News in Brief-(2022-08-14)

Toddler drowns in Kurigram pond
KURIGRAM, Aug 13: A one-and-a-half-year-old drowned in a pond near his house while playing there in Kurigram's Rowmari upazila on Friday. The deceased was identified as Abu Horayra, son of Samaun Islam of Uttarpara village of Sadar union. "Horayra was playing in the yard of his house at 10am. As the family members were not around, he fell into the pond and drowned," Samaun said. "His family members started looking for him as he was not seen anywhere. At one stage, Horayra's body was found floating on the pond near his house," Rup Kumar Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Roumari Police Station, said.
— UNB
Kushtia filling station fire kills two
KUSHTIA, Aug 13: Fire tore quickly through a filling station in Kushtia's Bheramara upazila on Friday, charring two people to death and seriously injuring one. The deceased were identified as Shahajul, 35, of Rifaitpur union of Daulatpur upazila and Bijoy, 16, of the same area. However, the identity of the injured could not immediately be confirmed. "The fire broke out at Dafadar Filling Station at 7:30pm. On information, firefighters responded to the blaze," Jane Alam, deputy director of Kushtia Fire Service and Civil Defence, said. "Shahajul and Bijay were found dead when the responders could tame the flames at 8:30pm." "The reasons for the fire mishap could not be known immediately. A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the blaze. The bodies were sent to Kushtia 250-bed General Hospital for autopsies," Jane Alam added. — UNB
Coast Guard seizes stolen diesel in Chandpur
CHANDPUR, Aug 13: Coast Guard members seized 3,800 litres of stolen diesel from the Launch Ghat area of Matlab Uttar Upazila of Chandpur on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, a team of coastguard conducted a drive at Mohanpur's Dasani Launch Ghat area and seized the diesel stolen from two abandoned houses, Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taqi, media officer of Bangladesh Coast Guard Headquarters, said. The estimated market value of the seized diesel is Tk 4,33,200, added the officer. However, no one could be arrested in this connection. The Coast Guard subsequently handed it over to Mohanpur Police Station. — UNB
DMP arrests 73 for selling, consuming drugs
The members of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in several anti-drug raids arrested a total of 73 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs during the last 24 hours till 6am on Saturday. The DB in association with local police carried out the drives simultaneously at different parts of the metropolis from 6am of August 12, according to a DMP release. In the anti-drug raids, police seized huge drugs from their possessions. During the anti-drug raids, police seized 92 grams and 46 puria (small packets) of heroin 2,952 pieces of contraband Yaba tablets, 65.215 kilograms of cannabis (ganja), 15 bottles of phensidyle syrup, five bottles of local liquor and 15 bottles of foreign liquor along with drug injections from their possessions, the release added. Police filed 49 separate cases against the arrestees in these connections with respective police stations under the Narcotics Control Act. — BSS