United News of Bangladesh

The Appellate Division on Monday stayed an earlier order of the chamber court that had suspended the Bangladesh Bank’s decision to appoint an administrator to oversee operations at the mobile financial service (MFS) provider Nagad. A five-member bench led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam of the Appellate Division passed the order following a hearing on a petition filed by Bangladesh Bank seeking withdrawal of the Chamber Judge’s stay order. Following the court order, Bangladesh Bank’s counsel BM Elias Kachi told reporters that the Chamber Court had stayed the central bank’s decision to appoint an administrator at Nagad. “That order has now been stayed by the Appellate Division. The administrator appointed earlier remains in place and with this order there is no legal bar to the continuation of his functions,” he said. On August 21 last year, Bangladesh Bank issued an internal order appointing an administrator to Nagad. Later, Md Shafayet Alam, an independent director of Nagad, challenged the legality of the appointment filing a writ petition with the High Court. Nagad: ACC drive uncovers primary evidence of corrupt recruitment scheme After a primary hearing on September 17 last year, the High Court issued a rule asking why the August 21 memo appointing an administrator without complying with Sections 31(1) and 31(2) of the 2004 Payment and Settlement Systems Act should not be declared ultra vires. Upon completion of the final hearing, the High Court dismissed the rule on February 16 this year declaring the writ petition not maintainable. Challenging the verdict, Shafayet Alam later filed a petition with the Appellate Division which was placed before the Chamber Judge on May 7. The Chamber Court then stayed the High Court verdict for eight weeks and also stayed the administrator appointment, allowing the petitioner to file a regular leave to appeal. Apex court declares appointment of administrator and board at Nagad illegal Bangladesh Bank subsequently filed a petition seeking withdrawal of the Chamber Court’s stay order. Senior lawyer Jamalur Rahman appeared for the petitioner during the hearing.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Sunday arrested 15 individuals, including identified drug dealers, according to police, and suspects with outstanding warrants, during a special drive in the Kotwali area of the capital. The crackdown was carried out on Sunday in various areas under Kotwali Police Station, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman. Those arrested are,  Amanullah alias Aman (60), Md Shakil Uddin (30), Md Munna Mia (29), Md Gazi Yamin (45), Apon (32), Robiul (28), Masum Parvez (40), Md Sakhawat Hossain alias Shubho Ahmed (30), Md Tayeb (21), Md Amin Bepari (20), Shanto (19), Md Nurul Islam alias Kadir (55), Md Raihan Ferdous Roni (42), Md Rashedul Alam (48), and Md Nizam Uddin (40). According to Kotwali Police, the arrestees include identified drug peddlers, wanted criminals, and individuals involved in various other offenses. “All of them have been produced before the court,” added the DMP official.  

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday launched an enforcement operation at the head office of mobile financial service provider Nagad in Dhaka, following allegations of irregularities in recruitment and embezzlement of Tk 150 crore. During the operation, the ACC team found preliminary evidence of irregularities in the recruitment process. Based on the findings, the Commission may interrogate two individuals – Atik Morshed, personal officer to Fayez Ahmad Tayyab, Special Assistant on ICT Affairs to the Chief Adviser, and Morshed’s wife, Zakia Sultana Jui. The ACC has also sought relevant documents to verify the authenticity of the Tk 150 crore embezzlement allegation.  After reviewing the records, the investigation team will submit a detailed report to the Commission. The ACC's enforcement drive commenced with a raid on Nagad's Gulshan office on Sunday, according to Assistant Director Ikram Hossain. Meanwhile Atik Morshed and his wife Zakia Sultana Jui have been summoned for questioning on Monday, against charges of irregularities in recruitment. Apex court declares appointment of administrator and board at Nagad illegal ACC Director General Akhter Hossain confirmed this to the media. Atik Morshed however made a post on Facebook denying the allegations against him. Morshed claimed that he has only been to the Nagad office twice, that too for official work. His wife applied and got a job at Nagad based on her qualifications.

A case has been filed against Jatiya Party Chairman GM Qader and 249 others over an alleged attack and attempted murder in Barishal city. The case was filed by Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Senior Vice-President Shafiqul Islam Sagor at the Kotwali Model Police Station on Saturday night, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mizanur Rahman said on Sunday. The case named 30 people while the remaining 220 accused were unnamed. The accused in the case are Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, Secretary General Mojibul Haque Chunnu, Saidul Islam Tapa, Ruhul Amin Howlader, Ratna Amin, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Barrister Aminul Islam Mahmud, Masud Uddin Chowdhury, AKM Selim Osman, Ashrafuzzaman Ashu, Mostafizur Rahman, Shariful Islam Jinnah, MA Jalil, Mohsin ul Islam Habul, Md. Jumman, Mufti Al Mahid and Mahmud Sohel, along with 30 others. According to the case statement, a procession was brought out by Jatiya Party leaders and activists from their party office on Saturday afternoon when they changed derogatory slogans against the Chief Adviser as well as leaders and activists of the Gono Odhikar Parishad. SC orders restoration of Jamaat's registration When Gono Odhikar Parishad activists objected to the slogans Jatiya Party activists attacked them with local weapons, iron rods, pistols, batons, and bricks. The complainant claimed that the attackers intended to kill them and that 15–20 Gono Odhikar Parishad activists were injured in the assault.

Bangladesh Army has dismissed a recent report published by India-based ‘Northeast News’ claiming that Bangladesh is planning to declare the Cox’s Bazar-Bandarban region a military operation zone, terming it ‘a clear example of deliberate disinformation’. It is a clear example of deliberate disinformation propagated by segments of the Indian media seeking to destabilise Bangladesh’s internal harmony and undermine its armed forces, said Bangladesh Army in a statement on Sunday. “The insinuation that the Bangladesh Army supports insurgent actors is not only baseless but malicious. Such speculative reporting, devoid of evidence, reflects a broader agenda to sow discord and mislead the public, reads the statement. CA’s press wing slams propaganda against Bangladesh by Indian media It said the Bangladesh Army has always upheld the highest standards of professionalism and remains resolutely committed to protecting the nation’s sovereignty, integrity and constitutional order. There will be no compromise on national interest—now or ever, the statement added. “This narrative is not journalism; it is part of a sustained smear campaign. Bangladesh stands united and aligned firmly in defence of its people and its territory,” it said.

The Appellate Division on Sunday directed the Election Commission (EC) to restore Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration, overturning a previous High Court (HC) verdict that had declared the party’s registration illegal. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order. In its observation, the court noted that it would be up to the EC to decide whether Jamaat can contest elections using the ‘Scale’ symbol. The verdict came days after Jamaat’s senior leader, ATM Azharul Islam, previously sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, was released following a Supreme Court judgment. Jamaat’s counsel, Mohammad Shishir Manir, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, saying, “Today concludes a decade-long legal battle. We hope this ruling paves the way for a vibrant parliament and that voters will now be free to vote for the Jamaat candidate of their choice.” He also expressed the hope that the EC would promptly resolve the party's registration and symbol-related issues. According to legal experts, this ruling removes all existing legal barriers that had prevented the party from participating in national elections. On August 1, 2013, the High Court had declared Jamaat’s registration illegal and void, following the disposal of a writ petition. The EC subsequently issued a gazette notification on 7 December 2018, formally cancelling the party’s registration. Jamaat later filed an appeal against the HC verdict. However, in November 2023, the Appellate Division—then led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan—dismissed the appeal by default as the party’s lead counsel failed to appear. Consequently, the HC’s verdict remained in effect. The Appellate Division revived Jamaat’s appeal on 22 October 2023. The hearing formally began on 12 March this year and, after several deferrals, concluded on 14 May. The court then fixed 13 May for the verdict, which was delivered today.

The quiet village of Himail in Joypurhat’s Kalai upazila was shaken by a grim discovery on Friday night as the lifeless body of a four-year-old girl, found stuffed inside a septic tank, seven days after she was reported missing. Little Radia Akhter Ruhi had been visiting her paternal grandmother’s house when she vanished without a trace on May 24. Her disappearance plunged the family into uncertainty and fear. A general diary was filed at Kalai Police Station by her mother, Arjen Akhter, sparking a frantic search. Days passed, but there was no sign of Ruhi — until Friday night, when police, acting on leads from their investigation, pried open the lid of the toilet’s septic tank at the same house. Inside, they found her tiny body, wrapped in a sack. Youth stabbed to death in Khulna “She was found in her paternal grandmother’s house, the very place she had come to visit,” said officer-in-charge Zahid Hossain of Kalai Police Station, his voice heavy with emotion. “We recovered the body and made four arrests in connection with the case.” Among those arrested are Ruhi’s father, Abdur Rahman; her stepmother, Sonia Akhter; her uncle, Roni Mia; and Sonia’s father, Zia Kashai. The motive behind the alleged crime remains under investigation. Ruhi was the child of Abdur Rahman’s first marriage. Following his separation from Arjen Akhter, the young girl had been living with her mother at her maternal grandmother’s home, not far from where her life was so brutally cut short. Neighbours in the village, now gripped by shock and sorrow, struggle to make sense of the tragedy. “She was just a child. How could anyone do this to her?” one resident said.

Police arrested three suspected muggers with sharp  weapons from  Babubazar area of the capital on Friday night.  The arrestees were Akib Hossain Altaf, 20, Md. Al Amin, 25, and Md. Milon, 23. They were arrested during a drive conducted by a team from Kotwali Police Station, said DC media of DMP Talebur Rahman on Saturday noon. According to police, the team raided the area as they had secret information that several criminals had gathered in the Babubazar area with the plan of committing a mugging. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the three muggers attempted to flee but were detained by police. Three sharp knives and a mobile phone were seized from their possession. A case was filed with Kotwali Police Station in this connection. During primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted to being members of a mugging gang and confessed to being involved in multiple incidents of mugging in Kotwali and other areas of Dhaka over an extended period, police sources added. Legal proceedings against them are underway.

A Manikganj court on Friday placed former Awami League  MP and noted singer Momtaz Begum on a fresh two-day remand in a case filed over assault and vandalism in Harirampur upazila. This came following the completion of her four-day remand in a separate murder case, a court official said. Momtaz was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in connection with a murder case filed with Singair Police Station. After hearing the bail plea, the court rejected her bail and granted a two-day remand in the Harirampur assault and vandalism case. Subrata Bain placed on 8-day remand in arms case Court Inspector Md Abul Khair said, “She was placed on a four-day remand in the Singair murder case. Today, the court denied her bail and placed her on a fresh two-day remand in another case filed with Harirampur Police Station.” The case dates back to a 2013 hartal (strike) day, when four people were killed in police firing during a pro-strike rally in the Gobindal area of Singair upazila. Nearly a decade later, on October 25 last year, Majnu Molla, a relative of one of the victims, filed a murder case with Singair Police Station, naming Momtaz as the prime accused.

Authorities have suspended all launch services from Chandpur to Dhaka and other routes from Thursday afternoon due to inclement weather. The decision was confirmed by Bashir Ahmed, deputy director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in Chandpur. Bandarban gets ready to tackle rain-spawned disasters “Considering the weather conditions, all types of launch services from Chandpur to Dhaka and other destinations have been suspended from this afternoon until further notice,” he said. Meanwhile, Shah Md Shoeb, officer-in-charge of Chandpur Meteorological Office, told that the district recorded 242 millimeters of rainfall in the past 24 hours – the highest in the region this season. Launch services on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes halted by bad weather The heavy rainfall caused waterlogging in several areas of the town, disrupting daily life.