Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy, who claimed to be an “adviser to US President Joe Biden,” at the DB office said that he “only followed instructions he received at the BNP office.” A video that has been circulating on social media, shows Arefy talking to DB officials. No DB officials have officially commented on this as of filing this report. Read: Mian Arefy, so-called ‘adviser to Biden’, detained from Dhaka Airport During his statement at the DB office, Arefy in the video is heard saying, “On October 28, Lt General (retired) Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardi brought me to the BNP party office at 3 pm to discuss their program. They requested me to deliver a speech. BNP leader Ishraque Hossain was also present, along with many others I didn't recognize. They asked me to introduce myself as a ‘leader of the Democratic Committee’ and ‘Joe Biden's adviser,’ and deliver a speech. I said what I was asked to say.” Arefy said he was admitting his mistake: “I said what I was asked to say at the BNP office. I'm sorry for what I said, I was wrong.” Read: Posing as ‘adviser to US President’: Should be arrested immediately, Momen says about Arefy Arefy was detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka yesterday and subsequently taken to the DB headquarters on Minto Road for interrogation. On Saturday, Arefy visited the BNP central office in Naya Paltan and presented himself as an "adviser to US President Biden" when speaking to reporters. Alos read: Fakhrul denied bail, sent to jail

Detectives have detained 200 leaders and activists of BNP, believed to have gathered for the party’s grand rally today, from an under-construction building in Dhaka’s Kakrail area early today (October 28, 2023). Salahuddin Mia, officer-in-charge of Paltan Model Police Station, said a team of Detective Branch (DB) police conducted a drive in Kakrail at night. Harun-or-Rashid, additional commissioner of DB under Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said some crude bombs were exploded in the area. AL, BNP get conditional permission for rallies After hearing the sounds of explosion, police and DB conducted a drive at an under-construction building and detained 200 leaders and activists of BNP, he said. They came from different parts of the country ahead of BNP’s grand rally, he added. BNP and its allies set to hold rallies as part of their ‘final push’ Police also recovered a vehicle owned by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, placards, cooking items, sticks, iron rods and some unexploded crude bombs from the spot, the DB official said. Rajib Al Masud, deputy commissioner of DB Motijheel Division, said that 15-20 bombs were hurled from the under-construction building targeting police around 1:30 am. “Police are trying to arrest those involved in the incident,” he said. Panic grips capital city as AL and BNP flex muscles ahead of Saturday’s rallies Two policemen were injured in the explosion and they were taken to Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital, said Harun. “Our goal was to ensure that no one creates any untoward incident centering BNP’s grand rally. There are 7-8 such buildings and many people have gathered in those buildings, from what we’ve heard. We’ll conduct drives there as well,” he added.

BNP’s Publicity Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie was picked up by police from his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka early today (October 11, 2023). Police arrived at the house of Annie around 2 am and asked the BNP leader to go with them to the police station, said Zahir Uddin Swapan, chief coordinator of BNP's media cell. Over 5,000 including BNP leader Annie sued in 4 cases over clash with police in Lakshmipur The reason behind the detention could not be known immediately. BNP’s Salam, Annie freed from jail

Jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court on Tuesday to appeal his detention on spying charges, part of a sweeping Kremlin crackdown on dissent amid the war in Ukraine. He and the U.S. government strenuously deny the allegations. Dozens of journalists crowded together to catch a glimpse of the Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying allegations. Gershkovich looked calm as he stood inside a glass cage. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was in the room. Russia’s Federal Security Service detained the 31-year-old in Yekaterinburg in March and accused him of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. Gershkovich, his employer and the U. S. government all deny he was involved in spying and have demanded his release. Last week, the U.S. government declared that he was “wrongfully detained” — a designation that means his case receives special attention from the State Department. The Moscow City Court is considering a defense appeal of his detention on Tuesday. Also Read: Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter on spying charge Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Russian lawyers have said past investigations into espionage cases took a year to 18 months, during which time he could have little contact with the outside world. He has been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, along with the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war. Last month, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. On Monday, a Russian court convicted top opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. of treason for publicly denouncing the war and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. The U.S. has pressed Moscow to grant consular access to Gershkovich. On Monday, Ambassador Tracy said she visited Gershkovich in prison for the first time since his detention. She said on Twitter that “he is in good health and remains strong,” reiterating a U.S. call for his immediate release. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Greshkovich’s parents last week and again condemned his detention. “We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening, and we declared it so,” he said. A top Russian diplomat said last week that Russia might be willing to discuss a potential prisoner swap with the U.S. involving Gershkovich after his trial. That means any exchange is unlikely to happen any time soon. In December, American basketball star Brittney Griner was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout following her trial and conviction on drug possession charges. She had been sentenced to nine years in prison and ended up spending 10 months behind bars. Another American, Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges, which his family and the U.S. government have called baseless.

A team of the Narcotics Control Department detained a union parishad (UP) member with yaba pills in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar on Thursday, the authorities said. Protesting the detention, a group of people from Hoaikang union blocked the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf highway for four hours, creating traffic gridlock and making the commuters suffer, they added. The detainee is Badsha Mia, 46, a member of Ward 7 of Hoaikang union parishad of the upazila, Md Kamruzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Teknaf, said. "The incident happened in the Noyabazar Station area of the union. The blockade started at 6pm and continued till 10pm." Nurul Alam, an inspector of Cox's Bazar Circle of the Narcotics Control Department, said they detained a person named Badsha for possessing yaba but they are yet to confirm the amount of pills seized from him. After hearing about the about the blockade, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control around 10pm, Abdul Halim, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, said. Read: Burmese Yaba worth Tk 2.7 crore seized from Cox's Bazar: BGB

Police said they detained three people after recovering the bodies of a woman and her son from the septic tank of a rented house in Sherpur on Thursday. The deceased were identified as 35-year-old nurse Roksana Begum and her 11-year-old son Md Rafid. Police detained Masek Ali, a "drug addict" auto-rickshaw driver, his mother, and another person over the incident. According to police, Masek used to live with Roksana and Rafid at a rented house in the Nabinagar Panaitapara area of Sherpur town. Roksana's elder sister Sufia Begum filed a general diary (GD) at Sherpur Sadar Police Station on Wednesday after Roksana and Rafid had gone missing on December 4. Read: Young girl ‘gang raped’ in Cumilla: 5 held "We found Masek's involvement in the killing after questioning him. Later, police conducted a search of his house and found the bodies inside the septic tank. We've detained Masek, his mother and another person in connection with the killing." "We think a dispute between Masek and Roksana over money for buying drugs led to the killing," Md Hannan Mia, additional superintendent of police of Sherpur Circle, said. Bashir Ahmed Badal, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sherpur Sadar Police Station, said the bodies have been sent to the Sherpur Zila Hospital morgue for autopsies. "Police will file a case over the killing."

A protester was arrested Wednesday after hurling eggs and vitriol at King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, as they walked in the northern England city of York. The incident happened as the king and his wife were entering York through Micklegate Bar, a medieval gateway where monarchs are traditionally welcomed to the city. Video footage showed several eggs in motion and smashed on the ground. None appeared to hit the royal couple, who continued to greet crowds. Several police officers could be seen grappling with a man at a crowd barrier. Britain’s PA news agency reported that he booed and shouted “This country was built on the blood of slaves” as he was being detained. Read: First coins featuring King Charles III unveiled Other members of the crowd tried to drown him out by chanting “Shame on you” and “God save the King.” Charles and Camilla traveled to York as part of a series of engagements around the U.K. marking the start of the new king’s reign. They also visited the city’s cathedral, York Minster, and unveiled a statue of the king’s mother. Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September after 70 years on the throne.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have detained three suspected drug peddlers and seized 1.90 lakh Yaba pills from Jatrabari area of the capital, Rab said on Sunday. The detainees were Aminul Islam, 26, son of Abdur Rahim of Chattogram, Nurul Islam, 48, son of Syed Shahzada of Bandarban and Hedayet Ullah, 20, son of Abul Kashem of Chattogram district. Tipped off, a team of Rab-3 conducted a drive in the area and seized the Yaba pills worth Tk 5.70 crore kept inside the fuel tank of a truck Saturday night, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of the Rab headquarters while briefing to the reporters. Later, the elite force detained three people in this connection. Read: Drug peddler held with yaba pills in Dhaka

Agitated transport workers in Dinajpur have blocked the district’s Dashmail central truck terminal and adjacent roads, protesting the detention of two of their fellow workers over allegations of extortion and obnoxious comments made by the Officer In-charge (OC) of Kaharol police station about their organization. As a result, movement of all types of public transport has remained suspended in the district. According to Sadakatul Bari Sada, President of Dinajpur Truck-Lorry-Covered Van Workers’ Union, OC Rais Uddin detained two workers over allegations of extortion in Kaharol upazila. “We went to the police station to talk to the OC. But instead of giving us time, the OC termed our registered organization as illegal. The aggrieved workers are protesting the detention and the remark made by the OC by blocking various roads since 5:00pm today,” said Sada. Read: Rajshahi transport owners, workers call strike from Nov 1 OC Rais denied the allegations, saying that they detained two workers for questioning over extortion at Kaharol cattle market.   “I didn’t term the Union as illegal. Rather, I tried to talk to the leaders of the organization in the evening. I’m trying to mitigate the situation by talking with my high-ups,” Rais said.

Taiwan held various public events after keeping its coronavirus outbreak to a few hundred cases and wrapped up an annual film festival with an awards ceremony Saturday night.