachers those who could not draw their three-months salaries from July to September 07, will be able to draw their outstanding salaries at the same time, a press release said yesterday.

The cheques were deposited to the head offices of the above banks on Dec 19.

BSS, Dhaka

One person was killed and two others were injured in a road accident at Shampur-Postagola Bridge at around 8 PM Saturday night, police and hospital sources said.

The dead was identified as Takbir, 18.

The accident took place when a speedy truck knocked down a CNG-run autorickshaw carrying three persons at the area, and the passengers of the autorickshaw received serious injuries.

Soon after the accident, local people rushed to the spot and took the critically injured Takbir to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors confirmed his death.

Injured Shohel, 18 and Bablu, 20 were admitted to the hospital, the sources said.