United News of Bangladesh

Customs officials at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Dhaka have prevented the import of 1,980 drones weighing 658 kg, worth nearly Tk 1 crore, which were declared as rechargeable remote-control (RRC) toys. The drones were detected during a physical examination of a consignment imported by Mim Collection of Chawk Bazar, Dhaka, according to a press release issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Acting on a tip-off received by Customs House ICD Commissioner Kazi Muhammad Ziauddin, customs officials examined the consignment on September 29. The consignment had been imported under Bill of Entry No. 12367, dated September 27, declaring various types of toys. During the physical examination, officials found the drones concealed among the declared goods, the release said. The customs authorities said the revenue and applicable fines related to the imported drones would be recovered. Further action will be taken after verifying the flying range of the seized drones and the relevant documents, it said. The authorities are processing strict action against those involved in accordance with the Customs Act 2023 and relevant regulations. Commissioner Kazi Muhammad Ziauddin said Customs House ICD, Dhaka, was maintaining a strict position against imports that violate the import policy and attempts to evade revenue, in line with instructions from the NBR chairman. The authorities are also examining the consignment and related documents to determine the extent of violations and the appropriate legal measures.

A mobile court in Pirgachha upazila of Rangpur on Wednesday seized a large quantity of counterfeit soybean oil, along with raw materials and equipment used to produce it, and sentenced a trader to one month in jail and fined him Tk 20,000. The raid was conducted around 11am at the house of trader Mashiur Rahman, 40, son of Azizur Rahman of Guabari Balapara village in the upazila. Mashiur runs a wholesale and retail grocery shop in the old bus stand area of Pirgachha Bazar. According to locals, he had allegedly been producing and marketing counterfeit soybean oil at his house behind his shop for a long time. Acting on a tip-off, Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Tarek Hasan Tahsin led the mobile court operation. During the raid, around 50-60 cartons of counterfeit soybean oil, oil-making materials, empty bottles, equipment and fake labels were seized from three rooms on the ground floor of the house. The mobile court subsequently sentenced Mashiur to one month of simple imprisonment and fined him Tk 20,000. Some of the seized materials were later destroyed by burning at the scene. Tarek Hasan Tahsin said the accused was sentenced to imprisonment and fined, adding that such drives would continue in the public interest and to protect consumers.

Police on Wednesday arrested eight alleged members of an inter-district theft gang and recovered 94 stolen Android mobile phones during a joint operation in the Jamuna Bridge West Link Road area of Sirajganj. The arrestees are Alauddin, 25, Robiul, 33, Israfil, 27, Hridoy, 34, Al-Amin, 30, Akkas, 35, Imran, 30, and Yasin Arafat, 38. The arrests were made after police from three police stations searched a passenger bus in the area. They are residents of different areas in Cumilla, Chattogram, Narsingdi and Brahmanbaria districts. Jamuna Bridge West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Amirul Islam said the gang broke into Masud Telecom, a mobile phone shop in Dhunat municipality area of Bogura, by cutting its shutter early Wednesday and stole the phones. The suspects were fleeing towards Dhaka on a Shyamoli Paribahan bus with the stolen phones, he said. On information, police reviewed CCTV footage from the shop and traced the suspects' movements. They also collected information about their escape route by talking to drivers at a local CNG stand. Based on the information, police learned that the eight suspects had hired two CNG-run auto-rickshaws and travelled to the Sherpur bus stand in Bogura, from where they boarded a Shyamoli Paribahan bus bound for Dhaka. Following instructions from senior police officials, teams from Jamuna Bridge West Police Station, Sirajganj Highway Police Station and Dhunat Police Station launched a joint operation on the highway and arrested them in the Jamuna Bridge area. A case has been filed with the concerned police station in connection with the incident.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir on Wednesday called upon police personnel to provide services to the people with professionalism, humanity and a service-oriented mindset. He made the call on Wednesday while inaugurating a two-day workshop on formulating a “Community Policing Policy” at the multipurpose hall of Police Staff College Bangladesh in Mirpur in the city. IGP Fakir said the foundation of people-oriented policing is to earn public trust and turn that trust into effective partnership. Regular communication and enhanced cooperation between police and the community can play an important role in preventing crime and building a safe society, he said, stressing the importance of community and beat policing. He also laid emphasis on preventing juvenile gangs and conducting anti-drug operations effectively through community policing. Referring to the “1st Community Policing Kabaddi Tournament-2026”, the IGP said the nationwide tournament has created enthusiasm as it aims to identify talented young players from remote areas and form a national kabaddi team with the best players. “Kabaddi is our national sport and a part of our pride,” he said, adding that such initiatives help the police reach people from all sections of society. The IGP said Bangladesh Police is committed to serving people with integrity, fairness and mutual respect. He urged police personnel to strengthen partnership with the community and build mutual trust to prevent crime and create peaceful and tolerant communities. Rector (Additional IGP)  of Police Staff College Bangladesh Kazi Md Fazlul Karim chaired the programme. He presented a keynote paper titled “Reforming Community and Beat Policing in Bangladesh: Towards a People-Oriented, Preventive and Intelligence-Led Policing Framework.” He stressed making community and beat policing more preventive, accountable, information-based and people-oriented based on existing experiences and achievements. Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Md Sayedur Rahman and Vice-Rector Dr Md Abdus Sobhan took part in the discussion on the keynote paper and shared views on practical aspects of making community and beat policing more effective. Based on field-level experiences, opinions and recommendations from the workshop, a practical and implementable set of recommendations will be formulated to further institutionalise community and beat policing in Bangladesh Police. Community Affairs Officers and relevant police officials are participating in the workshop.

A mobile court has sentenced two motorcyclists, including a woman, to seven days’ imprisonment for allegedly misbehaving with a traffic sergeant on the Purbachal Expressway (100-foot Road) in the capital. Those jailed were identified as Mosammat Swapna, 27, and Mahfuzur Rahman. According to the Badda Zone Traffic Police, the two were riding a motorcycle on the wrong side of the Purbachal Expressway around 4:30pm on Tuesday, violating traffic rules. A traffic sergeant on duty signalled them to stop to maintain road discipline and avoid a possible accident. After stopping the motorcycle, the sergeant asked why they were travelling on the wrong side and took steps to enforce the law. At that stage, the two riders allegedly engaged in an altercation with the sergeant. A video circulated on social media reportedly showed the two arguing with the traffic official. In the video footage, the female rider allegedly spoke aggressively to the sergeant and appeared to move towards him, putting the officer in an awkward situation while he was on duty. The two were subsequently detained on allegations of obstructing government duties and publicly misbehaving with and harassing the on-duty traffic sergeant. They were later produced before a Special Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, which sentenced each of them to seven days' imprisonment. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said it is regularly conducting operations to maintain discipline on roads. Legal action will continue against those found involved in violating traffic rules, obstructing government duties or misbehaving with police personnel while they are performing their official responsibilities, it said.

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim has claimed that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt all charges brought against Major General (dismissed) Ziaul Ahsan in a case filed for orchestrating the enforced disappearance and murder of over 100 people. He made the statement while responding to questions from journalists during a press briefing on the ICT premises on Wednesday. The 15th witness, investigating officer of the case Md Rafiqul Islam, partially testified on Wednesday. As his deposition could not be completed, the tribunal fixed Sunday for further testimony, Tamim said. Once his testimony is completed, the prosecution's presentation of evidence will conclude. The defence will then have the opportunity to present its witnesses, followed by the arguments stage. "We have been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt every single charge brought against Ziaul Ahsan through the testimonies of the 15 witnesses," Tamim said. He said the investigating officer is explaining to the tribunal how the investigation was conducted, whose statements were recorded, which places were visited and what information and evidence were collected. The investigation officer is also presenting the information and evidence gathered at different stages of the investigation to the tribunal, the prosecutor said. He said several Army officers, including former Army chief General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, testified in the case. According to the prosecutor, their testimonies included accounts of Ziaul Ahsan's alleged activities and his alleged involvement in the crimes against humanity. He also said the testimonies shed light on how officials of the former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) allegedly became involved in such crimes over time.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday drives against terrorists, armed criminals, drug dealers and extortionists are underway and would be intensified further.  “Lists of terrorists, armed criminals, drug dealers and extortionists are always maintained by the police and regularly updated,” he said responding to a question from reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat on preparations for Durga Puja celebrations. The police department is regularly collecting data on the number of terrorists, drug dealers and extortionists arrested, and the information is being published in the media, he added. The home minister said the country’s overall law and order situation should not be assessed based on one or two isolated incidents, stressing that the government is continuing its efforts to ensure public safety and maintain peace in society. “We have always told you this. We speak to the press almost every day. We are continuing our efforts to ensure the security of people and establish peace in society,” he said. Asked about allegations of land grabbing and extortion using political influence, Salahuddin said the government considers a criminal a criminal irrespective of political identity. He said police respond immediately to calls made to the national emergency service 999, go to the spot, make arrests and file cases. “Whoever is involved, strict action will be taken against them and is being taken,” he said. Asked about the role of a former lawmaker in an incident in Mirpur, the Home Minister said the matter is under investigation. Regarding the incident at Radda Clinic, he said negligence of duty has been found on the part of a police officer. “The officer was immediately withdrawn and departmental action has been initiated against him.” The minister also said there was no political involvement in the Radda MCH-FP centre incident. However, he said some of those involved in crimes might have political identities, but the government was taking legal action against them without considering their political affiliations.

A court on Tuesday remanded four leaders and activists of the banned Awami Swechchhasebak League, including its Bogura district president Sazedur Rahman Shahin, in police custody for three days. The four were arrested by the District Detective Branch (DB) of police from the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar road on Monday night. The arrestees are Sazedur Rahman Shahin, 52, president of the Bogura district Swechchhasebak League and a former union parishad chairman; district unit senior vice-president Syed Abu Zafar Siddique Ripon, 60; Sabbir Hossain Nirjhon alias Bhadu, 29, organising secretary of the city Swechchhasebak League; and Swechchhasebak League activist Ferdous Hossain, 26. Police produced them before the court on Tuesday afternoon and sought a seven-day remand for interrogation. After hearing, the court granted three days' remand. Bogura District DB Police Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Bahar said all four had been in hiding for a long time. He said the four had rented a microbus in Dhaka and were travelling to Cox's Bazar for a tour. Acting on a tip-off, police tracked down their location and conducted an operation on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar road, arresting them at around 10pm Monday. Police said more than 15 cases have been filed against Shahin, more than 10 against Sabbir Hossain Nirjhon and more than two against Ferdous Hossain. Meanwhile, members of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) threw eggs at the four arrestees as they were taken to the court premises. The incident took place around 5:15pm Tuesday at the Bogura Chief Judicial Magistrate Court premises. JCD activists of Government Azizul Haque College and Shah Sultan College threw eggs targeting the arrestees and chanted slogans against them.

Cumilla Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman has said there has been no pressure on police in the ongoing drive against teen gangs in the district. “There is no pressure of any kind. No one has called me so far. Everyone has appreciated the drive. If anyone puts pressure on me, I will disclose their name before you,” he told reporters on Monday. The SP was responding to questions from journalists after the inauguration of the ‘Amar Cumilla’ app. The app was launched by Cumilla City Corporation to simplify civic services, ensure quick disposal of complaints and increase accountability in service delivery. Anisuzzaman said police would take immediate action, including suspension of any police officer, if evidence is found that teenagers were harassed after being detained during the anti-teen gang drive or that any police member took money from them. “There will be not an iota of leniency in this regard,” he said. The SP said students or teenagers who are not involved in criminal activities are being released into the custody of their guardians after proper verification. He said parents are also being advised not to allow their children to stay outside after evening. “We will not spare anyone involved in teen gangs. The drive against teen gangs will continue. There will be no leniency in this regard,” Anisuzzaman said. He said police started preparing a comprehensive list of teen gang members following the Apratim murder case and conducted a drive across all 18 police stations of Cumilla district on Sept 23 after preparing the list. According to police, a total of 1,294 people, including gang leaders, were detained during drives conducted at all 18 police stations in the district over the past three days.  

A tribunal in Dhaka on Tuesday sentenced a 56-year-old man to death for raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter in the capital’s Kamrangirchar area, which resulted in her pregnancy. Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Children Violence Suppression Tribunal delivered the verdict and fined the convict, Jamal Hossain, Tk 5 lakh. In its observations, the tribunal said Jamal had subjected the girl to brutal abuse and described the offence as a “heinous crime”. Citing a decision of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the tribunal said imposing appropriate punishment was necessary for such an offence, which it said was committed not only against the victim but also against society. It said determining appropriate punishment for a heinous crime was a judicial duty, awarding the maximum penalty. The tribunal also directed the authorities concerned to auction the convict’s movable or immovable property to recover the fine if he fails to pay it. The proceeds will be given to the victim or her legal heirs as compensation. According to the prosecution, the girl, a seventh-grade student, lived with her mother and stepfather Jamal in Kamrangirchar. Jamal raped her multiple times when her mother was away. She subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to a child. The girl’s mother filed the case with Kamrangirchar Police Station on August 28, 2023, over the incident. Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ali Hossain, also the investigating officer of the case, submitted a charge sheet against Jamal to the court on January 23, 2025. The tribunal framed charges against the accused on August 24 last year. During the trial, the tribunal recorded the statements of eight witnesses.