United News of Bangladesh

In preparation for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, the Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Tuesday introduced several measures to ensure a safe, smooth, and hassle-free travel experience for passengers, transport workers, and pedestrians. The DMP urged all concerned to strictly adhere to the following guidelines in a press release. Instructions for transport owners and workers Inter-district buses must pick up passengers only from designated terminals and depart directly to their destinations without stopping on the streets; passengers must not be picked up or dropped off outside authorised ticket counters. No vehicle should be parked on roads leading into or out of Dhaka city and BRTC buses must depart from their designated depots without crossing Dhaka unnecessarily (e.g., buses from Gabtoli depot should travel directly to Rangpur and Rajshahi, while those from Fulbaria and Kamalapur should head towards Chattogram and Sylhet), said the release. It also mentioned that buses must adhere to their designated schedules when departing from terminals and transport operators must not overcharge passengers beyond the approved fare. Passengers must not be subjected to any form of harassment or misconduct, tickets for a single seat must not be sold to multiple passengers. 15 directives issued to ensure safety ahead of Eid No passengers should be allowed to travel on the roof of buses and speed limits must be strictly followed, and reckless driving is prohibited. Overtaking is strictly forbidden in restricted zones, at road bends, and on narrow bridges. Drivers must not operate vehicles under the influence of intoxicating substances or while feeling drowsy or physically unwell. Vehicles must only be driven by individuals holding valid driving licenses and carrying updated vehicle documents. The use of mobile phones or earphones while driving, as well as playing loud music inside vehicles, is strictly prohibited. Driving against traffic on one-way roads is not permitted. Transport owners must verify the validity of driving licenses before employing drivers. Drivers must not be compelled to drive for more than five consecutive hours or beyond eight hours a day. Unfit, mechanically defective, smoke-emitting, or rundown vehicles must not be used on the roads. Guidelines for passengers Passengers should board buses from designated terminals or counters, avoiding random street locations. Food or drinks from strangers should not be accepted. Luggage and personal belongings should be kept secure at all times. Travellers should arrive at the terminal or counter well before the scheduled departure time. Pedestrians must use foot overbridges, underpasses, or zebra crossings when crossing roads. Boarding or alighting from moving vehicles and traveling in goods-laden vehicles is strictly prohibited. For emergencies, passengers should contact the police control room at terminals or dial 999. Instructions for pedestrians Pedestrians must use zebra crossings, foot overbridges, or underpasses to cross roads. Running or talking on mobile phones while crossing roads is strictly discouraged. Footpaths must be used for walking instead of the main road. The DMP has urged transport operators, passengers, and pedestrians to follow these instructions to ensure a safe and smooth Eid journey. Cooperation from all stakeholders is essential for maintaining order and preventing disruptions during the festive rush, the release added.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have arrested eight members of an organised gang involved in train ticket black marketing from Airport and Kamalapur Railway stations in Dhaka over the past few days. The arrestees include mastermind Uttam Chandra Das, Habib Ahmed, Md Faruk, Md Jubayer, Md Sohel Rana, Abdullah Al Mumin, Prokash Chandra Roy, and Kamruzzaman. Several printed online tickets, 12 mobile phone sets and Tk 3, 03, 042 in cash were seized from the possession of the arrestees, said Salman Nur Alam, senior assistant superintendent of police (media) of the Rab-1. The Rab members arrested Uttam from the Airport Station area with a printed copy of an online railway ticket. On his information, Habib, Faruk and Jubayer were arrested from Kawla in Dhaka with three printed copies of online tickets.Of them, Jubayer was an outsourcing employee of Bangladesh Railway. 4 operatives of ‘Magnetic Coin’ fraud gang arrested with huge money in Adabor With information gleaned from the above arrestees, the Rab members arrested Sohel from the Airport railway station with six printed copies of online tickets. On the other hand, Abdullah and Prokash were arrested from Kamalapur Railway Station and they were outsourcing employees of the Railway. During questioning, Prokash reportedly confessed that some dishonest employees of online ticketing platform Shohoz.com were also involved in the black marketing operation. Of the arrestees, Kamruzzaman was the main buyer of the black ticket and used to buy over 100-150 tickets from the syndicate every month. RAB vows to eradicate teen gangs from Mohammadpur-Basila Legal action will be taken against the arrestees, added the Rab official.

A Dhaka tribunal on Tuesday sentenced three people to death over the gang rape and murder of a teenage girl in Keraniganj three years ago.Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 Judge Munshi Md. Mashiur Rahman pronounced the verdict in the morning. One sentenced to death for raping 7-year-old in Khilgaon The convicts are Md. Sajib, Md. Rakib, and Shaon (also known as Valka Shaon).The court also sentenced them to seven years of imprisonment with a fine of Tk 10,000 each for their involvement in disposing of the victim’s body. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional year of imprisonment.Public Prosecutor Ershad Alam said the court directed the Dhaka District Magistrate to seize the convicts' assets to realise the fine.The court acquitted Ali Akbar and Md. Riaz due to a lack of sufficient evidence against them. Rakib and Shaon were present in the court while Sajib was tried in absentia.On June 11, 2022, police recovered the victim’s body from a pond near the West Bamnansur Jame Mosque in Keraniganj. Man sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in Munshiganj Investigations found that the victim had been gang-raped and strangled before her body was disposed of. Shaon, Rakib, and Sajib confessed to their involvement in the crime.

Two counter-cases have been filed against five people, including Gono Odhikar Parishad's president and former Ducsu VP Nurul Haque Nur, in connection with a clash during the eviction of a club in Khulna. Nayeem Hawlader, joint convenor of the Khulna metropolitan unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, filed one case, while Sheikh Sakib Ahmed, a district committee member, lodged another at Khulna Sadar Police Station, said Khulna Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge Hawladar Sanwar Hossain Masum. Arrest warrant issued against ex-OC of Khulna Sadar for contempt of court The case filed by Nayeem Hawlader named four accused: Nurul Haque Nur, SK Rashed (general secretary of the metropolitan unit of Gono Odhikar Parishad), Md Jony (central joint organising secretary of Jubo Odhikar Parishad), and Taizul Islam. Sheikh Sakib Ahmed’s case also includes four accused: Rashed, Jony, Aziz Sheikh Rubel (organising secretary of the Khulna metropolitan unit of Gono Odhikar Parishad), and a person named Hiron. Earlier, on 21 March, SK Rashed had filed a case against five individuals from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement: Sajidul Islam Buppi (member secretary of the Khulna district committee), joint convenors Nazmul Hossain and Mohorrom Mahim, joint chief organiser Sheikh Rafsan Jani, and central member Rumi Rahman. Both parties had filed separate cases and that further steps would be taken after an investigation, added the OC. Background of the clash Locals reported that a club named "Panchabeethi Krira Chakra" was situated in a government building of the Public Works Department at Shantidham Mor in Khulna. On January 27, the building was occupied, and the office of Gono Odhikar Parishad was set up under the leadership of Sheikh Rashidul Islam, general secretary of the party's Khulna metropolitan unit. After news of the occupation surfaced, Rashed was relieved of his duties that night. However, he continued to conduct party activities from the building even after his dismissal. Recently, signboards of several affiliated organisations were also put up there. Maya and 17 others sued in BNP leader’s disappearance On March 17, after evening, leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens’ Committee in Khulna circulated messages on Facebook, calling for the eviction of the occupied building. Around 9 pm, as they attempted to reclaim the premises, a violent clash broke out between the two groups, leaving several people injured.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued 15 directives, including increasing patrols by the Army, BGB, Police and RAB, ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. To ensure the overall law and order situation and security during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, as well as to make the travel of people heading home safe and comfortable, the following directives should be implemented, according to a notification issued on Tuesday. The overall law and order situation across the country must be maintained with utmost priority during the lead-up to Eid-ul-Fitr. To prevent theft, robbery, snatching, extortion, and terrorist activities, in addition to uniformed police, members of intelligence agencies should be deployed, special checkposts should be set up on specific roads and intersections, money escorts should be provided during money transfers, necessary measures should be taken to prevent the spread and identification of counterfeit currency. Patrols by the Army, BGB, Police, and RAB must be increased in diplomatic areas, important locations, as well as in major cities and ports across the country. The owners of garment factories and other industries, such as BGMEA, BKMEA, and the Industrial Police, must sit together and make necessary arrangements to pay workers' salaries, allowances, bonuses, etc., before Eid. All-out measures taken for safe Eid celebration: DMP chief To ensure smooth shopping for the general public during Eid, in addition to uniformed police, female police officers and plainclothes police members should be deployed. Special night-time security arrangements should be ensured in markets, and all markets should be brought under CCTV surveillance. To ensure the safety of people travelling home for Eid, no extra fare should be charged on buses, trains, and launches, and no extra money should be collected by irregular or illegal queues at ferry terminals. Extra passengers should not be carried, and necessary strict actions should be taken by the relevant authorities to control extortion in transportation. To resolve traffic congestion across the country, especially in the capital, effective and appropriate measures must be taken. For the smooth flow of traffic at toll plazas, including Jamuna Bridge, Padma Bridge, and flyovers, the relevant authorities should implement effective measures for quick toll collection, including the use of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC). To resolve traffic congestion, IP/CC cameras should be installed at 155 identified spots by the Road Transport and Highways Department, and monitoring should be strengthened before and after Eid-ul-Fitr. If necessary, drone monitoring may be carried out at more critical locations. To resolve traffic congestion, motor vehicles should not be stopped on roads by law enforcement agencies without specific prior information during the 7 days before and after Eid. Except for essential goods carriers or passenger vehicles, construction material-carrying and long vehicles leaving from any place, including land and water ports, should not be allowed to operate on highways or ferry routes during the 3 days before and after Eid, and necessary measures should be taken in this regard. Bulkhead movement on rivers should be stopped for 5 days before and after Eid. More than 17 million Eid holidaymakers expected to depart Greater Dhaka For emergency rescue operations in case of accidents on various roads, highways, and waterways, teams from the Fire Service and Civil Defense, rescue boats, divers, firefighting equipment, and ambulances should be kept ready. If necessary, assistance from the Coast Guard should be sought. In case of an accident or a broken vehicle on roads/bridges, the affected or broken vehicles should be quickly removed and relocated to a nearby vacant space. Tow trucks should be kept available in areas prone to traffic congestion, such as Jamuna and Padma Bridges. During Eid, in addition to maintaining overall law and order, the Police Department and other law enforcement agencies should set up control rooms to maintain discipline on the roads. All control rooms should maintain communication with the Ministry of Home Affairs' central Joint Operation Centre (01320001223). Coordination should be strengthened by connecting the control rooms with the national emergency service 999 for road discipline.

Two High Court justices were sworn in as judges of the Appellate Division on Tuesday. Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed administered the oath-taking ceremony at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court at 10:30 am. The newly appointed judges are Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Farah Mahbub, whose tenure began immediately after the oath. HC Justice Khizir Hayat removed The Ministry of Law issued a notification in this regard on Monday following the President’s approval.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) has suspended five members of its Detective Branch (DB) over allegations of abduction and ransom collection in Bogura. RMP Commissioner Mohammad Abu Sufian made the decision on Monday afternoon after the five officers were detained by the police in Bogura. All-out measures taken for safe Eid celebration: DMP chief The suspended officers are sub-inspector (SI) Shahin Mohammad Anu Islam and constables Ripon Mia, Abul Kalam Azad, Mahbub Alam, and Bashir Ali. Their microbus driver, Mehedi Hasan, was also taken into custody. “They (suspended DB men) did not go on any official operation, nor did they inform anyone before leaving. They went on their own accord and were detained there. A case has been filed against them. I have suspended them, and further investigation will be conducted before departmental action is taken,” said the RMP commissioner. According to DB Inspector Ibrahim Khalil, the five were on duty with RMP’s DB but travelled to Bogura without authorisation. “I was in the office until 3:30 am last night, but they did not inform me before leaving. Only they can explain why they went,” he said. Police sources said that at around 3 am on Sunday, members of the Kundarhat Highway Police Station in Bogura detained the five officers and their microbus driver at the Birgram area on the Bogura-Natore highway. They recovered Tk 2 lakh in cash and a police walkie-talkie from them. Bogura Superintendent of Police (SP) Zedan Al Musa said the accused officers had gone to Dhunot upazila on Sunday, where they arrested two individuals, Rabbi and Jahangir, from Digharkandi village in Dhunot upazila on Sunday on gambling charges. Later, they demanded Tk 12 lakh as ransom. After negotiations, they collected Tk 2 lakh in cash and Tk 1.3 lakh via mobile banking before releasing the two. Qamrul, Palak, 2 others shown arrested in new cases Upon learning about the incident, Bogura District Police, with assistance from Sherpur and Shahjahanpur police stations, attempted to seize the microbus. Eventually, with the help of the Highway Police, the vehicle was intercepted at Birgram in Shahjahanpur. A primary investigation revealed that an RMP DB officer named Abdul Wahab had acted as an informant for the accused officers. Wahab, who had taken leave two days earlier and travelled to his village in Dhunot, is suspected of providing information that led the five officers to the location. E

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has taken all possible security measures to ensure safe and festive celebration of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. “We’ve made all kinds of security preparations so that the city dwellers can celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr in a festive and safe environment,” DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said while speaking in a coordination meeting held at the conference room of the DMP Headquarters on Monday. Ferry service introduced on Banshbaria-Sandwip Route in Chattogram Besides, a sense of security awareness must also be created at the individual or institutional level,” he said. The DMP chief, who chaired the meeting, mentioned that the overall law and order situation in Dhaka Metropolitan City was thoroughly reviewed. The meeting also addressed measures to ensure the safe and smooth travel of passengers, the successful execution of Eid congregations, and traffic management. Formal Eid train journey begins amid tight security He further said that the law and order situation in the capital has significantly improved due to the strong efforts of the DMP. “Crimes such as robbery and extortion have been greatly reduced thanks to police initiatives. We must continue to progress with everyone's cooperation,” added the DMP chief.

Former food minister Qamrul Islam, ex-state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder and former Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Atiqul Islam have been shown arrested in separate cases filed with different police stations in the capital linked to July movement. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate GM Farhan Istiaq passed the order after the investigating  officers of the cases produced them before the court. 219 arrested during DMP’s special 24-hr drive on Saturday Earlier at 10:08 am, they were brought to the dock from the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. Then they were escorted from the court to jail. Among them, Palak was show arrested in the murder case of Sajedur Rahman Omar and Jahangir Alam at the Jatrabari Police Station. HC to hear Chinmoy’s bail petition after Eid vacation Kamal Ahmed Majumder was shown arrested in connection with the murder of Tariqul Islam Rubel at the Kafrul Police Station, while Atiqul Islam and Qamrul Islam were shown arrested in the murder case of Sajid Hawlader at the Badda Police Station.  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) during special drives in the capital, arrested 219 people for their alleged involvement in different crimes in 24 hours till Saturday midnight. A total of 56 cases were filed during this period, said Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP on Sunday. Among the arrestees, eight were robbers, nine muggers, one extortionist, seven thieves, seventeen drug peddlers and 44 were listed criminals with warrants out against them. Police also seized one knife, one machete, one hammer, one cutter, one punch machine, one vanity bag, 29 mobile phones, two tabs, one motorcycle, two private cars, cosmetics worth Tk 1,21,450 and Tk 3,225 in cash from their possession. To ensure public safety, 667 patrol teams carried out duties in two shifts across 50 police stations in Dhaka. Of these, 340 teams operated at night, while 327 teams worked during the day. DMP arrests 71 during raid at Mohammadpur, Adabor Moreover, 71 police checkpoints were set up at key locations throughout the metropolis to enhance security. In addition, the recovered drugs include 32.750 kilograms of marijuana, 363 pieces of Yaba, and two grams of heroin. DMP remains committed to ensuring the security and smooth movement of the people of Dhaka Metropolitan City.