PATUAKHALI, April 27, 2025 (BSS) - BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed today said that Lamia's death has become a question mark for the entire nation. Talking about Lamia who committed suicide after being gang raped, he said: "If Lamia got justice (when she was seeking it), then she would not die." He made the remarks before attending the Namaz-e-Janaza of Lamia Akhtar, the daughter of July Movement martyr Jasim Uddin in the district. When the vehicle carrying Lamia's body reached her village home in Pangasia Union of Dumki Upazila at 7:30, her Namaz-e-Janaza was held at the Pangasia Secondary School ground. Later, she was buried next to her father's grave. On March 18 evening, Lamia Akhter was going to her grandmother's house at Pangasia Union under Dumki Upazila in Patuakhali after visiting her father's grave. She was gang raped by some miscreants on the way. Later, they took sensitive photos of her and intimidated the helpless girl over spreading those photos on social media platforms. Frustrated Lamia Akhter was later found hanging from her rented house on Road No. 6, Shekhertek, in the capital Dhaka around 10.00 pm on April 26 last. Later, as she was taken to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, the on duty doctor declared her dead.    

RANGPUR, Apr 27, 2025 (BSS) - The season's first nor'westers coupled with hailstorms lashed many areas of five districts in greater Rangpur, damaged many thatched houses, uprooted hundreds of trees and disrupted power supply  tonight.   The natural calamity badly hit all nine unions of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur and nearby Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat damaging some 2,000 houses totally or partially and uprooting hundreds of trees there alone.   At the same time, unripe mangoes growing widely in many orchards of the region, including Gangachara, Mithapukur, Badarganj, Sadar, Kawnia and Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur, were damaged.   However, the nor'wester did not cause any damage to the standing Boro rice in the region.   On the other hand, the common people have suddenly got some relief from last night's storm and rain amid the intense heat wave that has been going on in the region for the past few days.   According to the officials concerned and the investigation conducted today, some 100 villages in different upazilas of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts of the region have been hit by the nor'westers.   However, the growing Boro rice fields have found the nor'westers as a blessing with deposition of some rain waters, naturally meeting the irrigation demand and saving fuels and electricity, especially at this peak irrigation period.   "The nor'westers didn't cause any harm to growing Boro rice plants," Rangpur regional Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Md Shafikul Islam told BSS at 9:30 pm tonight, after visiting different districts in the region today.   While visiting some 20 villages in different unions of Sadar and Kawnia upazilas in Rangpur today, this BSS reporter found that a number of thatched houses were damaged and many trees were uprooted but Boro rice plants remained intact without any damage.   Talking to BSS today, Abdul Kaiyum of village Bhutchhara Majhpara under Shaheedbag union in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said some thatched houses were damaged and trees were uprooted during the storm that lashed the village last night.   "However, the growing Boro rice plants remain intact without any damage in our village," he said.   Similarly, farmer Nizam Uddin of village Ballovbishu under the same union in the upazila said some tin roofs of houses have been blown away and trees were uprooted and branches fell, tearing electricity wires and causing power outages.   Talking to BSS at 9:40 pm, Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud Hasan Mridha said that nine people were injured, around 1,500 thatched houses in all nine upazilas of upazila were damaged, hundreds of trees uprooted by the storm and hail.   "We have started to assess the extent of damage caused by the storm in the upazila," the UNO added.   Meanwhile, in-charge of Rangpur Meteorological Office Md Mostafizur Rahman said that the wind speed during the storm on Saturday night was 8 nautical miles and the rainfall recorded was 20 millimeters during the period in Rangpur.   Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal said that the local administration is working to assess the extent of the damage.