United News of Bangladesh

Detective Branch (DB) of police in a drive detained 85 individuals, including 26 women, from a house owned by Additional DIG Abdullah Al Zahirul, in the capital's Purbachal area, over alleged drug use and 'organization of a DJ party', in the small hours of Tuesday morning. The drive was conducted around 2:30am inside the Police Housing area of Purbachal, and continued till Tuesday afternoon, said DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam on Tuesday. Five bottles of liquor and a large quantity of synthetic drugs were recovered during the operation, he said. Additional DIG Abdullah Al Zahirul, had rented it out to the organisers of the parties. According to DB sources, the organisers used to hold DJ parties at the house and advertise the events online to attract participants through a registration process. People of different age groups, including young men and women, reportedly attended the parties, where drugs were allegedly arranged under the cover of DJ events. The DMP has yet to provide further details about the operation or the legal action against those detained. Meanwhile, Additional DIG Abdullah Al Zahirul (supernumerary) repair and maintenance branch of Police Headquarters was withdrawn and attached to the Police Headquarters. A notification, signed by IGP Ali Hossain Fakir, was issued on Tuesday and the order will remain effective until further notice.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed Diamond World Managing Director Dilip Kumar Agarwala on one-day remand in a case filed over alleged laundering of Tk 678 crore. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ariful Islam passed the order when Sub-Inspector Md Ashraful Hasan of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police, also the investigating officer of the case, produced him before the court with a three-day remand prayer. Earlier on Monday evening, detectives arrested Dilip Agarwala from the Banani area of the capital in the case filed by the CID on November 18 last year for allegedly for laundering around Tk 678 crore though smuggling gold and diamond. The Financial Crime Unit of CID filed the case against Dilip with Gulshan Police Station under Money Laundering Prevention Act, said Jashim Uddin Khan, special superintendent of police (Media) of CID. On September 29, 2024, the CID began an investigation against Dilip Agarwala after reviewing Diamond World Limited’s financial transactions, documents and bank accounts. During the investigation, they found that the company procured smuggled gold and diamond in the country. According to the case statement, Dilip Agarwala had long been involved in money laundering and smuggling under the guise of gold and diamond business both at home and abroad as the proprietor of Diamond World and Diamond World Limited. During investigation, it was found that the company legally imported gold bars, jewellery, loose diamonds and other items worth Tk 38,47,48,011.52 from abroad through letters of credit from September 6, 2006 to February 8, 2024. During the same period, it also acquired gold and diamonds worth Tk 6,78,19,14,014 from local market through purchase and exchange. However, the company failed to show valid documents to the CID regarding the source or suppliers of these materials. Police earlier arrested Dilip Agarwala on September 3, 2024. On October 1, 2025, he was released on bail.

Police recovered the hanging body of a 26-year-old Pakistani national from a flat in South Banasree in the capital on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Shahbaz, who had been living in Bangladesh for the past year, according to Khilgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam. Police initially suspected that Shahbaz might have died by suicide amid frustration over debts and marital discord. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Khilgaon Zone) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Motijheel Division, Mohsin Al Murad, said Shahbaz had been in debt and had disagreements with his wife over the issue. Police said a security guard found him hanging inside the flat at House No. 38 on Road No. 9/5, Block F, South Banasree, on Tuesday morning and informed police. Khilgaon police went to the spot, broke open the door and recovered the body. He was taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 10:50am. The body was kept at the hospital morgue for an autopsy. OC Saiful told UNB that police recovered Shahbaz’s Pakistani passport, bearing a Bangladeshi visa valid until December. During the preliminary investigation, police learned that Shahbaz was involved in sending people abroad for employment. Police also found a note containing two phone numbers in the flat. One was identified as his brother’s number in Pakistan, while the other belonged to his wife, a woman from Patuakhali. Contacting the woman, police learned that she married Shahbaz about a month ago, the OC said. According to the preliminary investigation, Shahbaz had previously married a woman from the Marma community, who later divorced him and left. Police have sent a copy of his passport to the relevant department of the Special Branch for further information about his identity and background, Saiful said, adding that the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka was also informed of the matter.  

Bangladesh Navy has seized illegal fishing nets worth approximately Tk 25.78 crore across coastal and inland waters during its ongoing 'Mother Hilsa Conservation Drive-2026', ISPR said in a press release on Monday. As part of the nationwide operation deployed under 'In Aid to Civil Power', navy ship 'BNS Kushiyara' conducted drives across Hijla, Mehendiganj, Gobindapur, Laharhat, Babuganj, Charmonai, Sreepur, and Patarhat in Barishal district. During the operation, illegal fishing gear was confiscated and later destroyed in accordance with regulations in the presence of local administrative and fisheries officials. To date, naval units have seized a total of 3,031,620 meters of illegal fishing nets along with 74 other nets, with an estimated market value of Tk 25,78,96,900. The 22-day national drive, which began on October 8, will continue until October 29. During this period, catching, transporting, storing, selling, and exchanging Hilsa is strictly prohibited, alongside a complete ban on all fishing in marine waters. Navy ships, contingents, and speedboats remain deployed across potential spawning grounds in sea, coastal, and inland waterways to ensure undisturbed breeding and conservation of Hilsa resources.

Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kajal on Sunday said special initiative is being taken to expedite hearings in the in three high-profile murder cases —Narayanganj seven-murder case, retired Major Sinha Md Rashed Khan and Buet student Abrar Fahad murder cases. The three important cases have been awaiting hearings in the Appellate Division for a long time, he said. He said arrangements would be made for speedy hearings once court proceedings resume after the vacation. The trials and subsequent High Court proceedings in all three cases have been completed. Following hearings on appeals and death references, the High Court upheld death sentences and other punishments against the accused. Seven-murder case On April 27, 2014, seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation councillor Nazrul Islam and lawyer Chandan Sarker, were abducted from Narayanganj court area. They were later murdered and their bodies dumped in the Shitalakkhya River. The incident sparked widespread outrage across the country. Following the trial court's verdict, On August 22, 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 15 of the 26 convicts sentenced to death. Major Sinha murder case Retired Major Sinha Md Rashed Khan was shot dead by police at Shamlapur checkpost in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, on the night of July 31, 2020. Following the trial court's verdict, the High Court delivered its judgment on June 2, 2025, upholding the death sentences of Pradeep Kumar Das, the then officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, and Liaqat Ali, the then inspector of Baharchhara Police Investigation Centre. The case is now awaiting a hearing in the Appellate Division. Abrar Fahad murder case On the night of October 6, 2019, a group of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League's beat Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) department, to death at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet). Following hearings on appeals and death references against the trial court's verdict, the High Court delivered its judgment on March 16, 2025, upholding the death sentences of 20 convicts and life imprisonment for five others.  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will take necessary action after reviewing the viral video showing State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain carrying a firearm during an anti-drug drive in the capital, said Additional Police Commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam on Sunday. “It is not the right time to comment on the incident before assessing it. The deputy commissioner concerned will review the entire matter and submit a report. If any violation of law is found in the report, the DMP will take legal action,” he said at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre. Asked whether a minister could perform duties similar to those of police during an operation, the DB chief declined to make any comment. Earlier, a video of the drive was posted on Ishraque Hossain’s official Facebook page on Saturday afternoon. The video shows him getting out of a vehicle with a loudspeaker and a pistol and then chasing a group of people during an anti-drug drive near the railway line in the capital’s Gandaria area. At one point, he was seen pointing the weapon towards some people while shouting, “Hey, stop, stop.” Another man in plainclothes was also seen chasing people with a weapon in his hand. In another Facebook post on Saturday evening, Ishraque pledged to continue the drives until Dhaka-6 constituency is made free of drugs. The state minister and Dhaka-6 MP in a statement on Sunday said he briefly raised his licensed firearm in “self-defence” during an anti-drug drive in the capital’s Gendaria area on Saturday after receiving warnings of possible “security threats”. Ishraque said he, along with his security personnel, got out of their vehicles and raised the weapon briefly when a group of 30 to 35 people allegedly approached their convoy aggressively near a suspected drug den. He claimed that law enforcement agencies and his own intelligence sources had warned him of possible security risks, including the possibility of drug traders firing at them from rooftops. “The weapon was raised for a very short time in self-defence to protect lives and property amid fears of an imminent attack,” the state minister said, adding that it was put away as soon as the potential threat had passed.

The chargesheet in the much-discussed murder case of Ishiat Shahriar Oprotim will be submitted this week. Cumilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Anisuzzaman shared the information on Saturday evening at a press conference regarding the murder of Jubo Dal leader Kawsar. He, however, did not specify the exact date for submitting the charge sheet. Regarding the murder of Jubo Dal leader Kawsar, the SP said two people, including prime suspect Towhid, had been arrested in the case so far. Towhid faces seven cases, including the murder charge, while Tanzir (another arrestee) is named in one case, he said. The SP said the murder stemmed from a dispute over a piece of land belonging to the Water Development Board, located opposite Chhatrokhil Model Mosque in Sadar upazila. Police are conducting operations to arrest others involved in the killing, he added.  

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has made it mandatory for motorcycles to display number plates at the front, setting November 15 as the deadline for installation. Motorcycle owners must install manually made number plates at the front in addition to the digital plates already required at the rear. Those who fail to comply by the deadline will face legal action, it said. In an urgent public notice issued on Friday, the BRTA said the Road Transport Act, 2018 and the Road Transport Rules, 2022 already require motorcycles to have retro-reflective number plates equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags at the rear. To strengthen traffic management and surveillance, the authority has now decided to require registration numbers to be displayed at the front as well. The front number plates must be made of stainless steel or aluminium, with a white background and black Bengali letters and numerals. No designs or decorative elements will be allowed. The notice also specifies different dimensions for scooters and other motorcycles. For scooters, the plate must be 200mm long and 100mm wide, while for other motorcycles, it must be 285mm long and 50mm wide. In both cases, the letters and numerals must be at least 20mm high. The BRTA has urged motorcycle owners to install the plates in accordance with the prescribed specifications before the deadline.

Police have detained 519 individuals in an anti-juvenile gang operation across the areas under 18 police stations in Cumilla district. The coordinated drive, part of an ongoing campaign against teen gangs, was carried out from Thursday evening until late at night by all units of the district police, along with the Detective Branch (DB). The drive targeted locations where groups of youths suspected of engaging in unlawful activities were reported to gather. Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Md Lutfar Rahman said authorities were verifying whether the detainees were involved in criminal activities and that appropriate legal action will be taken accordingly. He said the district police regularly conduct such drives to prevent adolescents and young people from becoming involved in criminal activities. They are also maintaining strict monitoring to ensure no innocent person is harassed during the operations, the official added.

A total of eight platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed to ensure security at Durga Puja mandaps in the district town and border areas of Naogaon on the occasion of the Hindu community’s biggest religious festival. The deployment aims to ensure a safe, peaceful, and festive atmosphere during Durga Puja 2026, which began on Friday, a press release from the Naogaon Battalion (16 BGB) said. Of the eight platoons, three from different Border Outposts (BOPs) are providing security at mandaps within an eight-kilometre radius of the border, while another three from the battalion headquarters are covering mandaps within a three-kilometre radius of the headquarters. The remaining two platoons have been kept on standby at the battalion headquarters to respond to any emergency. BGB conducted preparatory patrols around the puja mandaps from October 10 to 15. From Friday, BGB personnel will conduct further patrols in coordination with other law enforcement agencies to maintain security throughout the battalion’s area of responsibility. According to the release, seven Puja mandaps are located within eight kilometres of the border in the battalion’s jurisdiction. Of these, four are in Porsha upazila under Nitpur BOP, while three are in Sapahar upazila—one under Hapania BOP and two under Bamanpara BOP. The remaining 43 mandaps are located within a three-kilometre radius of the battalion headquarters in Naogaon town, bringing the total number of mandaps under the security arrangements to 50. Meanwhile, 16 BGB Commanding Officer Lt Col Mohammad Ariful Islam Masum has visited several Puja mandaps to assess security arrangements and the law-and-order situation. He also exchanged views with people involved in organising the festival and provided financial assistance to the mandaps on the occasion of Durga Puja.