United News of Bangladesh

The government has assigned 30 ministers, state ministers and whips of Parliament to oversee and coordinate overall government activities in all 64 districts, including maintaining law and order, combating corruption and drug abuse, and ensuring good governance, transparency and accountability. The information was disclosed in a gazette notification signed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani on Thursday. The assignments will take immediate effect. According to the notification, the government has expressed concern that development allocations in various districts had previously been misappropriated through widespread corruption, with part of the proceeds allegedly siphoned abroad and the rest used for activities involving drugs, social degradation and threats to public and state security. Against this backdrop, the ministers, state ministers and whips have been given the responsibility of supervising and coordinating district-level activities related to law and order, corruption and drug control, good governance, transparency and accountability, as well as development and public welfare programmes. Under the distribution of responsibilities, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood has been assigned Rajshahi and Natore, while Dr Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain will oversee Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Panchagarh. Abdul Awal Mintoo has been given responsibility for Lakshmipur. Nitai Roy Chowdhury will oversee Chuadanga, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir  Habiganj and Ariful Haque Choudhury Moulvibazar. Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has been assigned Chattogram. M Rashiduzzaman Millat will oversee Sherpur, Mymensingh and Netrokona, while Asadul Habib Dulu will oversee Thakurgaon and Dinajpur. Md Asaduzzaman has been assigned Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat, while Zakaria Taher will oversee Feni and Noakhali. Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain will oversee Manikganj and Munshiganj, while Sa Ching Prue has been assigned Cox's Bazar. Md. Shariful Alam will oversee Tangail and Narsingdi, Shama Obaed Islam Madaripur and Shariatpur, and Aninda Islam Amit  Meherpur, Kushtia and Jhenaidah. Abdul Bari, has been assigned Bogura and Chapainawabganj, Sultan Salauddin Tuku Dhaka, and Mir Mohammed Helal Uddi Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Rangamati. Habibur Rashid will oversee Gazipur and Narayanganj. Md Razib Ahsan has been assigned Barguna, Patuakhali and Pirojpur, Mir Shahe Alam Rangpur, Gaibandha and Kurigram, and Farzana Sharmin Sirajganj and Pabna. Shaikh Faridul Islam will oversee Jashore, Magura and Narail, while Yasser Khan Choudhury has been assigned Jamalpur and Kishoreganj. Ahammad Sohel Monzoor will oversee Barishal, Bhola and Jhalakathi, Md Shamim Kaiser Joypurhat and Naogaon, and GK Gaus Sylhet and Sunamganj. Mia Nuruddin Ahmed has been assigned Rajbari, Faridpur and Gopalganj, while ABM Ashraf Uddin will oversee Brahmanbaria, Cumilla and Chandpur. The notification said the assigned ministers, state ministers and whips will advise government offices on controlling drug abuse and illegal trafficking, preventing smuggling and curbing serious crimes to maintain and improve the overall law and order situation in their respective districts. They will also supervise and provide guidance on implementation of the government's election manifesto, poverty alleviation, employment generation, social safety-net programmes and various development and public welfare initiatives. If necessary, they may attend district-level meetings and provide advice on relevant issues, according to the notification. It further said the assignments were made in accordance with the existing powers of the Prime Minister and the government and decisions of the Cabinet, without undermining the legal authority of local government institutions or other constitutional and statutory bodies.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday told Parliament that the government is committed to maintaining the law and order situation and has undertaken a series of comprehensive and coordinated measures to ensure it across the country. “The present democratic government remains firmly committed to maintaining law and order in the country and Bangladesh Police has undertaken plans to materialise the various goals of maintaining law and order and are implementing a range of operational strategies in line with government directives,” he said in response to a starred tabled question from independent lawmaker elected from Brahmanbaria-2 Rumeen Farhana.  “Based on intelligence inputs, regular and special drives are being conducted to recover illegal arms, explosives and narcotics, and legal actions are being taken accordingly,” he said. He added, “Checkposts have been set up at key points on roads and highways and both day and night patrols have been strengthened to prevent criminal activities.” Visible police patrols alongside enhanced intelligence surveillance are being carried out to prevent theft, robbery and mugging, he added.. “Community engagement has been strengthened through beat policing, community policing and open house day programmes to ensure public participation in maintaining law and order,” said the minister. The minister also said that modern technology is being increasingly used to combat crime. “Installation of CCTV cameras at important locations and the use of information technology are helping identify criminals and bring them to justice,” he said. He further informed the House that capacity building of police personnel is ongoing through modern training at home and abroad. The Case Data Management System (CDMS) is being used to store records of cases and crimes, which is assisting investigation processes,he added.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday granted bail to journalist Anis Alamgir in a graft and a money laundering case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez passed the order. Earlier, journalist Anis secured bail from the High Court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Journalist Anis Alamgir now shown arrested in ACC case Now there is no legal bar to his release from jail as he was not accused in any case, his lawyer Taslima Jahan said. According to the prosecution, ACC filed the case on January 15 accusing Anis Alamgir of acquiring wealth beyond his known sources of income and money laundering. According to the case statement, the ACC found that Anis owned immovable properties worth Tk25 lakh and movable assets valued at Tk3.84 crore, bringing his total assets to more than Tk4.09 crore. Family and other expenses were estimated at Tk15.90 lakh. His total asset accumulation stood at over Tk4.25 crore, while the ACC identified his lawful income at Tk 99.09 lakh. This included Tk54.45 lakh in previous savings, Tk19.39 lakh from talk shows and consultancy, Tk22 lakh from plot sales, and Tk3.24 lakh from savings certificates and bank interest, it said. Anis was earlier detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on December 14 last year from Dhanmondi. He was taken to the DB office for interrogation and was placed on a five-day remand the following day. After completion of the remand, he was sent to jail on December 20 and has remained in custody since then. He was shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Uttara West Police Station in the capital.

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.