United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 527 people and filed 55 cases during its regular anti-crime operations across the capital over the past 24 hours until 8:00am on Sunday. Of the total arrests, 146 were made in Mirpur Division, 79 in Tejgaon, 63 in Motijheel, 57 in Wari, 52 in Ramna, 45 in Uttara, 43 in Lalbagh, 41 in Gulshan, and one arrest was made by the Detective Branch, said Niaz Mehedi, DMP additional deputy commissioner (Media and Public Relations). During the drives, police recovered one unexploded crude bomb, 500 grams of gunpowder, 500 grams of fabric scraps, 250 grams of petrol, bomb-making materials, three knives and one machete. Law enforcers also seized two Yaba-making machines along with 2,600 grams of chemicals, 1,500 grams of mixed Yaba ingredients, 4,115 Yaba tablets, 54.245 kg of cannabis, 21 grams of heroin, 50 bottles of Phensedyl and 350 empty bottles. Additionally, police seized a private car and 14 mobile phones, while rescuing two victims during the operations.

A cocktail exploded at Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital on Saturday night, with no casualties reported. The explosion occurred around 10:45pm in an isolated area of Platform No. 2, said Superintendent of Police (SP) for Dhaka railway district Nikulin Chakma. “We are trying to identify who carried out the incident,” he said. The railway police have intensified platform-based patrols at the station and are taking measures to prevent such incidents in the future, the official added.

Customs intelligence officials recovered 4.204 kg of gold-like paste, estimated to be worth around Tk 7.5 crore, from the tank of a high commode at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday evening. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, Airport (A-Shift), conducted the operation at around 6pm and recovered eight egg-shaped packets wrapped in polythene from the toilet adjacent to Belt No. 1 of the Customs Hall. The packets were found abandoned inside the commode tank, with no immediate claimant, according to a press release. The packets were recovered in the presence of representatives of different intelligence and relevant agencies working at the airport and taken to the inventory table at the Customs Hall for opening. Upon opening the packets, officials initially found 4.204 kg of a substance suspected to be gold paste. The authorities are now separating the gold from the paste through a registered goldsmith to determine its actual weight and purity. Officials said the preliminary estimated market value of the recovered gold could be around Tk 7.5 crore. The exact quantity, purity and value will be known after the examination and separation process is completed. The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate is investigating the incident to identify those involved in leaving the suspected gold paste at the airport.

Customs intelligence officials recovered 82 grams of 24-carat gold from the rectum of a passenger who was allegedly attempting to smuggle the precious metal into India through the Benapole border. The gold, valued at approximately Tk 14.70 lakh, was recovered during an operation conducted by the Benapole Circle of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) near the zero point of the Benapole immigration area on Saturday, according to a press release. Acting on information about gold smuggling, a CIID team intercepted an India-bound passenger identified as Al Mamun and conducted a preliminary interrogation and search. Mamun denied carrying any gold, and no contraband was found during the initial physical search. As suspicion persisted, the officials arranged an X-ray examination of his body. The scan revealed a gold-like object inside his rectum. The passenger subsequently admitted to carrying the gold, following which officials recovered 82 grams of 24-carat gold from his body. The estimated market value of the seized gold is Tk 14,70,000. The seized gold was handed over to Customs House, Benapole, for further legal action. Officials are also investigating whether other individuals or an organised smuggling network were involved in the attempt to smuggle gold across the border by concealing it inside the body.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of a 73-year-old woman who was hacked to death while offering prayers at her home in Madhabdi upazila of Narsingdi district. The details were disclosed during a press conference at Madhabdi Police Station on Thursday noon. The arrestees were identified as Hridoy Miah, 27, son of late Harun Miah; Kadir Miah, 27, son of Sayed; and Abu Miah, 29, son of Akman Miah. All three are residents of Swarpanigor village in Meherpara union under Madhabdi area. According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md. Ashikur Rahman, the victim, Jahanara Begum,73, was attacked on the verandah of her house on the evening of July 30. Following the incident, the victim's son, Mohammad Ismail Miah, filed a murder case with Madhabdi Police Station. District Detective Police (DB) conducted an investigation using information technology and intelligence, identifying the suspects. Police subsequently arrested Hriday on August 9, Kadir on August 30, and Abu on September 16. They have been sent to jail through a court order. Referencing confessional statements made by the arrestees, police said the suspects had planned the theft seven to eight months prior at a local madrasa to steal the victim's gold chain. On July 30, taking advantage of a power outage, they entered the house while Jahanara was praying. When she recognized them and attempted to resist, they struck her on the head and back with sharp weapons before fleeing with the gold chain. Police added that operations are ongoing to recover the looted gold chain and that Hriday and Kadir have prior criminal records.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a man with a foreign-made pistol, four rounds of ammunition and two magazines during an anti-smuggling operation in Shibganj upazila on Thursday. The arrestee was identified as Md Mashiur Rahman. Two motorcycles were also seized. Acting on a tip-off, a special patrol team of Sonamasjid Border Outpost under Mahananda Battalion (59 BGB) conducted a vehicle search in Baliadighi Dhanipara area of Shahbazpur Union around 5:30pm, about one kilometre inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar 185/13-S. Sensing the BGB presence, Mashiur tried to flee. After firing a blank shot, BGB members chased and arrested him. A body search led to the recovery of the arms and ammunition, while another motorcycle was later seized based on information provided by him. Legal proceedings are underway against the arrested man and over the seized items. Mahananda Battalion Commander Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said BGB maintains a zero-tolerance policy against smuggling of arms, ammunition, drugs and other contraband along the border.

Officer-in-Charge of Cantonment Police Station Md Rakibul Hasan has been withdrawn and attached to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters. The DMP headquarters issued an office order in this regard on Thursday. According to the office order, the decision was taken for administrative reasons. The action came after an audio clip went viral on social media where the OC is allegedly heard criticising the government, administration, Bangladesh Army and the police force.

A total of 99 judges have been transferred and given new postings in a major reshuffle in the judiciary. The transferred judges include 44 district judges, 26 additional district judges, 25 joint district judges, two senior civil judges and two civil judges. The Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued five separate notifications on Thursday in consultation with the Supreme Court. Of the transferred judges, 17 holding the rank of joint district and sessions judge have been appointed as chief legal aid officers. Several district and additional district judges have also been transferred to legal posts in different ministries, the Law and Justice Division, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Election Commission Secretariat. The notifications said the transferred judges must hand over charges to the designated officials and join their new workplaces by September 22. Judges currently undergoing training or on leave will join their new workplaces after completing their training or returning from leave.  

A Moulvibazar court on Thursday sentenced two people to death and two others to life imprisonment for the 2013 murder of Azizul Mia in Rajnagar upazila of the district. The condemned convicts are Rubel Mia and his brother Ruman Mia, while the lifers are Zainal Abedin and Ripon Mia. Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Fahmida Khatun handed down the verdict around noon. The court also acquitted four other accused – Swapan Mia, Zahir Mia, Komru Mia and Faisal Mia. According to the prosecution, Azizul Mia, 45, a resident of Muniarpar village in Fatepur union, he was killed in 2013 after some of the accused got dissatisfied with the outcome of an arbitration the victim joined. His wife Rabeya Begum later filed a case over the killing. Three of the four convicts were standing in the dock when the verdict was announced, while Rubel Mia was tried in absentia.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the seizure of immovable assets worth Tk 49,61,384, including two flats in Dhanmondi and Adabor, belonging to former Janata Bank Chairman and economist Abul Barkat. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Shahjahan Kabir passed the order following an application filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Mohammad Shahjahan Miraj. The court also ordered the seizure of a plot in Uttara, Tk 2.5 lakh invested in the Dhaka University Teachers' Housing Project and a car valued at Tk 29 lakh, while ordering the freezing of Tk 3,60,03,455 held in 16 bank accounts. According to the ACC application, an investigation is underway into allegations that Abul Barkat illegally sanctioned loans to various companies and accumulated assets beyond his known sources of income. The investigation found information about immovable assets worth Tk 49,61,384 and movable assets comprising Tk 3,50,31,000 and US$10,250 in his name, the application said. It further said information from various sources suggested that Barkat was attempting to sell or transfer his movable and immovable assets. The ACC argued that transferring, converting or selling the allegedly illicit assets before the investigation is concluded could cause loss to the state, making it necessary to seize the immovable properties and freeze the movable assets. Barkat was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence on July 10, 2025 in an ACC case. Although he later secured bail in the ACC case, he was shown arrested in a separate murder case filed over the killing of businessman Wadud during the July 2024 mass uprising. He is currently on bail in the cases.