United News of Bangladesh

A Bogura court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life in jail in a case over the killing of his extramarital lover around five years back. Judge of Bogura Senior District and Sessions’ Court Md Shahjahan Kabir also fined Tk 20, 000 the convict, in default of which he will suffer three more months’ jail, said the court’s acting Public Prosecutor TM Tarikul Islam Sachhu. The convict is Habib Mondal, son of late Tofazzel Mondal in Sonatala upazila of the district. According to the case statement, the accused developed an illicit relationship with one Joytara Begum, a resident of Gaibandha’s Saghata upazila, despite having two wives already. The wives locked into an altercation with Joytara when Habib brought her home to Rakhalgachi village of the Sonatala upazila on January 17, 2020. 3 get life terms in prison for 2021 murder in N’ganj The situation escalated, and ended with Joytara strangled to death. Her body was found at a nearby field. Habib was said to have strangled the victim to death and fled after taking her to the field on the same day. The victim’s brother Dulu Bepari filed a murder case accusing Habib with the concerned police station. Police arrested him and he gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the CrPC before the court.

Police arrested six members of a robbery gang on Tuesday in connection with the armed robbery earlier this month at a jewellery shop, as well as the murder of its owner in Ashulia’s Nayarhat area. Law enforcement recovered 13 bhori of gold, Tk 76,000 from gold sales, and two machetes from their possession. Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) Anisuzzaman said that the suspects are active members of a notorious robbery gang. Some of them work as autorickshaw drivers, while others trade seasonal fruits, but they engage in robberies at night. Five of the suspects carried out the robbery, while one was responsible for hiding the stolen goods. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ripon Mia (40) from Karimganj in Kishoreganj, Arif Pramanik (30) from Sujanagar in Pabna, Shah Alam (45) from Ataikul in Pabna, Arman Sheikh (37), gold businessman Ibrahim Babu (45) from Karnohar in Rajshahi, and Masud Rana alias Kala Masud (45) from Debidwar in Cumilla. According to police, the robbery took place on March 9 when the gang targeted the gold shop. They arrived in a car, with two members staying inside while two others took positions for surveillance. The gang created panic among the public by detonating a crude bomb. Bank official assaulted ‘by JCD leader’ in Feni ‘for failing to give money’ During the attack, Ripon and Arif hacked shop owner Dilip, while Masud Rana snatched a bag of gold. Following this, all eight members of the gang fled the scene in their vehicle, according to the SP.

DMP Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali on Tuesday said that motorcycle patrols will be increased in the city’s alleys as part of ongoing efforts to prevent crime. He emphasized that regular motorcycle patrols, alongside other forms of police surveillance, will play a key role in maintaining security of the capital. He also noted that incidents of snatching have significantly decreased due to increased police action, a trend that must be sustained. The Commissioner made these remarks during a monthly crime review meeting on Tuesday for February 2025 at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh, where he addressed DMP officers. In his speech, the top officer of the DMP further said that the rate of snatching incidents had notably decreased before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, thanks to the proactive policing efforts. “I believe that your sincere efforts, intelligence, and officer management have contributed to this success,” he said, stressing the importance of maintaining this momentum. He also stated that supportive police officers will be empowered to exercise arrest authority, with assistance from local police stations. Patrolling to be increased from today following deterioration of law and order situation: Press Secretary Additionally, the Commissioner highlighted the importance of quick police response, noting that officers will respond to general diary (GD) entries within one hour and provide flash reports from crime scenes. He reiterated that the focus would be on increasing motorcycle patrols in the city’s alleyways, emphasizing the need to strengthen efforts in executing arrest warrants and enforcing sentences. In preparation for the upcoming Eid, he urged both the police and city residents to take enhanced security measures for their homes and establishments. Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Mohammad Nazrul Islam stated that many identified snatchers have been arrested in recent days, bringing the snatching situation under control. However, he cautioned that snatching activities might increase in areas like Gabtoli and Mohakhali during the Eid season, urging officers to remain vigilant. Additional Commissioner (Detective Branch) Rezaul Karim Mallik pointed out that with many homes and markets vacant during Eid, special attention must be given to increasing police patrols, particularly around gold markets, to prevent thefts. He also stressed the need for enhanced night patrols in residential areas to curb burglary. During the crime review session, Additional Commissioner (Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime) Mohammad Masud Karim noted that various groups are attempting to create instability in the city due to changing circumstances. Officers must stay alert to such developments. Joint Commissioner (Crime) Mohammad Faruk Hossain presented a detailed report on the overall crime situation for February 2025, covering crimes such as robbery, dacoity, theft, murder, unnatural deaths, road accidents, abuse of women and children, rape, narcotics, and arms recoveries. The meeting was attended by Additional Commissioners (Traffic) Mohammad Sarwar, Additional Commissioner (Admin) Faruk Ahmed; Additional Commissioner (Logistics, Finance, and Procurement) Hasan Mohammad Shawkat Ali; Joint Police Commissioners; Deputy Police Commissioners; Assistant Police Commissioners; and Officers-in-Charge from various DMP police stations.

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways and Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF)on Tuesday demanded to conduct drives against all types of illegal vehicles, including buses without route permits, and unlicensed and under-aged drivers to prevent road accidents and save lives during upcoming  Eid-ul-Fitr. For this reason, the two organisations have called for the immediate start of mobile court drives on all roads, highways, inter-district roads and regional roads across the country, including the capital Dhaka and port city Chattragram. National committee president Mohammad Shahid Mia and SCRF General Secretary Lion Mohd Jahangir Alam made this call in a joint statement to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). The statement also urged the police, traffic police, highway police and district administration to play a strict role against illegal vehicles and law breakers, including unlicensed and minor drivers. Expressing deep concern over the regular road accidents and serial casualties in different parts of the country, the statement said, though accidents and unexpected deaths often occur on the roads and highways, there is no visible effort by the concerned quarters to establish accident risk-free roads. 5 ‘ARSA members’ among 6 arrested in N’ganj In the statement, the leaders of the national committee and SCRF said that at various times in the near past, responsible officials of the government, including the road transport minister, blamed faulty and illegal vehicles and unskilled and unlicensed drivers for the accidents. But during their rule, the government agencies concerned  did not take effective steps against these irregularities and mismanagement. As a result, roads and highways have become very risky. The statement also warned all authorities concerned, including the ministry of road transport, police administration and BRTA, to prevent a repeat of deadly accidents during Eid trip like in the past.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested five suspected members of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and a Bangladeshi from Siddhirganj upazila of Narayanganj on Tuesday. The arrestees are ARSA leader Ataullah Abu Ammar alias as Jununi, Moshtak Ahmed, 66, Salimullah, 27, his wife Asmaul Hosna, 23, Hasan, 15, and Bangladeshi Moniruzzaman, 24. They recovered Tk 21.39 lakh in cash from the arrestees. A team of the Rab-11 conducted a drive at a high-rise building in Bhumi Palli Abasan area on Tuesday morning after being tipped-off that some Rohingyas were holding clandestine meetings there. Top ARSA leader arrested with firearm, bullets in Cox’s Bazar Later, they were arrested from the building and handed over to Siddhirganj police station, said Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahinur Alam. Two separate cases were filed against the arrestees, he said. The arrestees were holding a secret meeting to carry out acts of sabotage in parts of the country including in Narayanganj and Mymensingh, said the OC. The arrestees were produced before a Naryanganj court with pleas for remand.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered the freezing of 31 bank accounts linked to Sheikh Hasina and her family, holding Tk 394.60 crore, amid allegations of graft. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain passed the order following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said ACC public relations officer Akhtarul Islam. ACC Deputy Director Manirul Islam had sought the order to freeze the accounts registered under the names of Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul and others. Court orders seizure of properties of Hasina, family According to the petition, there were attempts to transfer or misappropriate funds from these accounts, necessitating immediate action to ensure a fair investigation. Earlier, on March 11, another court ordered the freezing of 124 bank accounts linked to Sheikh Hasina and her family. It also directed the seizure of property, including houses, flats and land registered under the names of her family members.

Islamic University (IU) authorities in Kushtia have formed a committee to investigate allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of teachers, officials, and staff during the 15-year tenure of the Awami League government. IU Vice-Chancellor Prof Nakib Muhammad Nasrullah  formed the committee with Prof Dr Farukuzzaman Khan of the Computer Science and Engineering department as its chief, according to a press release issued on Sunday. IU Alumni Association holds iftar mahfil in Dhaka Deputy Registrar Masudul Haque Talukder was made the member secretary of the committee, while Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad of the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering department, Prof Dr Rashiduzzaman of the Bengali department, and Prof Dr Abdul Bari of the Islamic History and Culture department were included as members. The committee will investigate alleged corruption, nepotism, and irregularities in recruitment at the university between March 9, 2009, and August 5, 2024, the release said. It was asked to submit its report within 90 days.  

Police in have arrested a leader of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook in Singra upazila og Natore. Sakibul Hasan Swachchha, general secretary of Ward-6 of the Chhatra League's Ramananda Khajura Union unit was arrested from the Singra Bazar area around midnight Sunday, said Singra Police Station Officer-in-Charge Asmaul Haque. Banned BCL leader arrested for offensive remarks on Prophet (PBUH) According to police and locals, Swachchha, posted derogatory comments about the Prophet (PBUH) in the comment section of a political post on Facebook. After his remarks spread online, angered locals gathered at Singra Police Station around 10:00 pm, demanding his punishment and filing a written complaint. Following this, police conducted an immediate operation and arrested Swachchha from the Singra Bazar area, the OC said. Banned IU BCL leader, activist held during exam The arrestee will be sent to the court on Monday in a defamation case, added the OC.

Police have arrested four men in a case filed for raping a 19-year-old girl in Jhikargacha upazila of Jashore. The arrestees are Yasin Arafat (22), son of Mizanur Rahman; Javed Hossain (28), son of Zakir Hossain; Mamun Hossain Bappi (21), son of Shariful Islam; and Aminur Rahman (20), son of Ujjal Hossain. All of them are from Patuyapara village of Godkhali Union Parishad (UP), said Jhikargacha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Babulur Rahman Khan on Sunday. Man charged with attempted rape of 10-year-old in Jashore; accused on the run The accused were arrested on Sunday evening using mobile tracking after police received a 999 call. The victim was also rescued from the crime scene, said the OC. The incident took place around 3:30 pm on Sunday in a lychee orchard in the upazila. According to police, the victim was returning from Benapole Khalabari when she got off at a flower shop owned by one of the accused, Aminur Rahman. There, she met the four men. Under the pretext of showing her a flower garden, they lured her to a lychee orchard owned by Javed Hossain, where they raped her. CA’s office condemns DMP chief’s remark on "rape" Following the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police Noor-e-Alam Siddiqui and Navaran (Circle) ASP Nishat Al Nahiyaan visited the crime scene as part of the ongoing investigation.

As the holy month of Ramadan continues and Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has urged all concerned to refrain from blocking roads and highways, stressing the importance of minimizing public inconvenience during this busy time. In a statement on Sunday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said that, alongside preparations for the festival, the month of Ramadan also sees a significant increase in economic activities across the country. DMP deploys auxiliary police for Ramadan, Eid with arrest powers “Devout Muslims rush to their homes after completing work during adjusted office hours to break their fast with family. As a result, the city’s roads become crowded with a large number of vehicles, presenting challenges for traffic management,” it added. Besides, recent instances of vested interests blocking roads and highways in the name of various demands have caused significant difficulty for city residents. To ensure smooth travel and alleviate public suffering, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has called on all parties to cooperate and avoid obstructing traffic during the remainder of Ramadan.