United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested four people and recovered belongings stolen from a covered van carrying equipment and luggage of a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) divisional cricket team in Rajshahi. The arrestees are Md Mozammel Haque, 32, of Chamta village in Charghat upazila; Md Sohan Rahman, 23, of Gondogohali Jamtala village in Puthia; Md Rubel Ahmed, 38, of Baraipara village in the same upazila; and Md Shahadat Hossain, 52, of Tarapur village. The Rajshahi District Detective Branch (DB) recovered the stolen items during a raid on Tarapur village in Puthia in the early hours of Thursday, according to a press release. The recovered items include an iPhone 15 Pro Max, US$300, a massage bed, luggage, four plastic boxes, Tk 8,000 in cash, tools allegedly used to break locks and a motorcycle. Police said a covered van carrying the belongings of a BCB divisional cricket team left Dhaka for Rajshahi on October 13. Before resuming the journey, the driver checked the vehicle's lock at Harishpur Bypass intersection in Natore, police said. Around 5:05am on October 14, when the van reached Tarapur intersection in Puthia, several people riding a motorcycle allegedly broke the lock on its rear door and stole luggage and other belongings from the moving vehicle. A driver travelling behind the van alerted its driver to the incident. The driver then stopped the vehicle and found the rear door open and its lock broken. After informing the vehicle's owner, the driver continued the journey to Rajshahi. When the team's belongings were unloaded at a hotel in Rajshahi city, eight of the 54 pieces of luggage were found missing. Following the incident, a general diary (GD) was lodged with Rajpara Police Station on October 14. Acting on the complaint, a team of district DB police launched an investigation, arrested the four suspects and recovered the stolen items.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is setting up 18 base camps and strengthening patrols to ensure security at around 1,800 puja mandaps located within eight kilometres of the country's borders during Durga Puja. BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui disclosed the plan while talking to reporters after inspecting the security arrangements at the Ramna Kali Mandir in the capital on Thursday afternoon. He said BGB personnel have already visited the mandaps and contacted puja committees in their respective areas to coordinate security measures. “Risks of different kinds can arise at any time. We are collecting intelligence, receiving information from various agencies and working to ensure comprehensive security so that the celebrations can take place without disruption,” the BGB chief said. He said the force will also ensure security at puja mandaps located within a few kilometres of its headquarters in Pilkhana and other battalion, sector and regional headquarters outside border areas, in coordination with police and other law enforcement agencies. Ashrafuzzaman said the BGB regularly coordinates with the authorities of the Ramna Kali Mandir, Dhakeshwari National Temple and other nearby puja mandaps in the capital. He said a 24/7 control room has been opened at BGB headquarters to maintain communication with puja mandaps.  

A Mymensingh court on Thursday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for the murder of a man over a land dispute in Trishal upazila in 2011. The convicts are Abdul Sattar Bepari, his two sons Alamgir Hossain Alam Bepari and Rony Bepari, and Ashikur Rahman Ashik. The court also fined each of the convicts Tk 1 lakh, with an additional year of rigorous imprisonment in default of payment. Farzana Ahmed, additional judge of the Mymensingh District and Sessions Judge Court-4, delivered the verdict in the afternoon. Of the convicts, Sattar was standing in the dock when the verdict was delivered, while the rest were tried in absentia. According to the prosecution, the victim, Sohel, and the convicts had a long-standing dispute over land in Bagadaria village under Kahihari union of Trishal. On May 28, 2011, Sohel was returning home with paddy when he got into an argument with them over the dispute. At one stage, the convicts attacked him with locally made weapons, leaving him seriously injured. Locals first took Sohel to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. He was later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment on May 30. Following the incident, Sohel's father Abdul Salam Bepari filed a murder case with Trishal Police Station on June 2, 2011, naming 20 people as accused.

Four people, including a Chinese national, have been arrested for allegedly smuggling medicines worth around Tk 7.5 crore, used to treat cancer and other complex diseases, abroad. The arrestees are Li Fen, 34, a Chinese national; Bakul Nahar Bithi, 24; Yunus Ali, 26; and Sajib Hawlader, 28. SRB-3 Commanding Officer Lt Col Faizul Arefin disclosed the information at a press conference at the force's Shahjahanpur office in the capital on Thursday. He said a special SRB team conducted a drive in the city’s Uttara area on Wednesday and arrested them for illegally sending medicines abroad evading government revenue. A large quantity of medicines and Tk 6,06,140 were seized from their possession. The arrests followed the seizure by Laos customs on October 13 of a 100kg consignment of medicines sent by courier, as the shipment lacked valid documents. The gang allegedly sent medicines, particularly those used for cancer treatment, through courier services to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries, where the drugs reportedly fetch higher prices, at different times, Faizul said. He said Chinese national Li Fen arrived in Bangladesh in August 2024 on a 30-day tourist visa. He would return to China two to three days before his visa expired and then re-enter Bangladesh on another tourist visa within one to two days. Bithi studied business administration at a university in China from 2019 to 2023, when she learned Chinese language, the SRB official said. “After returning to Bangladesh, she worked as an interpreter for various Chinese nationals.” He said they were investigating the types and quantities of seized medicines and the roles of those involved. “The involvement of courier services is also being examined.” Investigators also suspect that some employees of pharmaceutical companies may have been involved in the illegal trade for higher profits.

Police have detained Abdur Rahim Pramanik Tipu, secretary of Pirganj Municipality in Rangpur, in connection with the death of two workers after the roof of an under-construction municipal building collapsed. Pirganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque confirmed the detention on Wednesday, saying police were investigating possible negligence in supervising the construction work.. The families of the deceased workers are in the process of filing a case. Once the case is filed, the detained municipal secretary will be shown arrested and produced before a court, the OC said. Pirganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdullah Al Bakiul Bari said action would be taken against those found responsible for negligence. On Tuesday evening, the shuttering collapsed while 13 workers were casting the roof, trapping four workers. Two of them, Asadul Haque, 30, of Sadullapur in Gaibandha and Shihab, 19, of Rangpur Sadar, died after being taken to hospital. The injured workers were initially admitted to Pirganj Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Wednesday said the government is making every effort to curb criminal activities but has no plan at present to launch an operation similar to ‘Operation Clean Heart’. The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Cyber Police Centre in Dampara area of Chattogram city in the afternoon. The government has decided to set up state-of-the-art digital forensic laboratories in all eight divisions of the country to combat cybercrime, he said. The minister said new security threats are emerging in cyberspace including incitement to violence through digital platforms and the leakage of sensitive information about individuals and institutions. With the growing use of digital technology, new avenues for crime are also emerging, he said, adding that social media is being used to spread rumours and malicious propaganda, incite violence and carry out digital blackmail. These activities are putting individuals and institutions at risk, he added. Salahuddin said the Cyber Police Unit has already started operations to strengthen the police force's capacity to tackle cybercrime. The proposed digital forensic laboratories, equipped with advanced technology, would help ensure the speedy trial of cybercrime cases and meet the expectations of people seeking justice, he said. Replying to questions from reporters , the home minister said it is not unusual for policemen to face attacks while carrying out their duties to prevent crime. The Cyber Police Centre in Dampara was built with assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) at a cost of around Tk 59.08 crore. South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Kim Ji-Joon, Chattogram-10 MP Sayeed Al Noman, Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir, Additional IGP Sardar Nurul Amin, Additional IGP Barrister Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain and Chattogram Police Commissioner Hasan Mohammad Shawkat Ali, among others, attended the programme.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSad) President and former Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has appealed to the Appellate Division seeking acquittal from the 10-year imprisonment handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal in a crimes against humanity case. The appeal was filed with the relevant section of the Appellate Division on Wednesday, said his lawyer, Sifat Mahmud Shuvo. Earlier, the prosecution filed an appeal seeking to enhance Inu’s sentence to death in the same case. Both Inu’s appeal seeking acquittal and the prosecution’s plea for the maximum punishment are now pending before the Appellate Division. On June 30, International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Inu to 10 years in prison in a crimes against humanity case. Of the eight charges brought against him, he was found guilty of charges 3, 6 and 7 and sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for each charge. However, as the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, he will serve a total of 10 years in prison.      

A court in Kushtia on Tuesday sentenced 12 people to life imprisonment in a case over the 2013 murder of Saheb Ali in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia. Judge of the District and Sessions Judge Court-2 Nadira Sultana delivered the verdict in the afternoon with the convicts standing in the dock. The convicts are Mozammel Hossain, 73, Ainuddin, 68, Aktar Hossain, 43, Sabu, 41, Sohag, 38, Shariful Islam, 43, Bipul, 34, Badaruddin, 68, Afsar Sheikh, 65, Sumin, 38, Selim, 41, and Abu, 37. They were also fined Tk 20,000 each. All are residents of Char-Chapra village in the upazila. The court also sentenced Zulu, 38, and Rahul, 34, to two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined them Tk 5,000 each, said state counsel Advocate Monir Hossain. Seven other accused were acquitted as the charges against them could not be proved. According to the prosecution, Saheb Ali was murdered on the night of February 25, 2013, following a dispute over social dominance and land. His body was later dumped near a banana orchard in Char-Chapra village. Victim's younger brother Ahmed Ali alias Akam Ali filed a murder case with Kumarkhali Police Station over the incident. After investigation, Inspector Kazi Kamal Hossain submitted a charge sheet to the court on September 30, 2013, against 21 people.  

A court in Narayanganj on Tuesday granted bail to former Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor and Awami League leader Selina Hayat Ivy in a murder case filed over the killing of a rickshaw puller during the July 2024 uprising. Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge Abu Shamim Azad passed the order when Ivy appeared before the court with a bail prayer. Ivy earlier secured bail from the High Court in the case. The case was filed over the killing of rickshaw puller Tuhin, who was shot dead in front of Dutch-Bangla Bank in the Shimrail area of Siddhirganj on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on July 20, 2024. Tuhin’s wife Aleya Akter Mim filed the case with Siddhirganj Police Station on September 13, 2024. A total of 99 people, including former MPs AKM Shamim Osman and Golam Dastagir Gazi, Shamim Osman's son Ayon Osman and nephew Azmeri Osman, were named accused in the case. Ivy was listed as the 11th accused. Ivy was surrounded by party activists as she headed towards her vehicle from the court after getting bail. She raised the slogan, "Joy Bangla cannot be suppressed, Joy Bangla," before getting into her car, with the activists joining her in chanting the slogan.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed has ordered strict action against drug dealers, extortionists and land grabbers, regardless of their identity or status. "Those involved in such crimes would not be spared," the commissioner said at the monthly crime review meeting for September 2026 at the DMP headquarters on Tuesday. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) and Joint Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Md Farooq Hossain presided over the meeting, where a PowerPoint presentation outlined the crime situation during the month. The DMP chief stressed the need to strengthen communication and cooperation between the police and the public to prevent crime. He said the causes of crime should be identified with the involvement of local residents and preventive measures should be strengthened accordingly. The meeting reviewed Dhaka's overall law and order situation, including the types and trends of crime in the capital. The commissioner issued necessary directives to control crime, take legal action against offenders and ensure public safety. He also called for faster and more effective beat policing in every police station area of the capital, with local residents actively involved in efforts to prevent crime and reduce social offences.