United News of Bangladesh

A trader was hacked to death on his way home from a local market in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria district Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Mostafa Kamal, son of late Momin Mia of Nandypara village under Kalikachha union of the upazila. Police and locals said some miscreants indiscriminately hacked him with sharp weapons while returning home from the  market at dark nearby his house. Hearing screams; locals rushed to the spot and informed his family members who rushed him to Upazila Health Complex where physicians declared him dead upon arrival. CNG owner hacked to death in Gendaria over enmity Officer-in-charge of Sarail Police Station Morshedul Alam Chowdhury said the body was sent to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Senior police officials visited the spot and an investigation is underway to identify and arrest those involved  in the murder, he added.

The Appellate Division on Wednesday acquitted Mobarak Hossain, a death-row convict and expelled Awami League leader, in a case over crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War. A five-member tribunal, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order. Senior lawyer Barrister Imran Abdullah Siddique stood for the convict while Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim represented the state during the hearing in the court. Earlier, on July 22, the court set July 30 to deliver its verdict on the appeal filed by the convict challenging his death sentence. He was convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on November 24, 2014 for atrocities committed in Brahmanbaria during the 1971 Liberation War. The ICT handed down the judgment after finding two out of five allegations to be true. Mobarak is now in jail. Muradnagar rape: HC summons SP on failure to submit progress report Mobarka served as the organising secretary of Mogra Union Awami League under Akhaura Upazila, Brahmanbaria District, until 2012. Later, he was expelled from the party. Earlier on May 27 this year, the Appellate Division also acquitted death-row convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam in a war crimes case. The following day, he was freed from Dhaka's Central Jail. Two death-row convicts have been acquitted following the fall of the AL government on August 5 last.

Another case has been filed against over 5, 400 leaders and activists of Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies, including the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), over the attack on an NCP rally in Gopalganj on July 16, raising the number of cases over it to 13. Police said the highest number of people have been made accused in the latest case, as 1, 134 identified people in the 13 cases and 14, 500 people unnamed others. Inspector of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Md Motiar Molla filed the last case naming 447 accused and 5, 000 unnamed others on Tuesday evening, said officer-in-charge Mir Md Sajedur Rahman. Some of the identified accused are Mahbub Ali Khan, President of Gopalganj Awami League, Sheikh Rakib Hossain, former Mayor of Gopalganj municipality, Kazi Liaquat Ali Leku, President of Sadar Upazila Awami League, MM Masud Rana, acting President of District Jubo League, Babul Sheikh, General Secretary of Tungipara Upazila Jubo League, Jahid Mahamud Bappi, former President of Upazila Jubo League and Nitish Roy, former Vice Chairman of Sadar Upazila, Golam Kabir. Govt forms six-member body to investigate Gopalganj violence According to the latest case statement, the accused were involved in anti-state and government activities and barred government officials from performing their duties on July 16. The accused also hurled cocktails targeting law enforcers with a view to killing them. On that day, the violence erupted when unidentified miscreants attacked an NCP motorcade on its way from Gopalganj to Madaripur after their rally. Later, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement agencies, leaving five people dead and over 50 injured, prompting the authorities to enforce curfew to maintain law and order.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque on a seven-day remand in a case over graft and the delivery of a manipulated judgment.  Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah passed the order after hearing a prayer for remand.  Investigation officer (IO) of the case Khaleq Mia, inspector of Shahbagh Police Station, produced the accused before the court with a plea for a 10-day remand.  According to the case statement, the former chief justice unlawfully wrote the ruling on the 13th amendment to the constitution in 2012.  Then justices Mohammad Mozammel Hossain, Surendra Kumar Sinha and Syed Mahmud Hossain signed on the judgement. A lawyer filed the case on August 27 last year with the Shahbagh Police station.   SC upholds HC order scraping defamation case against Yunus in M’sing On July 23 this year, detectives arrested Khairul from his Dhanmondi residence. Later, the court sent him to jail in a case of murder involving the July uprising in Jatrabari area. On September 30 in 2010, Khairul Haque took oath as the 19th Chief Justice of the country and retired on May 17, 2011.  During the last days of the Awami League government, Khairul Haque was the chairman of the Law Commission. Following the fall of Awami League government, he resigned from the Law Commission on August 13. 

Members of the Bangladesh Army have raided a hideout of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) in a remote hilly area of Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati. The operation was carried out on Tuesday, according to a media release from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). During the operation an exchange of gunfire occurred, later security forces recovered firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and other military equipment from the hideout, reads it. Gunfight between JSS-UPDF men reportedly leaves four dead in Khagrachhari Further details of the incident, including possible casualties or arrests, will be shared later, the ISPR said.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday reaffirmed his government's unwavering commitment to combating terrorism, declaring that Bangladesh will not allow any terrorist group to operate within its borders. “Combating terrorism is our top priority. We have zero tolerance for terrorism in Bangladesh. We will exert every effort to eliminate terrorists from our soil,” the Chief Adviser said. Prof Yunus made the remarks during a meeting with US Chargé d’ Affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson at the state guest house Jamuna in the afternoon. During the 40-minute meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest, including the ongoing tariff negotiations between Bangladesh and the United States. Chargé d’Affaires Jacobson reiterated her government’s support for Bangladesh’s reform efforts and its democratic transition, which is expected to culminate in national elections early next year. The Chief Adviser also shared updates on the work of the National Consensus-Building Commission, which is striving to bring political parties together around key reforms. “I believe the commission is doing an excellent job. The members, led by Professor Ali Riaz, are working diligently,” he added.

A court in Naogaon on Sunday sentenced two people to life imprisonment in a case filed for kidnapping and raping a woman on the pretext of marriage in 2001. District and Sessions Judge Md. Mehedi Hasan Talukder of Naogaon Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2, delivered the judgement this afternoon. The convicts are Isahak Ali, 50, and Tuku Sardar, 52, of Chak-Abarsh village of Naogaon Sadar upazila. The court also fined them Tk 1 lakh each, in default to suffer six months more in rigorous imprisonment and ordered that the fine be paid to the rape victim. Later, the convicts were sent to jail. According to court sources, on March 12, 2001, a woman from Chak-Abarsh village in Sadar upazila was kidnapped under the pretext of marriage and raped by Ishaq Ali and Tuku Sardar from the same village.  

Police have detained a Jubo League leader in Purbadhala upazila of Netrokona for allegedly posting a provocative message on Facebook opposing a scheduled rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP). The detainee was identified as Md Humayun Kabir (36), son of Abdul Mannan Chutu Mia of Purbapara village in Khalishaur Union. He serves as the organising secretary of the Khalishaur Union unit Jubo League. Police apprehended him from the Khanpara area of his union around 10 am on Sunday. According to police, Humayun Kabir posted a message from his Facebook account (@Humayun Kabir) on Saturday night (26 July), calling for resistance against the NCP’s pre-announced rally. The post allegedly stirred tension in the area, prompting security concerns and police intervention due to fears of potential sabotage. Saheb Ali Khan Pathan, additional superintendent of Netrokona Police (Administration), said that Kabir was detained based on preliminary allegations of incitement through social media and suspected plans to disrupt the rally. “The matter is currently under investigation,” he added.  

A trader was hacked to death in Chhayabithi Sarak area under Magura Sadar upazila late Saturday night, police said. The victim, Bhajan Kumar Gua, 55, son of late Santosh Kumar Gua, was a resident of the Pashu Hospital area under Sadar upazila. According to police, Bhajan was returning home from his shop at Jamrul Tala Bazar around 11pm when he came under attack in the Chhayabithi Sarak area. Assailants slit his throat with sharp weapons, killing him on the spot. Young man hacked to death in Cumilla “Locals informed police after finding the body. We recovered it and sent it to Magura Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy,” said Ayub Ali, officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station. In a raid soon after the incident, police detained a 35-year-old man from a nearby house and seized a knife believed to have been used in the killing. The OC said efforts were underway to identify and arrest others involved. A case was filed.

Police detained five individuals, including leader of student groups, on charges of extortion after they allegedly demanded Tk 50 lakh from former reserved seat lawmaker Shammi Ahmed at her residence in Gulshan. They were detained from a flat on Road No. 83 in Gulshan on Saturday evening, said Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station. Among those detained is Riyad, a leader of the Dhaka Metropolitan unit of Students Against Discrimination (SAD), police said. The identities of the other detainees are yet to be verified. According to OC Hafizur Rahman, Riyad and his associates first visited Shammi Ahmed’s residence on July 17 and demanded Tk 50 lakh. They allegedly took Tk 10 lakh on that day and returned on Saturday to collect the remaining amount. “They were apprehended at the scene during their second visit. Legal proceedings are currently underway,” said the OC. Police are also investigating whether others were involved in the incident. However, no formal complaint or case had been filed as of Saturday night, the OC added.