United News of Bangladesh

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday (14th January 2026) clarified a viral video showing a large number of postal ballots delivered to a single address in Bahrain, saying the incident resulted from differences in the country’s postal delivery system and did not involve any irregularities in the voting process. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed made the clarification while responding to a question from reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the evening. Asked about the viral video showing many postal ballots reaching the same address, he said Bangladesh’s postal ballots are being sent through the Universal Postal Union (UPU) with the assistance of the Bangladesh Postal Department. “This has happened in the case of Bahrain as the postal systems of some countries including the Middle East are different. There, about 160 ballots have been left in one place in one box,” he said. Read more: Over 15 lakh people register for postal voting: EC Akhtar Ahmed explained that the delivery system there is similar to student hostels, where letters are kept at a designated place and recipients collect their own mail from there. “Some 160 (postal) ballots were placed in a box. Later, the expatriate Bangladeshi brothers opened the box and divided it among four or five people—whoever lives in the room next to them takes it or delivers it,” he said. The EC Secretary said a video of the process was recorded and circulated, which he personally thinks should not have been done. “From what we understand, someone posted the video out of excitement at receiving a ballot paper. If you observe carefully, there is no evidence that any envelope was opened.” Akhtar Ahmed said the matter was immediately communicated to Bahrain Post, which clarified that the ballots were not delivered directly by them. The Bangladesh Ambassador in Bahrain is also overseeing the issue. “Bahrain Post has informed us that they will conduct an on-site investigation and report back.” Earlier on Tuesday, the BNP raised concerns before the Election Commission over the viral video related to the distribution of postal ballots in Bahrain. A four-member BNP delegation, led by Nazrul Islam Khan, chairman of the party’s Central Election Steering Committee, placed their concerns during a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Nazrul Islam Khan alleged irregularities in the overseas distribution of postal ballots, claiming that videos circulating on social media showed leaders of a particular political party handling a large number of ballot papers in Bahrain. Read more: Over 1.53m voters register for postal balloting: Shafiqul Alam He said the Election Commission informed them that the matter had already come to its notice and that the Bangladeshi Ambassador in Bahrain had been contacted. The Commission assured the BNP delegation that further investigation would be conducted and appropriate action would be taken based on the findings. On Tuesday, BNP raised concern before the Election Commission over the viral video regarding the distribution of postal ballots in Bahrain. A four-member BNP delegation, led by BNP’s Central Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan, raised the concern and allegation at a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Nazrul Islam alleged that the video circulating on social media shows leaders of a particular political party handling a large number of ballot papers in Bahrain. He said the EC told them that the issue has come to their notice and already contacted the Bangladeshi ambassador in Bahrain. The Commission assured the BNP team that further investigation would be conducted and action would be taken based on the findings. A total of 1,533,683 voters have registered to vote through postal ballots, of whom some 772,000 are expatriate Bangladeshis residing in different countries across the world. The 13th national parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on February 12 next. Read more: Bangladesh Polls: Registration time for postal voting extended till Jan 5

A short video circulating widely on social media claims to show BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman being tortured by being suspended from the ceiling of a room. The 15-second clip shows a man being lowered by rope while three other individuals remain present in the room, seemingly as part of the act. However, a fact-check by UNB has confirmed that the video does not show Tarique Rahman, nor is it a recent recording. Rather, the footage is based on an old photograph taken on 26 January 2007 at a police station in Bogura. According to archived reports, the man seen hanging from the ceiling is Raton Kumar, who had been detained on 25 January 2007 over theft allegations. The photograph, showing Kumar tied and suspended from the ceiling in the duty officer's room, was originally published by The Daily Star at the time. Following public outrage after the image surfaced, a formal investigation was launched. As a result, several police personnel were suspended, including the officer-in-charge (OC) Shamsul Haque, sub-inspectors Manzur Rahman, Shariful Islam, Abdul Karim, and constable Nurul Islam. Police later stated that Raton Kumar, a resident of Dalpotti in Bogura town, had been suspected of heroin trafficking. A two-tola necklace was reportedly recovered from him during his detention. The image has recently resurfaced in a manipulated form. It has been digitally altered and converted into a short video using artificial intelligence tools. The manipulated clip falsely suggests that Tarique Rahman was subjected to the same form of custodial torture. Conclusion: The viral claim is false. The video does not depict Tarique Rahman. It is a digitally manipulated version of a 2007 image of a different incident involving a separate individual.    

A viral video showing a young woman being physically attacked in Dhaka has sparked widespread attention on social media. However, fact-checkers have clarified that the incident was not related to her clothing, as some had claimed. "The girl in the video was not harassed for her clothes; it was a parking-related dispute," said Rumour Scanner, an independent Bangladeshi fact-checking platform known for debunking misinformation and fake news. According to Rumour Scanner, the confrontation occurred on the morning of October 7, involving a car owned by a retired army officer. The young woman, who is also the daughter of a retired army officer, was embroiled in a dispute over parking at the time of the altercation. The matter was resolved later that day at the Mirpur DOHS Parishad, the fact-checkers confirmed. "It was not a clothes-related issue. Therefore, the claim is false," Rumour Scanner reiterated in their report on Wednesday following a thorough fact-checking of the incident.

A youth was arrested on Sunday (March 17, 2024) after a video of him went viral on social media where he could be seen lending ladders to bus passengers in exchange of Tk5 on a highway in Narayanganj . AKM Sharifuddin, In charge of Kanchpur Highway Shimla Police Camp, said they arrested him after watching the viral video. Risky road crossing had become a common scene in the 3.3 km area for the past two months as there were no crossing points from the long distance route's road to the regional road which is at least 24 minutes walking distance. With 3 more demises today, death toll from Gazipur gas cylinder blast rises to 6 For the past two months, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) authority has kept the crossing point at Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area closed. As a result, passengers have been crossing roads by jumping the lane's divider. According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the four-lane Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area was divided into two lanes with high dividers to stop risky road crossing and to ensure long-distance vehicles' direct route to Dhaka. A gate was kept open in front of the RHD office for the movement of passengers from long-distance lanes to regional lanes, but the RHD authorities closed it two months ago. Abantika’s death: JnU students place 6-point demand Narayanganj RHD's Executive Engineer Shahana Ferdous said, they tried several times to enforce the movement of bus services in the designated service line with Highway Police, but they failed to enforce it.

A man was arrested today (July 20, 2023), a day after a video of two women being paraded naked in India’s Manipur state drew nationwide outrage and calls for action. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced the arrest this morning through Twitter, saying that his government will take strong action against all criminals, including the possibility of death penalty, reports NDTV. Also read: Modi breaks silence over Manipur 'ethnic violence' after viral video shows mob molesting women Heradas (32) was arrested from Thoubal district with the help of a viral video in which he was seen wearing a green T-shirt, according to police. The footage of the deplorable incident, which is said to have occurred in May in Kangpokpi district, resulted in widespread criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Supreme Court, NDTV said. “What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven. The incident is shameful for the country, the guilty will not be spared,” Modi said in parliament. Also read: 54 people killed in street clashes in India’s Manipur The Indian Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, has directed the government to take measures and to keep the court informed of the efforts being taken to guarantee the safety of women in the region, the report also said. “We are very deeply disturbed about the videos distributed yesterday. We are expressing our deep concern. It is time that the government steps and takes action. This is unacceptable,” he said.According to insiders, the government is expected to take action against Twitter over video distribution since it “could lead to problems in law and order,” added the report. The incident occurred on May 4, a day after conflict erupted in Manipur between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribes over the Meiteis’ call for Scheduled Tribes (ST) recognition. Over 120 people have died as a result of the ethnic conflict, and hundreds have been internally displaced and are currently living in camps. Also read: Manipur situation will take time to settle down: Indian Chief of Defence Staff Meanwhile, the opposition has asked that PM Modi make a speech in parliament on the situation in Manipur. Ten opposition MPs have already introduced an adjournment motion in relation to Manipur, the report concluded.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) suspended a police constable for allegedly beating up a street child for stealing a gas lighter on Sunday (June 11, 2023). The suspended police was identified as Md Shawkat, a constable of CMP traffic division. The incident took place around 11 am on Sunday (June 11) at a shop near the police box in Tiger Pass area under Kotwali police station of the city. Read: 89 sued over police-Jubo Dal activists clash in Cumilla Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy came to know about the incident after a 30-second video footage of the incident went viral on social media. Later, the CMP commissioner ordered the suspension of the policeman. Earlier, in the video that went viral on social media, that constable Shawkat was seen entering the shop and slapping the child randomly. At that time, he had a cigarette in his mouth. Read: 10 held over police-Jubo Dal activists clash in Cumilla Journalist Abu Sayed Mohammad Tamanna told UNB, "I saw a teenager being beaten up by a policeman for stealing a gas light. If I hadn't protested, he would have killed the boy. The police should be humane.”

Police have arrested a woman in Joypurhat’s Khetlal Upazila for allegedly tying up a child to a tree and torturing her in public. The arrestee was identified as Beli Begum, a local tea stall owner. On Sunday Beli was produced before the court, confirmed Joypurhat additional superintendent of police Tariqul Islam. According to locals, the incident occurred on Saturday around 5 pm at Dhantala-Chaumuhoni Bazar of the upazila. Read: Viral: Woman tortured for failing to pay interest on loan When tea stall owner Beli found Tk 200 missing from the cash counter she suspected the nine-year-old school girl. She grabbed the child when she was playing with her children. Beli slapped and beat the girl and later tied her to a tree. After a video of the torture went viral on social media police went to the spot, rescued the child and held the torturer Beli Begum. Read: Photos of teacher with student’s baby on lap at classroom go viral, sparks online debate Khetlal police on Saturday night filed a case against Beli and another woman Rahima Begum in this regard. However, police have not yet been able to arrest Rahima Begum.