United News of Bangladesh

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said the government will not allow anyone to create instability in the country over the reported return of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in December. “We are also aware of social media reports that fascist Sheikh Hasina wants to return to Bangladesh in December. However, the government will not allow anyone to create instability in the country over her reported return,” he said. The minister said Bangladesh has sent several requests to India through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking Hasina’s extradition under the extradition treaty. “Our position is clear here,” he said. He came up with the information while speaking at a press briefing on the peaceful celebrations of Durga Puja at the Secretariat. Asked about the law-and-order situation amid discussions over Hasina's possible return in December, he said the forces associated with the previous regime have been attempting to spread misinformation from the beginning. “They want to create instability in Bangladesh and take advantage of the situation,” Salahuddin said, adding that the government will not allow any anti-state force, fallen political force, fugitive criminal or person accused of genocide to create unrest in the country. Those who fled the country in the face of the mass uprising and were involved in the killing of hundreds of citizens will not be allowed to carry out subversive activities in Bangladesh, he said. Early warning measures helped ensure peaceful Durga Puja The minister said the government believed that Durga Puja was celebrated peacefully across Bangladesh after 15 to 17 years, amid enthusiasm and communal harmony. He expressed gratitude to the Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party, intelligence agencies, journalists and people from all walks of life for their cooperation in ensuring peaceful celebrations of the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community. Salahuddin said incidents of violence, untoward events, terrorist activities and attempts to undermine religious harmony occurred during Durga Puja in the past. “But the country saw no such incidents this year,” he said, expressing hope that the peaceful environment will continue with everyone's cooperation. He said authorities focused on preventive measures rather than waiting for incidents to occur before taking action. Using digital systems and various technologies, including mobile apps, authorities monitored the situation from the grassroots through unions, wards, upazilas, districts and divisional centres, with continuous monitoring from the central level, the minister said. One or two plans to cause incidents around the Durga Puja celebrations were detected in advance, and law enforcement agencies took necessary action accordingly, he said. Action to be taken about attack on police in Gopalganj Regarding the attack on police in Gopalganj, Salahuddin said the incident occurred in the Kheyaghat area of a union under Gopalganj Sadar upazila. Some activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies attempted to organise a procession, he said. “When a police patrol team arrived at the scene, the officers came under attack as they were outnumbered. We have seen the video of the incident. Action is being taken against those involved in the attack,” he said. Situation under control in Sajek Referring to the situation in Sajek, Rangamati, the minister said the law-and-order situation has come under control. He said several groups operate in the hill region, including the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), as well as other groups with similar names. “Internal disputes and rivalries exist among these groups,” he added. Salahuddin said attempts are made every year to gain control over certain areas in the hills during the tourism season. The government, together with the Bangladesh Army, has taken necessary steps to maintain normalcy and will continue to do so, he said. The minister added that discussions were also underway with local headmen and community leaders. The local lawmaker is also maintaining communication with them to help address the situation, he said.

Five children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Sunday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,227 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) classified the latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. With this, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,123, while confirmed deaths have remained the same at 104. A total of 1,280 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 221,164. Meanwhile, 76 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, pushing laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,400. Since March 15 this year, a total of 196,703 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 188,674 have recovered, according to the DGHS.

A tribunal in Jamalpur on Sunday sentenced an imam of a mosque to life imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old student. The convict is Musa Mia, hailing from Harichandi village in Fulchhari thana of Gaibandha district. He worked as an imam at a Jame Mosque and taught at a maktab at Mondolpara village in Dewanganj upazila of Jamalpur. Muhammad Abdur Rahim, judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 in Jamalpur,  pronounced the judgment, said Public Prosecutor Fazlul Haque. It also fined him Tk 5 lakh. According to the prosecution, Musa used to send the other students home every morning and keep the girl at the mosque to do cleaning work. Taking advantage of the situation, he raped her on November 28, December 1 and December 2, 2020, after luring her with the promise of marriage, the prosecution said. After the girl's family learned about the incident, her mother filed a case with Dewanganj Police Station on December 8, six days after the last incident. Police submitted the charge sheet to the court on May 5, 2021.

Freedom fighter Manik Pashari, a key witness in a crimes against humanity case against late Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, was buried at Chitolia village in Pirojpur Sadar upazila amid tight police security early Sunday. Police buried the body on the premises of his home around 2am. Earlier, when the body was brought on Pirojpur Sadar Upazila Parishad premises on Saturday noon the family members faced protests from local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, activists and some local people, claimed his family members. The body was later taken to the police lines with police assistance. After a guard of honour around 5pm, police from Pirojpur Sadar Police Station kept the body under tight security. Around 1am, police took it to his home where the burial was completed an hour later in the presence of his wife, children and local residents. Abdur Razzak, assistant secretary of Pirojpur district Jamaat-e-Islami, said no leaders of the party or its affiliated organisations obstructed the burial. Jamaat leaders do not engage in the politics of corpses, he said, adding that they fully cooperated with police to complete the burial. Officer-in-Charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station Md Shariful Islam said the burial was completed under tight security. Additional police personnel have been deployed near the grave to prevent any untoward incident, he added. Earlier, Manik Pashari’s sister, Mosammat Rina Akter, said the family brought her brother’s body to Pirojpur for burial but faced difficulties when they could not proceed with the burial. Manik Pashari was a resident of Ward No. 7 in Chitolia village under Shankarpasha Union. After the mass uprising in July-August 2024, Pashari reportedly remained in hiding in Jashore and Gopalganj districts. Family members said the freedom fighter breathed his last around 10am on Saturday at his daughter’s father-in-law’s house in Tungipara area of Gopalganj. He had been staying there after remaining in hiding for a long period and had been ill for about two months. On February 8, 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sayedee to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The verdict triggered clashes between police and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters, leaving at least 35 people dead and scores injured. On September 17, 2014, the Supreme Court, following an appeal by Sayedee, commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment. The convicted war criminal died on August 14, 2023 while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) at the age of 83.

Bus services on the Kishoreganj-Dhaka route have been suspended indefinitely since Sunday morning following a dispute between transport owners in Kishoreganj and Dhaka, causing suffering for commuters. The Kishoreganj District Road Transport Owners’ Association announced the suspension, halting all private bus services on the route. Association leaders said the newly formed committee took an initiative to improve passenger services by replacing old buses with new ones after assuming responsibility. Following discussions, transport owners in Dhaka also agreed to the proposal. However, while Kishoreganj owners replaced their old buses with new ones, their Dhaka counterparts did not replace their outdated vehicles and instead added two more buses to the route, they said. Tensions mounted between the two factions over the issue, culminating in a sharp dispute on Saturday. Following the dispute, the Kishoreganj association suspended all private bus services on the Kishoreganj-Mohakhali route from Sunday morning. The suspension left passengers travelling between Kishoreganj and Dhaka facing considerable inconvenience.  

Buddhists in Bangladesh are celebrating Prabarana Purnima, one of their major religious festivals, on Sunday with prayers, religious rituals and colourful festivities, seeking peace, harmony and universal friendship among all living beings. The festival marks the end of the three-month-long Buddhist Lent, known as Vassa, observed by Buddhist monks. On the occasion, Buddhists fly lighted balloons made of thin paper, also called Phanus Baji, in the evening. When the Buddha renounced the world, he cut his hair and threw it into the air, saying: "If my aim and mission of renunciation are fruitful, this tress of hair will go upwards, and if my object and ambition become fruitless, it will fall on the ground." Buddhists believe that the tress of hair went flying into the sky according to the will of Gautama Buddha. Launching the sky lanterns is a symbol and commemoration of Gautama's emphatic prediction. Also known as Ashwini Purnima, the festival marks the end of the three-month seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self-edification and atonement of their defilement. The festival follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every being and whole humankind. UNB Rangamati correspondent reports: The Buddhist community in Rangamati is celebrating Prabarana Purnima with religious fervour. From the morning, thousands of devotees of all ages gathered at the historic Rajban Bihar and other Buddhist monasteries across the district to offer prayers and participate in religious rituals, expressing hope for a society free from evil, injustice and communal discord. On the occasion, devotees took part in various religious activities on the Bihar premises, including Buddha statue offerings, Sangha Dana, Ashta Pariskara Dana, the offering of a thousand lamps and Chimitong Puja. Many Buddhist devotees also observed the Five Precepts and the Eight Precepts. The festival drew thousands of devotees, many of whom expressed enthusiasm and joy at being able to participate in the celebrations. The local administration and law enforcement agencies took coordinated security measures to ensure peaceful celebrations. Additional police personnel were deployed at important Buddhist monasteries across the district to maintain law and order and allow devotees to perform religious rituals without disruption, a local law enforcement official said. The day's celebrations will conclude in the afternoon with the spectacular release of colourful sky lanterns. Following Prabarana Purnima, the month-long religious festival of Kathin Chibar Dan, involving the offering of robes to Buddhist monks, is set to begin at Buddhist monasteries across the Chittagong Hill Tracts from Monday.

A Gazipur court on Sunday sent Moslem Ahmed, the vice-principal of Qari-ul-Quran International Madrasah at Tongi in Gazipur, to jail in a case filed over the alleged sexual harassment of a Class-I girl. Gazipur Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Omar Haider passed the order when police produced him before the court. The court also turned down his bail petition. The girl’s father filed the case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing the teacher of sexually abusing his daughter. According to the family, the alleged incident took place on the staircase on the ground floor of the madrasah on October 19. The girl reportedly did not want to attend the madrasah after the incident and later disclosed what happened to her parents when they asked her about it. On October 21, the girl’s relatives went to the madrasah and confronted the accused teacher, demanding an explanation. As the matter became known, local people gathered at the institution and physically assaulted the teacher, which went viral on Facebook. On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and brought the teacher to the police station. A case was filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The magistrate of the tribunal also recorded the statement of the girl in the case on October 22.

Two individuals were killed in a mob beating over allegations of stealing an auto-rickshaw in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur early Sunday. The deceased were identified as Rezaul, also known as Kana, 42, of Bagdohora village under Nohali union, and Sadikul Islam, 32, of Kolkanda union, in the upazila. The incident occurred around 5:30am near the Teesta Large Irrigation Canal in the Giriyarpar area of Uttar Panapukur under Barabil union. Police recovered the bodies from the scene, said Md Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Gangachara Model Police Station. Quoting local residents, he said Siddiqur Rahman Sohel, a resident of Bagpur Dakkhinpara in Barabil union, heard a noise coming from the shed where he kept his auto-rickshaw early in the morning. When he came out of his bedroom, he saw someone taking the vehicle away. At the time, worshippers were offering Fajr prayers at a nearby mosque. Hearing Sohel's cries, several worshippers came out and chased the suspected thieves. As they failed to catch them immediately, the locals were alerted using the mosque's loudspeaker, prompting more local residents to join the chase. The two men allegedly left the auto-rickshaw about half a kilometre from the house near the irrigation canal and tried to escape through a paddy field. Locals, however, surrounded them and beat them, leaving both dead at the scene. OC Sabur said police rushed to the scene after receiving the information and completed the inquest before taking the bodies to the police station. The bodies were later sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for autopsy, he said, adding that legal action was being taken over the incident.

A man and his six-year-old daughter were killed when a fish-laden pickup rammed an auto-van on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Saiful Islam, 45, son of Hemayet Molla, and his daughter Samira Akter, hailing from Pawanbeg village in Alfadanga upazila of Faridpur. According to police and locals, a Gopalganj-bound pickup carrying fish from Khulna hit a Muksudpur-bound auto-van coming from the opposite direction in the Gyrakhola area on the highway, leaving the father-daughter duo critically injured. Locals rescued them and took them to Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex, where the attending doctor declared them dead. Muksudpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun said the bodies will be handed over to the family following legal procedures.

A tenant died at Khulna Medical College Hospital on Sunday morning after allegedly being struck on the head with a stick by his landlord during an altercation over house rent in Khulna city. The deceased was identified as Rakibul Islam, 40. Police detained landlord Majlis Khan and his wife Fatema Begum for questioning in connection with the incident that took place on Saturday. According to police and locals, an argument broke out between Rakibul and Majlis over house rent at the Shatarupa intersection of Basupara Bakultala on Saturday evening. At one point, Majlis allegedly struck Rakibul on the head with a stick, leaving him critically injured. Locals rescued Rakibul and took him to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries around 8:00am on Sunday while undergoing treatment. Sonadanga Police Station Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Al Miraj Khan said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for an autopsy. He added that the landlord and his wife were currently being interrogated at the police station.