A man, who lost a recent UP election, has been arrested in connection with the murder of the brother of the victorious candidate in Chattogram. Suspect Ajgar Ali, 45, was arrested from Sadarghat Thana area in the port city on Sunday night by Rab, said Rab-7 in a press briefing on Monday. READ: 2 arrested for stabbing dead man during mugging in city According to Rab, Ajgar was defeated by Tyeb, current member of Bagabil-3 union in Rajanagar UP election held on November, 28, last year. Angered by the defeat he allegedly attacked UP member Tyeb several times. On last February 2 Ajgar allegedly sent some men to attack Tyeb’s brother Yousuf Ali near Bogar Bil bazar as he was returning home. READ: Man arrested for raping minor sister-in-law in Thakurgaon Severely injured in the attack Yousuf fought for life at ICU for ten days. Later, a murder case was filed accusing Ajgar and some 12 more at Rangunia police station following a complaint lodged by Yousuf’s wife.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have detained 14 members of a gang from Dhaka, Cumilla and Brahmanbaria districts for embezzling money from overseas goers assuring them of providing  fake Covid negative certificates. The detainees are- Md Jashim Uddin, 22, Md Sultan Mia, 19, Md Belal Hossain, 31, Md Abul Hossain, 24, Md Abdul Nur, 21, Md Alfaz Mia, 19, Md Shamim 32, Md Ahmmad Hossain,19, Md Imran Uddin Milon, 19,  Md Sabuj Mia, 27, Md Abdur Rashid, 28, Md Abdul Karim Chowdhury, 32, Md Angur Mia, 25, and Md Alamgir Hossain, 20. Read: RAB detains driver of pick-up van that killed 5 brothers in Cox's Bazar According to a media release of Rab Headquarter, several teams of Rab-11 conducted a drive in Kotwali area Cumilla on Wednesday night and detained Jashim and Sultan. Based on the arrestees’ information, Rab members conducted drives in Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria and Saydabad, Ramna and Motijheel areas of the capital and detained  the other members of the gang. During the drive, around Tk 7 lakh, 120 SIM cards, a fingerprint machine for activating SIM, a tab, 32 mobile phone sets, a passport and some  notebooks  were seized. Read: RAB uncovers another case of wrongful imprisonment; absconding convict arrested During primary interrogation, ringleader Belal confessed that he assured a man who wanted to go to a Middle East country that he would provide a fake Covid-19 negative certificate in exchange of Tk 10,000 in March last year, said the release. In this way, Belal took about Tk 50 lakh from more than 600 intending overseas goers. Process is underway to take legal action against the detainees, it added.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Saturday detained the driver of a pick-up van that ploughed into a group of nine siblings walking back home from a temple in Cox's Bazar last week. Tuesday's horrific accident on the Cox’s Bazar-Chattogram highway in Chakaria upazila left five brothers dead on the spot. Four other siblings were also injured in the accident. Also read: 4 brothers killed in Cox’s Bazar road crash, 5 injured Acting on a tip-off, a Rab-15 team raided Dhaka's Mohammadpur area this morning and detained the van driver, Shahidul Islam alias Saiful, 22, sources told UNB. During  primary interrogation, Saiful confessed to his guilt, said RAB. Saiful has no driving license  and has been driving pick-up van, ‘Chander Gari’ and mini truck for the last two years. On a fateful day, Saiful along with his nephew Rabiul and Tarek, son of the pick-up van owner, was heading towards Cox’s Bazar for delivering vegetables. Saiful could not see the victims standing in the area for crossing the road due to poor visibility caused by fog  and high speed of the vehicle and the driver lost control over steering, said RAB. Tuesday's accident occurred around 5am near Memorial Christian Hospital in the Malumghat area of Chakaria when the nine siblings were crossing a road. Read: 3 killed in Cox's Bazar road accident The nine had gone to a nearby temple to offer prayers for their father who was killed a day before. Plaban Sushil, another brother lodged a complaint with Chakaria Police.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have detained a drug dealer and his associate along with yaba pills, crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth or ice) and firearms from Hazaribagh of the city. The detainees were identified as one of the ring leaders of drug dealing Md Abdullah Monir alias Pichchi Monir, 33, and his associate Md Jubaer Hossain, 30. Read:SC imposes ban on transporting Phensedyl for being a drug According to a media release from Rab Headquarter, a team of Rab-2, tipped off, arrested the duo after conducting a drive at a flat in Modhubazar of Hazaribagh area on Thursday night. During the drive, two foreign pistols, magazines, 12 rounds of ammunition, 18,770 yaba pills, six grams of crystal meth and cash Tk 4.60 lakh were seized from their  In December 2020, Department of Narcotics Control arrested Monir and his wife along with firearms and yaba pills from the city's Mohammadpur area, according to the release.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained three suspected terrorists with a large quantity of arms busting a terrorist hideout in the remote hilly area of Jungle Salimpur at Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram. The detainees were identified as Andha Jamal, 42, of Khulna, Siraj, 35, of Lalmonirhat and Chashma Mizan of Banshkhali. Read: 2 killed in JSS-UPDF gunfight in Rangamati Nurul Absar, assistant director (Media) of Rab-7, said acting on a tip off, a team of Rab-7 made the arrests conducting a drive at Salimpur jungle on Saturday night. Later, while conducting another drive to recover firearms from the hideout with the detainees, the gang of top terrorist Mashiur Rahman Prakash, a former AL leader now under custody, led by son Shiblu, hurled brick-bats and opened fire on them, forcing the Rab members to fire back. At that time, Mashiur's son Mohirul Hasan alias Shibli and several other terrorists managed to escape the spot. During the drive, Rab seized 10 firearms, a foreign pistol, a sharp knife, 22 rounds of ammunition, military gazettes, military uniforms, military binoculars and illegal coins from the terrorist hideout. Read: ‘Pirate’ killed in gunfight with Rab in Barguna Three cases were filed at Sitakunda police station in this regard, said the official. Earlier on December 27 last year, Rab arrested Mashiur Rahman, an accused in 26 cases, one of the top terrorists in Chittagong and a former Awami League leader, along with a number of firearms.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has arrested a death row convict in a murder case who had been on the run in disguise of different identity using fake NID cards for more than two decades. The arrestee was identified as Syed Ahmed, who was sentenced to death along with 11 others in 2007 for killing a businessman Jaane Alam in March 2002. Read: UP member arrested over harassing Barishal University female student Nurul Absar, assistant director of Rab-7 of Chattogram, said, tipped off Rab members arrested the accused conducting a drive at Akbar Shah area of Chattogram city on Thursday night. During interrogation, the convict confessed that he had been hiding in different places soon after killing Jaane Alam. He used to stay in the coastal areas, including Bashkhali, Anwara, Kutubdia, for some time and later in Sitakunda as a refugee, said the official. Read: Killing of ex-DU teacher: Arrested mason remanded At one point, he also worked as a security guard in the Akbar Shah area. Rab members also seized two fake NID cards from Syed’s possession. The arrestee was handed over to Lohagara police station, the official added.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday said here that it is the United States that trained RAB on their rules of engagement on how to behave with people and how to interrogate.  “They’ve been trained by the USA. The US has taught them the rules of engagement, how to behave with people and how to interrogate,” he told reporters here after attending a number of programmes, recalling the role of the USA and the UK in training the RAB.   Dr Momen said RAB is very efficient in its work and they are very effective. “They’re very efficient and they’re not corrupt. That's why they've been able to gain the trust of people.” Read: It’s unfair to put all the blame of crossfires on RAB: Home Minister The Foreign Minister said the government will definitely encourage RAB to go and take training afresh if they (RAB) have any weaknesses in the rules of engagement and if there are any human rights violations in these rules of engagement. But the sections that have been imposed on individuals suddenly are not very justified, said the Foreign Minister, adding that the US got one-sided information. The government remains open to sharing experience, revisiting some aspects of the US and UK trained RAB's rules of engagement and their training on human rights in handling the crimes. Dr Momen said terrorist activities in the country have decreased because of RAB and in the last few years, there has been no more terrorist activity in the country after the Holey Artisan incident. “This has been possible because of RAB. The US Department of State itself has acknowledged it. There’re some people who don’t like the law and order in the country. Those who like terrorism or drugs don't like RAB because RAB  also acts against them. It’s very sad,” he added. Earlier, the Foreign Minister wrote to his US counterpart Antony J. Blinken on a number of issues, including a call to "waive sanctions" on RAB  and its current and former senior officials.  Bangladesh had already updated Secretary Blinken sharing Bangladesh's position on democracy, freedom of speech and human rights, minority and labour rights issues in his letter apart from touching upon sanctions issue broadly. Read: UN Peacekeeping: 12 global HR bodies seek ban on RAB Bangladesh believes that the continuation of "sincere and candid" dialogues between the two friendly countries would help advance the bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and benefits.  Over the years, Dr Momen said, RAB has emerged as the most efficient law enforcement agency of the government that has been at the forefront of combating terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other transnational crimes.  “RAB's crucial role in dealing with crimes has generated much confidence among citizens," he said. RAB has achieved public confidence as it delivers and is not corrupt, and at the same time, as excesses of abuse have dramatically reduced over the last decade, says the government.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday remarked that putting all the blame of crossfires on the country's elite force Rapid Action Battalion is unfair. The minister said this when a reporter sought his comment on a statement by12 foreign human rights bodies seeking ban Rab from deployment at UN peacekeeping missions. He was speaking to journalists after addressing the DC Conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city. He said, “They talk about human rights but we can challenge that there is no country where police encounters don’t occur.” Read: UN Peacekeeping: 12 global HR bodies seek ban on RAB When someone points arms at police they can’t sit quietly and thus crossfires happen, said the minister. “So I think it’s an injustice being done to Rab by putting all the blame on them,” he said. The minister said, “Those who created Rab are not liking it anymore. They are spreading propaganda against the force but not highlighting their good works.” When asked whether RAB is facing political opposition he said, “It’s up to you to decide.” Asaduzzaman said there was the government wants to turn the country’s security forces into world class. He said “We have already introduced national emergency service number triple nine like many other countries in the world.” Twelve international human rights organisations have written a letter to the United Nations Department of Peace Operations seeking a ban on RAB from the UN deployment for its alleged involvement in torture, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations. The letter was sent to UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) disclosed it on its website on Thursday. Read: Man to die for killing woman after rape in Ctg The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has yet to provide a formal response to the letter which was sent privately over two months ago on November 8, 2021. “If Secretary General Guterres is serious about ending human rights abuses by UN peacekeepers, he will ensure that units with proven records of abuse like the Rapid Action Battalion are excluded from deployment,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “The evidence is clear; now it’s time for the UN to draw a line. The organizations that signed the letter are-Amnesty International, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD),Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Asian Human Rights Commission, Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)Capital Punishment Justice Project, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, The Advocates for Human Rights and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).

Four suspected Rohingya militants were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from the deep forest on the border of Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar districts on Friday. The arrestees have been identified as Mohammod Nur (32), Nazimullah (34), Md Aman Ullah (23), Md Khairul Amin (19), RAB-15 said in a statement. Also read: Rohingya ‘drug peddler’ held with 600,000 yaba in Ukhia Following a tip-off that some Rohingya men had been staying in the forest adjacent to Balukhali-Naikhyangchari road, RAB-15 increased surveillance in the area from the late hours of Thursday. On Friday, the RAB members spotted two men carrying wood on their heads and arrested all four members of the group as they tried to escape, the statement said. Also read: Body of abducted Rohingya recovered from Ukhiya camp, 3 detained

Members of RAB have arrest 4 members of a mugging gang from the city’s Khilgaon area. The arrestees are Md Rifat, 20, Md Dipu, 19, MD Santo Siddik, 22, and Md Pervaz. They were arrested on Sunday at around 9.40 pm over a tip-off, read a RAB media release. READ: Cop held ‘with Yaba pills’ in Khulna During the arrest operation four switch-gear knives, five pieces of yaba and 25 gm marijuana was seized. During the primary interrogation the gag members confessed that they have been actively mugging mobile phones, jewelry, cash money etc from the people in the Khilgaon, Rampura, Banashee area for a long time.