United News of Bangladesh

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Wednesday (November 26) released the full text of its 453-page judgment that convicted and sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death for crimes against humanity committed during last year’s July Mass Uprising. International Crimes Tribunal Prosecutor Mizanul Islam confirmed that the prosecution has received a full copy of the verdict. “The registrar will decide when the copy of the verdict will be sent to the concerned department,” he said. Meanwhile, Zayed Bin Amjad, lawyer for former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun—who was sentenced to five years in prison in the same case—said he has also received a copy of the full verdict. State-appointed defence lawyer Md Amir Hossain, who represented Sheikh Hasina and Kamal, said he has not received any copy due to the absence of legal provision allowing it. As the two accused remain absconding, they will not have the opportunity to appeal, he added. BNP hails Hasina’s death sentence verdict, says justice served On November 17, the tribunal delivered the judgment against the three, finding them guilty on the charges brought forward. The three-member tribunal, headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, began announcing the verdict at around 12:30pm, unveiling the 453-page document. Five charges had initially been brought against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina for allegedly ordering crimes against humanity during the July–August mass student uprising. The tribunal evaluated these allegations and proceeded with the trial. The charges were later reorganized into two broad charges, under which the accused were found guilty of a total of six offences. Prosecutor Gazi M. H. Tamim said the tribunal’s verdict considered two consolidated charges, within which six distinct crimes were established. The court found the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal guilty of three counts under charge number one. Count-1: Inciting crimes through provocative speech at a press briefing on July 14, 2024, where she labelled protesters as children of Razakars. Count-2: On the night of July 14, 2024, she had a telephonic conversation with the then vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka, Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, where she again termed the protesters as Razakars and threatened to hang them. The tribunal found the accused had ordered and incited the violence that followed and did not obstruct their subordinates from committing the crimes. Count-3: Following that, police shot and killed Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) student Abu Sayeed. Read more: Dhaka writes to Delhi afresh seeking Hasina’s extradition The tribunal sentenced both Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to imprisonment unto death for three counts of charge number one. It also found them guilty of three counts of charge number two. Count-1: Ordering the deployment of helicopters, drones and lethal weapons against protesters, which was proved in the telephonic conversation of Sheikh Hasina with Hasanul Haque Inu. Count-2: Following the order, six unarmed students were gunned down in the capital's Chankharpul area on August 5, 2024. Count-3: Six protesters were gunned down in Ashulia on August 5, 2024, and their bodies were burned to hide evidence. The tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina and Kamal to death for these offences. The tribunal also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate the property of Sheikh Hasina and Asaduzzaman Khan. The court also asked the authorities concerned to take steps to provide adequate compensation from this property to the martyrs and injured victims of July-August movement in proportion to the extent of their losses. Besides, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as a state witness in the case, was sentenced to five years in prison in both charges. Read more: Delhi examining request for Hasina’s extradition; Dhaka expects response

A Dhaka court on Wednesday fixed March 3 for submission of the investigation report in a case filed against 15 people including Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, over stock-market manipulation, illegal transactions and money laundering. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez fixed the date as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) failed to submit the investigation report, said assistant director of ACC Aminul Islam. The other accused are—Abul Khayer, deputy registrar of Cooperatives Department, his wife Kazi Sadia Hasan, Abul Kalam Madbor, Kanika Afroz, Mohammad Bashar, Sajed Madbor, Aleya Begum, Kazi Fuad Hasan, Kazi Farid Hasan, Shirin Akter, Zaved A Matin, Zahed Kamal, Humayun Kabir and Tanvir Nizam. According to the case statement, Wednesday had been set for submission of the investigation report in the case. As the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) did not submit the report on the scheduled date, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez fixed a new date for submission. ACC Assistant Director Aminul Islam, from the prosecution division, confirmed the matter to the court. The other accused in the case are: Deputy Registrar of the Department of Cooperatives Abul Khair, his wife Kazi Sadia Hasan, Abul Kalam Madbor, Kanika Afroze, Mohammad Bashar, Sajed Madbor, Aleya Begum, Kazi Fuad Hasan, Kazi Farid Hasan, Shirin Akhter, Javed A. Matin, Zahed Kamal, Humayun Kabir and Tanvir Nizam. According to the case statement, an allegation has been brought against the accused of misappropriating Tk 256.97 crore. ACC summons cricket ace Shakib Al Hasan Abul Khair (Hiru), with the assistance of his wife Kazi Sadia Hasan, concealed the source of Tk 29.94 crore and transferred the money across various channels. Besides, 17 bank accounts operated in his name showed unusual and suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 542.31 crore. Later, ACC Assistant Director Sajjad Hossain filed the case on May 17 at the ACC headquarters.  

The 832 totals (9,707.16 grams) of gold recovered from two Agrani bank lockers were not solely owned by convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as those were deposited under the names of her, her sister Sheikh Rehana, daughter Saima Wazed Putul and other family members. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) spokesperson Aktarul Islam disclosed this at a press briefing at its headquarters on Wednesday. He said the ACC said it will review the full list of gold ornaments recovered from bank lockers, verify ownership of each item and conduct expert valuation of the gold. Aktarul Islam said the drive was conducted as part of a reinvestigation into the wealth statement she submitted in 2007. Masudur Rahman, deputy director of the ACC’s Special Inquiry and Investigation-1 unit, led the drive. Following ACC approval, the investigating officer filed a petition with the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on September 14 seeking permission to open the lockers listed in the 2007 wealth statement, he said. The court granted the request and ordered that the lockers be opened in the presence of a judicial magistrate, ACC officials, a Bangladesh Bank–nominated gold specialist, two officials from the NBR’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), and officials of the respective banks. In line with the directive, the ACC on Tuesday opened one locker at Pubali Bank PLC’s Motijheel Corporate Branch and two lockers at Agrani Bank PLC’s Principal Branch. At the Motijheel branch of Pubali Bank, the locker registered to Sheikh Hasina contained only an empty jute bag. At Agrani Bank’s Principal Branch, a locker held jointly by Sheikh Hasina and Saima Wazed Putul contained about 4,923.60 grams of gold ornaments, while another locker held jointly by Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana contained around 4,783.56 grams, the ACC official said.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) recovered an abandoned sound grenade of Bangladesh police from a house along Sylhet–Sunamganj bypass road in Dakkhin Surman upazila of Sylhet district on Tuesday night. It was seized from the house beside a refueling station at Khidirpur village around 1am, KM Shahidul Islam Sohag, media officer of Rab-9, said on Wednesday morning. The elite force handed over it to Dakkhin Surma Police Station. It seems that the grenade was one of the sound grenades looted from a Sylhet police station during last year’s July uprising, he added.

A 26-year-old man who was shot by drug peddlers in Kadamtali on Saturday night succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. He breathed his last around 1:22am at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said Md Faruk, in-charge of the hospital police outpost. The deceased was identified as Md Shaheen Bepary, son of Siraj Bepary from Dakhin Kebrongar village under Palong Police Station in Shariatpur district. He worked at a local furniture shop and lived in Tegharia of Dakshin Keraniganj. According to his elder brother Saddam, a case was filed with Kadamtoli Police Station naming 14 individuals and seven to eight unidentified persons in connection with the attack. On November 22, Shaheen sustained bullet injuries to his head when local drug dealers shot him after he stepped out of the furniture shop in response to a call. Critically injured, he was rushed to DMCH, where he had been receiving treatment. Locals managed to catch two suspects --Chan Mia alias Chanu and Md Zahir --as they attempted to flee and handed them over to police. Law enforcers later recovered a foreign pistol, a magazine and bullet casings from them. Former Sramik Dal leader shot dead in Chattogram The named accused in the case are Babu, Ibrahim, Rubel alias Play Rubel, Masud, Babu alias Nak Kata Babu, Shanto, Hira, Swapan, Shaon alias Chapati Shaon, Alamin, Monir alias Guti Monir, Hasan and Shaheen. In-charge Faruk said the matter has been reported to Kadamtoli police, while the body remains in the DMCH morgue.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed December 1 to deliver its verdict in case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and 15 others over RAJUK plot forgery. Judge Md. Robiul Alam of Dhaka’s 4th Special Judge Court set the date after hearing arguments from both sides. Among the accused, only RAJUK member Khorshed Alam was present at the court and presented his arguments, claiming innocence. On November 18, the court completed the witness examination and recording statements from 32 individuals. On July 31, the court framed charges against the accused. According to the case statement, Hasina and her family misused their power to obtain plots measuring 10 kathas each in Sector 27 of the Purbachal Residential Project. This case is part of six related cases with three others scheduled for verdict on November 27.

A case has been filed against six people over the murder of a youth in the capital’s Mohammadpur Dhaka Udyan area. Parvin, mother of victim Babu, lodged the case with Mohammadpur Police station on Tuesday afternoon, said Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mofiz Uddin. The accused are Rajib Hawlader, 26, of Barishal’s Bakerganj; Md Iqbal Hossain Sabuj, 42, of Chattogram’s Mirsarai; Rubel, 30, of Kishoreganj’s Tarail; Mohon, 33, of Bhola’s Ilisha; Sujon Nata Sujon, 42; and Moynul, 35. Besides, 10–12 unnamed people were also made accused in the murder case. 200 sued but none by name, over attack on followers of Baul Abul Sarkar Family members said around 9pm on Monday a group of miscreants attacked Babu and his father on Road 3 of the area. Witnesses said the attackers first hacked Babu’s father, Kawsar  and when Babu rushed to help they hacked him to death. Both were taken to a hospital in critical condition where doctors declared Babu dead.

A case has been filed against 200 unidentified individuals in connection with the attack on followers of Baul artiste Abul Sarkar, police said on Monday evening. Md Aminul Islam, Inspector (Investigation) of Manikganj Sadar Police Station, said injured Baul artiste Abdul Alim filed the case. The accused have been described as members of the 'Towhidi Janata' ('People of Piety'). “We are monitoring media reports, social media footage and photographs to identify and arrest those involved,” the inspector said. The attack took place around 9am on Sunday near Shaheed Miraj-Tapan Stadium, when a group under the banner Allama-Olama O Towhidi Janata of Manikganj confronted Abul Sarkar’s supporters, who had organised a human chain demanding his release. At least four people, including three of Abul’s followers, were injured. On November 4, during a programme at the Khala Pagli fair in Ghior upazila, Abul Sarkar was accused of making remarks that allegedly insulted religion. A video of his comments later spread on social media, sparking widespread criticism. He was detained by the Detective Branch on the night of November 19 from a musical event in Madaripur and brought to the district DB office the next morning. Later that afternoon, Mufti Md Abdullah filed a case at Ghior Police Station, after which Abul Sarkar was shown arrested in court and sent to jail.

A total of 35 former Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel were released on bail from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur on Monday evening in connection with the BDR mutiny case. Relatives of the accused received them at the main gate of the prison. Earlier, on Thursday, 53 others had been granted bail by a special court at Keraniganj Jail. Jail sources said that the bail order of the accused arrived in the afternoon and were released from the prison after verification in the evening. On February 25 and 26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in a mutiny at the Border Guard Headquarters in Pilkhana. On November 5, 2013, a Dhaka court awarded death sentences to 150 BDR members and two civilians, and life imprisonment to 160 others in a murder case. On 27 November 2017, the High Court confirmed the death penalty for 139 out of 152 accused.

Miscreants set fire to a Grameen Bank office by pouring petrol on PTI Road in Kushtia district headquarters on Saturday night. The fire damaged parts of the signboard and the balcony grill but documents and materials inside the office remained unaffected. The office is located near the residence of Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif who has been absconding following the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 last year. Miscreants set ablaze Grameen Bank office in Magura Bank officer Biplob Das said on Sunday morning that they found valuables and other documents inside the office largely unaffected. Officer-in-Charge Mosharraf Hossain of Kushtia Sadar Police Station said the incident is under investigation and those responsible will be arrested.