COX'S BAZAR, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS) - A fire broke out on the Saint Martin-bound vessel 'The Atlantic Cruise' at the Nuniachara BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority) Ghat here early this morning, killing one crew member.  The fire erupted in the engine room of the ship around 7:00 a.m. and subsequently engulfed the vessel while it was anchoring at the dock, Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain, Deputy Assistant Director of Cox's Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence, told BSS.  The crew member, identified as Nur Kamal, 35, of Hnila Union under Teknaf Upazila, was reportedly sleeping in a cabin of the vessel. "However, as many as 194 tourists, who were waiting to board the vessel, narrowly escaped," Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain added.     The fire official said the blaze was brought under control around 11:00 a.m. as two units of the Fire Service and a volunteer team of the local administration, including the Coast Guard, made concerted efforts to douse the fire. Sea Cruise Owners' Association General Secretary Hossain Islam Bahadur said following the incident, rescuers recovered the burnt body of Nur Kamal. Mohammad Ismail, an official of The Atlantic Cruise, said the fire is initially suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Meanwhile, a portion of the passengers have been sent to Saint Martin on another vessel according to its capacity. Additional District Magistrate Md Shahidul Alam said a five-member inquiry committee has been initially formed to look into the incident. The number of committee members will be increased if necessary. Details will be known once the investigation committee submits its report, he added. 

KISHOREGANJ, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS) – A total of 35 sacks of cash, along with gold ornaments and foreign currency, have been recovered from 13 donation boxes at the historic Pagla Mosque in Kishoreganj.   The donation boxes were opened at around 7:00 am on Saturday following a gap of three months and 27 days at the Pagla Mosque, located in the Harua area on the banks of the Narsunda River in Kishoreganj town   More than 400 people took part in the counting process, including members of the mosque management committee, teachers and students of the madrasa and orphanage within the mosque complex, students from the nearby Jamia Emdadia Madrasa, and officials and employees of Rupali Bank.   Previously, on August 30 this year, the mosque authorities had recovered a record amount of Taka over 12.9 crore after opening the donation boxes following a gap of four months and 18 days. On that occasion, a large quantity of foreign currency and gold ornaments was also found.   Additional District Magistrate and Convenor of the Donation Box Opening Committee, Md. Ershadul Ahamad, confirmed the latest information.   The opening of the donation boxes took place in the presence of Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner and President of the Pagla Mosque Management Committee Mohammad Aslam Mollah, Superintendent of Police Dr. SM Farhad Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Mijabe Rahmat, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mohammad Nahid Hasan Khan. Members of the army, police, and Ansar were deployed to ensure security during the process.