United News of Bangladesh

The Appellate Division on Thursday acquitted BNP Acting  Chairman Tarique Rahman and businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun in a money laundering case. A four-member tribunal headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order, said the defendants’ lawyer, Advocate Md Maksud Ullah. Earlier, on Tuesday, the court set March 6 for delivering the verdict after concluding the hearing on the appeal against their conviction. On December 10 last year, the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal in the case following a petition by Mamun. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on October 26, 2009, with Cantonment Police Station in Dhaka, accusing Mamun of laundering Tk 20.41 crore to Singapore. According to the case statement, Mamun received the amount from Khadija Islam, chairman of Nirman Construction Company Ltd, in exchange for awarding the contract for an 80MW power plant in Tongi. SC stays 7 year jail sentence of Tarique in money laundering case The money was transferred to a Citibank NA account in Singapore under Mamun’s name. On July 6, 2010, the ACC submitted a charge sheet against Tarique Rahman and Giasuddin Al Mamun. The court framed charges against them on August 8, 2011. During the trial, testimonies from 13 witnesses, including FBI agent Debra Laprovette, were recorded. On November 17, 2013, Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 acquitted Tarique Rahman but sentenced Mamun to seven years in jail with a Tk 40 crore fine. Following the verdict, the ACC filed an appeal on December 5, 2013, against Tarique Rahman’s acquittal. The High Court accepted the appeal for hearing on January 19, 2014. After hearing both appeals, the High Court on July 21, 2016, sentenced Tarique Rahman to seven years in jail and fined him Tk 20 crore while upholding Mamun’s conviction. Gias Uddin Al Mamun acquitted in money laundering case Mamun later challenged the High Court verdict in the Appellate Division.

Police rescued a 50-year-old contractor who was injured in a mob attack at the T&T Wireless Tower area of Hatirjheel Police Station in the capital on Wednesday. The victim was identified as Mahfuzur Rahman Bipu, son of Fazlur Rahman from Daridpur's Boalmari upazila. Banned BCL leader arrested for offensive remarks on Prophet (PBUH) Md. Selim, a sub-inspector at Hatirjheel Police Station, said that Bipu, a construction contractor, went to the T&T Wireless Tower under their jurisdiction at 8:30 pm. The exact reason for his visit is yet to be determined. According to reports, Bipu was beaten and confined to a room inside the tower. Upon receiving information, Hatirjheel Police rescued him from the scene and took him to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 9:35 pm. Member of teen gang held in Dhaka’s Pallabi He is currently receiving treatment at the hospital, added the SI.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 181 individuals involved in various crimes during a special operation in the capital in 24 hours till 11:59 pm on Tuesday. Among those arrested were 11 robbers, 33 professional hijackers, five extortionists, nine thieves, 31 drug dealers, 27 wanted criminals, and others involved in various illegal activities, said Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP, in a media release on Wednesday. During the operation, authorities recovered three knives, one machete, five mobile phones, Tk 8,080 in cash, and several locally made weapons. Besides, law enforcement seized 4.93 kg of marijuana, 3,236 yaba tablets, and five bottles of foreign liquor. Banned BCL leader arrested for offensive remarks on Prophet (PBUH) A total of 78 cases were filed at different police stations under DMP within the 24-hour period. To ensure public safety, 667 patrol teams carried out duties in two shifts across 50 police stations in Dhaka. Of these, 340 teams operated at night, while 327 teams worked during the day. Moreover, 71 police checkpoints were set up at key locations throughout the metropolis to enhance security. In addition to the DMP’s patrol teams, 14 CTTC teams, 12 Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) teams, and 10 RAB teams collaborated with the DMP at various crime-prone areas. Member of teen gang held in Dhaka’s Pallabi Specialised police units such as the APBN also set up 20 additional checkpoints, contributing to the effort to maintain law and order. DMP remains committed to ensuring the security and smooth movement of the people of Dhaka Metropolitan City.

Police arrested a leader of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League on Wednesday in a case field for making derogatory remarks about Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook. The arrestee was Supta Saha Anik, vice-president of the Fazlul Haque Hall unit of the Rajshahi University Chhatra League, said Netrokona Police Superintendent Mirza Sayem Mahmud. District Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested Anik from Hossainpur inter-district bus stand, said the SP. Anisul, Shajahan, 7 others shown arrested in July uprising cases Anik had posted insulting comments about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on Facebook on multiple occasions. In response, Abdur Rahim, a resident of Borobazar in Netrokona, filed a case against him at the Sadar Police Station. Furthermore, Muslims in the district staged protests and issued an ultimatum demanding Anik’s arrest. ACC sues ex-minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, wife for unaccounted wealth Acting on the unrest, the police arrested Anik and brought him to the District Superintendent of Police's office for further proceedings, added the SP.

Former ministers Anisul Huq and Shajahan Khan and seven others were shown arrested on Wednesday in cases filed over murder and attempted murder during the anti-discrimination student movement in July. The cases were filed at various police stations across the capital. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Monirul Islam’s court granted the petition to show them arrested in the cases. The other individuals include former LGRD minister Md Tazul Islam, former state minister for industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder, former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Atiqul Islam, former Dhaka-7 MP Solaiman Selim, journalist couple Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed, and former officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station Abul Hossain. Anisul, Mamun remanded again, Salman, 8 others shown arrested in new cases According to the case details, Anisul Huq, Shajahan Khan and Atiqul Islam have been shown arrested in separate murder cases filed at Jatrabari Police Station. Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed have been implicated in two murder cases. Md Tazul Islam have been shown arrested in an attempted murder case at Khilgaon Police Station and a murder case at Paltan Police Station. Kamal Ahmed Majumder has been implicated in a murder case at Mirpur Police Station, while former MP Solaiman Selim have been shown arrested in a murder case filed at Lalbagh Police Station. Besides, former Jatrabari OC Abul Hossain has been shown arrested in two murder cases and an attempted murder case filed at the same police station.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday filed a case against former Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi and his wife Hasina Gazi on charges of acquiring assets outside known sources of income. Two cases were filed against them, Director General Akhter Hossain said at the ACC's head office in Segunbagicha in the capital. He said that suspicious transactions worth TK 257.75 crore have been found in six bank accounts of Gazi. The ACC also said it has received information about Gazi's assets worth TK 448 crore . Of this, TK 23.51 crore is known assets outside known sources of income. Akhter also said that a case has been filed against his wife Hasina Gazi on charges of acquiring assets worth TK 9.70 crore without known sources of income. Suspicious transactions worth TK 31.69 crore have been found in five bank accounts of her, he said.

Three people were detained in connection with the attempt to loot valuables from a house in Gulshan area of Dhaka on Tuesday night, Chief Adviser's press wing  said in a Facebook post. The detainees are Jewel Khandarkar, 48, his son Shakil Khandakar, 24, and another Shakil Ahmed, 28. A group of 20 to 25 people entered the house of the ex-wife of Tanvir Imam, son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political adviser HT Imam, on Tuesday night hearing that huge amount of illegal money, arms and collaborators of the Awami League had been kept in the house.    They vandalised the house  and tried to loot valuables in the name of search, according to the post. Responding to a call from the national emergency-999, army members, deputy commissioner of Gulshan Zone of police, officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station rushed to the spot and detained the trio from the house. In primary investigation it was revealed that Shakil Ahmed once worked as caretaker at the house and he provoked people to enter the house spreading rumor that that they could get Tk200-300 crore in the house. Member of teen gang held in Dhaka’s Pallabi Earlier on Monday around 10:30pm, a group of people also tried to enter the house on the same excuse but failed as police sent them back from there. The Ministry of Home warned all not to take the law into their own hands and inform the nearest police station if any crime occurs anywhere. The government is trying to maintain law and order in the country and is determined to ensure safety of lives and property.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a member of infamous teen gang ‘Bhaira Dey Group’ from Pallabi area in Dhaka on Tuesday night. The arrestee is Md Rabbi alias Kana Rabbi. A media release sent from the Rab headquarters said a team of the Rab-4 conducted a drive in the Pallabi area and arrested him. Trader killed in alleged teen gang attack in Savar The gang has been involved in extortion, mugging, clash, drug peddling, eve-teasing and anti-social activities, it reads. Drives against teen gangs will continue, it added.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled Indian goods from Benapole border in Jashore on Monday. Lt. Col Saifullah Siddique of the BGB-49 Battalion in Jashore said they conducted drives in different areas along Benapole border on Tuesday night after being-tipped off that smuggled Indian goods, including saree, motor parts, and cosmetics, would enter Bangladesh through the border. BGB seizes 18 gold bars in Chuadanga The seized goods worth Tk 1.05 crore were handed over to the Benapole Customs, he said. The BGB official said the smugglers prefer borders to bring goods to evade tax. Such drive against smuggling will continue, he said.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has started an investigation against Mohammadpur's Sadeeq Agro owner, Mohammad Imran Hossain, for illegal import of prohibited Brahman cattle and money laundering activities involving Tk 133 crore. Despite the Brahman cattle being banned under Bangladesh's Animal Resource Act, Imran Hossain allegedly imported and sold the cattle during the previous government, a matter that had been discussed multiple times but no action was taken. Additional DIG (Organised Crime unit) of CID Ekramul Habib came up with the remarks on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference at its Malibagh headquarters in the capital Dhaka. A team of CID on Monday arrested chairman of Sadeeq Agro Imran Hossain from Malibagh area in connection with a Tk 133 crore money laundering case. Earlier in the morning, CID filed a case with Mohammadpur Police station accusing Imran Hossain and his associate Touhidul Alam Zenith under the Money Laundering Act. Sadeeq Agro chairman sent to jail in money laundering case He said that Imran Hossain and his associate Touhidul Alam Zenith (45) used to import unauthorized cattle from Thailand and Myanmar by smuggling, cheating and forgery through the Cox’s Bazar region and neighboring areas of Teknaf and Ukhiya. Additionally, they allegedly smuggled smaller Bhutanese cattle into Bangladesh and sold them under fraudulent claims as purebred animals at high prices, he added. He further said that Dhaka Customs House detained 15 Brahman cows of arrested Imran and kept those at the Central Cow Breeding and Dairy Farm, Savar as per the government instructions. Imran was asked to sell the meat at a fair price after slaughtering them but he fraudulently showed them slaughtered on the papers and fraudulently took away the cows. Besides, during investigation it was found that he opened an FDR of Tk 121.32 lakh in the name of importing Brahman cattle, invested it in the name of Jalalabad Metal Limited, a company owned by him, and converted it into laundered assets. Arrested Imran used to conduct his illegal business activities by filling and forcibly occupying the Ramchandrapur government canal in the Beribandh area of Mohammadpur Police Station, Dhaka. Imran was sent to jail in a money laundering case.