Law-&-Order
Jamaat men preparing to rally in Dhaka’s Arambagh
Several hundred leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami took position from Arambagh intersection to Kamalapur intersection on Saturday as police obstructed them when they tried to go to Shapla Chattar in the morning.
They are now preparing to hold a rally after setting up a makeshift podium on a truck at Arambagh intersection.
Earlier in the day, a group of leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami brought out a procession and tried to go to Shapla Chattar through Arambagh area.
Read: Leaders, activists have started gathering at Baitul Mukarram South Gate for AL’s Peace Rally
Later, police obstructed them and put up barricades, forcing the Jamaat men to take position there.
A chase and counter-chase took place among police and Jamaat men. Police also charged baton to disperse them.
Police have arrested some leaders and activists of Jamaat from the spot.
Read: BNP openly threatening with violence: Quader
Earlier, Md Asaduzzaman, chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) unit, said police did not give any permission to Jamaat-e-Islami and if they tried to hold any rally, police would take action.
Read more: BNP grand rally suspended after police action
Security beefed up in the capital ahead of Saturday’s political rallies amid heightened tension
Thousands of law enforcers from police, Rab and other agencies were deployed in the capital city on Friday ahead of rallies planned by rival political parties, the ruling Awami League, opposition BNP, Jamaat and other groups on Saturday.
On Friday, the law enforcers set up check-posts and conducted street patrols in different parts of the city, especially the central Dhaka where the rallies are planned. The city outskirts have also been put under security steps.
The main opposition BNP has vowed to go ahead with its rally in front the party’s Naya Paltan office. The ruling Awami League will hold a counter rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukurram Mosque in the afternoon concinciding with BNP rally. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh has planned its rally at Shapla Chattor.
BNP has called for the grand rally to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pave the way for a neutral caretaker administration to supervise the upcoming national election, due in first week of January. It also wants an unconditional release of the party’s ailing chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. The opposition party has promised to make its rally peaceful.
Thousands of BNP leaders and activists started pouring into Naya Palton on Friday, a day before their grand rally. They said they arrived early fearing that law enforcers may block their journey on Saturday.
Read: BNP openly threatening with violence: Quader
Accusing the BNP of trying to create anarchy before the polls the Awami League has vowed to resist it. The call their programme as peace rally.
Jamaat is also demanding the resignation of the government for creating an environment conducive to holding free and fair election.
Determined to prevent any violence the law enforcement agencies on Friday mounted all out security measures in the capital for Saturday’s political programmes. Police permission has been given to none of the parties.
Though ruling Bangladesh Awami League has sought permission to hold rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, BNP in front of their party office at Naya Paltan, Ganatantra Mancha at Matsya Bhaban and the 12-party alliance in the Bijaynagar area on the day, Dhaka Metropolitan police (DMP) is yet to give permission formally till filing of this report at 4:30 pm.
Though Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami sought permission to hold a rally at Shapla Chattor in Motijheel but the DMP has already denied permission to the party.
Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) of the DMP headquarters Khandker Mahid Uddin told reporters that though Zamaat-e-Islami have submitted an application for permission but a political party like Jamaat will not be allowed in places like Shapla Chattor to hold any rally.
But Jamaat-e-Islami in a virtual press conference on Thursday afternoon reiterated that it would hold its scheduled rally at Shapla Chattar. Jamaat acting amir Mujibur Rahman asked the party leaders and activists not to be misguided by what he said the "provocative, undemocratic and unconstitutional" directives by the government.
Read: BNP fighting to destroy democracy, not protect it: Quader
Looking forward to all taking part in election: Law Minister
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Advocate Anisul Huq has asked all parties to prepare to take part in the 12th parliamentary election, that he assured would be free an d fair.
In accordance with the constitution, the Election Commission (EC) would announce the schedule of the election and election will be held as per the scheduled time said on Thursday.
"Elections will be free, fair and peaceful, so we want all to take part in the election," the minister made the remarks while talking to reporters at the Secretariat this afternoon.
Besides, there will be an interim government when the Election Commission will announce the schedule and this government will act as an interim government from that moment, he added.
Read: PM Hasina to decide on size of election-time govt: Law Minister
Regarding BNP’s march towards the Ministry of Law on October 30 to amend the constitution during this parliament session, Huq said, “I only want to say one thing in this regard, they have the right to give political programs. And I want to make one thing clear about the caretaker government, that is, the Supreme Court has declared the caretaker government system to be in conflict with the constitution of Bangladesh and illegal. In view of this verdict, Parliament passed the Fifteenth Amendment. Now there is no possibility of bringing back the caretaker government. And there is no possibility of revising the constitution by revisiting it.”
The concept of ‘election-time government’ is not even in the constitution. The size of the executive branch, or cabinet, is totally the prime minister’s prerogative. In 2014, the cabinet was made smaller by the PM . And Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken that step for the stability of democracy in Bangladesh, the law minister explained.
Read: Law Minister tells US team “election will be free and fair”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was trying to make an election with everyone. You (People) know what happened that time. The prime minister telephoned the Leader of the Opposition. But she didn't pick the phone.
The prime minister also discussed in 2018 as well and went to the polls in the context of the discussion. But every time BNP-Jamaat tried to spoil the election, the minister added.
Read more: No politics behind denying permission for Khaleda’s treatment abroad: Law Minister
Bhairab train crash: BR's probe body visits crash site
A seven-member committee formed by the Railway Ministry to look into last Monday’s deadly train accident that left 17 people dead and scores injured in Kishoreganj visited the accident spot on Thursday.
The probe body headed by Joint Secretary (Audit and ICT) of the ministry Hasan Mahmud visited the spot in the morning.
He said they came here to visit the spot as part of the investigation and were examining every aspect of the accident.
Read: Case filed over Kishoreganj train crash
“We will submit the probe report soon upon scrutiny. The reason behind the accident will be determined after collecting all kinds of information and data,” he said.
The memebrs of the body include Bangladesh Railway’s Joint Director General (Operations) A.M. Salauddin, Joint Director General (Mechanical) Tabassum Binte Islam, Ministry’s Deputy Secretaries Md Hanif, Md. Taufiq Imam, Additional CST (Telecom) Md. Dr. Sahaduzzaman, Dhaka Divisional Mechanical Officer Dr Ripon Chandra Das.
Four committees have so far been formed to look into the accident.
Of them, three were formed by the Railway Ministry and another by the Fire Service and Civil Defence department.
At least 17 people were killed and 26 others were injured when a cargo train rammed into two bogies of a passenger train at Bhairab Rail Station in Kishoreganj district on Monday.
Read: Mymensingh village descends into grief over family that perished in Bhairab train accident
The accident occurred when the cargo train hit the Dhaka-bound Egarosindhur Godhuli Express, coming from Kishoreganj.
The passenger train was standing on the outer tracks, on its way to Dhaka from the port city of Chattogram.
On Wednesday, a case was filed in connection with the train accident in this district
Driver of the goods-carrying train Jahangir Alam, his assistant Atiqur Rahman and director (guard) Md Alamgi were made accused in the case.
Rea more: Kishoreganj Train Collision: Fire Service forms another probe body
Earlier, the three were suspended by the authorities for their negligence in duty.
Police rescue girl from Doulatdia brothel after taken on pretext of giving job
Police rescued a class six girl from Doulatdia brothel in Rajbari early Thursday a day after she was allegedly trafficked into the brothel by an organised gang.
Police, meanwhile, arrested two people --Abdullah Al Mamun alias Jahid, 35, of Faridpur’s Alfadanga upazila, and Md Jasim Uddin, 22, of Bogura’s Sherpur upazila.
The victim’s family and police said the girl, who hails from Rajshahi’s Katakhali area, took a job at an RMG factory in Savar Ashulia around two months back to support her family due to insolvency. The victim’s co-workers were Jasim, Jahid and Apon Mandal.
The factory was closed for over one month after she joined. Later her father took her away without any payment on October 9.
Read|: 5 members of human trafficking gang held in Cox’s Bazar
After a few days, the victim’s mother phoned Jasim to get updates about salary. On October 22, Apon Mandal informed the victim’s mother over mobile phone, saying that her salary was managed along with a new job.
The following day, the girl returned to Ashulia’s Kathaltala area from Rajshahi and she was kept in a house.
On October 24, the girl was asked to come to Savar’s Jamgora at 8 pm and later Jahid, Jasim and Apon took the girl to one Champa Begum in the brothel on the pretext of giving her the new job.
Later, the accused tried to convince the girl to entertain clients, but she denied and started crying.
Hearing it, neighbours informed local police who later rescued from the house.
Read: Human trafficking to Europe: Ringleader, 2 associates held in Cumilla
Swapon Kumar Majumdar, officer-in-charge of Goalundo ghat police station, said they arrested the duo from the house along with rescuing the girl.
The victim’s parents filed a case in this connection early Thursday, he said, adding that the arrestees were produced before a court.
Read more: Human trafficking only getting worse: Guterres
Action will be taken against those involved in sabotage, capitalising the political situation: RAB
Those who will be involved in anarchy or sabotage, capitalising the political situation, will be brought to book, Director (Legal and Media wing) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) headquarters, Commander Khandaker Al Moin, said today.
“Our intelligence team is working to foil the anti-state, sabotage attempts of some groups with vested interest,” he said while speaking at a press briefing held at RAB’s Karwanbazar Media Center in Dhaka.
No threat of sabotage centering BNP’s Oct 28 grand rally: DB chief
The regular monitoring activities are going on, and a number of check-posts will be set up at different important points and intersections of Dhaka ahead of October 28, said the RAB official.
Cyber surveillance has also been strengthened, he said.
“We believe that RAB’s task is to ensure the security of people, and we’ll perform our duty,” he added.
Won't allow any attempt at sabotage or to stoke violence from BNP’s Oct 28 rally: IGP
Online gambling: Ringleader, 3 gang members arrested in Dhaka, Gazipur
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested four members of a gang including its ringleader for their involvement in online gambling centring the ongoing International Cricket Cup (ICC) from Dhaka’s Malibagh and Gazipur’s Sreepur area on Monday night.
The arrestees are ringleader Nishat Munna, 20, his cohorts Kamrul Islam Shuvo, 27, Sumon, 35, and Nazmul Hossain Babu, 31.
Read: Four get life terms for 2005 killing of businessman in Manikganj
Commander Khandaker Al-Moin, law and media wing director of RAB, disclosed this at a media briefing of its media centre in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area Tuesday afternoon.
The RAB officer said Nishat used to work as a local agent of a foreign online gambling site.
The gang laundered around Tk 50 lakh to their foreign agents from the country after keeping their share, he said.
Read: Rab arrest man for fraud claiming to be close to PM’s family
On information, RAB members recovered 16 mobile phone sets, 18 SIM cards, CPU and monitor from their possessions during the drives, the RAB commander said.
The local gang was involved in spreading the online gambling in different areas of Bangladesh by opening their clients’ accounts, transacting money through mobile banking and laundering money to neighbouring countries.
Read: 8 arrested for smuggling dollars through betting apps in Khulna: RAB
The gang used to target youths to involve them in online gambling ahead of mega sports events including Football World Cup, Cricket World Cup, IPL, BPL and various football leagues and tournaments.
Man sentenced to death for killing 8-year-old son in Joypurhat
A Joypurhat court has sentenced a man to death in a case filed for killing his eight-year-old son in 2010.
Judge Abbas Uddin of Joypurhat Additional Sessions Judge's Court-2 gave the verdict against Nazrul Islam Liton and fined him Tk 50,000 in addition, confirmed Public Prosecutor of the court Nipendranath Mandal.
Also read: Father sentenced to death in Chattogram for raping daughter
Nazrul of Raj Nagar Adarsha village of Joypurhat Sadar upazila is absconding since the incident, he said.
Also read: 3 sentenced to death for killing driver in Chuadanga
According to the case details, on November 11, 2010, Nazrul asked his eight-year-old son Rana to work (family work) at the house but Rana expressed his inability to work. Nazrul got angry because of this and beat him mercilessly, leaving him seriously injured. He was taken to a local doctor and treated, but Rana's condition worsened.
Also read: 3 get death sentence, 2 life term for killing Bonoful workers in Sylhet
On November 13, 2010 Rana seriously fell ill at home and later died on the way to Joypurhat Modern District Hospital.
Later, Nazrul’s wife and Rana’s mother Buli Ara, filed a case at Joypurhat Sadar Police Station against Nazrul.
Four get life terms for 2005 killing of businessman in Manikganj
A Manikganj court on Monday sentenced four people to life terms in jail in a case over killing a local businessman in Singair upazila of Manikganj around 18 years back.
Manikganj Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Sabina Yeasmin also fined the convicts Tk 20, 000 each, in default of which they will have to six more months’ jail, said the court’s public prosecutor Mathur Nath Sarkar.
The convicts are Shahinur Rahman, son of Md Rashid of Zaylya village in Singair upazila, Liton, son of Ahmed Dewan of Daserhati area of the same upazila, Ripon, son of Atwar Rahman of the same village and Ujjal, son of Momez Uddin of Dakshin Charigram area.
Read: 2 get life term for rapping madrasa student, woman in Naogaon
Of them, Shahinur and Liton were on the dock during the delivery of the judgment.
According to the case statement, the accused planned to steal a motorbike of Alam Hossain, a tailor by profession at a local market of Charigram area under the upazila.
As per the plan, they intercepted Alam in the Daserhat area when he was returning home from his firm on the night of October 2 in 2005.
At one stage, the accused stabbed him to death and snatched his motorbike, mobile phone and money in cash.
Read: 7 get life term for murder in Mymensingh
Later, local union parishad chairman Majharul Islam filed a murder case in this connection.
Police submitted the chargesheet against the accused on August 31 next year.
After completing legal procedures, the court handed down the judgment after around 18 years of the murder.
Read more: 4 get life term for killing BCL man in Pirojpur
Khaleda Zia, Haji Selim can’t contest next national polls: Khurshid Alam
Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), said on Monday that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League MP Haji Selim are ineligible as candidates to participate in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election as per a decision by the High Court.
Khan said the High Court verdict published on Sunday mentioned that no convict can participate in the election until the sentence is overturned by the appropriate court.
“In line with this verdict, Khaleda Zia, Haji Selim and any person sentenced to more than two years in jail, whose appeal is pending, will not be able to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election,” he told reporters on the Supreme Court premises on Monday.
Read: Lower court judge who convicted Tarique, Zubaida for corruption starts receiving death threats
On Sunday, the High Court said that no convicted persons pending their appeals or on bail will be able to participate in the election unless the sentence is overturned by the High Court or five years have passed since the sentence has been served.
“This court did not suspend their sentences, they got bail. According to Article 66(2)(d) of the Constitution, appellants are not allowed to participate in elections,” said the verdict.
Earlier, on November 27, 2018, the High Court ruled that no person can participate in the election while the appeal is pending if he is sentenced to more than two years in jail by any trial court.
Khaleda Zia was sent to Old Dhaka’s Central Jail after she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Read: No threat of sabotage centering BNP’s Oct 28 grand rally: DB chief
She was convicted in a second corruption case later.
Khaleda Zia has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail through an executive order. A special team of her personal physicians has been overseeing her treatment.