Law-&-Order
Rab nab six alleged robbers in Narayanganj
Rab said on Friday they arrested six members of an alleged inter-district robbery gang including its kingpin, while preparing for robbery from Purbobhabnathpur area under Sonargaon upazila.
The elite force also recovered a foreign pistol, one round of bullet, one Chinese axe and locally made other sharp weapons from the possession of the arrestees during the drive, said a press release signed by Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Mahmud Pasha, commandant of the Rab-11.
The arrested robbers have been identified as leader Shakawat Hossain Rony, 25 and his accomplices Md Sohail, 32, Md Shahidul Islam, 26, Al Amin, 23, Md Ismail, 38, and Sujoy Dey, 30.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Rab-11 conducted a drive and arrested the men, said the press release
In the preliminary interrogation, the men confessed to committing robberies at two places of Araihazar upazila in the district on April 6 and 24 this year.
Ringleader Rony admitted that he used to introduce himself as grandmaster of Kachpur’s “Bandhu Dance Academy” and staged dance on several functions including weddings and birthdays, and develop a close relationship with rich people taking advantage as a performer, the press release said.
Read: Robbery & rape in Tangail moving bus: Mastermind among 10 held
Later, the kingpin and his cohorts committed robbery at their targeted houses holding people hostage at gun point.
Moreover, the men have been involved in robberies in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gopalganj and adjoining districts for long, targeting houses of expatriates and rich people, it claimed.
A case related to the incident was filed against the men at the local police station, the release added.
Three RNB men held for assaulting Armyman in Ctg
Three members of the Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) caught on video assaulting and abusing an Army personnel at Chattogram Railway Station have been arrested.
The arrestees have been identified as Md Main Hossain Rakib, 23, Riton Chakma, 24, and Md Rabiul Islam.
The three accused were arrested during a drive conducted by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-7) members on the station premises on Thursday afternoon, the elite force told reporters on Friday.
Also read: Two RNB members held for selling tickets in black market
On August 8, the Bangladesh Armyman bought a ticket for a Dhaka-bound mail train from the Chattogram railway station. As he was about to board the train, the accused demanded Tk 300 extra from him.
When he refused to pay them the money and said it was illegal, the accused verbally abused the victim, then beat him up and made derogatory remarks against the Army.
Also read: Journalists assaulted at Victor Trading Corporation; CRAB condemns, demands justice
The entire incident was captured by a journalist, Abbas Uddin, who also protested against the illegal act. The video later went viral on social media.
"The three accused admitted to their crime. Legal action is underway against the arrestees," the Rab said.
Three fake rights activists jailed in Magura
A Magura court has sentenced three people to one-and-a-half years of rigorous imprisonment for collecting money from a pharmacy owner in the guise of human rights activists.
The court of district senior judicial magistrate handed down the punishment to Kalpana Roy, Hasina Begum and Uttam Kumar Biswas, all residents of Shalikha upazila of Magura, on Thursday.
The court also imposed a fine of Tk 1,000 on each of them. The convicts will have to serve two more months in prison in case of their failure to pay the fine.
Also read: Fake medicine gang busted by DB; 20 lakh pieces seized
According to the case statement, on December 12, 2017, the convicts introduced themselves as human rights activists to a pharmacy owner in Singra Bazar and took money from him.
Also read: Fake army man held in Satkhira
The pharmacy owner, however, became suspicious and informed the police who subsequently arrested the trio. Later, a case was lodged at the Shekhor police station in this connection.
Five held over Karail slum grocer murder
Police have arrested five people from Karail slum in Dhaka's Banani in grocer Al-Amin murder case.
Al-Amin, a grocer at Karail slum, was murdered in a "swift, bloody and merciless" knife attack over two groups' fight for control of extortion in the area.
A team of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Mohammad Ali, 55, Md Khaja, 45, Md Amzad, 33, Md Rasel, 35 and Md Masud Rana, 19 Tuesday and seized sharp weapons from their possession.
There are several groups in the slum who regularly engage in turf battles, Harun-or-Rashid, additional commissioner of DB, said.
Read: 4 held over Tongi businessman murder
On August 17, an altercation broke out between the Ali-Nuru and Ripon-Jewel groups.
Al-Amin of the Ripon-Jewel group suffered serious wounds after being repeatedly stabbed by the Ali-Nuru group during the clash. The grocer was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Later two cases were filed at Banani Police Station over the murder of Al-Amin.
Legal actions will be taken against the arrestees, Harun-or-Rashid said.
Four mobile banking fraudsters arrested with 57 SIM cards: CID
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said on Thursday that four members of a gang involved in swindling money from mobile banking users through cloning SIM cards have been arrested from Dhaka, Jamalpur and Faridpur.
The arrestees have been identified as mobile banking platform bKash’s sacked Distributor Sales Officer (DSOs) Shariar Nafiz alias Milton, Md Ripon Mia, Md Yosuf Miah, and Mahbub Kazi. Of them Mahbub is the said to be the mastermind of the gang.
Nine mobile phone sets and 57 SIM cards were also seized from the possession of the arrestees during the drives on Wednesday, said Md Rezaul Masud, a special superintendent of police at cyber police center of CID at its headquarters in the city.
A bKash agent lodged a complaint to the CID that he received a phone call from the office of bKash DSO asking him to help them update information. He further said that the fraudsters embezzled Tk 10, 7000 through cloning his SIM card after the bKash agent provided them with One Time Password (OTP).
Following the complaint, the CID members in cooperation with the CPC conducted a drive in Jamalpur district and arrested Milton and Ripon on Wednesday, the CID officer said.
Read: CID gets new head in Md Ali Mia; other new postings in police
Upon information from the duo, Yousuf and mastermind Mahbub were rounded up from the Dhaka’s Mohammadpur and Faridpur in this connection on the same day, he said.
In the preliminary interrogation, Mahbub confessed to swindling Tk 15 lakh from the mobile banking users through paid version cloning apps for the last three months, the intelligence officer continued.
A case was filed under Digital Security Act at Paltan Police Station in this connection, he added.
UK announces new sanctions, legal action in support of Myanmar’s Rohingya community
The UK has announced a further round of sanctions to target military-linked businesses in Myanmar.
Those being sanctioned include Star Sapphire Group of Companies, International Gateways Group of Companies Limited (IGG) and Sky One Construction Company Ltd.
They are being sanctioned in an effort to limit the military’s access to arms and revenue, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday.
Minister for Asia Amanda Milling has also confirmed the UK’s intention to intervene in the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar before the International Court of Justice.
The case will determine whether Myanmar has violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to the military’s acts against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017.
The Myanmar Armed Forces launched a devastating attack on the Rohingya communities living in Rakhine State, Myanmar on 25 August 2017.
A UN Fact Finding Mission report stated that over 10,000 Rohingya were killed and 740,000 displaced into neighbouring Bangladesh.
The report also claimed Myanmar Armed Forces engaged in a campaign of sexual violence, grave violations against children, torture and village burnings.
Read: Rohingya Crisis: UN envoy seeks renewed int'l attention, equitable burden-sharing by other countries
These are the hallmarks of a military acting with impunity, and the UK notes its grave concern that they are employing these tactics in their current operations against pro-democracy groups in Myanmar.
The UK has been clear that what happened to the Rohingya was ethnic cleansing and remains committed to taking action to stop the brutality of the Myanmar Armed Forces and hold them to account.
Minister for Asia Amanda Milling said the UK will always face down those who seek to undermine and destroy our values of freedom and democracy.
“Five years on, we continue to stand in solidarity with the Rohingya people and condemn the Myanmar Armed Forces’ horrific campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
Minister Milling said their decision to intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar case and a further round of sanctions sends a strong signal of their continued support to seek accountability for the atrocities in 2017 and also restrict the military junta’s access to finance and the supply of arms.
The violence in 2017 was the result of an attempt, over generations, to destroy the Rohingya identity.
The 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State have been stripped of their citizenship and face systemic discrimination restricting the freedom of movement and access to healthcare.
The UK now reiterates the call for the abolition of the 1982 Citizenship Law and the restoration of Rohingya citizenship.
Since 2017 the UK has provided £330m in aid to the camps, supporting food needs, shelter, sanitation, education, medical and protection services.
Encroachments on beach: HC summons Cox's Bazar DC on contempt charge
The High Court on Thursday summoned the deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar district on contempt charge for failing to remove encroachments from the beach.
A division bench of justices JBM Hasan and Razik-Al-Jalil asked deputy commissioner Mamunur Rashid to appear in person on October 19 to explain the violation of the court's 2011 order.
The HC also issued a contempt of court rule against four others, including Cox's Bazar Development Authority chairman Lieutenant Colonel Forkan Ahmad (retired), asking the authorities concerned as to why no action should be taken against them.
The three other accused in the case are Cox's Bazar mayor Mujibur Rahman, deputy town planner Tanvir Hasan and SP Hasanuzzaman.
Read: Contempt of court rule issued against Cox's Bazar DC, SP
Advocate Manzil Morshed appeared for the petitioner, while deputy attorney general Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.
On June 7 in 2011, HC ordered the authorities concerned to remove all illegal establishments from Cox’s Bazar beach within 24 hours and halt further construction, following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), an NGO.
However, the court order has not been implemented yet.
On February 7 this year, HRPB president Manzil Morshed, a lawyer by profession, issued a contempt of court notice. As no action was taken even after the notice, a contempt plea was filed in the HC.
No prior permission needed to arrest govt officials for criminal offence
Prior permission is no longer required in Bangladesh to arrest a government official for a criminal offence, the High Court ruled on Thursday.
A bench of justices Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order, after striking down a provision of the Public Service Act, 2018, describing it as "unconstitutional".
"Constitution is the country’s main law and as per the Constitution, everyone is equal in the eyes of the law," the court observed.
"A section has been given special facilities by enacting the provision of getting prior permission to arrest government employees, which is sheer discrimination and violence of articles 26, 27 and 31 of the Constitution," the bench said.
On November 14, 2018, a gazette was issued on Public Service Act, 2018. It was published on September 26, 2019, and came into effect on October 1, 2019.
Read: HC revokes bail order of suspended ACC director Enamul Basir
According to Section 41(1) of the Act, prior permission is needed from the government or higher authorities to arrest a government officer for a criminal offence.
On October 14, 2019, a writ petition was filed challenging the legality of Section 41 (1) of the Act.
Advocates Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury, Eklas Uddin Bhuiya and Mahbubul Islam filed the writ petition on behalf of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, an NGO.
On October 21, 2019, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why Section 41 (1) of the Public Service Act should not be declared "illegal and contradictory to articles 26(1) and (2), 27 and 31 of the Constitution".
On Wednesday, the HC fixed Thursday to pronounce the order on the rule.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the petitioner, while deputy attorney general Arbinda Kumar Roy represented the state.
Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Contempt of court rule issued against Cox's Bazar DC, SP
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a contempt of court rule against nine people including the Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) for failure to halt hills cutting.
The HC asked the respondents why action will not be taken against them for not implementing its directions on the issue.
A bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the rule after hearing a writ petition.
Nine respondents are Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs Secretary Farhina Ahmed, Department of Environment (DoE) Director General (DG) Abdul Hamid, Cox's Bazar DC Md Mamunur Rashid, SP Md Hasanuzzaman, Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Imran Hossain Sajib, Cox's Bazar Sadar UNO Mohammad Zakaria, Ukhiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge and Cox's Bazar DoE Assistant Director Md Saiful Ashraf.
Read:HC forms expert committee to prevent plagiarism in PhD thesis
Lawyers Manzil Morshed and Ripon Bare stood for the writ petitioner.
Morshed said the High Court gave a verdict to preserve the hills and stop cutting them down and protect the environment on July 19, 2012, and directed the respondents to implement the verdict.
However, defying the court order, houses and structures are being built in Cox's Bazar and Ukhiya by damaging hills. From this perspective, the court issued the rule.
HC revokes bail order of suspended ACC director Enamul Basir
A day after granting bail, the High Court on Wednesday revoked the bail order of suspended ACC director Khandaker Enamul Basir in a bribery case.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order.
Advocate Faruk Alamgir Chowdhury stood for Basir while Advocate Khurshid Alam represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Earlier, on Tuesday, the same court granted bail to Basir in the case.
On February 23, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam sentenced two disgraced government officials to different jail terms in the high-profile bribery case.
Read: On Ex-DIG Mizan's payroll: ACC's Enamul finally gets bail from HC
While Enamul Basir was sentenced to eight years in jail as the recipient of Tk 40 lakh as bribe , ex- Deputy Inspector General of police Mizanur Rahman was given three years as the one paying the bribe in the same case.
A fine of Tk 80 lakh was also imposed on Basir in the case.
On July 22, 2019, ACC arrested Enamul from his Darus Salam residence in the city for taking the bribe from ex-DIG Mizanur Rahman.
On July 16, 2019, ACC director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafillah lodged the complaint over the bribery scandal.
A private TV channel reported that Mizan gave Tk 40 lakh to Basir to get a clean chit in a corruption case.
Enamul was suspended on June 10 of that year for allegedly leaking information, a breach of his job discipline.
Mizan was arrested in the case on July 21, 2019.
DIG Mizan was an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). He was withdrawn on January 9, 2019 following allegations of threatening a female news presenter of a private television channel.