United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday said that human trafficking must be stopped and those involved in such inhumane activities must face exemplary punishment. “The long-term solution is how human trafficking can be prevented. We must find a way. It cannot be allowed. This does not fall under any definition of civilisation,” she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The State Minister said traffickers must be punished under both domestic and international laws. Govt prioritises safety of Bangladeshis abroad amid Middle East tensions: State Minister At least 18 Bangladeshis died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea through a risky and illegal route, trying to reach Greece via Libya. International media, quoting the Greek coastguard, reported that 22 migrants died off the coast of Greece while attempting to reach Europe. Another 26 survived the ordeal and were rescued by a European border agency vessel near the island of Crete. Officials said the survivors included a woman and a minor, adding that those in need of medical care were transferred to hospitals. Among the survivors, 21 were Bangladeshi citizens, four were from South Sudan, and one was a Chadian national. The boat had been at sea for six days after departing from Tobruk, a port city in eastern Libya, on March 21. The city is widely seen by migrants as a gateway to seeking asylum in the European Union. “We are yet to receive details. Our missions are in constant communication with the authorities there (Greece). The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment is also aware of the situation. We are working together to ensure proper support for those who were rescued,” the State Minister said. She described the incident as extremely unfortunate, noting that people are engaging in such inhumane acts for financial gain. Those rescued have been taken either to hospitals or camps, she added. Need to Complete Certain Procedures Responding to a question about repatriating the bodies and survivors, the State Minister said it would take some time. “We need to complete certain procedures. In such incidents, governments become particularly sensitive,” she said. The State Minister said the priority is to assess the condition of the survivors, confirm their identities, and complete proper verification before taking further steps, including assistance and repatriation. She said Bangladesh embassies in Athens and Libya remain active in dealing with the situation and are continuing investigations. “We have received preliminary information from our missions,” the State Minister said, adding that they suspect that trafficking networks are operating both in Bangladesh and Libya. She said these groups lure people with false promises and put their lives at risk. The State Minister said citizens from a number of countries were on board, calling it particularly tragic that a woman and a child were among them. “Our missions are working to gather more details,” she added. The State Minister said she has instructed the relevant missions to investigate and identify those responsible. “We are facing a harsh global reality. People in many countries feel insecure for various reasons. In such circumstances, exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit through inhumane means is deeply unfortunate,” she said. The number of migrants who have died trying to reach EU soil more than doubled in the first two months of 2026, compared with last year, the EU border agency Frontex said earlier this month.

Students and local residents staged a protest march and boycotted classes on Sunday at Raigram, Kalagachhi, Kanchanpur Janata Secondary School (RKK Janata Secondary School) in the village of Raigram, Kalagachhi union in Lohagara upazila, demanding justice for an SSC examinee who was allegedly molested by a teacher. The class boycott began around 10:00am, with students expressing outrage over the incident. Local residents later joined the protest in solidarity, holding a demonstration on the school premises. Tension prevailed in and around the school during the protest. Upon receiving the information, Lohagara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shammi Kaiser and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lohagara Police Station Abdur Rahman rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesting students. Students confine principal, instructor to Narail Nursing College over ‘irregularities’ Following assurances of appropriate action against the accused teacher, the students withdrew the class boycott after about two hours and returned to their classes. Later, on the instructions of the UNO, a three-member investigation committee was formed, headed by Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md Anwar Hossain. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days, Md Anwar Hossain said, adding that further action would be taken based on the findings. According to student and locals, the 15-year-old SSC examinee used to receive private tuition at the residence of Md Babu Mia, an assistant teacher of the same school. About two weeks ago, the teacher allegedly attempted to molest the student after a private lesson. The victim later informed her guardian about the incident.

Two newly-appointed justices of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Farah Mahbub, have paid a courtesy call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban. During the meeting on Thursday evening, the justices exchanged pleasantries with the President. President Mohammed Shahabuddin congratulated them and urged them to uphold justice in their new roles. On March 24, 2025, the president in consultation with the Chief Justice appointed the two High Court Division judges as the justices of the Appellate Division following recommendations from the Supreme Judicial Appointment Council. Extortion fuels unrest in CHT: Home Adviser On March 25, the newly appointed justices of the Appellate Division were sworn in by the Chief Justice on March 25.

The interim government has said they remain committed to accountability and justice, and will be working with partners around the world to return the stolen funds to the people of Bangladesh. "The theft of billions of dollars in public funds has left Bangladesh with a significant financial deficit," said the government in a statement issued by Chief Adviser's press wing on Tuesday night. The funds stolen from Bangladesh belong to its people, said the interim government, stressing that they will continue to work with their international partners to ensure that justice is done. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has already expressed the views of the vast majority of Bangladesh’s citizens. He said property and assets tied to stolen Bangladeshi funds, including those linked to individuals with connections to the previous regime, must be investigated thoroughly. "If proven to have benefited from embezzlement, we expect those assets to be returned to Bangladesh, where they rightfully belong." As Professor Yunus told The Sunday Times of London, Tulip Siddiq may not have entirely understood the source of the money and property that she was enjoying in London, but she knows now and should seek forgiveness from the people of Bangladesh. Read: US welcomes Interim Government’s steps toward election readiness The interim government is actively working with international law enforcement agencies to investigate and recover funds stolen from the people of Bangladesh. Such collaboration is vital to dismantle transnational networks of financial crime. "We hope and expect all friendly governments, including the UK, to stand with the people of Bangladesh in seeking justice for these crimes," said the interim government, adding that corruption hurts everyone other than those who perpetrate it – and some of their favoured relatives and cronies. The ongoing investigation into the $5 billion misappropriation linked to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant underscores the scale of corruption under the previous government, the statement reads. Read more: Holding election not the sole responsibility of interim government: Nahid The misuse of public resources in this and other projects has not only robbed the people of Bangladesh but also disrupted the country’s progress toward economic stability, said the interim government.

Students of Manikganj Government Women's College held a human chain on Sunday demanding exemplary punishment of those responsible for the death of a female student. The victim Tanushree Roy was a first-year student in the Bengali department of the college. Her classmates, along with hundreds of students from other departments, gathered in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office at noon demanding a proper investigation into Tanushree's death and justice for the victim. After the human chain, the students marched in protest and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police. Constable Sujan shown arrested in Chankharpul killing case Tanushree Roy, daughter of Dinabandhu Roy from Dakshin Chailla area in Manikganj Sadar upazila, married Atunu Biswas, son of Atal Biswas from Bongram area of Manikganj Municipality on October 3, 2024, said her father. .Since the marriage, Tanushree used to physically and mentally tortured by her in-laws, who also restricted her contact with her family and prevented her from using her mobile phone. S.M. Aman Ullah, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Manikganj Sadar Police Station, said that a case was filed at the police station based on the complaint from the deceased's father for inciting suicide. Following the case, Tanushree’s husband, Atunu Biswas, and his in-laws were arrested and sent to jail, he added. DMP files 1702 cases for traffic rules violation Earlier on Thursday night, police recovered the body of Tanushree Roy hanging from a fan with a scarf around her neck, at her husband's residence in Bongram area of Manikganj Municipality.

Protesters in Syria held a sit-in Wednesday demanding justice for four activists who were forcibly disappeared in 2013 and whose fate remains one of the most haunting mysteries of the country's 13-year civil war. On Dec. 9, 2013, gunmen stormed the Violation Documentation Center in Douma, northeast of Damascus, and took Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hamadeh, Samira Khalil and Nazem Hammadi. Outspoken and defiantly secular, Zaitouneh was one of Syria’s most well-known human rights activists. Perhaps most dangerously, she was impartial. She chanted in protests against then-President Bashar Assad but was also unflinching in documenting abuses by rebels fighting to oust him. There has been no sign of life nor proof of death since she and her colleagues were abducted. Since the ouster of Assad on Dec. 8, protests have erupted across Syria demanding information about thousands of people who were forcibly disappeared under his rule. The new leadership under the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which orchestrated the offensive to oust Assad, has maintained a neutral stance regarding accusations against various armed groups for forcibly disappearing activists. At the same time, HTS has aligned with activists in their efforts to uncover the truth and seek justice. “We are gathering here to remind the world of their case,” Yassin Haj Saleh, Khalil’s husband, said Wednesday, adding that the disappearance of activists represents “the deepest wounds” of Syria’s conflict. “This is the first opportunity that allows us to be in Douma, and in front of the place that they were kidnapped from, to speak up about the case, taking advantage of the political change that took place in the country.” Saleh said they had repeatedly appealed to various armed groups for cooperation in finding the four activists in the years before Assad's ouster but were met with silence. Strong clues had pointed to the Army of Islam, the most powerful rebel faction in Douma at the time, as the perpetrators. The group, made up of religious hard-liners who were pushing out other rebels and imposing strict Shariah rules, long denied involvement. An Army of Islam official, Hamza Bayraqdar, told The Associated Press in 2018 they brought Zaitouneh to Douma to protect her from the Assad government. Read: Iran's supreme leader says Syrian youth will resist incoming government The Army of Islam repeatedly blamed the Assad government, along with the Nusra Front — an al-Qaida-linked group originally founded by the current HTS leader — for his wife's disappearance, Saleh said. Zaitouneh was a prominent human rights lawyer and founder of the Violation Documentation Center. She also helped organize networks of activists like the Local Coordination Committees, an umbrella network made up of activists who organized protests as part of the Syrian uprising. Her work earned her international recognition, including an International Woman of Courage award presented by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in 2013. Several of those who spoke to the AP in 2018 said the Army of Islam saw Zaitouneh documenting abuses as a threat and resented her local administration plan as an encroachment on their power. Zaitouneh received a series of threats that friends and activists said traced back to the Army of Islam. The Army of Islam was forced to move north in 2018 after the Assad government retook Douma, leading to the group's weakening and disintegration. Hopes that Zaitouneh and her colleagues would emerge among released prisoners during that time were unmet. Today, the Army of Islam remains an armed faction backed by Turkey. It did not fight alongside the other Islamist factions that led the offensive against Assad and remains excluded from the HTS-led Syrian leadership. Recently, an Army of Islam delegation met HTS leader Ahmad Sharaa to explore integration into the new Syrian system, but no agreement has been reached. Protesters on Wednesday held banners openly accusing the Army of Islam and reading “Freedom” in English and “Traitor who kidnaps a revolutionary” in Arabic, alongside posters of the four missing activists. Saleh described the plight of the disappeared as uniquely painful, saying, “Those who die are mourned, but the forcibly disappeared are forbidden from both living and being mourned.” Their bodies must be found, he said, adding: “For Syria to heal, truth and justice must prevail.” Wafa Moustafa, whose father was forcibly disappeared separately in 2013, also attended the protest. Read more: Palestinian refugees return to Yarmouk, facing uncertainty in post-war Syria “Justice in Syria cannot be limited to those detained by the Assad regime,” she said. “For many years, other factions controlled parts of Syria and committed similar crimes of detention, torture and killing. If justice does not include all victims, it will remain incomplete and threaten Syria’s future.” Syrian delegation arrives in Saudi Arabia A Syrian delegation led by the foreign and defense ministers, along with the head of intelligence, arrived in Saudi Arabia on their first official foreign trip, Syrian state media reported, citing a foreign ministry official. Relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia have long been tense. Many Arab nations cut ties with Assad’s government after it relied on support from Iran and Russia to suppress uprisings. But the Arab League reinstated Syria in 2023, and regional leaders are increasingly open now to renewing diplomatic ties.

Family members of the seven people  killed onboard a fertiliser-laden vessel on the Meghna River near Eshanbala Char in Chandpur's Haimchar Upazila on Tuesday claimed the killings as planned and demanded justice. They identified the bodies at Chandpur General Hospital morgue and those were handed over to them after postmortem this noon. On Monday afternoon Coast Guard and River Police recovered five bodies and rescued three injured victims from the vessel. Later, two of the injured succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. No case has been filed yet but preparations for filing a case are underway, said Chandpur’s Haimchar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahiyuddin Suman The deceased were identified as Golam Kibria ,55, captain of the vessel hailed from Faridpur, his nephew Sheikh Sabuj,35, a sailor, Aminul Munshi, 40, helmsman from Narail district, Majedul,16, asailor from Magura Sajibul Islam ,26, sailor from Magura, Salahuddin,40, an engineer from Narail and Kazi Rana 24, its cook from Munshiganj. Sheikh Sabuj’s younger brother Sadikur Rahman said, “My brother recently spoke to me; he was a laskar (sailor) brought in by Captain Golam Kibria who is also our maternal uncle. This horrific incident must be thoroughly investigated, and justice must be ensured.” Read: Ministry of Industries shocked, forms probe body over MV Al Bakera incident in Chandpur Golam Kibria’s brother Awal Hossain broke down while describing his family’s anguish. “My brother was set to retire in January, but fate had other plans. He left behind two daughters and a son, with his elder daughter’s wedding planned for next month,” he lamented. Chandpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Mohsin Uddin said each victim’s family received Tk 25,000 in financial assistance. He assured that a case would be filed by the families.

The Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights body,  has expressed deep concern and demand fair probe into the death of a domestic worker after falling from the eight-floor of the building in the city's Mohammadpur. Priti Urang, 15-year-old daughter of  tea worker of Mittinga village in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district Lokesh Urang, used to work as domestic help at the house of Daily Star executive editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque in the capital’s Mohammadpur and died falling from journalist’s flat on February 7. Police arrested journalist Ashfaqul and his wife Tania Khandaker on that day. Effects of Domestic Violence on Children A court also sent them to jail after rejecting their bail petition. The court permitted police to interrogate them at the jail gate for three days. Prity had been working at the house of Ashfaqul for two years. Meanwhile, the HRFB also placed some demands to ensure security of the domestic workers. These are—stopping use of children as domestic help, taking initiative from both the government and private organisations in this regard, implementing the House help safety and welfare policy 2015 and to enact a law, enlist the work of domestic workers under risk sector and taking  effective steps to strengthen the registration process of domestic workers from the state-run organisations. Twitter, UN Women team up to provide life-saving info to domestic violence survivors Besides, Naripakkho, a women rights organization, demanded a fair probe into the death of Priti and punishment of those involved in the death. It also urged the government to take steps so that the culprits do not get acquittal using power and effective steps to stop recurrence of such incident. Tea workers on Sunday demanded a fair investigation into the death of Priti Urang. During a programme, Priti's parents told the gathering that Priti went to work at the Daily Star executive editor Ashfaqul Haque's house through Moulvibazar district correspondent representative of the newspaper Mintu Deshwara. MJF expresses concern over rising domestic violence From the beginning, they lost touch with her. In two years, they could not meet her even once. “On the day of Priti's death, Mintu Deshwara asked us to come to Srimangal," said Lokesh, the father. "When Srimangal came, he said Priti was seriously ill and was taken to Dhaka. After going there, we were directly taken to the police station and heard the news of the girl's death. I came home with the dead body of the girl from the police station.” "We don't even know whether our case has been registered at the police station. We just want justice for our daughter's murder," he said. Speakers said that instead of sending the child Priti to school, tea garden journalist Mintu Deshwara, who works for the Daily Star, sent her to work at the residence of Syed Ashfaqul Haque, executive editor of the same newspaper.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin on Thursday said the Chief Justice has nothing to do with the situation created over the  Supreme Court Bar Association(SCBA) election.  “Chief Justice said it is not our matter. It is a bar’s (Lawyers’ Association) matter. Senior lawyers of the bar association should sit for discussion to resolve the problem,” he told reporters after a meeting with Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique. Responding a question whether the election environment is good, the attorney general said that to keep the environment peaceful, both of the sides have the responsibilities equally. “If one side snatches the ballot papers and another side obstructs, then how will environment be fine?” “BNP supporters raise demand for re-election. But election is going smoothly and hundreds of lawyers are casting votes standing in queues,” he added. Earlier, a section of Pro-BNP lawyers presented yesterday's incident of police action on them on the premises of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) before a full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique. Meanwhile, pro-BNP lawyers are still chanting slogans against the election which is underway today while pro-Awami League lawyers are also chanting slogan supporting the election. At least 10 journalists and lawyers were injured as police charged batons on them at the Supreme Court premises amid scuffle between pro-Awami League and pro BNP lawyers over the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election on Wednesday. The two-day voting in SCBA election started around 10 am but it was suspended immediately when some pro-BNP lawyers staged demonstrations demanding formation of election conducting committee led by a neutral person.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government wants to ensure justice for all with prompt disposal of cases, and ensure transparency and accountability in the country. “We want every citizen of the country to get justice. We want prompt disposal of cases. We want to ensure transparency and accountability… we want to establish that environment,” she said. The prime minister said this while addressing the inaugural session of the 59th Annual Council of Bangladesh Judicial Service Association at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). Sheikh Hasina said the government is working tirelessly to ensure the wellbeing of people — for a bright and secured future for them. “Let us ensure rule of law for the people of Bangladesh, so they can have a better life. We will establish Bangladesh that was dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said. Read more: Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia turned Bangladesh into a ‘nation of beggars’: PM The prime minister said that members of the parliament have passed laws alongside making amendments to ensure security and welfare of the people while judges are ensuring justice for all. “As long as I am in power, I will do whatever necessary for the development of the judiciary,” she said. She said her government has formed special tribunals to dispose cases filed under the antiterrorism act. If the trials of anti-terrorism cases end quickly, those involved in terrorism will be discouraged, she hoped. The PM said patterns of terrorism and militancy have changed with the advent of newer technologies, and crimes are being enabled by technology. “We have enacted a law to contain cybercrimes. Many people say many things, but the fact is that law is necessary as the number of cybercrimes has gone up immensely,” she said. She called upon all, including parents, teachers, and religious leaders, to be involved in anti-terrorism and anti-militancy awareness campaigns across the country. “We have to pay special attention so that no chid gets involved in militancy,” she added. Referring to militant attacks in Jhalakathi and Gazipur courts, she said her government has taken measures so that judges can return home safely after delivering verdicts. The PM said as many as 101 tribunals are now working across the country to deal with cases of women and children repression; seven tribunals are assigned to work on human trafficking cases. To bring dynamism in the judiciary, she said a total of 1227 judges were appointed in the lower courts since 2009 till date, while a process is underway to recruit 200 judges more. Read more: Anti-liberation forces and killers of Bangabandhu are always trying to make Bangladesh a ‘failed state’: PM to AL activists Recalling the contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the development of the judiciary, she said Bangabandhu had scrapped a Pakistani era law, paving the way for appointing women in the judiciary. The prime minister urged judges to consider the situation before Awami League assumed power in 1996, saying, “You (judges) will see a complete change.” She said her government has continued the trial of war criminals, confronting obstacles at home and abroad, adding that she had received many international phone calls, including from heads of states, when her government initiated measures to try war criminals. The prime minister thanked Judge Golam Rasul for his bravery in delivering the judgement over the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, overcoming many hurdles. She said the BNP-Jamaat alliance called hartal on the verdict day (November 8, 1998). The BNP-Jamaat alliance government later awarded the killers of Bangabandhu by posting them in foreign missions and rehabilitated them in politics, she said. She also said military dictator Ziaur Rahman freed 11,000 war criminals from jails to stop the trial of the anti-liberation elements that was initiated by the Father of the Nation. The prime minister vowed to build a developed, prosperous 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041 to give the people a better life. Law Minister Anisul Huq, Law Secretary Md. Golam Sarwar and Bangladesh Judicial Service Association President AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan also spoke at the programme. A documentary on judicial service was screened at the programme.