United News of Bangladesh

Police in Nepal have arrested former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged roles in the deaths of dozens of people during violent protests in September that led to the topple of the government and fresh elections. Oli was detained early Saturday from his residence on the outskirts of Kathmandu, while Lekhak was also taken into custody for allegedly ordering security forces to fire on demonstrators. Home Minister Sudan Gurung announced the arrests, stating that the move was aimed at ensuring justice and that no one is above the law. A government investigation commission recommended prison terms of up to 10 years for Oli, Lekhak, and the police chief at the time of the unrest. Police in riot gear carried out the arrests and transported the two leaders to the Kathmandu District Police Office. The arrests come a day after a new government led by Balendra Shah took office following a landslide election victory by his Rastriya Swatantra Party. Shah and Gurung have pledged accountability for those killed and injured during the protests. The election was the first since large-scale youth-led demonstrations on September 8 and 9 that left 76 people dead and over 2,300 injured. The unrest, driven by anger over corruption and poor governance, saw mobs attack government buildings and the homes of senior politicians, forcing many to flee. The protests eventually led to the appointment of Nepal’s first female prime minister, Sushila Karki, who oversaw the transition period ahead of the elections.  

Police in a drive arrested three people in connection with their alleged involvement in violating a speech-impaired woman in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola district on Tuesday. The arrestees were identified as Md Rakib, driver of the auto-rickshaw and his two associates—Md Jewel and Al Amin. Md Ibrahim, superintendent of Bhola (sadar circle) police said a joint forces team including DB police conducted a drive in the upazila on Monday and arrested them. Speech-impaired housewife gang-raped in Bhola Earlier on Sunday, a speech-impaired housewife was allegedly gang raped by three young men on her way to home from a programme of devotional song (kirtan) in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola district.

Bangladesh River Police seized a huge quantity of illegal nets, fish and jelly-injected shrimp during a five-day nationwide drive aimed at protecting the country’s fisheries resources and ensuring security on waterways. A total of 21,334,330 metres of illegal nets and 2,409 kilograms of fish and 300 kilograms of jelly-injected shrimp were seized during the five day-drive continued till 8:00 am on Thursday, said a press release. Cases were also filed in the naval court against 23 bulkheads for lacking valid documents, the release said. A total of 64 people were arrested in the five-day drive. Besides, a total of 26 cases were filed in connection with the seizure and three death bodies were also recovered during the drive.

A case has been filed against 20 people in connection with the death of two people in a crude bomb blast in Sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj district. Additional Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police NM Wasim Firoz said sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station filed the case against 10 identified and 10 unnamed people on Saturday night. The injured victims in the explosion were shown arrested in the case. 2 killed while ‘making bombs’ in Chapainawabganj With these, five people were arrested. They were—Bazlur Rahman, 20, Minhaz, 22, Yusuf, 45, Shakil, 37 and Subho, 20 of Sadar upazila. Police are investigating the incident, said ASP Wasim Firoz. Two people were killed and three others injured in an explosion while they were allegedly making bombs at Fatapara in Sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj district early Saturday. Gun powder, bomb-making materials seized in Chapainawabganj

Joint forces in a drive arrested three people and seized a microbus of an independent candidate along with Tk 10.49 lakh at Chandanaish municipality area in Chattogram district early Wednesday. The arrestees were Md Enamul Haque, Emran and driver of the microbus. Ilias Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Chandanaish Police Station, said a team of police and army members intercepted a microbus owned by independent candidate of Chattogram-14 Advocate Mizanul Haque at Abdul Bari Haat and seized Tk 10.49 lakh from the vehicle around 12 am. Later, the joint forces arrested three people in this connection. 10 bomb-like objects recovered near polling centre in Kushita During preliminary interrogation, they claimed that the money was being carried for the polling agents of independent candidate Advocate Md. Mizanul Haque (Football symbol). The driver also failed to present valid documents, claiming the vehicle was taken on a requisition slip but had not been reported to the relevant authorities.

Detectives have arrested Evaly Managing Director Mohammad Rassel and its Chairperson Shamima Nasrin in the capital. A team of the Detective Branch (DB) detained them in the city’s Dhanmondi area early Tuesday, said Saiful Islam, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station. He said a total of 391 arrest warrants are pending against the two. 27 arrested under Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2: DMP The Evaly executives were earlier arrested on September 16, 2021, on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Shamima Nasrin was released on bail in April 2022, while Mohammad Rassel secured bail in December the same year. However, it was not clear in which specific cases they were arrested this time.

Joint forces in a drive arrested four people along with arms and ammunition from Lohagora upazila in Narail district early Thursday. The arrestees were identified as Tofayel Mandal, 25, son of Kamruzzaman, Russel Biswas, 19, son of Tabibur Biswas, Ismail Hossain alias Pintu, 50, son of Nur Islam Gazi and Aminur Gazi, son of Tofazzal Gazi. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Lohagora police, along with army personnel, conducted a drive at Tofayel Mandal’s house in Digoholia in the dead of night and arrested him with one pistol and a magazine, said Abdur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Lohagora Police Station. Read more: Cold and fog bite into Narail’s honey season Later, the joint forces, along with Tofayel, conducted a raid at a fish enclosure and arrested three more people with 800 bullets and sharp weapons. The drive was conducted as part of regular operations ahead of the national election, the OC said.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members arrested a fugitive convict from Ashulia in Savar on Wednesday night. Jamshed Hossain, 46, a resident of Nazirpur village under Bauphal upazila in Patuakhali district, was sentenced to life term imprisonment in a case six years back, said Officer-in-Charge of Savar Police Station Arman Ali said. Read more: Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2: 67 arrested in 24 hours in Dhaka He was arrested in a joint operation conducted by RAB-8, CPC-1 Patuakhali Camp and RAB-4, CPC-2 Nabinagar Camp based on secret information. After arrest, Jamshed was handed over to Savar Police Station for taking legal action.

Detectives, in a drive, arrested six more people from Kashor in Bhaluka upazila early Thursday in connection with the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh district on December 18. The arrestees are Takbir, 22, of Sunamganj, Ruhul Amin, 42, of Thakurgaon, Nur Alam, 33, of Sadar upazila and Shamim Mia, 28, of Tarakanda upazila in Mymensingh district, Selim Mia, 22, of Noakhali and Masum Khalashi, 23, of Madaripur district. Tipped off, a team of DB police conducted a drive in the area and arrested them, said a media release of district police on Thursday. The six arrested individuals had forced Dipu to resign from his job, it said. With this, law enforcers have arrested 18 people from different parts of the country. Dipu Chandra Das, 28, a local garment worker, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district on Thursday (December 18). His body was later set on fire. A case was filed in this connection the following day.  

Detectives have arrested 12 leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate organisations including former mayor of Gafargaon municipality in Mymensingh in separate drives in Dhaka. They were arrested from different areas including Mirpur, Uttara, Lalbagh, Gulshan, Wari, Motijheel, Cantonment, Darussalam and Demra areas, said Detective Branch (DB) sources on Tuesday. Kaiser Ahmed, former mayor of Gafargaon municipality, ex-liberation war affairs secretary of central Jubo League, Md Yunus Ali alias Elias, former general secretary of Buramazumdar Union Awami League in Betagi upazila of Barguna, Shamim Osman, a leader from Gazipur Jubo League, Md Mahmud Dewan Shipu, general secretary of ward No-26 in Dhaka South Awami League, Md Jamil Hossain, office secretary of the same unit, and Md Soleman, vice-president of ward No-53 at Krishak League in Dhaka North were among the arrestees. DB officials said all of the arrestees face several cases including murder. They were allegedly working in an organised manner to destabilise the country, disrupt law and order, and spread panic among the public, according to DB police. Legal actions will be taken against them.