United News of Bangladesh

A Dhaka court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to freeze the bank accounts of former director general (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Barrister Md Harun Ar Rashid, his wife Fatema Pervin Luna on graft charges. Judge of the Dhaka Senior Special Judge Court, Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to the petition, allegations were brought against the former Rab DG and his wife for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 1,000 crore and for money laundering. Public suffering on pretext of movement won’t be tolerated: RAB DG As information has been found regarding the acquisition of substantial movable assets inconsistent with known sources of income and amid concerns that the assets may be transferred elsewhere, an application has been filed to freeze over Tk 64 lakh kept in various fixed deposits at One Bank and savings certificates with the National Savings Directorate.

The High Court on Monday directed the authorities concerned to seal all abandoned deep tube-well shafts across the country within three months, following the deaths of several children who fell into open shafts in different areas. The HC bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order after hearing a writ petition. Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin stood for the petitioner. HC orders closure of secondary schools during Ramadan The authorities concerned, including Local Government Division, have been asked to implement the order. Earlier, Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin filed a writ petition with the HC bench concerned after attaching reports published on newspapers over the deaths of children after falling into the open shafts of deep tube-wells in different parts of the country. In 2014, the death of child Jihad, who fell into an abandoned deep tube well in the Railway Colony of Shahjahanpur, had shaken the entire nation. He also mentioned that in December 2025, a child named Sajid died after falling into an abandoned deep tube well in Tanore of Rajshahi district. Swechchhasebak Dal leader held with Tk 50 lakh in Patuakhali On January 28 this year, another child, Misbah, died after falling into an abandoned deep tube well in Raozan upazila of Chattogram district.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday convicted a woman and sentenced her to death in a case filed in connection with the Dhanmondi double murder in 2019. Judge of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan and Session Judge Court-7, Tauhida Akter handed down the punishment. The convict is Surovi Akter, domestic help of deceased Afroza Begum. The court also fined her Tk 50,000, in default to suffer five-months more in rigorous imprisonment. Youth’s body recovered from Dhanmondi Lake The court also acquitted Bachhu Mia, a worker of the house, as allegations brought against him could not be proved. According to the prosecution, police recovered the bodies of Afroza Begum, 65 and her housemaid Diti, 18 from a house at Lobelia House in Dhanmondi area of the capital on November 1, 2019. A case was filed with Dhanmondi Police Station on November 3, 2019. Police submitted chargesheet against Surovi and Bachhu Mia on February 1, 2022.

The government has appointed 1,051 executive magistrates across the country to maintain law and order situation during the upcoming national election. The Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification on Tuesday in this regard. The appointed executive magistrates will conduct mobile courts in their respective areas from February 8 to 14, it said. According to the notification, the magistrates will work in coordination with law enforcement agencies, mobile and striking forces, particularly Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Coast Guard, to ensure law and order and prevent crimes during national election and the referendum. Several instructions regarding training, joining and duty deployment of the magistrates were also issued. As per the directives, executive magistrates appointed in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Dhaka divisions will attend a mandatory training session on February 5 (first batch) at 10am, while those appointed in Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions will join the second batch training on the same day at 2:30pm. The training will be conducted via the Zoom platform and the meeting ID and passcode will be sent to the concerned officials via mobile phone and email. The appointed executive magistrates have also been instructed to report to the respective district magistrate or returning officer on February 7. The district magistrate or returning officer must submit a joining report to the Ministry of Public Administration by 8pm on the same day. Besides, the district magistrates will determine the jurisdiction and assign responsibilities to the empowered executive magistrates within their respective districts, said the notification. The magistrates must regularly inform the district magistrate about mobile court operations.  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a Law and Order Coordination Cell in preparation for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum. A statement signed by Faisal Hasan, Public Relations Officer (Director) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the cell will coordinate responses to law and order issues during the election period. The emergency contact numbers of the cell are 02-47118700, 02-47118701, 02-47118702 and 02-47118703, while mobile numbers 01550-064226 (WhatsApp) and 01550-064227 have also been provided. Election Commission imposes vehicle restrictions ahead of polls The ministry urged people to contact these numbers for lodging any complaints related to law and order during the election period.

Majority of incidents involving minority communities in 2025 were criminal in nature rather than communal, said the government on Monday sharing the yearlong police record on minority-related incidents, law and order situation. Describing every incident as a matter of concern, the government said the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture. This underscored both the complexity of law-and-order challenges and the importance of grounding public discussion in facts rather than fear or misinformation, it added. A yearlong review of official police records for January to December 2025 documents 645 incidents involving members of minority communities, compiled from verified First Information Reports, General Diaries, charge sheets, and investigation updates nationwide, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing based on police headquarters' report. The findings show that 71 incidents were identified as having communal elements, while 574 incidents were assessed as non-communal in nature. Communal incidents primarily involved vandalism or desecration of religious sites and idols, along with a small number of other offenses. Read More: Daylight Murder in Dhaka: Police call slain Mamun a top-listed criminal In contrast, the majority of incidents affecting minority individuals or properties arose from criminal activity unrelated to religion, including neighborhood disputes, land conflicts, political rivalries, theft, sexual violence, and cases linked to prior personal enmity. "This distinction is important. While all crimes are serious and demand accountability, the data demonstrates that most incidents involving minority victims were not driven by communal hostility, but by broader criminal and social factors that affect citizens across religious and ethnic lines," said the press wing. It said Bangladesh remains committed to confronting crime with transparency, accuracy, and resolve. Accurate classification helps prevent misinformation and supports more effective law-enforcement responses. Hundreds of cases were formally registered, arrests were made in many incidents, and investigations are ongoing in others. This reflects an institutional commitment to addressing crime and maintaining public order, particularly in sensitive cases involving religious sites or communal concerns, the government said. At the national level, Bangladesh continues to face serious law-and-order challenges, it said. Each year, an average of approximately 3,000-3,500 people lose their lives to violent crimes nationwide. "This is not a number to be proud of. Every life lost is a tragedy, and no society should be complacent in the face of such statistics. At the same time, these figures must be understood in context. Violent crime affects all communities, cutting across religion, ethnicity, and geography," said the CA’s Press Wing . Importantly, it said, available indicators show that law and order in Bangladesh is improving steadily. Enhanced policing, better intelligence coordination, faster response times, and increased accountability have contributed to gradual but meaningful progress. The government and law-enforcement agencies remain committed to reducing crime further and ensuring equal protection under the law. Read More: Most incidents involving minorities were criminal, not communal: Govt Bangladesh is a country of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and people of other beliefs, all of whom are citizens with equal rights, it said. 'Ensuring safety and justice for every community is not only a constitutional obligation but a moral one," said the government. It said protecting places of worship, preventing incitement, responding quickly to criminal acts, and distinguishing facts from rumor are essential to preserving social harmony. "This report is presented in the spirit of transparency and accountability. It does not deny challenges, nor does it claim perfection," said the government. Rather, the government said, it seeks to provide a factual, evidence-based picture of crime trends affecting minority communities within the broader national context.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday (January 19, 2026) said some 8,97,117 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed during the national election to ensure security. The adviser disclosed the information while talking to reporters after a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat. A total of 42,761 polling centres will be set up for the election. Of them, 8,780 centres have been identified as highly risky while 16,548 as risky and 17,433 as general centres, he said. Some 25,000 body-worn cameras will be used at highly vulnerable and risky polling centres, while preparations are underway to install CCTV cameras at every polling centre, said the adviser. Read more: EC unveils fresh roadmap for Feb-12 election To maintain law and order during the election, forces will be deployed across the country in two phases. The deployment in the first phase will continue as it is. In the second phase, deployment will be based at polling centers for seven days from February 8 to 14, he said. The overall security coordination will remain under the supervision of the respective returning officers, Jahangir Alam added.Alongside the police, Ansar and VDP members, Army, Navy, Air Force, BGB, Coast Guard and RAB members under ‘in aid to civil power’ will be deployed during the election. Besides, law-and-order coordination cells will be formed at both central and local levels with members from police, BGB, RAB, Coast Guard and members of armed forces ahead of the election, he said. Special teams will be formed under the national emergency service number 999 and linked to the coordination cells. All complaints received will be forwarded immediately to the Home Ministry and the relevant local coordination cells, he said. Noting that law enforcement personnel are being trained for election duty for the first time, the adviser said the training will be completed by January 20. To strengthen surveillance, 418 drones will be used during the election, operated jointly by the Army, Navy, Police, BGB, Coast Guard, RAB and Ansar. Dog squads of different forces will also be deployed. Read more: Police must remain 100% neutral during elections: Home Adviser Besides, ‘Surokkha’ app, developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), will play the most effective role in election security management. Through the app, law and order-related complaints will be received instantly and prompt action will be taken, said the adviser. The government has taken a decision to use Air force helicopters to transport ballots and election materials to the remote and char areas, he said. Beside, instructions have been given to quickly arrest those who tried to obstruct the election, while intensive patrolling will be carried out across the country for four days ahead of the polls, said Jahangir. Referring to the progress of Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, the adviser said 19,854 people were arrested between December 13 and January 17. Read more: EC set to sit with political parties Tuesday over postal ballots During this period, 346 firearms, 2,191 rounds of bullets, 722 cartridges and a large quantity of illegal arms and explosives were recovered, he said. Any attempt to obstruct the election or deteriorate the law and order situation will be dealt with strictly, he said.

The government has promulgated ‘Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Ordinance, 2026’ as part of its tough stance to protect the country’s ecological balance and conserve haors and wetlands. The new ordinance strengthens the Haor and Wetland Development Directorate and introduces tough punishment, including imprisonment and heavy fines for encroachment, land filling and environmental damage in haor and wetland areas. Under the law, the directorate has been given clearly defined responsibilities. Based on lists prepared by deputy commissioners, the government will publish a final gazette of haors and wetlands.  A master plan will be prepared to ensure protection and integrated management of wetlands and obtaining the directorate’s opinion will now be mandatory before taking up any development project. The ordinance also empowers the government to declare any haor or wetland a protected area if special conservation is required based on the opinions of the relevant authorities. The law provides for strict punishment depending on the nature of the offence. Anyone found illegally occupying haor or similar land, filling wetlands, carrying out unauthorised excavation, or constructing infrastructure that disrupts the natural flow of wetland water will face up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 10 lakh  or both. The same punishment will apply to those who extract soil, sand, stone or any other natural resources without proper permission. Read more: Govt promulgates ordinance with fines for illegal tree cutting Besides, using banned nets, poison bait or electric shocks to catch fish, hunting migratory birds in haor areas, or destroying swamp forests will be punishable with up to two years’ jail and a fine of up to Tk 500,000. If natural resources are extracted in a manner that disrupts fish breeding, the offender will face up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 500,000. To curb environmental pollution anyone whose actions pollute haor water or soil will be punished with up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 200,000. Violating any special protection order or directive issued by the directorate, or breaching restrictions in areas declared as protected will also face up to two years’ jail and a fine ranging from Tk 500,000 to Tk 10,0000. If any individual or institution causes damage to the wetland ecosystem, the director general of the directorate will be able to assess the extent of the damage and order its recovery. He will also be empowered to direct necessary measures to restore the affected area, which must be complied with.

The police are examining two video messages reportedly released by Faisal Karim, the prime suspect in the Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Osman Hadi murder case. “We have got the two video messages from Faisal and are currently scrutinising those. No comment on this now. We will speak after verification,” DMP Commissioner Md Sajjat Ali told reporters on Saturday (January 03, 2026). He was speaking at the ‘A4 Bashundhara Paper CRAB Best Reporting Award-2025’ ceremony at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). Read more: Inqilab Moncho stages protests demanding justice for Hadi The force is placing highest priority on maintaining law and order ahead of the upcoming national election, said Md Sajjat Ali. The DMP Commissioner urged journalists to remain responsible, saying inaccurate or exaggerated reports could harm police officers. He said DMP’s reshuffle of officers-in-charge was conducted through a lottery system and the force continues to operate within its limitations. “If we can keep law and order under control for the next 40 days it will be possible to hold a fair election.” Speaking about election candidates’ security, he said those facing genuine threats are being provided with armed protection upon SB verification. Hadi’s killers will be tracked down even if they flee abroad: Shipping Adviser Security for election commissioners has also been strengthened, he added. Referring to limited manpower, he said, “If we deploy police everywhere, who will guard the polling centres?” The DMP Commissioner claimed that incidents of mugging and other crimes have decreased in the capital and sought public cooperation to maintain the current situation.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Monday instructed field-level police officers to maintain law and order at any cost, giving the highest priority to the upcoming national election. Addressing the monthly crime review meeting at the Police Headquarters, the IGP emphasised that any election-related disorder must be met with immediate and strict legal action. Prof Yunus reaffirms fair polls as preparations underway in full swing “Pre-election law and order is of paramount importance. The visible presence of police must be increased through regular patrols and strengthened searches at check-posts,” he said, adding that anyone obstructing lawful police duties must be arrested and produced before court. Baharul Alam also directed officers to intensify efforts to recover weapons looted from police stations during last year’s August student–public mass movement, and to widely publicise government-declared rewards for such recoveries. All metropolitan police commissioners, range DIGs, and district superintendents of police (SPs) joined the meeting virtually. Arms smuggling attempts rise ahead of Bangladesh polls: Home Adviser At the headquarters, Additional IGP (Administration) AKM Awlad Hossain, Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Khondaker Rafiqul Islam, DIG (Operations) Md Rezaul Karim, and DIG (Confidential) Md Kamrul Ahsan attended. The meeting also reviewed the overall crime situation for November 2025, covering execution of conviction warrants, progress of case investigations and trials, conviction rates and other key issues.