United News of Bangladesh

The High Court on Monday deferred until May 14 the delivery of its order on bail petitions filed by Chinmoy Krishna Das, suspended ISKCON leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagran Jote, in four cases. The HC bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher postponed the ruling after Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque sought time to submit additional documents related to the cases. Earlier on Sunday, the same bench rejected Chinmoy’s bail petition in a case filed with Chattogram Kotwali Police Station over the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. Alif was beaten and hacked to death during clashes that erupted near the court building in Chattogram on November 26, 2024 following the denial of bail to Chinmoy, who arrested from Dhaka the previous day, in a sedition case. Following the murder, Alif’s father Jamal Uddin filed a murder case naming 31 people. In May last year, Chinmoy was shown arrested in four additional cases. On October 25, 2024, a large gathering of the Sanatani community was held in Chattogram under the leadership of Chinmoy. On October 31, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Chinmoy, on charge of belittling the national flag. On November 22 of the year, another large rally was held in Rangpur under the leadership of Chinmoy.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said a specialised cyber police unit will be formed to combat cybercrimes, online rumours and misinformation amid changing crime patterns in the digital age.   He made the announcement while addressing senior police officials at a programme marking Police Week 2026 at the Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon.   The minister said the government would maintain a strict ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption within the police force and would not compromise on discipline and the chain of command.   Highlighting the government’s modernisation plans for the police, the minister said two new police training academies would be established at Jungle Salimpur in Chattogram to enhance professionalism.   “One academy will be for the elite force and the other for the general force,” he said, adding that a separate law would be enacted to ensure transparency and accountability in the operations of elite forces.   He also said steps would be taken to modernise and enhance the capacity of central and divisional police hospitals.   A full-fledged Police Sports Complex would also be constructed subject to land availability, he said.   Calling for greater transparency in operational activities, the minister instructed police authorities to expand the use of body-worn cameras.   “Police are being trained to follow the minimum use of force policy in line with United Nations standards. Law enforcers must be strategic in tackling crimes, but human rights must not be violated under any circumstances,” he said.   The minister also directed police officials to ensure quick delivery of public services including police clearance certificates and online general diary (GD) services.   He stressed enhancing the capacity of Tourist Police to strengthen the image of the country’s tourism sector.   Referring to the government’s electoral pledges, Salahuddin said stable law and order is a prerequisite for implementing the 31-point election manifesto.   “Every police station must be transformed into a centre of public service under the motto ‘Police are the people and  people are the police,’” he said.   He also emphasised preventive policing to stop crimes before they occur in line with modern policing doctrines.   Senior police officials, including additional IGPs, DIGs, additional DIGs and police superintendents, attended the meeting where future plans for police modernisation were discussed in light of the prime minister’s directives.   END/UNB/MJ-MAS/FH/1657 Hrs    

The High Court on Monday granted bail to journalist couple Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa in 11 cases out of 13 including a murder case related to the July Uprising in 2024. The HC bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order. Of the 11 cases, Farzana Rupa was granted bail in six cases while Shakil Ahmed secured bail in five. The court issued a rule in one remaining case against each of them, meaning they will not be released immediately as bail has not been granted in all cases, said their lawyer. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the petitioners while Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque represented the state. Shakil Ahmed had served as head of news at Ekattor Television  while Farzana Rupa was its chief reporter. They were removed from their posts on August 8, 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government. The couple was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on August 21, 2024, while attempting to travel to Paris on a Turkish Airlines flight.

A court in Brahmanbaria on Sunday sentenced two individuals identifying themselves as journalists to five years’ imprisonment in an extortion case. The convicts are SM Ali Azam and Ashiqur Rahman Roni. Judge Masud Parvez of the Brahmanbaria Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-2 delivered the verdict in the afternoon. The accused were present in the courtroom during the announcement and were later sent to jail. According to the case statement, SM Ali Azam and Ashiqur Rahman Roni visited Sharifpur East Government Primary School in Ashuganj upazila on September 14, 2021, introducing themselves as journalists. They reportedly sought access to various bills, vouchers and official documents of the school. When the headmaster informed them that relevant authorities handle such records, they allegedly became angry and threatened to publish false reports against the teachers unless Tk 20,000 was paid as extortion. They also misbehaved with staff members. At one stage, local residents and teachers detained SM Ali Azam, while Roni fled the scene on a motorcycle. Later, the detained suspect was handed over to police on instructions from the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Following the incident, headmaster Md Habibur Rahman filed a case with Ashuganj Police Station under sections 419, 385 and 506 of the Penal Code. Police later submitted a charge sheet after investigation. After hearing witnesses and arguments, the court handed down the verdict. Plaintiff’s lawyer Syed Tafsir Ahmed Tanvir said the convicts had been involved in extortion at different institutions using the identity of journalists, and the verdict was delivered based on evidence. Ashuganj Press Club President Selim Parvez said journalism is a responsible profession and those convicted were not mainstream journalists, adding that they misused press identity cards and social media pages to deceive people.  

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld the bail granted by the High Court to former Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy in 10 cases, paving the way for her release. The Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order rejecting separate appeals filed by the state against the HC bail. With the apex court order, there is no legal bar to the release of Ivy, said her lawyer Motahar Hossain Saju. The High Court granted bail to Ivy in five of the cases on February 26 this year following separate bail petitions. The state filed petitions with the Appellate Division seeking stay on the High Court orders of bail. Following state’s petitions, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on March 5 this year stayed the High Court orders and sent those petitions to the full bench for hearings. Of the cases, four are murder cases filed at Fatullah Police Station over the killings of bus driver Abul Hossain Mizi, Abdur Rahman, Md Yasin and Parvez during the July uprising. Another case was filed at Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station on charges of assault and obstructing public servants. The former NCC mayor was shown arrested in the five cases on November 9 last year, when she secured HC bail in five additional cases. The state moved the Appellate Division against the HC orders when the chamber judge on November 12 stayed the bail and sent the matter to the regular bench for hearing. Meanwhile, the High Cour on April 30 granted bail to the former NCC mayor in two other murder cases linked to the July uprising. The HC bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order after hearing separate bail petitions. The cases were filed at Siddhirganj Police Station in Narayanganj on charges of killing Selim Mondal and Abdus Salam during the July 2024 uprising. Ivy was shown arrested in the cases on March 2 and April 12 this year. She was picked up in the early hours of May 9 last year from her residence ‘Chunka Kutir’ in Narayanganj city’s Deobhog area and later shown arrested in multiple cases.

A murder case has been filed over the killing of five members of the same family, including a woman and her three daughters, in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur. Md Shahadat Molla, father of deceased Sharmin Khanom, filed the case with Kapasia Police Station on Saturday night, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinur Alam. Forkan Mia was named as the prime accused in the case along with three to four unidentified individuals. Inside the Gazipur family killings: What we know so far The victims were identified as Sharmin Khanom, 40, her daughters Meem, 16, Maria, 8, and Faria, 2, and Sharmin’s brother Rasul, 22. Police recovered their bodies from a rented house in Rautkona village on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, post-mortem examinations of the five bodies were conducted at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital morgue. After the autopsies were completed on Saturday night, the bodies were handed over to relatives for burial, police said. Investigators suspect the killings were premeditated, and multiple law enforcement agencies, including DB, CID and PBI, are continuing efforts to arrest the main accused and uncover the motive behind the murders.

The heinous killing of five members of a family inside a rented house in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur has sent shockwaves through the area, with investigators suspecting that the murders were carefully planned long before it took place. Police say the prime suspect, Forkan Mia, a private car driver, allegedly fled after slaughtering his wife, three daughters and brother-in-law, leaving behind five identical typed “notes” beside the bodies. The victims were identified as Forkan’s wife Sharmin Khanom, 40; daughters Meem, 16, Maria, 8, and Faria, 2; and Sharmin’s younger brother Rasul, 22. Their bodies were recovered from a rented house in Rautkona village on Saturday morning. Investigators suspect the killings may have been driven by long-standing family disputes, allegations of an extramarital relationship, and financial conflicts involving Tk 10 lakh, though police say all claims are still being verified. A silent house, a horrifying discovery According to police and local residents, relatives rushed to the house after receiving a phone call from Forkan early Saturday informing them about the deaths. When they entered the residence, they found the bodies lying inside with deep throat injuries. The house, owned by expatriate Monir Hossain, had been rented by Forkan around five months ago after he moved from Tongi with his family. Neighbours told investigators the family kept largely to themselves and had little interaction with local residents. Police officials believe the isolated location may have been chosen deliberately. Typed accusations left beside bodies One of the most startling discoveries at the scene was five identical typed documents resembling formal complaint letters addressed to the Officer-in-Charge of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station. According to investigators, the documents contained allegations against Sharmin and several of her relatives. The papers claimed that Sharmin was involved in an extramarital relationship with a cousin and that members of her family had embezzled around Tk 10 lakh earned by Forkan and used the money to purchase land. The documents also alleged that Forkan had been tied up and assaulted on May 5 after confronting his wife over the alleged affair. Police officials said they are trying to determine whether any such complaint had actually been filed with the police station mentioned in the documents. Investigators stressed that the allegations remain unverified. Signs of premeditation Crime scene investigators recovered liquor bottles, machetes and other materials from the house, leading police to suspect the victims may have been drugged before the killings. Officials involved in the investigation said the murders appeared highly planned. “Several important pieces of evidence have been collected from the scene. After the killings, Forkan allegedly switched off his mobile phone and disappeared. Police suspect he fled using the private vehicle he used for work. Multiple agencies join investigation Additional Superintendent of Police (Kaliganj Circle) Md Asaduzzaman said the bodies were sent to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsies. He said teams from district police, Detective Branch (DB), CID and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) are conducting parallel investigations. “We are examining all evidence carefully and trying to arrest the accused as quickly as possible,” he said. Police also confirmed that two people are being questioned over possible links to the case, though their identities have not yet been disclosed. Shock and fear in the neighbourhood The gruesome killings have left residents of the quiet rural neighbourhood stunned. Many gathered outside the house throughout the day as police cordoned off the area and forensic teams collected evidence. Locals said they never imagined such violence could occur inside the seemingly quiet family home.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has filed a money laundering case against Unique Group Managing Director Mohd. Noor Ali and his company Borak Real Estate Pvt Ltd over alleged irregularities and fraud in the “Banani Supermarket-cum-Housing” project implemented on the land owned by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at Banani. The case was filed at Banani Police Station on Thursday under sections 4(2) and 4(4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012, according to a press release issued on Friday. According to the CID, a preliminary investigation found evidence that the accused laundered Tk 115.58 crore by operating a hotel business in the building without proper approval. Investigators alleged that though the original agreement was for the construction of a 14-storey building, Borak Real Estate violated the contract terms and constructed a 28-storey structure without approval. A five-star hotel – Sheraton Dhaka – was later established in the building. The CID said the project completion deadline was extended several times allegedly through influence, while the company also failed to pay the dues owed to DNCC under the agreement. The investigation further found that the required no-objection certificates from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakka and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh were not obtained before construction. The building’s height allegedly exceeded the approved limit, posing risks to aircraft take-off and landing operations. According to the CID, the accused illegally earned Tk 115.58 crore by operating the hotel business in the unauthorised building and later laundered the money through transfer and conversion. Officials said the amount involved could increase further after assessing the seized assets during the investigation. The agency said its investigation and operations are continuing to uncover the full details of the alleged offences and arrest those involved.

A Dhaka court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking its permission to file a case against 16 people including Chief Adviser of the interim government Prof Yunus and former Law Adviser Asif Nazrul in connection with military aircraft crash into Milestone School and College that claimed lives of 36 people including 28 students. Judge of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam rejected the petition, said Advocate AKM Sharif Uddin, lawyer of the plaintiff. Earlier in the day, Usaimong Marma, father of slain student Ukkya Saing Marma, filed the petition with the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate. Other names included in the petition are former Air Vice Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Air commanding Officer Morshed Mohammad Khayer Ul Afsar, Officer Commanding Maintenance Group Captain Rifat Akter Ziku, Adviser of the Governing Body of Milestone School and College, Nurnabi (retd), Principle of the college Mohammad Ziaul Alam, Principle (Administration) Md Masud Alam, Principal (School section) Rifat Nabi, Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Filed Supervisor (Uttara), former secretary of Education Ministry Zubayer, former secretary of Defence Ministry, former Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and former press secretary of the interim government Shafiqul Alam. On July 21 last year, at least 36 people including 28 students were killed when an FT-7 BGI fighter jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Uttara. On November 5, a probe body, formed after the July jet crash, submitted the report to former Chief Adviser Prof Yunus.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to produce journalists Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa before it on May 14 in connection with the 2013 Shapla Chattar massacre during a rally of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. The ICT-1, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, issued the order following petitions filed by the prosecution for issuing production warrants for them as well as former minister Dr Dipu Moni. Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim told the tribunal that during the May 5, 2013 crackdown at Shapla Chattar, Dipu Moni was serving as foreign minister and allegedly promoted internationally that law enforcers had “eliminated a group of unruly people.” He further alleged that from the beginning, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa portrayed Hefazat’s grand rally as provocative in broadcast and later played a role in diverting the Shapla Chattar killings to a different direction and concealing information regarding the deaths. After the hearing, the tribunal ordered that the accused be produced before it on May 14 and fixed June 7 for submission of the investigation report in the case, which is under investigation. So far, six people, including former Inspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque, former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and Shahriar Kabir, have been arrested in connection with the case. ICT Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam alleged that Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa had attempted to deliberately divert the Shapla Chattar killings to a different direction and played a role in hiding information related to the deaths. Earlier on Tuesday, he said 58 people killed during the crackdown on the Hefazt rally have been identified. Besides, involvement of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior government officials have been found, he said, adding that around 90 percent of the investigation into the incident has been completed and a formal report will be submitted to the tribunal by June 7. On May 5, 2013, Hefazat launched “Dhaka Blockade” programme protesting alleged insult to the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and to press for its 13-point agenda. On that day, thousands of religious scholars, madrasah students and supporters gathered in Dhaka and later occupied the Shapla Chattar area in Motijheel. A late-night joint forces operation was carried out when the gathering was dispersed amid gunfire, tear gas and sound grenades. Numerous casualties were reported although exact figures have long been disputed. Different organisations have provided varying estimates of the death toll. Hefazat published a preliminary list of 93 victims in 2025, while human rights group Odhikar reported 61 names in 2021. A 2014 publication titled “Shahidnama” documented 41 deaths. Despite 13 years passing since the incident, the trial has not yet been completed. However, the issue resurfaced following political changes on August 5, 2024. After the July uprising and formation of the interim government, Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi filed a complaint with the ICT naming Sheikh Hasina and several others as accused. The complaint also includes names of former ministers, senior security officials and police chiefs.