BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the family members of the victims of enforced disappearance, including that of Ilias Ali, are going through serious problems in absence of their near and dear ones.    Talking to reporters after visiting the house missing BNP leader Ilias Ali in the city’s Banani area, he also alleged that the government has so far not taken any initiative to trace the victims of enforced disappearance because of its own involvement in these incidents. “The situation would have been different had the government taken any initiative to find out the people who were subjected to enforced disappearance. But no such effort of the government was seen since it is involved (in these incidents),” Fakhrul said. He said people saw that law enforcers had picked up BNP leader Ilias Ali and his driver from Banani area a decade ago in the capital. “It’s very clear that this incident happened through this government. As the government has no step to find out the victims of enforced disappearance, their families are being deprived of all facilities and facing serious ordeals.” Fakhrul along with BNP joint secretary general Sayed Moazzem Hossain Alal went to Ilias’ house at noon and talked to his wife Tahsina Rushdir Luna and other family members. He also presented them with the Eid gifts on behalf of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. READ: BNP made journalists ‘labourers’: Hasan Mahmud Referring to his conversation with Luan, he said Ilias Ali's family has been in great danger. “His (Ilias’) wife told me that they could not handle his (Ilias Ali's) bank account. They couldn't even pay tax on his car. These things have caused a great deal of pain to the family." The BNP leader said Ilias’ family had to face a lot of problems regarding her daughter's college admission as some colleges were not allowing for admission. “Not only Ilias Ali’s family, but all the families of the victims of enforced disappearance are going through a lot of trouble." He said their party has been trying to stand by the family members of those who were made disappeared by providing them with gifts and financial assistance on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. BNP organising secretary M Ilias Ali along with his driver Ansar Ali went missing on the midnight of April 17, 2012 from the capital’s Banani area. Since then, BNP has been blaming the security agencies for the mysterious disappearance, an allegation denied by the government.

A  young woman who was rescued after a 999 call filed a rape case on Tuesday against nine people in Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station. Four of the accused who are named in the case are Eidgaon upazila’s Firoz Ahmed, Russell Uddin, Nurul Islam and Md Sharif. Five are unnamed accused. Cox's Bazar Sadar Police officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Munir Ul Gias said the written statement of the girl was recorded as a case on March 15 at noon. The victim has been sent to the One-Stop Crisis Center (OCC) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for a physical examination. According to the statement, Firoz and Sharif had earlier threatened the 24-year-old woman, and on March 14 abducted her in a microbus from Cox’s Bazar court area. Feroz snatched gold ornaments and cash money from the young woman. They took her to the house of Feroz's relative Fazal Quader in Baharchhara area of the city. There she was raped by Firoz, Sharif and their companions. READ: Teenager gang-raped in N'ganj She said in the statement that her mobile phone was also taken by them. A man named Russell Uddin, claiming himself  to be a police officer, threatened to sue her for human trafficking if she told anyone about the rape. He raped her too. At one stage, the women lost her consciousness due to gang rape when Russell and Sharif dragged her out of the house and fled. Seeing this a person on the street immediately called 999. Later she was rescued by police from the spot. READ: Jamalpur schoolgirl ‘kills self after rape’; Accused youth held The victim has also claimed that Firoz and Russell Uddin are on familiar terms with the police, and questions the role of the police so far in the case. Besides, she has also been pressured for a settlement. However, OC Munir said the names of four accused have been mentioned in the case. Police will launch an operation to nab everyone involved in the incident.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir on Wednesday (April 28, 2021) filed a petition with the High Court, seeking an anticipatory bail in a case filed over abetting the suicide of a young girl whose body was recovered from a flat in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. The petition was included in the cause list for hearing at the bench of Justice Mamunur Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman, court sources said. Also read: Young woman found dead in Gulshan; case filed against Bashundhara MD As per law, the accused must appear before court physically for hearing on an anticipatory bail plea but the accused could be connected virtually with the court during the virtual hearing. On Monday, police recovered the hanging body of Mosarat Jahan, 21, daughter of late Shafiqur Rahman, a freedom fighter of Monoharpur in Cumilla district, from a flat in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. Also read: Dhaka court imposes travel ban on Bashundhara MD over abetting suicide Following the recovery of her body, the victim's sister, Nusrat Jahan, filed a case under section 306 of Bangladesh Penal Code with Gulshan Police Station around 1:30 am on Tuesday. In the case, Nusrat Jahan made Sayem Sobhan Anvir, managing director of Bashundhara Group, as the lone accused of abetting the death of the 21-year-old college student. Read Those responsible for Muniya’s death to be brought to justice: Minister

A victim of the explosion at the chemistry lab of Naogaon Polytechnic Institute succumbed to his injuries at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early Sunday.