United News of Bangladesh

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday scheduled a hearing for Thursday (May 22) on a petition filed by Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, challenging her three-year jail sentence in a graft case. The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman fixed the date for the hearing. Lawyers Kaiser Kamal and Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan appeared in the court on behalf of Zubaida Rahman. Earlier, on May 14, Zubaida filed the petition with the HC seeking to overturn her sentence. The court accepted the petition for hearing and condoned a 587-day delay in filing the appeal. On August 2, 2023, a Dhaka court sentenced Tarique Rahman to nine years in prison and Zubaida to three years in a case related to amassing wealth illegally and concealing information. Zubaida Rahman granted bail in graft case On September 22 last year, the Security Services Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette suspending Zubaida’s sentence for one year, following her petition and with the consent of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Zubaida had left the country with her husband for London on September 11, 2008, where she lived for nearly 17 years before returning to Bangladesh on May 6 this year. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against the couple and another individual on September 26, 2007, at Dhaka’s Kafrul Police Station for concealing wealth information and amassing illegal assets. Zubaida files petition challenging sentence in graft case The charges were formally pressed the following year.

The interim government has taken several measures to resolve the issue of pending wages and service benefits of workers at the TNZ Group’s garment factory, including clearing the dues by the next seven working days. The authorities have decided to sell TNZ Group’s washing plant and the owner’s residence at DOHS in Dhaka’s Mohakhali to clear the workers’ dues, said the Chief Adviser's press wing on Tuesday night, referring to the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. As part of the series of measures, the government will try to bring back the TNZ Group owner home, who is currently abroad, by issuing a red alert through Interpol. RMG workers stage protest at Kakrail demanding arrears, Eid bonus Additionally, travel bans have been imposed on directors and others involved in the company’s management. As all parties have reached a consensus over the settlement, the workers’ leaders will withdraw their planned siege of the ‘Shrom Bhaban’, the seat of the government's labour wing. Meanwhile, the Director (Finance) of TNZ Group will remain in government custody until all outstanding payments to the workers are made, it added.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday granted bail to popular actress Nusrat Faria in an attempted murder case. Judge of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 Mustafizur Rahman passed the order on a bond of Tk 5000 after hearing a prayer for bail, said defence lawyer Barrister Mohammad Iftekahr Hossain. Earlier, on Monday, the court sent her to jail in the case. Nusrat Faria was detained by the immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday while attempting to leave Dhaka for Thailand. Later, she was handed over to Bhatara police station who then took her to the Detective Branch (DB) office for questioning. Farooki terms Nusrat Faria's arrest 'embarrassing incident According to the case statement, Nusrat Faria, along with Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Ashna Habib Bhabna, Zayed Khan and 12 others, were accused in the case involving last year’s anti-discrimination movement in Bhatara area. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 283 others were also named in the same case. The case was filed on April 29 at the Bhatara police station, a day after a court ordered police to register it. Nusrat was accused in the case for allegedly financing Awami League, which the complainant claims took a stance against the anti-discrimination movement. Nusrat began her career as a radio jockey before moving on to television hosting in 2013. She also performed in a few dramas. Actress Nusrat Faria lands in jail Nusrat made her silver screen debut in 2015 with Aashiqui, a Bangladesh-India joint production that earned widespread attention. Since then, she has appeared in nearly 20 films in Dallywood and Tollywood.

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.