United News of Bangladesh

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot use its travel ban to prevent 80 already-vetted refugees from entering the United States, marking a significant setback for the policy. In a decision issued late Monday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle stated that President Donald Trump's June executive order — which restricted entry from 12 countries — does not apply to refugees seeking asylum. “In other words, by its plain terms, the Proclamation excludes refugees from its scope,” the judge wrote. Whitehead ruled that denying entry to refugees would undermine their ability to apply for asylum, contradicting the very language of the presidential order. He directed the government to immediately resume processing the 80 “presumptively protected refugees” who had been rejected under the travel ban. The U.S. State Department has not issued a comment on the ruling. US manufacturing struggles persist despite subsidies and tariffs Whitehead also outlined a vetting framework for refugees from the 12 banned countries and others who were denied entry after the Trump administration suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program just hours after taking office on January 20. This suspension had left thousands of refugees — many already cleared after years of security screening — stranded in various parts of the world. Among them were family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel and over 1,600 Afghans who supported American forces during the war. Several refugees and aid organizations, whose funding was frozen by the administration, filed lawsuits. They later sought class-action status to extend the court’s ruling to similarly affected refugees. In May, Judge Whitehead said the suspension likely nullified Congress’s intent, noting that Congress had created and funded the refugee admissions program. He issued a preliminary injunction in February, halting the administration’s suspension of refugee processing and aid. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused much of that ruling in March, saying the administration was likely to prevail as the president holds broad authority over immigration decisions.

A Dhaka court on Monday imposed a travel ban on former Awami League lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan and 24 others in a graft case. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after hearing two separate petitions. The rest of the accused are—deputy registrar of Department of Co-operatives, Abul Khayer alias Hiru, Kazi Sadia Hasan, Abul Kalam, Kanika Afroz, Bashar, Sajed, Aleya Begum, Kazi Fuad Hasan, Farid Hasan, Shirin Akter, Zaved A Matin, Zahed Kamal, Humayun Kabir, Tanveer Nizam, former chairman of NGO Uddipon, Mihir Kanti Majumdar, former Executive Director and CEO Bidyut Kumar Basu, former Vice-Chairman Zakia K Hasan, former treasurer Golam Ahad, former MP Mahbubur Rahman, former MP Nazrul Islam Khan, Nahid Sultan, Bhabatosh Nath, Jamil Foysal and Shawkat Hossain. Shakib shouldn't have run for AL; its leaders have blood on hands: Press Secy Assistant Director of ACC Sazzad Hossain filed a petition seeking the imposition of travel ban on 15 people including Shakib, a cricketer-turned MP from Magura-1 constituency. According to the petition Shakib, along with others amassed wealth after investing several crores of money in the stock market after violating the Stock Market law through irregularities. The court also asked to block the NID cards of Tanivir Nizam, former chairman of NGO Uddipon, Mihir Kanti Majumdar, former Executive Director and CEO Bidyut Kumar Basu, former Vice-Chairman Zakia K Hasan, former treasurer Golam Ahad, former MP Mahbubur Rahman, former MP Nazrul Islam Khan, Nahid Sultan, Bhabatosh Nath, Jamil Foysal and Shawkat Hossain. Deputy Director of ACC, Md Rokonuzzaman filed a petition seeking issuance of travel ban against them. According to the petition, they in collusion with each other made transactions of Tk 8.97 crore and Tk 4.48 crore in a bid to embezzle the money after violating the section 19(1) of the rule 24 (3) of microcredit law 2006.

President Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries is set to take effect Monday amid escalating tension over the president's unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement. The new proclamation, which Trump signed on Wednesday, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don’t hold a valid visa. Musk risks losing billions as tensions with Trump escalate The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the U.S. even after the ban takes effect. Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, who was at the airport Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the U.S. are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest in their country. “I have family in Haiti, so it’s pretty upsetting to see and hear,” Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. “I don’t think it’s a good thing. I think it’s very upsetting.” Unrest over raids on undocumented migrants: Trump sends National Guard to LA Many immigration experts say the new ban is designed to beat any court challenge by focusing on the visa application process and appears more carefully crafted than a hastily written executive order during Trump's first term that denied entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries. In a video posted Wednesday on social media, Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose “terrorism-related” and “public-safety” risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had “deficient” screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report about tourists, businesspeople and students who overstay U.S. visas and arrive by air or sea, singling out countries with high percentages of nationals who remain after their visas expired. Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The man charged in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. U.S. officials say he overstayed a tourist visa. Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud The ban was quickly denounced by groups that provide aid and resettlement help to refugees. “This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization. Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro’s government condemned the travel ban, characterizing it in a statement as a “stigmatization and criminalization campaign” against Venezuelans.

A Dhaka court on Sunday imposed a travel ban on Nazmul Hassan Papon, former President of the Bangladesh Cricket board (BCB) and five members of his family, in connection with a graft case. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain passed the order following a petition filed by deputy director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Saiduzzaman. The other members are—Roksana Hasan, wife of Papon, his daughter Suneya Rahman and Rushmila Rahman, his son Rafsan Hasan and son-in-law Rakin Al Mahmud. Papon offers only vague details of meeting with Tamim According to the petition, Papon, also a former minister and former Managing Director of Beximco Pharmaceutical Company and his family were found involved in accumulating illegal wealth through corruption and embezzling money. An investigation is going on over the allegations of property and wealth information of Papon and his family in Kishoreganj, Gazipur and Dhaka and USA and Canada.    

A Dhaka court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family for their alleged involvement in corruption Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said public relations officer of ACC Aktarul Islam. The other family members include Sheikh Rehana, Hasina,s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiquee and her son Redwan Mujib Siddique. Court imposes travel ban on ex-AL MP, family in corruption case Deputy director of the ACC Monirul Islam, also the investigating officer of the case, filed a petition seeking travel ban against the former prime minister and her family. According to the petition, Sheikh Hasina and her family were found involved in embezzling Tk 59,000 crore froom Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. ACC formed a five-member body to investigate the allegation brought against them.    

A Dhaka court on Thursday imposed a travel ban on former Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed and his wife Dilshad Nahar Kakoli. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Ash Shams Joglul Hossain passed the order following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). ACC's Deputy Director, Zakaria, submitted the petition requesting the travel ban with prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir representing the commission during the hearing. General Aziz is under investigation for allegations of abusing his power, engaging in irregularities, and amassing illegal wealth in his name and in the names of his family members. He is also accused of laundering money through various banks and informal channels to different countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Dubai. Read: EC cancels 4 NIDs of ex-army chief Aziz Ahmed's two brothers On September 5, the ACC launched probe into the former army chief as it  found initial evidence regarding his involvement in wealth accumulation at home and abroad by abusing his power. There are accusations against him that he purchased houses and flats in various places, including the capital through corruption, unethical practices, and various irregularities through the misuse of power.

The government has issued a travel ban on Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, an officer on special duty (OSD) (assistant secretary) of the Ministry of Public Administration and suspended assistant commissioner of Lalmonirhat district administration. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Monday. Urmi was suspended following her controversial remark regarding the interim government on Facebook and process is underway to take departmental action against her. Earlier, on October 9, a defamation and treason case was filed against Urmi in Lalmonirhat by Tahiatul Habib Mridul, a representative of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. On October 7, she was suspended following her controversial remark. In a Facebook post, Urmi wrote, “The chief adviser of the interim government which has no constitutional base said a push has been made on the reset button, history got erased. He has removed all histories of the county by clicking the reset button. Is it too easy! your (Yunus) countdown has started, Sir.”

Usually vibrant with tourists during public holidays, the popular tourist destinations in the three hill districts now wear a desolate look after a recent directive by the authorities discouraging people from visiting the region. Tourism businesses in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari are set to suffer huge losses as all bookings have been cancelled due to the restriction. District administrations asked people not to visit the hill districts from October 8 to31 citing “unavoidable reasons”, including safety concerns and the impact of recent natural disasters. Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan said the decision was made to ensure the safety of tourists, with hopes that the situation will normalise by the end of the month. “We have urged tourists not to visit Rangamati during this period. Later, travel can resume as usual,” he said. The travel restriction came at a particularly difficult time for the tourism sector. Hotel and resort operators had received advanced bookings for the Durga Puja holiday, the biggest religious festival of Hindus. Read: Government announces programs to mark World Tourism Day tomorrow However, he is optimistic that easing the restrictions could help the tourism sector recover from this crisis. “We are facing a major crisis,” said Ramzan Ali, a leaseholder at the boat dock operated by the Rangamati Parjatan Corporation. “The scenic Hanging Bridge was submerged due to recent rains and floods, and now we have this travel ban. We don't know how we will survive.” Md. Sultan, manager of Hotel Square Park, echoed similar concerns saying, “All the bookings have been canceled, and our hotels are empty. Normally, we are fully booked at this time of year,” he said. Local tourism associations have expressed deep concern over the economic impact of the travel ban. Ten organizations, including the Rangamati Resort Owners’ Association, the Houseboat Owners’ Association, and the Residential Hotel Owners’ Association, submitted a memorandum to the district administration calling for the government to lift the ban immediately. “We are facing severe uncertainty regarding our livelihoods. The ban sends a highly negative message to tourists and threatens to push the developing tourism sector in these regions to the brink of collapse,” they said in the memorandum. Read more: Sunamganj tourism suffers Tk 50 crore loss amid floods and ongoing situation Ten organizations, including the Rangamati Resort Owners’ Association, the Houseboat Owners’ Association, and the Hotel Owners’ Association, submitted a memorandum to the district administration calling for the government to lift the ban immediately. “We are facing severe uncertainty regarding our livelihoods. The ban sends a highly negative message to tourists and threatens to push the developing tourism sector in these regions to the brink of collapse,” they said in the memorandum. Adviser to Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Supradip Chakma recently said the ban would be lifted soon. “We are in talks with the Home Affairs adviser, and a decision will be announced shortly,” he said.

A  Dhaka court has issued a travel ban on Saiful Alam, the owner of S Alam Group, his wife Farzana Parveen and 11 family members. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Zoglul Hossain passed the order in response to a petition from Anti-Corruption Commission’s Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam on Monday. Travel ban imposed on former NSI DG, his wife In addition to Saiful Alam and his wife, those barred from leaving the country include his sons Ashraful Alam and Ahsanul Alam, brothers Morshedul Alam, Shahidul Alam, Rashedul Alam, Abdus Samad, Osman Gani, and Mohammad Abdullah Hasan, Abdus Samad’s wife Shahana Ferdous, Osman Gani’s wife Farzana Begum, and an unidentified man, Miskat Ahmed.

A Dhaka court on Thursday issued a travel ban on former head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank ( BFIU) Masud Biswas. The commission decided to initiate investigation on September 26 and formed four committees to probbe alleged corruption of former BFIU chief Masud Biswas According to the ACC's primary investigations, Biswas allegedly amassed huge wealth within a short time. He adopted unfair means regarding the aircraft purchase of Sky Capital Airlines Limited, according to the primary investigation. Read: Travel ban imposed on former fisheries minister SM Rezaul Karim By taking a bribe from the company,Biswas concluded an investigation of the company without sending a report to the law enforcement agency. Biswas also approved a report as a general monitoring report instead of an intelligence report under the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations. The report was related to the embezzlement of Tk 50 billion by NRB Commercial Bank Chairman Tamal Parvez. Read more: Travel ban imposed on 8 former AL ministers, 6 MPs As an accomplice of Saiful Alam Masud, chairman of S Alam Group, the ex-BFIU officialsiphoned off billions of taka taking loans from Islami Bank.