United News of Bangladesh

A Chattogram court on Monday sentenced three individuals to death for killing a covered van driver in 2021. Judge of the Chattogram Additional Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge Court-5 Tajul Islam handed down the punishment. The condemned convicts are Nurul Amin of Habiganj district, Md Shahjahan of Cumilla and Nurul Alam Turul of Feni district. The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each. Among them, Nurul Amin and Md Shahajan were tried in absentia. The court issued arrest warrants for them. According to the prosecution, police recovered the body of an unidentified man from a cropland, owned by Sekandar, in the Pahartali area of Chattogram on October 27, 2021. After investigation, police identified the victim as Md Sajib, 27, a covered van driver of Chatkhil upazila in Noakhali district. The body bore several injury marks. Sajib went missing after he came out of his home on October 17, 2021. Later, police arrested two people in this connection, who gave confessional statements before the court.

Customs intelligence officials have seized 1,802 cartons of foreign cigarettes and 13 iPhones from a single flight at Shah Amanat International Airport. A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, BG148, arrived at the Chattogram airport from Dubai at 8:18am on Monday. Acting on prior intelligence, CIID officials kept passengers and baggage under close surveillance. Officials seized 264 cartons of cigarettes and four iPhones from passenger Md Moinul Abdin. Another passenger, Abdul Mannan, was found carrying 246 cartons of cigarettes and four iPhones. A third passenger, Nurul Alam Riyad, was carrying 272 cartons of cigarettes and five iPhones. Officials found another 1,020 cartons of Platinum cigarettes in unclaimed baggage at baggage belt No. 2. The baggage had arrived on the same BG148 flight. The cigarettes have an estimated market value of Tk 74.08 lakh. Based on a total tax incidence (TTI) of 621 percent, the applicable customs duties and taxes on the cigarettes amount to around Tk 4.60 crore. The 13 iPhones have an estimated value of Tk 12.35 lakh, while the applicable duties and taxes, calculated at a TTI of 58 percent, amount to around Tk 7.24 lakh. Including applicable duties and taxes, the total value of the seized cigarettes and mobile phones is estimated at around Tk 5.54 crore.

River Police detained two women with 9kg of cannabis at Chandpur Launch Terminal on Sunday afternoon. The detainees were identified as Amena Begum, 30, daughter of Muslim Palowan of Lalmohan upazila in Bhola, and Asma, 34, daughter of Mokhles of Singpara village in Munshiganj. They are relatives. Police said they apprehended the two around 2pm during a special anti-drug drive led by Chandpur River Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Azamgir Hossain. Acting on suspicion, police searched the women and recovered 6kg of cannabis from Amena and 3kg from Asma. OC Azamgir Hossain said during preliminary interrogation, the women told police they had collected the cannabis in Cumilla and were taking it to Munshiganj via Chandpur. Legal action has been taken against them, he said.

Police have detained a Rajshahi University Chhatra Dal leader with seven Tapentadol tablets in the city’s Kajla area. Hasibul Islam Hasib, joint general secretary of the university unit, was detained at a shop in Mizaner Mor on Saturday evening. Motihar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Golam Kabir said police detained Hasib during a regular operation and recovered seven Tapentadol tablets from him. He is currently being held at the police station, and legal action is being taken, the OC said. Hasib has previously faced allegations over controversial activities. He was expelled from the organisation on allegations of taking money from Chhatra League leaders. He has also been accused of occupying another person’s food cart by claiming ownership and of stabbing a Rajshahi University student with the help of outsiders. RU Chhatra Dal President Sultan Ahmed Rahi said he learned about the matter from journalists. “Chhatra Dal is always committed to building a drug-free campus. I am not sure yet whether the drugs were found on him or his friends. If such an incident occurred, we will take appropriate action,” he said. University Proctor Prof Dr Mahbubur Rahman said possessing, using and selling drugs are punishable offences under Bangladeshi law. “As he was caught with drugs, action will be taken against him under the prevailing laws,” he said.

The motorcade of Sirajganj-3 (Raiganj-Tarash) constituency BNP MP Aynul Haque came under attack at Dhangara Bazar in Raiganj upazila on Saturday evening. Saiful Islam Khan, additional superintendent of police (Raiganj Circle), said the lawmaker’s motorcade was attacked while returning from a meeting. The MP was not injured, but his private car was damaged, the police official said. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved in the attack and take legal action against them, he added. The MP’s personal assistant said Aynul Haque was returning to Chandaikona after attending a doa mahfil organised at Atchala in Dhangara Bazar to mark the birthday of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. At the time, he said, people allegedly affiliated with Jamaat-Shibir and the NCP surrounded the MP’s car in a pre-planned attack, hit it with sticks and threw bricks and stones, shattering the rear windshield. Several leaders travelling with the MP were injured in the attack, he said. The MP was later rescued and taken to Chandaikona, the personal assistant said. A young man, Faisal Biswas, who was in the MP’s car during the attack, reportedly broadcast the incident live on Facebook.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) officials seized 133 grammes of gold, medicines, cigarettes, prohibited cosmetics and foreign liquor worth an estimated Tk 42.88 lakh in separate drives at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday. The seizures were made during four separate operations by the airport’s C-shift officials based on intelligence reports. Acting on a tip-off that a passenger arriving from Colombo would be carrying gold illegally, CIID officials mounted surveillance at different points of the airport. After SriLankan Airlines flight UL189 landed at around noon, officials detained passenger MD Parvez while he was crossing the Green Channel after completing immigration and collecting his baggage. During a search, officials recovered 133 grammes of gold concealed in a specially modified compartment of his trolley. They also recovered 2,589 pieces of conditionally importable medicines hidden in his luggage. The passenger failed to produce the required permits and supporting documents for importing the medicines. The gold and medicines were seized through a detention memo, with their estimated value put at around Tk 30 lakh. In a separate operation, CIID officials searched the baggage of Jony Mia, a passenger arriving on Air India flight AI237, and seized six litres of GRANTS-brand foreign liquor. The estimated market value of the liquor is Tk 1.20 lakh. Officials also searched the baggage of Md Mizanur Rahman, who arrived on Emirates flight EK0586. They recovered 29 cartons of cigarettes and 708 pieces of Pakistani Whiting Serum from his baggage. The seized goods are estimated to be worth Tk 4.49 lakh. In another operation, CIID officials searched the baggage of Suma Begum, a passenger arriving on US-Bangla Airlines flight BS316. They recovered 30kg of Gouri cream, the import of which is prohibited. The estimated market value of the cream is Tk 6 lakh. According to CIID, the day’s overall seizures included 133 grammes of gold, 2,589 pieces of medicines, 51 cartons of cigarettes, 31kg of prohibited cream, 708 pieces of prohibited serum and six litres of foreign liquor. The total estimated market value of the seized goods is Tk 42.88 lakh.  

Police on Saturday detained 13 activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), whose activities are currently banned, from two upazilas of the district while they were allegedly organising programmes to mark the death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In Chandpur Sadar, a team from Chandpur Model Police Station raided Satani Patwary Bari Jame Mosque in South Gunrajdi village during Dhuhr prayers and detained nine BCL activists who were allegedly preparing a Kangali Bhoj (feast for the poor) to mark Aug 15. Police also seized the food prepared for the event. Md Fayez Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station, said legal proceedings against the detainees were underway. Separately, police in Shahrasti upazila arrested four BCL activists in connection with a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Mir Mahbubur Rahman, OC of Shahrasti Model Police Station, said the four were arrested for allegedly chanting anti-government slogans and participating in activities related to Aug 15. The arrestees were identified as Meheraj Hossain Apu, 22, Shuvho Ahmed, 23, Mohin Uddin, 30, and Md Sabbir Hossain, 21.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has taken extensive security measures across the capital ahead of August 15 to maintain law and order and ensure public safety. The entire capital has been brought under heightened security to prevent any untoward incident and address any possible threat to public safety. As part of the security measures, police have set up pickets and checkpoints across the capital, while checking and search operations at all entry points to Dhaka will remain intensified. Members of the Detective Branch (DB) and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) will remain deployed for operational activities. SWAT, Bomb Disposal Unit and K-9 Unit members will conduct sweeping operations at important locations and public gathering places. Important installations have been brought under special security plans and will remain under surveillance through CCTV cameras and drones. Members of the City Special Branch (CTSB) and Intelligence Analysis Division (IAD) will continue intelligence activities and information gathering in plainclothes. Additional teams from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will also be deUNN-yed to strengthen overall security. Adequate Quick Response Teams (QRTs) will remain ready and deployed to respond swiftly to any emergency situation. In addition to regular deployment, extra officers and forces will be deployed at key points, event venues, metro rail stations, bus terminals, launch terminals, railway stations, shopping malls and other sensitive areas to ensure tight security. All senior DMP officials will remain in the field and supervise security arrangements within their respective jurisdictions.

Police have arrested 53 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations in the capital’s Vatara area. They were arrested from a flat in Bashundhara Residential Area around 9:05pm on Thursday, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Niaz Mehedi of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). He said the leaders and activists of the Awami League, which faces a ban on its activities, gathered at the flat to hold a preparatory meeting and organise a flash procession on the occasion of August 15. Niaz Mehedi said police raided the flat and arrested 53 people from the spot while they were allegedly chanting anti-state slogans and carrying placards and banners. Legal proceedings against those arrested are underway, he said. The DMP said it is continuing surveillance and operations across the capital to maintain law and order and ensure public safety.      

A mobile court has jailed a young man for 15 days for allegedly posing as a journalist and demanding extortion money at the Alamdanga Upazila Land Office. ASM Shahnewas Mehadi, assistant commissioner (land) of Alamdanga upazila, said legal action was taken against Md Sabuj Sheikh, son of Qazed Ali of Chuadanga municipality, on Thursday. According to land office sources, Sabuj, accompanied by an aide, entered the office claiming to be a journalist and later demanded money, saying he was collecting funds to mark the founding anniversary of a newspaper. Sensing something suspicious, the assistant commissioner asked him to provide details of his identity and the name of the editor of the newspaper he claimed to represent. However, Sabuj failed to provide the required information, including the name and details of the editor, the sources said. During questioning, he reportedly admitted that he entered the office by falsely identifying himself as a journalist. An identity card bearing the name “The Bangla Independent” was also recovered from him, the sources said. Later, the mobile court sentenced Sabuj to 15 days in jail and released his aide on bond.