United News of Bangladesh

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has brought back 73 Bangladeshi fishermen who were detained by the Arakan Army at different times while fishing in the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The fishermen were returned through the Jaliapara transit ghat in Teknaf around 4:30pm on Monday following a series of negotiations with the Arakan Army, said Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed, commander of BGB’s Ramu Sector. The Arakan Army formally handed over the fishermen to the BGB at zero line of the Naf River. After completing necessary procedures, they were brought back to Bangladesh and handed over to their families through local administration, he said. Efforts are going on to secure the release of other detained fishermen, he added. At least 200 fishermen had reportedly been detained by the Arakan Army at different times from the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal areas.  

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday said any kind of chaos at polling stations will be dealt with strictly, as armed forces members are being allowed inside polling stations for the first time. “Any disruption at polling centers will be dealt with strictly. There will be no tolerance for anyone trying to obstruct the election,” he said while talking to reporters after a views-exchange meeting on law and order ahead of the national election at Faridpur Deputy Commissioner office. Officials from five districts of greater Faridpur including district administration, police, army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and election officers attended the meeting. Vote-buying proves Jamaat’s political bankruptcy, code violation: Mahdi Amin The Home Affairs Adviser said the law-and-order situation is under control and the election is expected to be peaceful. “In Bangladesh history, no election has seen the deployment of so many law enforcement personnel. This election is being conducted more smoothly than ever before. I seek everyone’s prayers,” he added. Responding to questions on women wearing burqas at polling stations, he said the Election Commission has clarified the rules. Female Ansar members will be present at each polling station to take necessary action, if needed.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a large amount of Indian goods smuggled in a courier service in Feni on Wednesday. The items included Indian sarees, three-piece dresses, oil, body spray, soap, toothpaste, face wash, and fireworks. The total estimated value of the goods is about Tk 1.215 crore. The operation was carried out in the morning at S.A. Transport Courier Service on Shahid Shahidullah Kaiser Road in Feni city. Two people were detained during the raid - Manager Md. Atikur Rahman, 37, and assistant manager Md. Faruk Hossain, 35. According to BGB sources, the Feni-4 Battalion team conducted the raid based on a tip-off. The smuggled goods were recovered from inside the courier service. Lt. Col. Mosharaf Hossain, commander of Feni-4 BGB; Executive Magistrate Chayan Barua of the Feni district administration, and other officials were present during the operation. The seized goods were taken to the Feni BGB headquarters. 3 sentenced to death in Feni schoolboy killing case Lt. Col. Mosharaf Hossain said, “BGB continues operations at the border to prevent smuggling, illegal entry, and drug trafficking, even while deployed for election duties.” He added that the force will maintain a strict policy against smuggling.

A total of 134 BGB platoons will be deployed in 51 constituencies in  nine districts and four city corporations under its Dhaka sector To support these deployments, 42 temporary base camps have been established. In addition, BGB’s specialised K-9 Dog Squad units will conduct targeted search operations. Colonel SM Abul Ehsan, Sector Commander of BGB Dhaka Sector, shared the information on Saturday at a media briefing at the National Swimming Complex in Mirpur. Colonel Ehsan said BGB is strictly following all directives from the government and the Election Commission while performing its election duties. To enable voters to exercise their franchise in a safe and fear-free environment, BGB is working closely with other law enforcement agencies. Regular patrols and intelligence surveillance activities are ongoing at the field level, he said. Colonel Ehsan also noted that BGB personnel have received election-specific training at multiple levels to handle any situation professionally. During the election period, the Rapid Action Team (RAT), Quick Response Force (QRF), and Helicopter Unit will remain standby for responding swiftly to any emergency. For transparency, accountability, and effective security, BGB will use body-worn cameras, night vision devices, metal detectors, APCs, and modern communication equipment during election duties. Special monitoring cells have been set up at battalion and sector headquarters to oversee the overall election situation round the clock. On election day, BGB will carry out mobile and static patrols, establish check posts at key locations, and conduct vehicle and suspect searches to prevent sabotage or destabilising activities., he added.  

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized various smuggled goods worth over Tk 19.08 billion during operations conducted across border areas and other parts of the country last year. The para-military force carried out anti-smuggling drives from January 1 to December 31, 2025, and seized items included 60.556 kg of gold, 168.241 kg of silver, 171,190 pieces sarees, 126,779 pieces of three-piece/shirt pieces/shawls/blankets, 133,338 pieces ready-made garments, 105,371 metres of cloth, 6,876,611 pieces cosmetic items, 98,706 pieces of imitation jewellery and 20,746,144 pieces fireworks, says BGB headquarters’ Public Relation officer (PRO) Shariful Islam on Monday afternoon. National election: 15 platoons of BGB to be deployed in Jhenaidah, Magura  Besides, the BGB also seized other goods that included 1,165,489 kg of sugar, 37,618.5 kg of tea leaves, 305,438 kg of onions, 70,293 kg of garlic, 235,843 kg of cumin, 140,274 cubic feet of timber, 19,300 cubic feet of stones, 455,752 kg of coal, 13 statues made of touchstone, 102,912 kg of fertilizer, 34,531 packets of different seeds, 4,201 litres of diesel/petrol/octane, 9,013 mobile phone sets, 123,247 mobile displays, 477,694 pieces of spectacles, 3,346,848 pieces of chocolates, 12,294 cows and buffaloes, and 1,708 vehicles of various types during the period During the same period, BGB also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition, including 64 pistols, two SMGs, 19 hand grenades, 10 rifles, three revolvers, 56 different types of guns, 1,509 rounds of ammunition, 57 magazines, eight mortar shells, 73,100 lead bullets, 20.05 kg of gunpowder, four mines, 79 hand bombs, 40 petrol bombs, 178 cocktails and 25 other weapons. BGB deployed in front of EC building Besides, BGB seized a huge quantity of narcotics in 2025. The recovered drugs included 14,714,298 pieces of Yaba tablets, 10.408 kg of crystal meth ice, 133,396 bottles of Phensedyl, 130,546 bottles of foreign liquor, 2,673.75 litres of locally brewed liquor, 12,678 cans of beer, 22,137 kg of cannabis, 55.636 kg of heroin, 13.647 kg of cocaine, 84 bottles of LSD, 426,705 pieces of Anagra/Senagra tablets, 105,765 bottles of Eskaf syrup, 11,458,693 pieces of various medicines, 1,649 bottles of MKDIL/Cofidil and 694,082 intoxicating and stimulant injections, the BGB PRO added. Alongside seizing smuggled goods, the border guard also arrested a total of  2,334 people for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking, including Yaba and crystal meth ice, and other smuggling activities. Additionally, legal action was taken against 4,238 Bangladeshi nationals, 124 Indian nationals and 7,368 Myanmar nationals for illegally crossing the border during the last 12 months till December 31 in 2025.

Fifteen platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be deployed in Jhenaidah and Magura districts to maintain law and order during the national election. Besides, ten temporary base camps will be set up in ten upazilas of the two districts , said Lieutenant Colonel Rafikul Alam, Commanding Officer of Maheshpur Battalion (58 BGB) at a press briefing held at the battalion headquarters on Thursday afternoon. BGB will perform duties in six parliamentary constituencies of Jhenaidah and Magura districts. After deploying  BGB members in election-sensitive areas from January 29 to 31 temporary checkpoints will be set up at 55 key locations  in the two districts to conduct search operations, he said. The force will work in coordination with the army, police, RAB and Ansar members, he said. Regular patrol teams will also conduct operations to ensure security at polling centres, he added. Efforts are also underway to recover illegal arms in border areas and to motivate voters to participate in the election through public awareness meetings, he said.  

Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday (December 22, 2025) said investigators have made ‘significant progress’ in the probe into the murder of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, warning that no one involved in the killing would be spared. “The interim government, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, is giving the highest priority to bringing those involved in the murder of Hadi, a frontline fighter of the July uprising, to justice,” he told reporters after a meeting on the law and order situation at the Secretariat. Warning that no one involved would be spared, the adviser said 10 people have already been arrested in connection with the murder by joint forces. Those arrested include Shaheda Parveen Samia, wife of Faisal Karim, the alleged mastermind of the killing, along with his parents, brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, and motorcycle owner Abdul Hannan, he said. Read more: Bangladesh provides gunmen for 20 individuals on hit lists Besides, he said, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested five associates of broker gang leader Philip, including his wife and father-in-law, on suspicion of involvement in the incident and handed them over to the police. Law enforcement agencies have also recovered the motorcycle used in the murder, two foreign pistols, two magazines, 41 rounds of ammunition and a toy pistol. He also noted that police, RAB and BGB jointly briefed the media on the latest developments at a press conference at the Home Ministry on Sunday. When asked about the whereabouts of the killer, Jahangir Alam said, “If we knew where he was, he would have already been arrested.” Responding to a question on whether the mastermind was in the country or abroad, he said, “He could be either inside the country or outside. If his exact location were known, he would have been caught.” Read more: Inqilab Moncho to hold protest rally demanding immediate arrest of Hadi's killers Asked whether the suspect left the country through legal or illegal means, the adviser said he did not leave through any legal channel. “I cannot say, whether he went through the illegal route or not.” Osman Hadi, also a prospective candidate for Dhaka-8, was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Dhaka’s Puratan Paltan. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18. Later, he was laid to rest beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University Central Mosque at around 3:30 pm on Saturday. Read more: Hadi murder trial under Speedy Trial Tribunal: Asif Nazrul

Additional police personnel and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed at key points in the capital to maintain law and order during namaz-e-janaza of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Osman Hadi. An adequate number of police personnel equipped with around 1,000 body-worn cameras have been deployed to ensure overall security and prevent any untoward incident, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman. Besides, 20 platoons of BGB have been deployed in and around important areas of the capital including the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to strengthen security, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer of BGB. The namaz-e-janaza of Hadi will be held at 2:00pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Read more: DU journalism students demand justice for Hadi, attacks on media The government has requested those wishing to attend the janaza not to carry any bags or heavy objects. It also said that flying drones in and around the parliament complex will remain strictly prohibited during the funeral prayers. Meanwhile, a decision has been taken to bury Hadi beside national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on the Dhaka University campus in line with the wishes of his family, according to a Facebook post from Inquilab Moncho’s official page. Read more: Amnesty urges accountability over Hadi murder, mob violence Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan. He initially underwent surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was later admitted to Evercare Hospital. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18. His body arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening. Read more: Bangladesh mourns death of Osman Hadi

A Bangladeshi man was shot dead allegedly by members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Patgram border in Lalmonirhat early Thursday (December 04, 2025). The deceased was identified as Sabuj Mia, 29, son of Sirajul Islam of Pochabandar village under Jagatber union in Lalmonirhat. Locals said Sabuj and a group of farmers had gone to the Shamshernagar frontier area at dawn to work on their croplands when gunshots were heard from the Indian side. Sabuj was found critically injured moments later. Shamshernagar Border Outpost Commander Kamal Uddin, quoting locals, said BSF members later took away the body. Read more: Bangladeshi man shot dead by BSF near border in Chuadanga He said a protest letter has been sent to the BSF. Meanwhile, Abul Kasem, company commander of the BGB-51 Battalion, said repeated attempts had been made to arrange a flag meeting, and high-level communication with the BSF was underway. Patgram Police Station OC Mizanur Rahman said they were aware of the incident and a flag meeting between BGB and BSF commanders may take place soon. Read more: BNP to prioritise water-sharing, end ‘Indian hegemony’: Fakhrul

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday said the law and order situation will continue to improve and everything will be in order before the voting day. “It will improve gradually. As the polling day approaches, you will see everything will fall in line. Everything will be fine,” he said, replying to a question if the election is possible amid the current law and order situation. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after inspecting an election-related training and mock exercise organised by the 5th Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Pilkhana in the capital. The CEC said, “I won’t say the law and order situation has reached a perfect level. You saw what the situation was on August 5, 2024. Now compare it with the current situation. Now you can sleep safely. You were able to come here safely. There was no difficulty on the way. So, it will improve further, gradually.” He said the Election Commission will sit again with law enforcement agencies on November 30 over specific proposals. “The development strategy will be finalised there." Nasir Uddin said law enforcement agencies are being deployed on the field with maximum preparedness to ensure a free, peaceful and neutral election. Don’t hire politically linked election observers: CEC Nasir “Today we saw a very well-conducted mock exercise here. It was fully designed considering our election culture. The training covered all conceivable dimensions of what usually happens during elections or how elections are conducted. I am very pleased,” he said. He said election duty does not come regularly — only once every four to five years — which is why the forces need special training. “BGB’s regular duties are in the border areas. We will provide election-related training to various law enforcement agencies,” he said, adding that Police are training their members at 130 centres based on election requirements. “We have earlier seen Ansar-VDP’s drills. They are undergoing training as well. This BGB exercise will play a very important role. They are preparing their members so they can perform their duties properly,” he said. The CEC said each law enforcement agency is responsibly preparing its members. “We expect this training will have a significant impact on maintaining election-time law and order. I hope all law enforcement agencies, journalists, and 130 million voters together will help us deliver a fair election.” About a political party’s announcement to resist the election, the CEC said, “All necessary steps will be taken against those who have announced resistance. Journalists, voters, and citizens — everyone must work together to prevent any unwanted situation.” Regarding the recent discussions about running the election by advisers of the interim government, he said it is a policy matter of the government. “The Election Commission will perform its duties according to the laws.” About risky polling stations, he said the EC has made a risk assessment. “Forces will be deployed according to three zones — red, yellow, and green,” he said. Commonwealth Secretary-General meets CEC, discusses election preparations Meanwhile, BGB informed that 1,210 platoons will be deployed nationwide during the upcoming 13th national election. BGB will carry out election duties in all upazilas across the country except Sandwip, Hatiya and Kutubdia. In 60 of the 115 border upazilas, BGB members will perform election duties independently. BGB Director General Major General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, senior BGB officers and EC officials were present at the mock exercise event.