United News of Bangladesh

Mobile courts on Thursday sentenced nine fishermen to different jail terms after 16 were arrested for catching jatka in violation of restrictions in the Padma-Meghna river sanctuary area of Chandpur Sadar upazila. The remaining seven detainees, all minors, were released after giving undertakings, officials said. The operation was conducted from 12pm to 5pm in several areas of the sanctuary, including Baharia, Lakshmipur, Dokanghar, Rajrajeshwar and nearby locations, said Chandpur Sadar Upazila Assistant Fisheries Officer Md Mizanur Rahman. He said the joint task force arrested the fishermen for illegally catching jatka (juvenile hilsa) during the ongoing ban period. During the drive, authorities seized four engine-powered wooden fishing boats, one large behundi net and about 10,000 metres of current nets. The seized nets were later destroyed by burning at the Chandpur Coast Guard station. Officials said the joint operation was conducted by the district administration, fisheries department, Coast Guard and naval police. Mobile court proceedings at the Coast Guard station were conducted by Executive Magistrate Tanvir Rabbani. The court sentenced two fishermen to three months’ imprisonment and fined them Tk 500 each, three others to one month’s imprisonment and Tk 500 each, another three to 15 days’ imprisonment and Tk 200 each, and one person to 15 days’ imprisonment and Tk 500 fine.    

Chinmoy Krishna Das, the suspended ISKCON leader and spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagran Jote, has been granted bail in one case on Thursday while remaining in custody in Chattogram jail. The order was issued by Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Shakhawat Hossain after a hearing, court officials said. According to court sources, the case was filed by BNP leader and former minister Moir Nasir Uddin, alleging land grabbing, intimidation and assault in the Mekhla area of Hathazari upazila. The case, filed in 2023, named Chinmoy Krishna Das and five others as accused. After investigation, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted its report. Court bench assistant Mizanur Rahman confirmed that the bail petition filed on behalf of Chinmoy Krishna Das was granted after hearing. However, he still faces multiple other cases, including one over the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, along with at least six pending cases against him. Earlier, on April 7, the court had allowed a petition to show him arrested in the case. Notably, violence erupted on November 26, 2024, following a sedition case over alleged disrespect to the national flag, during which lawyer Saiful Islam was beaten and stabbed to death. Following the incident, his father, Jamal Uddin, filed a murder case naming 31 individuals.

A new Border Outpost (BOP) has been inaugurated in Mauchosha under Birol upazila of Dinajpur to enhance the operational capacity of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in securing the frontier and preventing smuggling and other cross-border crimes. The outpost was formally inaugurated on Thursday by BGB North-West Rangpur Region Commander Brigadier General ASM Nasher, who hoisted the national flag, 42 BGB said in a media statement. Following the inauguration, the regional commander planted a mango sapling on the BOP premises. Brigadier General Nasher said the BGB remains active 24 hours a day, even in adverse conditions, to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and ensure that no illegal activities take place along the border. He noted that special check posts have been set up in border areas to curb smuggling of fuel and edible oil, while intelligence surveillance has also been strengthened. He expressed hope that continued cooperation from local communities and the media, through objective reporting, would help reduce border crimes to zero. He further said the newly established Mauchosha BOP, located near the zero line between Kishoriganj and Ramchandrapur BOPs under Dinajpur Battalion (42 BGB), would help prevent drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal infiltration. With the addition of the new outpost, security operations across the approximately 99-kilometre border area under Dinajpur Battalion (42 BGB) are expected to be further strengthened, he added. Senior officials, including Dinajpur Sector Commander Colonel Mohammad Faisal Hasan Khan and Dinajpur Battalion (42 BGB) Commander Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, were present on the occasion.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Acting Commissioner Md Sarwar on Thursday stressed the need to strengthen community policing to build a people-friendly police force and ensure that citizens receive their expected legal services from police stations. He made the remarks while addressing senior DMP officials at the monthly crime review meeting for March 2026 held at the DMP headquarters conference room. The acting commissioner said the overall law and order situation in the capital remains stable at present and urged all concerned to remain alert to maintain this stability. He directed police officers to intensify foot patrols and conduct drives to recover drugs and arrest warrant-listed accused. He also instructed them to stay vigilant to prevent any crime within police station jurisdictions. Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S M Md Nazrul Islam said expectations from  people are high and police must work with greater dedication to meet those expectations. He added that a zero-tolerance policy would be followed to maintain law and order. Officials of various ranks of DMP were awarded at the event in different categories in recognition of their good performance in maintaining law and order, controlling crime, and ensuring public safety in Dhaka during March.

In an effort to curb illegal fishing and maintain discipline on waterways across the country, members of the River Police arrested 279 people along with illegal nets and fish from different parts of the country in the past seven days till Thursday. The drives were conducted to protect fisheries resources and ensure security on waterways. During the drives, the river police also seized 43,271,280 metres of illegal nets, 4,158 kilograms of fish, 6,57,000 pieces of shrimp fry, 15,000 bagda shrimp fry and 1,328 kilograms of helly-mixed shrimp. Besides, 133 bush piles were destroyed in rivers during the drives. The River Police also filed cases against 83 bulkheads in naval courts for operating without valid documents. A total of 69 cases were filed during this period, including 46 under fisheries laws, nine for reckless navigation, one under the Balumahal Act, two drug-related cases, one theft case, one under the Special Powers Act and one kidnapping case. Twelve bodies were also recovered during the drives, officials said. The seized illegal nets and jelly-mixed shrimp were destroyed, while the shrimp fry were released in the river while the remaining fish were distributed among orphanages.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman on Wednesday said the government is treating recent incidents of mob violence with utmost seriousness and will investigate each case thoroughly, stressing that taking the law into one’s own hand will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Responding to questions from journalists at a briefing at the Press Information Department conference room, he said even if a thief or robber is caught red-handed, people have no right to assault, let alone kill, the suspect. “The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy in this regard.” The adviser acknowledged that there may have been administrative lapses in some cases, saying those are being reviewed to prevent recurrence. Explaining the nature of such incidents, Zahed said mobs are usually spontaneous and unorganised, but recently there has been a worrying trend of organised gatherings being mobilised to carry out attacks or blockades. “These are not mobs in the true sense, but organised crimes,” he said, adding that action will also be taken against such planned violence. He cited the recent incident of Kushtia, where a self-proclaimed ‘Pir’ was beaten and hacked to death over derogatory remarks about Islam, as an example of a planned act. “A case has already been filed over the incident and suspects have been identified.” The adviser said the government will move forward on cases where there is clear social consensus, adding that authorities are willing to review incidents carried out in the name of mob action during the interim government period. Responding to a question about the recent arrest of a female worker of a political party over a social media post, he said the post contained misleading and objectionable information. However, Zahed admitted that greater caution and clearer guidelines are needed in making arrests. He said the government is planning to form a panel of lawyers to review such cases before arrests are made to ensure proper verification. The adviser also expressed concern over the spread of misinformation and hate speech on social media.      

A suspected serial sexual predator has been arrested in the capital’s Jatrabari area, with police uncovering a disturbing pattern of abuse, blackmail and exploitation involving at least 10 young victims within just six weeks, most of them from Mirpur area. The arrest, made during a probe into a blackmail complaint, has exposed a wider network of crimes targeting women through deception, social media manipulation and coercion. The arrestee was identified as Rashedul Islam Rabbi, 30, who had been living at his in-laws’ house in Siddhirganj of Narayanganj. Tipped off, a special team of Jatrabari Police Station arrested him from Dania College Gate area on April 13. The information was disclosed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Wari Division) Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday. Briefing reporters, the DC said the investigation began with the arrest of the suspect following a complaint involving blackmail through secretly recorded video of a young woman. However, after the arrest, multiple information emerged. “So far, we have received 10 complaints, while the accused has confessed to 13 incidents,” he said. Police said the modus operandi was nearly identical in all cases. The accused would build trust with victims, then resort to blackmail. In some cases, rape occurred, while in others, victims were pressured using recorded videos. Describing the method, the DC said the accused initially took control of a victim’s mobile phone and gained access to her social media accounts. He then used those accounts to contact other women from the victim’s friend list, gradually building relationships and luring them out with various pretexts. He would sometimes pose as a relative and accompany victims in CNG-run auto-rickshaws or other transport. Victims were typically called to meet near metro stations or in the Bangladesh Secretariat area before being taken to two houses in the Dania College area of Jatrabari – one used during the day and another at night. The accused was eventually arrested from one of these houses. After taking victims to the house, he would seize their phones, take control of their social media accounts, and later sell the devices. These accounts were then used to target new victims. Police said the timeline of the incidents is relatively short, with the first general diary recorded on March 4 and the latest complaint on April 9. Rabbi had no job and earned money through such crimes. He allegedly collected gold ornaments, earrings, mobile phones, cash and even money from victims. Police have so far recovered five mobile phones and believe more may be recovered. DC Sami said many victims initially filed GDs citing lost phones instead of formal complaint due to social stigma. Investigation later helped identify them. Similar GDs were also found at Mirpur Police Station. So far, three cases have been filed against the accused, while three to four GDs remain under investigation. Police are also examining whether he had any associate, although initial findings suggest limited involvement. The accused is believed to be technologically skilled. Police found that each recovered phone belonged to a different victim. Upon contact, several individuals confirmed being victimised. While not all cases involved rape, incidents included blackmail, extortion using pornographic materials, and demands for money in exchange for deleting videos. Most victims are aged between 18 and 20, police said. Investigators also found that the accused married his wife using the same method and was once caught attempting similar acts at his in-laws’ house. Police have urged anyone with relevant information or similar complaint to come forward.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven people including suspected mastermind Moin Uddin on extortion charge at CKD Hospital in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. The other arrestees are Sumon, Liton, Falan Mia, Rubel, Swapan Kazi, and Shawon Hossain Major M Mubin Rahman Tapos, Company Commander of RAB-2, said the incident which took place on April 11 drew widespread media attention after reports of extortion at the hospital surfaced. Acting on the information, a RAB-2 team rushed to CKD Hospital around 1:40 am, spoke with the complainant, Dr Kamrul and collected CCTV footage from the scene. They also obtained the phone number of the prime suspect, Moin Uddin. Following the initial investigation, multiple RAB units conducted coordinated drives to detain those involved. The main accused, Moin Uddin, 42, was arrested by RAB-6 from  Kalia thana area of Narail district. Based on the findings of the investigating officer, RAB-2 arrested suspect Suoan from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Another associate of Moin, named Liton, was also arrested from the same area. In separate operations, RAB-4 arrested four more suspects—Falan Mia, Rubel, Swapan Kazi, and Shaon Hossain.  

An alleged key figure in the teen gang crime scene, known as ‘Alex Iman’ (presumably an alias), was killed in a clash between two rival groups over territorial dominance in the capital’s Mohammadpur area on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:30pm on the slope of the Beribadh road in the Rayerbazar Boddhijibi area under Mohammadpur Police Station, said Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Tejgaon Division. Police said Iman, described as the leader of the ‘Alex Group’ and an accused in multiple cases including murder, was critically injured during the clash. He was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment at the emergency department. Following the incident, members of Rayerbazar Police Outpost conducted a drive and arrested three suspects from the spot.

Police arrested three people along with fake currency worth Tk 50 lakh from Gulshan area in the capital on Sunday. The arrestees were Md Abu Hanif Palowan, 50, Rezaul Sheikh, 40, and Abdullah Mazumdar Ashik, 24. DMP's Deputy commissioner (Media) NM Nasiruddin said a team of police conducted a drive around 3:20 pm on Gulshan Road No. 36 based on secret information and arrested the trio. During the drive police recovered fake notes amounting to Tk 50 lakh and a private car from their possession, he added. During initial interrogation, the suspects admitted to being involved in the counterfeit currency business for a long time. Legal action against the accused is underway, police said.