United News of Bangladesh

The government is set to procure sound grenades and teargas shells for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (ret) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. "The BGB has always been equipped with deadly weapons, but they have not had non-lethal alternatives like sound grenades or tear gas. On January 18, there were tensions along the Chapainawabganj border, where Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) reportedly used teargas and sound grenades. But the BGB did not have these options at their disposal," he said following a meeting at his ministry on Monday. Over 33,000 foreigners illegally staying in Bangladesh: Home Adviser In the past, the Adviser said, the BGB had been equipped solely with lethal weapons, which had led to questions about why the force did not use sound grenades or tear gas during border confrontations. In light of these developments, Jahangir Alam said, the government had now authorised the purchase of non-lethal crowd control equipment for the BGB. "We have given permission to procure these items. The BGB already has access to deadly weapons, but they did not have items like sound grenades or tear gas, which will now be acquired for their use," he added. In comparison, the BSF currently possesses such equipment, giving them an advantage in handling border situations that require non-lethal means of crowd control, he said. Despite these issues, the Adviser said, the border situation remains stable, with no major problems reported at present. Meeting underway to finalise new uniform designs for police, RAB, Ansar Turning to the issue of foreign nationals residing illegally in Bangladesh, the Adviser provided updates on a previous circular regarding the matter. "Previously, we reported that 49,226 foreign nationals were residing illegally in Bangladesh after their visas had expired. However, this number has now been reduceda to 33,648. The deadline for these individuals to leave the country is set for January 31," he said.

 The High Court on Monday acquitted Giasuddin Al Mamun, a businessman and close friend of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, in an arms case.The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasreen Akter passed the order after hearing a petition.Senior Barrister Syed Ahmed stood for Mamun.Mamun was arrested on January 30 in 2007 and was released from prison on August 6, 2024. SC upholds acquittal of Giasuddin Al Mamun in graft caseTwenty cases were filed against Mamun on charges of his alleged involvement in corruption, extortion, money laundering and tax evasion.On March 26, 2007, a case was filed against him under the Arms Act.On July 3, 2007, the court sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in the case.A petition was filed with the High Court challenging the verdict. Tarique, Giasuddin Al Mamun, 6 others acquitted in Tk 10cr extortion case  

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has said that the voting rights of people will be restored at any cost. "People have lost interest in voting due to the lack of opportunities, and we aim to address their regrets," he said while inaugurating the voter list updating programme-2025 at the Savar Upazila Parishad auditorium on Monday morning. The CEC said that the voting rights will be realised when common people will be able to vote for their preferred candidate without fear. During the event, election commissioners urged data collectors to remain vigilant, as the number of female voters in the latest update programme was alarmingly low. They have also warned against voters who vote in two places simultaneously. The door-to-door data collection campaign will continue till February 3 and the collection of biometric data of the eligible voters will be taken from February 5 to April 11. During the field-level data collection campaign, enumerators will collect the data of eligible voters who were born on and before January 1, 2008. Read: No conflict between reform and election: Fakhrul Besides, the enumerators will collect applications from the existing voters who intended to change voting addresses and the data of deceased voters for dropping their names from the voter list. According to the Electoral Training Institute, more than 66,000 people have already received training over the voter listing updating programme. The trained people include 55,016 enumerators and 11,801 supervisors. The EC will publish the draft updated electoral rolls incorporating the names of new voters on January 2, 2026. Following the resettlement of claims and objections, the commission will make the final electoral rolls on March 2, 2026. The Election Commission has recently issued a notification with 16 instructions for the officials and enumerators who will be engaged in the data collection drive. Read more: Main goal is to ensure free, fair election: EC Sanaullah The instructions include collection of data of those persons who had been born on and before January 1, 2008 but have remained out of the voter lists, ascertaining if such persons became voters in the past, writing proper spelling of names of possible voters in both Bangla and English and being careful so that the data of Rohingyas and foreign nationals could no way be collected. According to the existing voter lists (published on March 2, 2024), there are 121.85 million (121,850,160) voters in the country.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday sent Assistant Commissioner (AC) of Police Tanjil Ahmed and two constables  for their suspected involvement  ‘in crimes against humanity’ during the July uprising. A three-member bench led by ICT Chairman Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar passed the order after hearing separate petitions,  said the court’s Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud. Of the arrestees, AC Tanjil is an accused in college student Imam Hossain Taim murder case. Taim was shot dead during the July-August  movemnt in Jatrabari’s Kajla area on July 20 last year. BASIS transforms 2,650 businesses into ICT powerhouses, says its administrator Later, the victim’s mother Parvin Aktar, wife of police inspector Md Joynal Hossain Bhuiyan who was posted at Rajarbagh Police Lines during the movement, filed a murder case against five police personnel including Wari division’s former deputy commissioner Mohammad Iabal Hossain.   Constable Akram Hossaina is an accused in Hridoy murder case filed in Gazipur while another constable Hossain Ali is also facing a murder case filed in Dhaka’s Uttara. Earlier, the ICT ordered the authorities concerned to produce the trio accused in the respective cases. The accused have been in jail since the arrests in the murder cases. BNP lodges complaints with ICT over 2276 crossfires,153 enforced disappearances  

In a move aimed at modernising the appearance of law enforcement agencies, the government has unveiled new uniforms for the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Ansar. After a meeting of the Law and Order Committee at the Secretariat on Monday, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced that the new uniforms would feature distinct colours for each force. Meeting underway to finalise new uniform designs for police, RAB, Ansar "We have finalised three new uniform designs for the police, RAB and Ansar. These uniforms will be phased in gradually, with current attire being replaced over time," the adviser said. The police will now wear iron uniforms, RAB personnel will green olive and Ansar will be dressed in golden wheat, he added. Bangladeshi couple returns home after serving jail in India Responding to questions from reporters, the Security Adviser assured that the uniform transition would not lead to any major financial strain. "There will be no significant budgetary issues in implementing these changes." The decision is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the image and functionality of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies, officials said.

Two auto-rickshaw passengers were killed and its driver was injured when a dump truck rammed the auto-rickshaw in BU Chowdhury Fisheries area of Majuchowdhuryrhat road in Sadar upazila on Monday. The deceased were identified as Murad, son of Mansur Ahmed from Char Ali Hasan village in Charramoni Mohan Union, and Anwar, son of Abdur Razzak from the Jagatber area of Tumchar Union. UP member beaten to death in Gaibandha Witnesses said that the accident occurred around 11:30 am when the sand-laden dump truck crashed into the auto-rickshaw, leaving one dead on the spot and two others injured. The injured were taken to Sadar Hospital where another passenger was declared dead. Clash between two BNP groups in Magura over dominance; 30 injured Abdul Monnaf, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station, said police recovered the bodies and kept those in the hospital morgue. Efforts are on to arrest the truck driver, he added.

Over 33, 000 foreigners are still illegally staying in the country, Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said. He came up with the information while briefing the media after a meeting on law and order at the conference room of his ministry on Monday. Govt paving the way for a smoke-free Bangladesh: DORP Warning of strict action against the illegal foreigners, the Home Adviser said they set a deadline for them to be legalised and action would be taken once the timeframe is over. “Action will also be taken against those employing illegal foreigners.” As of October 30 last year, there were 49, 266 illegal foreigners but this number stood at 33, 648 till January 18 this year, he said. US extends support to charting ‘prosperous, democratic path’ for Bangladesh An amount of Tk 10.53 crore was released from the illegal foreigners as penalty, Adviser Jahangir Alam said.

After months of discussion over reforms and uniform changes for law enforcement agencies, the government is set to introduce new attire for the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Ansar. According to reliable sources, the Home Ministry's advisory council is expected to approve the new uniforms at a meeting today (Monday). Meanwhile, representatives from the police, Ansar, and RAB entered the meeting wearing 18 different uniform prototypes. “These designs are under consideration, and a final decision is anticipated to be made during the session,” said an official wishing anonymity. Read: Call for inclusive police reform to rebuild trust, accountability The initiative for this reform gained momentum following deliberations on police reforms, which began after August 5 last year. The upcoming changes aim to modernise the appearance of law enforcement personnel while aligning with their functional and operational requirements. Read more: No discussion on RAB reforms with US: Home Minister Officials have indicated that the selected uniforms will reflect a combination of practicality and professionalism, ensuring better identification and uniformity across the forces. Further details about the finalised designs and implementation timeline are expected to be announced following the meeting.

The newly elected executive committee of Barishal Zilla Samity, Dhaka will host National Special Cricket, Table Tennis and Chess tournaments in Dhaka with the support of National Paralympic Committee of Bangladesh. The decision was taken at a meeting on Sunday where Paralympic Committee president and former Vice Chancellor of Islamic University, Kushtia Prof. Dr. Shaikh Abdus Salam and its Secretary General Engr. Md. Maksudur Rahman and Barishal Zila Samity President Dr. Enayet Karim were present. Barishal Samity’s General Secretary Abu Bakar Siddik Shohel, and Office Secretary Advocate Mamunur Rashid were, among others, were present on the occasion.

At least 30 readymade garment (RMG) workers were injured in a boiler blast in a factory in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur on Monday morning. Locals said the explosion occurred in the factory located near HD Apparel garment factory in Jhainabazar area in the morning, leaving the workers injured. Read: Fire in Mirpur Bata: No casualties reported Ten out of the injured were admitted to several hospitals in the district and the rest were released after providing first-aid. Fire Service and police personnel rushed to the spot and inspected it.