HOME AND ABROAD

The Great Bank Robbery

Kishoreganj. It's a scene right out of movies. Robbers made away with Tk 16.40 crore from a Sonali Bank branch in Kishoreganj. They were able to do so by digging a tunnel into the bank's vault. Interestingly, two bank officials discovered this theft on January 26 when they entered the second cell of the bank's vault to get money for transactions. The robbery, however, might have happened at any time between January 24 and 25, as the vault was checked for the last time before the robbery on last Thursday. The tunnel was dug to the vault from a nearby building only 20 yards away from the bank on Isa Khan Road at Rathkhola. A narrow alley separates the bank and the building. Police officials stationed at the bank were utterly clueless about the tunnel. Some digging tools were found inside the bank's vault. A team of Rab officials arrested Sohel, the key person behind the burglary, on Monday.

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Don't Go Near the Hills

Chittagong. It's hardly surprising anymore to find people destroying the natural heritage of the country for the sake of illegal money spinning projects. At North Pahartali in Chittagong, hills are being cut to make plots for unauthorised housing projects, including Shapla Residential Area and Model Palli. Space has been made for these projects by razing more than a dozen hills and several more hills are also in the process of being flattened for the same purpose. Locals even stated that influential quarters had gradually been developing the projects by cutting away the hills at night. However, deputy chief town planner of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Sarwar Uddin Ahmad stated that none of the residential areas has been approved from the CDA.

Cold, Cold World

Patuakhali. There's no respite for the poor people who lost their houses during the onslaught of cyclone Mahasen in May last year. After over six months of the disaster, their houses are yet to be rebuild even though Tk 13 crore was allocated for the rebuilding of 6500 of the 10,597 damaged houses in the district. The amount had to be refunded as the local administration failed to make proper use of the allocated money within the stipulated time. People are suffering in the cold, as they don't have proper shelter or even clothes to protect them. "After getting the allocation on June 9, we sent it to the upazila authorities but they failed to spend the money as the time limit was very short. We sent letter to the ministry concerned for reallocation of money for the new fiscal year but we are yet to get any response," said Shanti Ranjon Baidya, district relief and rehabilitation officer.

Another Senseless Attack

Maiduguri, Nigeria. A village lost many of its people because some miscreants believed that they were acting on behalf of their religion.  Villagers say suspected Islamist extremists have attacked several farming settlements in Nigeria's northeast Borno state this week, killing 18 people and razing homes. Maiduguri is the birth place of Boko Haram, the terrorist network whose name means "Western education is forbidden." Mutah said eight people were killed in a neighboring village on January 22. He said Mude and Kwaljiri villages were destroyed, but residents escaped unharmed. Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in its four-year mission to impose Shariah law and attacks continue despite an 8-month-old state of emergency. Locals have formed vigilante groups to fight back but attacks have increased, likely in retaliation.

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Holy Relics Stolen

Rome, Italy. Italian police are hunting for a stolen holy relic that contains the blood of Pope John Paul ll. It appears to have been taken during the burglary of a small chapel that was a place of special significance to the late Pope. The church of San Pietro della Ienca lies in an isolated spot in the mountains of central Abruzzo region. Over the weekend, thieves broke some protective iron bars and forced their way in through a window. They left the collection box, but took a crucifix and the priceless relic, which contains a piece of gauze once soaked in the blood of the late Pope - one of only three such relics in the world.

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Alligator in an Airport

Chicago, USA. This might seem like a good opening to a joke but this strange incident is no laughing matter. Authorities have arrested a woman they believe left a small alligator at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport late last year. In a news release, Chicago police said 29-year-old Alexis Prokopchuk of suburban Oakbrook Terrace was charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to animals. She was arrested Tuesday. The 2-foot-long alligator was spotted and captured in a baggage claim area on Nov. 1 of last year. Police recovered security footage that showed a woman with an alligator under her arm boarding a Chicago Transit Authority train, then chatting on a cellphone while the animal sat in her hand on her knee. An hour later, she disembarked at the airport.