United News of Bangladesh

An accused in a sensational triple murder case in Faridpur Sadar upazila has been arrested in a joint operation by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police early Tuesday. The accused, Akash Molla, 28, was  arrested  from a banana grove near his house in Gadhadhar Dangi village under Aliabad union. Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Md Shamsul Azam said a joint team conducted the drive based on a tip-off and later took him into custody. According to police and local sources, the incident occurred on Monday night when Akash allegedly attacked people with a hoe in the courtyard of Azgar Molla’s house in the same village. Three people—Rahila Begum ,50,Amena Begum (,75,and Kabol ,45, were killed on the spot, while Riaz Molla, 45, was seriously injured Faridpur Superintendent of Police Md Nazrul Islam said police recovered the bodies and completed initial inquest reports . He added that preliminary findings suggest the accused may be mentally unstable, though other motives are also being investigated. Police said the accused will be interrogated and his mental health will be examined. Efforts are underway to recover the weapon used in the attack and determine the exact cause behind the killings. Additional police have been deployed in the area as tension and panic persist among local residents. Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Shahidul Islam said the accused will be produced before a court after preliminary interrogation. Further legal steps will be taken based on investigation progress.

Customs official Bullet Bairagi whose body was recovered from Cumilla on Saturday morning was killed after falling victim to an organised robber gang, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has said. “The gang had been lying in wait after Bullet got off a bus at midnight. He was brutally assaulted and later pushed from a moving CNG, leading to his death on the spot,” said Wing Commander Entekhad Chowdhury, Director of RAB’s Legal and Media Wing, at a press briefing held at the RAB Media Centre in the capital on Monday. Five suspects- Md Sohag, Ismail Hossain Johnny, Imran Hossain Hridoy, Rahat Hossain Jewel and Sujon-were arrested in separate drives in Cumilla.

The Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has filed 1,399 cases against traffic rule violators during drives conducted in different areas of the capital on Sunday. According to DMP, the highest number of cases—285—was filed in the Motijheel Traffic Division, followed by 233 in Uttara, 225 each in Tejgaon and Mirpur, 174 in Lalbagh, 93 in Ramna, 84 in Gulshan, and 80 in Wari. During the drives, a total of 255 vehicles were impounded and 168 others were fined or subjected to legal action. The information was shared in a media statement by NM Nasiruddin, Deputy Police Commissioner of DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division, on Monday. DMP’s Traffic Division said such drives will continue to ensure traffic discipline across the Dhaka metropolitan area.

The High Court on Sunday directed authorities not to harass or arrest former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy in any new cases. At the same time, the court issued a rule asking why showing Ivy as “shown arrested” in successive cases should not be declared illegal. A bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule upon a petition, asking the home secretary, law secretary and 14 others to respond. The order was confirmed by Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju, who appeared for Ivy alongside senior lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain. Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju said Ivy has already secured bail in 10 cases from the High Court, but was recently shown arrested in two new cases. Challenging the legality of such actions, a writ petition was filed, following which the court issued the rule and directive. Ivy was arrested from her Deobhog residence in Narayanganj on May 9 last year and later shown arrested in multiple cases. She was initially granted bail in five cases by the High Court, which was later stayed by the Appellate Division. She was subsequently shown arrested in further cases, bringing the total number of cases against her to 12, according to the petition.

A man has been arrested in a case filed over an extortion attempt targeting a foreign firm in Madhabdi municipality of Narsingdi. Police arrested the key accused, Rony, from a local market and produced him before the Narsingdi Senior Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday. The court granted a three-day remand after hearing the case. According to the case statement, a group of alleged local extortionists, including Md Roni, Sifat, Md Johnny, Helal Mia and 3–4 unidentified persons, went to Amigo Polyfiber Company Limited on April 14. They allegedly used force and intimidation against company staff and demanded a monthly extortion fee of Tk 40,000 from the Chinese owner. The group also threatened to vandalise and set fire to the factory if the demand was not met. Following the incident, Hasibul Hossain, an interpreter working for the company, filed a complaint with Madhabdi Police Station. Police later registered a case under Sections 4 and 5 of the Speedy Trial Act on charges of disturbing law and order. Meanwhile, Hasibul Hossain held a press conference at the Narsingdi Press Club on Saturday, demanding exemplary punishment for those involved in the extortion attempt.  

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested four people for allegedly defrauding students by promising leaked question papers of the ongoing SSC and equivalent examinations. The arrestees are Sifat Ahmed Sajib, Mohammad Salman, Mezbaul Alam Mahin and Mohammad Mohiuzzaman Munna. Briefing reporters at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road in the city on Saturday, CTTC Joint Commissioner Munshi Shahabuddin said the suspects were involved in collecting money from students and guardians through false assurances of providing question papers. According to him, CTTC’s Online and Intelligence Analysis Division detected a Facebook page titled “SSC 2026 Question Paper First Group” on April 20 while monitoring social media. Using technological tools, the unit analysed the page and conducted a drive in Ashulia’s Tajpur area in Dhaka district on the same day around 8:30pm, arresting Sajib. Based on his confession and further analysis, Salman was arrested from Dhunat in Bogura on April 23 while Mahin was arrested the same day from Dadonpur Malipara area of Nawabganj in Dinajpur. Later, acting on information provided by the detainees, CTTC conducted another drive on April 24 and arrested Munna from the Shah Sharif Zindani (R) shrine adjacent area under Naogaon union in Tarash, Sirajganj. Shahabuddin said cases have been filed against all four and they are being interrogated under remand. A court has granted a two-day remand for further questioning. He added that the group had been carrying out such fraudulent activities for a long time. “Information obtained so far shows no match between the actual question papers of the ongoing examinations and those provided by the group. They were mainly engaged in fraud to gain financially and to undermine the integrity of the examination system,” he said. Replying to a question, the CTTC chief said mobile phones used by the suspects have been sent for forensic examination, and efforts are underway to determine the duration of their activities and the amount of money involved. A special CTTC team is continuing the investigation, he added.

CTTC cyber intelligence team is working and there is no reason to panic, said Joint Commissioner of CTTC Munshi Shahabuddin over  a recent alert issued by Police Headquarters about possible sabotage attempts targeting key installations. “We have received the information and our CTTC cyber intelligence team is working on it,” he said in response to questions from reporters at a press conference held at the DMP Media Centre in the city. However, he did not provide specific details about any particular group or organisation. Police Headquarters recently issued an instruction to the police units concerned to strengthen security measures at vulnerable areas and remain on high alert over possible attacks targeting key installations including the National Parliament building. Although the message did not mention the name of any group it referred to the recent arrest of a suspected member Ishtiaq Ahmed Sami alias Abu Bakkar alisas Abu Mohammad. The message also said that the arrestee had regular contact with two dismissed army personnel.

The Bangladesh Army has rescued six rubber plantation workers, who were abducted from Tankabati union in Bandarban Sadar upazila on Wednesday. The workers were rescued a from a remote hill on Friday morning following a coordinated rescue operation conducted by the Bandarban Army Zone, according to the Army. It said a large number of Army personnel launched the rescue mission on Thursday, covering multiple possible locations in the hilly terrain, based on intelligence inputs. During the drive that continued till 5:00am on Friday, the Army men located the place where the abducted workers were being held in a remote hill. Sensing the presence of security forces, the abductors fled the scene, leaving the victims behind. Army personnel then rescued all six workers safely. During the operation, one suspect identified as Mangtang Mro, 30, son of Parao Mro of Lakri Para in Tankabati, was also detained for questioning. Earlier, on April 22 around 11:30pm, an armed group abducted the six workers from Ismail’s Rubber Plantation area in Tankabati union. The following day, the abductors contacted the plantation owner Mohammad Ismail, demanding Tk 20 lakh as ransom and threatened to kill the victims if the demand was not met or if law enforcers were informed. Following the incident, the Army immediately launched a special rescue operation in the remote hilly terrain, conducting continuous search efforts.  

An NGO worker was hacked and robbed of around Tk 1 lakh by alleged muggers in Durgapur municipality of Rajshahi district on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred in the Singa Paschimpara area under the municipality. Injured Shahinur Rahman, 29, son of Shahjahan Ali of Buriganj area in Shibganj upazila of Bogura, works as a field officer for SEED. His colleague Monira Khatun was with him during the incident. Police said Shahinur and Monira were returning to their office on a motorcycle after collecting instalment payments when their vehicle ran out of fuel on a road south of a mill in Singa Paschimpara. At that time, two unidentified youths wearing helmets arrived on a motorcycle and began recording video on their mobile phones. As Shahinur objected, this led to an argument. At one stage, the assailants took out a machete from a bag and attacked Shahinur, leaving him with serious injuries to his right arm and fingers of his left hand. He fell to the ground. The attackers then snatched a bag from Monira containing around Tk 1 lakh, which had been collected as instalments. Locals rescued Shahinur and first took him to Durgapur Upazila Health Complex. He was later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as his condition worsened. Rafiqul Islam, Inspector (Investigation) of Durgapur Police Station, stated that legal action will be taken after investigation.  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Acting Commissioner Md Sarwar on Thursday said a total of 11,000 CCTV cameras will be installed across the capital to control juvenile gangs, theft, mugging and other crimes, with 700 cameras to be set up in Mohammadpur alone. He made the remarks while inaugurating the Basila Police Camp of Mohammadpur in the city on Thursday. Describing Mohammadpur as a crime-prone area, the DMP chief said the installation of 700 CCTV cameras there aims to curb activities of juvenile gangs, terrorism and mugging. He also announced that another police outpost will be established in the area. He noted that additional police forces have already been deployed at the newly inaugurated outpost in Mohammadpur. Besides, additional Deputy Commissioners (ADC), Assistant Commissioners (AC) and Patrol Inspectors have been assigned to 50 thanas across the capital, while 600 more police members will be recruited. Replying to a question regarding incidents of killing in Mohammadpur Geneva Camp after August 5, 2024, Sarwar said law enforcement agencies are taking effective measures. “We have intensified intelligence activities in the area. Alongside police, RAB and DB are working,” he said, adding that efforts have been strengthened further under the new government. He said members of juvenile gangs are involved in various criminal activities using sharp weapons and that authorities are working to identify and bring them to justice. When asked whether police see any threat in tackling such crimes, the commissioner said, “We are not considering anything as a threat; rather, we are taking it as a challenge.” He added that more officers and forces will be deployed at Mohammadpur outposts, and necessary arrangements, including accommodation facilities, will be expanded.