United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested singer Mainul Ahsan Noble in connection with a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Talibur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of the Media and Public Relations Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said Noble was detained by Demra police in the early hours of Tuesday from the Staff Road area in Demra, based on a tip-off. Demra Police Station officer-in-charge Mahmudur Rahman told UNB that the case was filed following a complaint by Ishrat Jahan Priya, a third-year student of Eden College. According to the complaint, Noble came into contact with Priya over the phone and later, around seven months ago, allegedly took her from Mohammadpur to a flat in Amtala under Demra Police Station, where she was kept in isolation and prevented from contacting her family. A video of Priya recently went viral on social media, prompting her parents to contact the police, the OC said. Acting on the complaint, police conducted a raid on the flat in Amtala around 10 pm on Monday and rescued Priya. But Noble had already fled the scene. Singer Momtaz put on 4-day remand Later, Priya filed a formal case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with the Demra Police Station. Following the case, law enforcement conducted another raid based on confidential information and arrested Noble while he was attempting to flee the area in a car. Noble gained widespread popularity in both Bangladesh and West Bengal after participating in the 2019 edition of Zee Bangla’s music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, where he secured the third position.

Army personnel have detained 10 members of terrorist group ‘Hitlu Babu Gang’ with arms and ammunition from Matikata area of Dhaka during a late night drive. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Bhasantek army camp received complaints about disordering activities of the gang from locals earlier. Taking it into account, the army intensified intelligence on the gang and conducted the drive around 5am in the area, reads it. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the gang operatives attempted to carry out an attack on them to flee, according to the ISPR. Army arrests 280 people  in week-long anti-crime drive: ISPR In response, the army fired warning shots to bring the situation under control and took the criminals under their custody along with recovery of three automatic pistols, one revolver, 28 rounds of ammunition and other equipment. Locals expressed relief and praised the army's swift and decisive action to improve safety in the area. People have been urged to report any suspicious or criminal activity to the nearest army camp or law enforcement agency.

Two more witnesses on Monday testified in the sensational gang-rape case of Sylhet MC College from 2020. Judge of Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal Swapan Kumar Sarkar recorded the testimonies. The witnesses are the case’s plaintiff and the then  Political Science department teacher at the college, Jiban Krishna Acharya, said the prosecutor Abul Hossain. The court also set May 26 for next recording of the testimony, he said, adding that testimony of the victim is yet to be recorded as her testimony will be recorded in a camera trial due to sensitivity of the case.   On September 25 in 2020, a group of youths tied up a man and raped his 19-year-old wife at a dormitory of the college. After police rescued the couple, the victim’s husband filed a case with Shahporan Police Station against nine people mentioning the names of six. Law enforcers arrested eight people in this connection. On September 30, the High Court formed an investigation committee to look into the incident. On December 3 next year, police pressed chargesheet against eight accused with a court. According to police, they found the direct involvement of six people in the rape while two abetted in the crime. The accused who were directly involved in the crime are: Saifur Rahman, Shah Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Rony, Tariqul Islam Tarek, Arjun Laskar, Mohammad Ainuddin alias Ainul and Misbaul Islam Rajon. Rabiul Islam Hasan and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum were indirectly involved.

An accused in a murder case escaped from police custody in the Jashore Judge's Court premises on Sunday. The accused, Jewel Khan, is the son of Jahangir Khan of Rampur village in Shalikha Upazila of Magura district. He was the main accused in the murder case of Al-Amin, an easy bike driver from Harishpur village in Shalikha Upazila of Magura, Court Inspector Roksana Khatun confirmed. Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Noor-e-Alam Siddiqui, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Abul Basar, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station Abul Hasnat, and other senior police officials rushed to the court soon after the incident. In addition, several police teams launched an operation to find Jewel. As of the time of writing this report, various police units are conducting operations. Inspector Roksana Khatun said an investigation has been launched into the overall incident. On 9 December 2021, Jewel and his associates rented Al-Amin's easy bike from Magura and brought him to Budhopur village in Bagherpara Upazila of Jashore, where they murdered him. Later, they fled with the easy bike. A case was filed at Bagharpara Police Station in this regard. On December 15, 2021, RAB-6 Khulna Special Team arrested Jewel and four other accused in the case, and they confessed to the murder. Later, they were handed over to Bagharpara Police Station. Jewel has been in jail since then. According to court and police sources, the case date was set for Sunday. Jewel and Harun or Rashid were brought to the court from Jashore Central Jail in the morning. They were produced in the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge in the afternoon. Later, the court ordered them to be sent back to jail. At that time, female police constable Sonali was escorting the two of them to the jail. At that moment, Jewel somehow broke the handcuffs and escaped. Later, when Constable Sonali shouted, people around chased him. Eyewitnesses said that after hearing the news of the escape, they chased him but failed to catch him.

A Dhaka court on Sunday once again deferred the date for the submission of the investigation report in the case filed over the Bangladesh Bank (BB) reserve heist to July 2. Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Wahiduzzaman fixed the new date as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the agency probing the case, failed to submit the report. The report was scheduled to be submitted on Sunday. International robbers stole $101 million from the Bangladesh Bank account with the Federal Reserve Bank through fraudulent instructions against their target of about $1 billion in February 2016. Apex court declares appointment of administrator and board at Nagad illegal Bangladesh has so far recovered around $18 million of the $81 million transferred to the Philippines. It was later suspected that Dridex malware was used for the attack. On March 15, 2016, Deputy Director of Accounts and Budgeting Department of Bangladesh Bank Zubair Bin Huda lodged a case against unidentified people under the Money Laundering Prevention Act at Motijheel police station.

Dhaka University students on Sunday besieged Shahbagh police station again, protesting the killing of their fellow student and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Shahriar Alam Shammo and demanding the arrest of his killers. The demonstrators said they had given a 48-hour ultimatum to the law enforcers on Friday to arrest the prime accused but no one was arrested. Earlier, on Friday, the students had besieged the police station for nearly an hour and a half demanding immediate arrests. They called off the protest after issuing the ultimatum. On Sunday, following a rally at the base of the Raju Bhaskarjya, the students brought out a procession and marched towards Shahbagh police station where they staged another demonstration. At Friday’s demonstration, the students alleged that more than 72 hours had passed since the murder but the prime accused had yet to be arrested. DU student killing: 3 placed on 6-day remand Although police detained three people, protesters claim no one of them is the ‘main killer’.  

The killers of Dhaka University’s (DU) student Shahriar Alam Shammo will be put on trial in a special tribunal, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said on Saturday. DMP officials said investigation into the murder will completed within two weeks. These details were shared in a special meeting between top officials of the DMP and the university administration at the office of the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University. In the meeting, it was stated that the administration and law enforcement agencies are working jointly to identify the criminals and ensure a quick trial. A special meeting on this matter will be held tomorrow, Sunday, at 3 PM with the adviser of the Ministry of Home Affairs. DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali (NDC) said that the remand of the criminals will begin from tomorrow and a charge sheet will be submitted quickly. University student among 2 stabbed to death in Dhaka He expressed hope that the trial would be completed in the shortest possible time through the special tribunal. Deputy Commissioner of DMP’s Ramna Division Md. Masud Alam said that immediately after the incident, they conducted searches in various hospitals and clinics in Dhaka and arrested two individuals from Shoromita and BRB hospitals and another from Farmgate through mobile tracking. He stated that the investigation is progressing based on the analysis of CCTV footage and other information, and after the remand, the full picture of the incident will be revealed. DU Vice-chancellor Professor  Niaz Ahmad Khan said that they are maintaining constant contact with the family of the deceased Shammo and have expressed solidarity with the rightful demands of the students. He said that the university administration is committed to ensuring overall security on campus. Also present at the meeting were Pro-Vice Chancellor (Admin) Professor Dr. Sayma Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Treasurer Professor Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and head of the investigation committee Professor Dr. Siddiqur Rahman Khan, Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed, and other senior officials of the DMP.

Dhaka, May 17 (UNB) — Two people, including a university student, were stabbed to death and another was injured in attacks by miscreants in the capital's Mohammadpur and Hazaribagh areas on Friday night. The deceased were Nur Islam, 26, a photographer and son of Abul Fakir of Purbo Sujonkathi in Agoiljhara upazila of Barishal, and Alvi, 27, an honours third-year student of Dr Maleka College and University  and son of Moshiur Khan Pappu. Ashraful Islam, 21, a second-year student of the same institution and son of Mohammad Masud, sustained head injuries. Nur Islam’s brother Osman Gani told reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) that he came under attack around 8 pm on Friday while Nur was walking through Durga Mandir Lane in Mohammadpur. A group of muggers intercepted him, snatched his camera, and stabbed him indiscriminately in the head and both arms, he said. He was first taken to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital and then to DMCH’s emergency unit around 9:45 pm where doctors declared him dead on arrival. DMCH police outpost in-charge Mohammad Faruk confirmed the death saying that the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy. About the second incident at Hazaribagh, Alvi's aunt Mahi said around 8 pm on Friday when Alvi and his friends were chatting at Jigatola bus stand, 10-12 attackers suddenly appeared and began stabbing them, leaving Alvi and Ashraful injured. They were rushed them to Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital and later to DMCH around 9:05 pm where doctors also declared Alvi dead. His body was also sent to the morgue for autopsy. Injured Ashraful Islam is undergoing treatment at DMCH emergency department.

A group of students under the banner of ‘General Students of Bangladesh’ on Friday besieged Shahbagh police station demanding justice for Dhaka University student Shammo who was murdered at Suhrawardy Udyan last week. The protesters marched and surrounded the police station at around 11:30am. Earlier, they gathered in front of the university’s Institute of Education and Research, marched to the Raju sculpture, and then proceeded toward Shahbagh police station. Participating in the march, the students chanted slogans demanding justice for Shahriar Alam Shammo, and ensuring  safety of the campus. They said that those involved in the murder must be arrested quickly and a safe campus must be ensured. During the siege, a delegation from the protesters entered the police station for discussion. DU students hold torch procession to protest Shammo's death The delegation included Institute of Education and Research teachers Dr. Muhammad Abdus Salam, Dr. Asim Das, Dr. Sirajul Islam, and four students.  Ibrahim Munshi, one of the protesters, said, “This is a non-partisan movement. Different political parties are trying to use Shammo’s death for their own interests. But our only demand is to ensure justice for Shammo.” He further said, “Even after 72 hours, the main accused has not been arrested. We have come peacefully with a just demand. If the culprits are not arrested within 48 hours, another siege programme will be called.” Shammo, a student of the 2018–19 session at the Institute of Education and Research and literary and publication secretary of JCD’s AF Rahman Hall unit, was stabbed inside Suhrawardy Udyan on Tuesday night. He was declared dead after being taken to hospital. Early Wednesday, police detained three youths from the Green Road and Rajabazar areas in connection with the murder. They have been in jail since the detention.    

A man was arrested with 2,820 pieces of Yaba tablets hidden in his stomach at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport,  said Airport Armed Police Battalion on Friday. A case was filed under Narcotics Control Act with Airport police station on Friday morning. Based on secret information, the arrestee, Hossain Ahmed, 60, was detained near the northern side of the airport’s Balaka building after arriving in Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar on Biman Bangladesh domestic flight BS-152, on Wednesday. Upon questioning, Hossain admitted to carrying Yaba pills inside his stomach. He was taken to the airport medical unit, where an X-ray revealed 30 capsule-shaped objects in his abdomen. He was later transferred to Kurmitola General Hospital, where, under medical supervision, he expelled 30 tape-wrapped packets through natural means.  Inside the packets, a total of 2,820 Yaba tablets were found. Police said Hossain had long been involved in drug trafficking. Unidentified woman killed in road accident in city's Banani Airport Armed Police said more than 16,000 Yaba pills were recovered in separate recent drives, which led to the arrest of five other drug traffickers. “Recently, drug smuggling through the airport has noticeably increased. We remain alert to prevent any criminal activities in and around the airport,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Anita Rani Sutradhar of the Airport Armed Police Battalion.