United News of Bangladesh

Speakers at a roundtable discussion on Saturday opined that reform is essential to transform the Bangladesh Police into a truly people-friendly and humane force. Organized by the Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association, the event titled “Bangladesh Police Reform: Citizens' Perspective” was held at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall of the National Press Club, with the association’s president, retired DIG M Akbar Ali, in the chair. Retired DIG Md Motiar Rahman presented the keynote paper, while Mahmudur Rahman, editor and publisher of the daily ‘Amar Desh’, attended as the main speaker. The event was moderated by the association’s vice president Md Abdur Rahman Khan, and former IGP Ashraful Huda delivered the welcome speech. Participants included former justices, civil servants, academics, journalists, political leaders, and other members of civil society. Press Secretary for critical assessment of journalism during AL regime In his keynote, Retired DIG Motiar Rahman highlighted key challenges facing the police force, including a colonial legal structure, shortages in human resources and technology, lack of accountability, corruption, excessive workload, and mental health concerns. To address these, he proposed comprehensive reforms such as enacting modern and people-oriented laws, ensuring transparency and accountability, enhancing training and attitudinal change, free the police from political interference, implementing community policing, increasing use of technology, and building a disciplined, service-oriented force. He also emphasized the urgent need for an independent Police Commission to monitor the force impartially and recommended that such a commission should include former and current justices, government officials, human rights activists, journalists, women, and civil society representatives. "A safe, peaceful, and developed Bangladesh depends on a police force that upholds the values of independence, democracy, and human rights," he added. Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman stressed the importance of depoliticizing the police and ensuring that officers are provided with adequate welfare and training opportunities. He called for the withdrawal of military officers from RAB, and for modern and context-specific training for police personnel. He urged the interim government to implement these reforms and also proposed the creation of a separate internal accountability committee within the police. "The decline in police integrity is a result of political interference," he said. "If we are to hold free and fair elections, we must restore the morale of the police," he added. Mahmudur Rahman also claimed that during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, there was a breakdown of the chain of command within the police. He criticized past police actions prior to what he described as the "July Revolution" and said that restoring public trust in the police is a major challenge for any interim government. Recalling his own experience in police remand, he questioned whether the current crisis of police image was solely the force’s fault, suggesting that political affiliations of officers in detective branches contributed to the issue. "Our goal is now to ensure that fascism does not return," he stated. Prof. Dr. Borhan Uddin from the University of Dhaka’s Law Department emphasized the need for a separate legal framework governing police promotions and postings. He noted that no government is likely to voluntarily establish a Police Commission and called for demilitarization of police equipment. Ahmed Abdul Kader, Secretary General of, Khelafat-e-Majlish said that police must not be used to serve ruling party interests and essential reforms are necessary. Zarif Rahman, a member of the Police Reform Commission, said that removing police reform from the national consensus agenda would be a betrayal of the July Movement. Former Justice Farid Ahmed stressed that police reform has become unavoidable due to the controversial role of the force played during past governments. Among others, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University; Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad, General Secretary of AB Party; BNP’s Information and Research Secretary Azizul Bari Helal; Prof. Md Shariful Islam from the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University; and Dr. Mohammad Tarikul Islam, Professor of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University also spoke in the programme.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested the prime suspect of orchestrating the mob assault, filming and online viral of a video that shows a woman being raped and tortured in Cumilla’s Muradnagar upazila. Md Shah Poran, 28, was picked up from the Kabila Bazar area of Burichang upazila around noon on Thursday , Rab-11 Commanding Officer Lt Col HM Sajjad Hossain disclosed durning a briefing at the Rab Media Centre in the capital on Friday. A mobile phone, believed to be used to spread the footage, was also seized from his possession , he added. According to Rab, Shah Poran masterminded the June 26 assault to avenge an earlier public humiliation by his elder brother Fozor Ali. Quoting locals, Rab said the brothers had quarrelled months ago, ending with Fozor slapping Poran during a village arbitration at Baherchar in Muradnagar. Cumilla Rape: Police seek 7-day remand for 4 Chhatra League cadres under Pornography Act Seeking revenge, Poran allegedly mobilised a group of villagers through the messaging app Imo. Around 11:30 pm on the night of the incident, Fozor entered the victim’s house under the pretext of collecting interest on a Tk 50,000 loan he had given her mother. Twenty minutes later, Poran and several accomplices—identified as Abul Kalam, Onik, Arif, Suman, Ramzan and eight to ten unidentified others—broke into the door, beat and assaulted the woman, and forced Fozor to join in the abuse. The attackers then filmed the scene and later posted the video on social media platforms, spreading panic and outrage across the locality, Rab said. The victim’s family filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the Pornography Control Act with Muradnagar Police Station on June 29. Law-enforcement agencies have so far arrested six suspects, including the victim’s alleged rapist Fozor. Fakhrul demands tough punishment for Cumilla rape accused During primary interrogation, Poran admitted planning the attack and directing others to record and circulate the footage as retaliation against his brother, Rab claimed. He is being handed over to Muradnagar police, while efforts continue to arrest the remaining suspects, the Rab official added.

A mother, her daughter and minor son sustained burn injuries as a youth allegedly threw acid at them after the family refused his marraige proposal in Jhikargacha upazila of Jashore district, police said on Friday. The injured are mother Rahela Khatun, 48, her daughter Ripa Khatun, 26, and minor son Yeanur, 8, of Gadkhali village under the upazila. Quoting locals, officer-in-charge of Jhikargacha Police Station Nur Mohammad Gazi said the accused Jasim, 35, a day-labour who works at a neighbouring house had offered to marry Ripa several times, but was refused by the woman. Enraged by it, Jasim earlier allegedly threatened Ripa to take revenge and around 8:15pm on Thursday he threw acid targeting them through windows, leaving them injured, he said. Parents-in-law pour acid on woman over family feud in Lalmonirhat Hearing screams, neighbours rushed to the spot and took them to Jashore General Hospital where they are receiving treatment, the OC said. The boy was hurt more than his mother and sister, he said, adding that police are trying to detain the accused. Police are dealing with the case with importance.

Bangladesh Army has successfully conducted an operation against the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), armed wing of  Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in the Polipangsa-Mulfipara area early Thursday, according to an ISPR press release. Based on specific intelligence, army officials identified and engaged the terrorist group during the search operation. The militants attempted to escape upon sensing danger, resulting in a heavy exchange of fire. At one stage, the army recovered the bodies of two armed KNF members in uniform at the scene, added the ISPR. One of the deceased was identified as Puting/Dolly, a senior leader of the KNF with the rank of Major. The identity of the other deceased remains under investigation, but he is believed to be a member of the armed wing of the group.

A sub-inspector (SI) of Parshuram Model Police Station in Feni has been withdrawn after a video showing him taking bribes from an accused went viral on social media. The accused is SI Abu Sayeed. The video, which circulated online on Wednesday evening, shows the cop was allegedly taking money from one Abdus Sattar, a 55-year-old resident of Anantapur village of the upazila, near the latter’s house in Dakshin Kolapara area. Police said the incident occurred on June 22 when Sayeed visited Sattar’s residence as part of an investigation into a long-standing land dispute between Sattar and Panna Akhter, both residents of Anantapur. In the footage, Sattar is seen handing over money to the police officer. As the video went viral, the SI was immediately withdrawn and attached to Feni Police Lines, said the police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nurul Hakim. Sattar, however, denied giving the officer any bribe, claiming he only told the SI that officials often demand money during investigations. Refuting the allegation, SI Sayeed claimed that he did not take any money from Sattar. The OC said the matter is under investigation and further action will be taken after reviewing the video evidence.

No army personnel will be spared if proved involved in enforced disappearances, said Colonel Md Shafiqul Islam, Staff Colonel of the Military Operations Directorate. “When army personnel are on deputation, we don’t have direct control over them. However, investigations are ongoing. If anyone is proved involved in enforced disappearances, the army will take action,” he said at a press briefing held at Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday. Replying to a question, he said ahead of the next general election, the army is working to ensure a stable situation in the country. Colonel Shafiqul said 80 percent of the looted arms have already been recovered and expressed the hope that the remaining weapons would also be retrieved soon. Around 12,000 arms had gone missing, of which approximately 9,000 have been recovered so far, he added. 2 KNA operatives killed in Bandarban army operation; arms recovered The army official also informed that 4,790 people received treatment at Combined Military Hospitals (CMHs) during the last year July movement. Currently, 22 patients are undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka. The law and order situation has improved significantly compared to previous periods, with the army remaining deployed to support efforts in maintaining peace.

A Manikganj court on Thursday placed former Manikganj-1 Awami League MP Naimur Rahman Durjoy on four-day remand in a case filed under the Explosive Substances-Act. Judge of Manikganj Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Sadbir Yeasir Ahsan Chowdhury passed the order after a hearing on a petition seeking 10-day remand, said advocate Humayun Kabir, special public prosecutor of the Women and Children Tribunal of the district. He said the court ordered a report to be submitted within seven working days in this regard. Although he was brought to court under tight security, an angry crowd threw eggs at him as he was about to step off the prison van on the court premises. According to the case statement, Durjoy, who captained Bangladesh in their first-ever Test match against India at the Mirpur National Stadium in 2000, supplied arms to terrorists of Awami League and sheltered them during last year’s July uprising. Ex-CEC Habibul Awal put on 3-day remand The terrorists opened fire at protesters during the movement leading to the casualties. One Sadikul Islam Rabbi filed the case accusing 216 people, believed mostly to be leaders and activists of the Awami League, with Sadar Police Station on December 3 last. Of them, Durjoy was named as the 13 accused. Besides, there are many allegations of irregularities against him in the fields of casino operations, sand mining scams, and employment trade in the education sector. He was elected MP from Manikganj-1 constituency (Ghior, Daulatpur and Shibaly upazilas) in the 2014 and 2018 national polls. Ex-CEC Nurul Huda placed on 4-day remand On Wednesday night, a team of Manikganj detectives arrested him from his residence in Dhaka’s Lalmatia. Later, he was taken to Manikganj Sadar Police Station and produced before the court with the remand prayer subsequently.

A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced three people to life term imprisonment and acquitted four others in a case filed over the 2015 killing of Italian citizen Cesare Tavella in the capital’s Gulshan area. Dhaka’s 3rd Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Sheikh Samidul Islam delivered the verdict. The three lifers are Tamjid Ahmed alias Rubel, Russell Chowdhury, and Minhajul Arefin alias Vagne Russell. Those acquitted are BNP leader MA Quayum, his brother Abdul Matin, Shakhawat Hossain, and Sohel. According to the case documents, among the accused, Tamjid Ahmed, Russell Chowdhury, Minhajul Arefin, Abdul Matin, and Shakhawat Hossain gave confessional statements before the court admitting their involvement in the killing at different times during the trial. Two of the accused, Quayum and Sohel, remained absconding during the trial while Matin was out on bail. The remaining four accused were produced before the court during the verdict. 2 convicts snatched in Lalmonirhat; police station vandalised According to the case, on the evening of September 28, 2015, unidentified assailants shot dead Tavella, a staff member of Netherlands-based international organization ICCO Cooperation-BD, near the western end of Road 90 in Gulshan, adjacent to Gulshan Avenue and the southern wall of Governor House. Locals rushed him to United Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Later, a US-based website claimed that the militant group Islamic State (IS) took responsibility for the killing. Following the incident, Helen Dar Bique, the country representative of ICCO Cooperation in Bangladesh, filed a murder case with Gulshan Police Station, naming three unidentified persons as accused. On June 28, 2016, Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Golam Rabbani, the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against seven people including BNP joint convenor and former ward commissioner MA Quayum. The charge sheet was accepted by the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on August 24 of the same year.

A Cumilla court on Thursday placed four accused on a three-day remand each in a case over circulating a video of a rape incident in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla. Senior Judicial Magistrate Mominul Haque of Cumilla Cognizance Court-11 passed the order this noon after police sought remand for the accused,  said Muradnagar Police Sub-Inspector Ruhul Amin and Court Police Inspector Sadekur Rahman. The accused were Sumon, Ramzan, Md Arif, and Md Onik — all residents of Panchkitta village in Muradnagar upazila. A woman was raped at Ramchandrapur Panchkitta village in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla on the night of June 26. Two held over gang-rape in Bhola, BNP expels three leaders After the incident alleged rapist Fazar Ali was caught and beaten by local people but he managed to flee. Shortly after the incident, some people who were present at the scene filmed the victim and circulated the video on social media platforms, prompting outrage among people. Following the circulation of the video, the victim filed a case under the Pornography Control Act. Police subsequently arrested the four accused in connection with the video leak. Meanwhile, Fazar Ali, who was assaulted during the incident, was arrested in connection with a rape case. He is currently undergoing treatment under police custody at Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

Two members of the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), including a commander, were killed in an army operation in remote hills of Ruma upazila in Bandarban early Thursday. During the operation, army personnel recovered three sub-machine guns (SMGs), one rifle and ammunition. The drive is still underway in the area, said an ISPR media release.