Police on Wednesday rescued 11 fishermen, who were kidnapped by robbers from different areas of the Sundarbans from December 13 to 18. Those rescued were identified as Hanif, 48, Sohel Mallick, 28, Asadul Sheikh, 32, Akram Sheikh, 42, Anichh Sheikh, 22, Milon Sheikh, 23, Rafiqul Islam Khan, 35, Shukkur Ali Befari, 30, Monir Befari, 36 and Baktiar Befari, 35, hailing from different areas of Bagerhat and Khulna districts. However, no criminals have been detained so far in this connection. Read more: 'Operation Sundarban' mesmerises audience at star-studded premiere The criminals kidnapped the fishermen with their trawlers and other valuables from rivers and canals in the Sundarbans while they were fishing. Later, the kidnappers demanded ransom from the families of the victims over mobile phone. KM Arifqul Hoque, superintendent of police of the district, said police teams from Mongla and Sharankhola police stations conducted drives in the forest and rescued the fishermen. He said such drives will continue to make the forest free from the robbers and other criminals. Eight of the rescued fishermen were taken to Mongla police station and 3 others to Sharankhola police station. Read more: Shooting of ‘Operation Sundarbans’ begins

Tourists have started leaving Bandarban district as local administration has imposed a temporary ban on tourism at Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas from Tuesday (October 18, 2022) morning as a security drive was going on to either arrest or remove suspected militants and criminals from the hilly region. The administration has also discouraged tourists to travel to Thanchi and Alikadam upazilas amid security operations of the joint forces in the bordering areas of Ruma and Rowangchhari. The military was joined by the members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in the drive as the security officials were conducting extensive searches in the surrounding villages. Read Temporary ban on tourism at Rowangchhari and Ruma to fight terrorists Military helicopters of the security forces were also patrolling the areas. On Monday night, Bandarban’s district administration imposed the travel ban at Rowangchhari and Ruma. On Tuesday morning, tourists carrying vehicles heading for Thanchi had been sent back to Bandarban sadar upazila from Milanchari police outpost, said Md Kamal Hossain, general secretary of Bandarban Micro-jeep-mahendra Owner’s Cooperative Association. Read BIPSS roundtable: Bangladesh needs proper strategies to counter terrorism. The tourists are only allowed to visit Meghla and Nilachal Tourism spots in the hilly town, he said. Most of the hotels were vacant and bookings have been canceled after the ban, said the hotel owners in Bandarban. Authorities of the Hotel Hilton and the Hotel Hill View said those who came to stay on Tuesday morning have canceled their plans and some headed toward Cox’s Bazar. Read Militants' involvement with CHT's KNF group being investigated On Tuesday morning, a group of 70 people were supposed to check-in at the Sairu Hill Resort at Thanchi, but they couldn’t reach as the Thanchi road was blocked, Mir Atiqur Rahman, deputy manager of the luxury residential complex, told UNB. “A group of 40 people also checked out in the morning, so the resort is empty now,” he said. Md Tariqul Islam, Superintendent of Police in Bandarban, said that the movement of tourists in Bandarban was being prohibited or discouraged by the orders of the higher authorities. Read Govt out to create anarchy through terror acts: BNP

Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested nine wanted criminals from the Benapole port area of Jashore district. The arrestees have been identified as Russel, 35, Anwar Hossain, 38, Abdul Kurban Ali, 34, Mahidul Islam, 30, Enamul Hasan, 28, Rahmat Ali, 32, Abul Bashar, 43, Shafiqul Islam, 37, and Nazim Uddin, 29. READ: 30-year-old rapes schoolgirl in Magura, held “Warrants of arrest were issued against the arrestees in different criminal cases,” said Kamal Hossain Bhuiya, officer-in-charge of Benapole Port Police Station. They remained absconding for a long time, he said.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained two alleged criminals from Office Para in the district's Maheshkhali upazila. The detainees have been identified as Khairul Alam, 25, son of Omar Ali, and Saiadul Karim, 33, son of Nuru Mia of the upazila. Read:Huge haul of drugs in Cox’s Bazar, no arrest Acting on a tip-off, a Rab-15 team conducted a drive in the area and detained the duo around 4.30am on Wednesday, said senior assistant director of the unit. Four guns and four bullets were seized from their possession, the officer said, adding that three of their accomplices managed to escape  The detainees were involved in many criminal activities, said the elite force.

A local Awami League politician, who was severely injured in an attack by a group of assailants in Alampur village of Sadar upazila, succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital in Dhaka early on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Harunur Rashid, general secretary of Awami League's ward unit number 6, and son of Hossain Ahmed of the village. Read: AL activist hacked dead in Khulna AHM Kamruzzaman, superintendent of Laxmipur Police, said a group of four-five men attacked Harunur while he was sitting at a local tea stall around 8pm on Wednesday.  "The assailants attacked Harunur with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. While fleeing, the criminals fired shots in the air and even hurled a bomb to create panic among local people," he said. Harunur was rushed to Laxmipur Sadar Hospital, but doctors there referred him to Dhaka in view of his worsening condition. Harunur died on the way to Dhaka around 3am. Read:1 dead, at least 5 shot in Noakhali as Quader Mirza’s supporters, rival AL activists clash "Police are trying to identify and arrest those involved in the gruesome crime," said the SP. Meanwhile, Nur Uddin Chowdhury, MP of Laxmipur-2 constituency and general secretary of the district unit of the Awami League, blamed Jamaat-e-Islami for the attack. He gave a 24-hour ultimatum to cops to arrest the attackers.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Monday detained five criminals  including one of the top aides of TikTok Hridoy Babu from Hatirjheel area of the capital. The arrestees are Anik Hasan alias Hero Anik, 25, a listed criminal in Moghbazar area, Shahidul Islam Empul, 34, Abir Ahmed Rakib, 22, Shohagh Hossain Arif, 36 and Heera, 22. Tipped off, a team of Rab conducted a drive in Hatirjheel area on Sunday midnight and arrested them. READ: TikTok out-of-control: Teen goes for shoot, gets raped The elite force members also recovered bullets, one foreign made pistol, one magazine, five sharp weapons,300 Yaba tablets, seven mobile phone sets and Tk 3400 cash. Anik was wanted in nine criminal cases including that of drug and robbery and a group of 20-25 members worker under him, said a press release of Rab headquarters.. The gang has been involved in establishing supremacy in Hatirjheel, Moghbazar, Madhubagh, Mirbagh, Peyarabagh, Natun Rasta, Chairman Goli and Aam Bagan area and mugging belongings from the visitors at Hatiejheel. Tik Tok Hridoy  came to media list after a case filed over the alleged rape and torture of a Bangladeshi woman by fellow countrymen in India. A case was filed against Hridoy with Hatirjheel Police Station on May 28. Earlier it was reported that police in India’s Bengaluru arrested five Bangladeshis — four men and a woman — for allegedly raping and torturing a woman believed to be from Bangladesh. READ: Biden backs off on TikTok ban in review of Trump China moves The arrests were made after Assam police shared visuals from a video circulating on social media to trace the accused, reports the Hindustan Times. The video showed five people, including a woman, subjecting another woman to physical abuse and torture. Bengaluru city police promptly traced and arrested them. “As per the information revealed so far, all of them are part of the same group and believed to be from Bangladesh,” Bengaluru police Commissioner Kamal Pant told Hindustan Times. Due to financial disputes, the culprits brutalized the victim, who is also said to be a Bangladeshi, brought to India for human trafficking, he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said criminals must be tried, no matter how powerful they are.

Two suspected criminals were killed in ‘gunfights’ in Sadar upazila of Magura and Gurudaspur Upazila of Natore on Friday.

Dhaka, Oct 18 (UNB) – Four suspected criminals, including two Rohingyas, were killed in separate gunfights in Cox’s Bazar,  Joypurhat and Mymensingh districts early Friday.