United News of Bangladesh

A case has been filed against 19 individuals, including former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Sylhet Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Azbahar Ali Sheikh, in connection with the killing of journalist ATM Turab. The case also named 250 unidentified persons. Turab was shot dead during a clash between BNP supporters and police in Sylhet. His brother, Abul Hossain Mohammad Azraf Jabur, filed the case today with the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abdul Momen. Plaintiff's lawyer Emran Ahmed Chowdhury confirmed the matter. The case statement mentioned that on July 19, while covering an anti-discrimination student movement, Turab was stationed at Court Point in Bandar Bazaar. During the incident, which occurred after the Juma prayer, armed police were positioned opposite the BNP procession. At the time police fired shots, resulting in Turab being hit and later dying at a private hospital in Sobhanighat. The court has instructed that the case be processed as a First Information Report (FIR).

A case has been filed against 108 individuals, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, and 100-150 unidentified persons, in connection with the killing of Wasim Akram, a leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and a student of Chittagong College. Wasim was shot dead during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement in Chattogram. His mother, Josna Akhter, filed the case at Panchlaish Police Station on Monday, Officer-in-Charge of the police station Santosh Kumar Chakma confirmed. Other accused in the case include AL leader AJM Nasir Uddin, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Rezaul Karim, and former Member of Parliament Mohiuddin Bachchu. In the case statement, Josna alleged that between 3 pm and 4 pm on July 16, Wasim was in front of Barcode Restaurant in Muradpur, where the student protest was ongoing. She claimed that under the direct and indirect instigation of the accused, armed cadres from the Awami League, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, and Chhatra League carried out extensive destruction. During the chaos, Wasim was shot in the chest and abdomen. He was later taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the attending doctor.

A protest erupted on Monday outside the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Mohakhali, Dhaka, as doctors and staff members aligned with the BNP demanded the resignation of the director general and other pro-Awami League officials. The demonstration coincided with a high-level meeting inside the COVID-dedicated DNCC Hospital. The protest, which began early in the morning, saw a large group of doctors, nurses, and health workers blocking the entrance to the department, preventing officials from entering their offices. The demonstrators were calling for the resignation of Director General Dr Mohammad Robed Amin, Additional Director General Professor Dr. Ahmedul Kabir, and other senior officials. Inside the hospital’s conference room, Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum was leading a meeting focused on medical care for victims of the student movement. The meeting was attended by several prominent figures, including former DGHS director general Professor Dr. ABM Khurshid Alam, current director general, additional director general and others. Zahangir Alam from the DGHS control room confirmed that the protests had significantly disrupted operations at the department.

Several key points in Dhaka, including Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, Siddheshwari, and Motijheel, experienced severe traffic congestion on Monday, as protests and the reopening of educational institutions brought the city to a standstill. Protesters have taken to the streets in various parts of the city, making demands on a range of issues. In many locations, people have staged sit-ins, exacerbating the traffic situation. Shahbagh, in particular, saw a significant increase in congestion as protesters blocked the roads, leading to a ripple effect on surrounding areas. Similar gridlock was reported around Ramna and Motijheel, contributing to a near-total paralysis of Dhaka’s traffic flow. Spillover effect was observed on Pragati Sarani, with gridlock in both directions near Jamuna Future Park. Vehicles were stuck in long queues, particularly at Bashundhara Residential Area’s main gate. Nearby lanes connected to Bashundhara R/A, Pragati Sarani, and Kuril also experienced a heavy flow of traffic. Classes fully resumed at all educational institutions on Sunday, leading to a surge of students and professionals on the streets. Adding to the chaos, the Dhaka Metro Rail service remains suspended, further intensifying the traffic jam. The combined effect of these disruptions has led to widespread gridlock, leaving commuters stranded and creating a sense of near-immobility across Dhaka.

Shahbagh Police Inspector (Operations) Md. Arshad Hossain has been temporarily suspended following a widely criticized incident where he was seen covering the mouth of a student protester during the quota reform movement near the Supreme Court area. The suspension order was issued on Sunday by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md. Mainul Hasan. The incident occurred on July 31 during a ‘March for Justice’ organized by students advocating for quota reform. Amid the protests, Arshad Hossain was filmed forcibly covering the mouth of Nahidul Islam, a political science student from Dhaka’s New Model Degree College. The footage quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread condemnation. In response, the DMP acknowledged that Inspector Arshad’s unprofessional conduct not only harmed the image of the police force but also created a negative public perception of their operations. His actions were deemed inappropriate for a disciplined member of the police, leading to his suspension. In addition to the mouth-covering incident, Inspector Arshad has faced several other allegations. He was accused of labeling the protesting students as members of the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing, Shibir. A video of him making these claims also circulated on social media, further inflaming the situation.

The government on Monday appointed administrators for 61 Zilla Parishad across the country as the chairmen of those parishad have been absent. The Zilla Parishad Department under the Local Government Division of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives issued a gazette notification signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam in this regard. Additional divisional commissioners (general) of eight divisions have been appointed as administrators for Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Barishal, Rangpur, Sylhet, Khulna and Mymensingh. The administrators will exercise power and perform duty in their respective districts until further order, it reads. Moreover, they will only be provided duty allowance, no salary and facility will be available, according to the notification. In another gazette notification, the government has also relieved 323 elected mayors from the posts on the same ground. The notification, signed by Md Mahbub Alam, deputy secretary of the Municipality-1 Department of the Local Government Division, said this. Chairmen and mayors of the Zilla Parishad and municipalities of the country went into hiding after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the county on August 5.

Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud emphasized on Monday that the government is focused on controlling inflation and is cautious about increasing the money supply. During his first day in office at the Planning Ministry in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Wahiduddin urged officials to categorize projects based on their importance. "Categorize projects according to their significance," he instructed, stressing the need for careful selection. The adviser acknowledged that political governments often initiate numerous projects in their constituencies to fulfill political objectives. "I am not criticizing political governments, but it's a reality that they take on many projects with their political goals in mind," he said. When discussing the potential halting of ongoing projects midway through their implementation, the Planning Adviser highlighted the importance of evaluating the remaining costs and the expected economic benefits upon project completion.  "This is the only consideration," he noted, emphasizing the need for prudent decision-making.

Kitchen markets in Khulna metropolitan area have been unstable for the past one week as prices of essential commodities have gone up several times, causing immense suffering for lower-middle income groups.   Again, the same products are being sold at varying prices across different markets, making it especially challenging for the poor.   Visiting several markets in Khulna including Daulatpur, Gollamari, Khalishpur, Notun Bazar, Sandhya Bazar, Boyra Bazar, Mistiri Para Bazar and Banorgati Bazar, it was found that the price of green vegetables has remained relatively low while fish prices have shot up. The prices of onions, potatoes, garlic, ginger, and other spices have also gone up. Compared to last week, the price of rice has gone up by Tk 4 to 5 per kilogram (Kg). Sugar and soybean oil are being sold at the previous rates. However, prices of meat dropped compared to last week. Now per kilogram beef costs Tk 650, a fall by Tk 100 compared to the past week.  

The International Crimes Strategy Forum (ICSF) has urged the UN rights body to investigate events which took place both before and after August 5. The ICSF has written a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk seeking his initiative in this regard. "Given the UN’s intention to help Bangladesh with the transition, we believe that the investigations should look into the events which took place both before and after August 5," the letter reads. The organisation mentioned the killings of students and other civilians, the targeted attacks on, and killings of, law enforcement agents (LEAs), the revenge attacks on, and killings of, people affiliated with the party led by the former Prime Minister, targeted attacks on religious minorities, indiscriminate attacks on culture and heritage, attacks on free speech and press freedom, targeted attacks on genocide researchers, cultural activists, free thinkers, attacks on judicial independence, purge of academics and officials of a certain political ideology by unruly mobs, breach of constitutional processes, and the widespread destruction of state properties. The OHCHR is sending a team to Dhaka to explore areas for assisting Bangladesh’s transition and discuss the modalities for an investigation into human rights violations in the context of the recent violence and unrest. The ICSF welcomed this offer of assistance from the OHCHR. It is imperative that the events of the last month or so in Bangladesh be investigated by a neutral and impartial authority. "We believe that without such international oversight and/or involvement, the investigations could be non-transparent, incomplete and lack the necessary credibility," ICSF said. ICSF's Concerns & Suggestions Regarding UN’s potential involvement: 1. Given the continuous and connected chain of events over the last four weeks or so, the UN should not limit its investigations with any arbitrary cut-off date. We learnt from media reports that the Law Advisor of the Interim Government Dr. Asif Nazrul wants the UN to look into events “only” up to August 5, 2024. 2. The UN should disclose, in advance, the methodology to be used for conducting the investigations. This is crucial as, given the prevalent climate in Bangladesh, unless proactively approached by the UN with guarantees of security, many stakeholders and/or witnesses may not feel safe enough to come forward to offer their insights, testimonies, and/or evidence. In any event, the investigation should not be limited to the interviews of a few people or analysis of media reports alone. Rather, the UN should consult all affected groups (including LEAs and security forces), conduct forensic examinations, collect and analyse audio visual and ballistic evidence etc. Additionally, the UN should be weary of disinformation and misinformation, and should be cautious regarding the authenticity of each and every evidence. 3. In order for the investigations to be effective and credible, it should not be hurried and should afford itself ample time to examine the various testimonies and evidence.4. The identities and areas of expertise of the UN personnel conducting such investigations should be disclosed in advance to generate confidence in the quality of the investigation. Furthermore, any capacity, resource or other limitation on part of the UN investigation team should also be disclosed in advance.5. The UN should also look into previous investigative and accountability initiatives started during the last government, including a departmental inquiry initiated by Bangladesh Police looking within two days into the death of student Abu Syed on Rangpur on July 16, a judicial inquiry commission set up on July 18, and a National Public Inquiry Commission formed by eminent citizens on July 29, 2024. ICSF believes that, while abruptly halted due to regime change, these initiatives could also offer invaluable insights into the subject matter of the UN investigation.6. The current spate of cases against members of the previous government, often with no discernible links between the accused and the subject matter, whether filed in police stations or courts, do not complement the initiative to undertake a UN-led investigation. It is therefore important that the UN stresses to the interim government that prosecutions should follow proper investigations, and not the other way round.7. The UN must note that this potential investigation would not only carry legal significance in terms of ensuring accountability for wrongs committed, but also carry huge political significance in the days to come towards lasting political stability and peace and put an end to the culture of politics of revenge. Without such a vision to guide itself, the UN may risk being used as a tool for political suppression.8. It is crucial that the UN or UN-led investigation be part of a broader reconciliation and healing process, and not simply provide the basis for the interim government in Bangladesh to summarily dispense penal measures against offenders, further perpetuating the politics of revenge. The ICSF has undertaken an initiative of its own titled “Bangladesh Conflict Watch” to document each and every incident which took place in Bangladesh in the last five weeks surrounding the Quota Movement and thereafter, with the aim to provide a complete picture of the recent violence and unrest in Bangladesh. ICSF volunteers its assistance to, and meaningful engagement with, the UN investigation. The UN human rights office has said around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between 5 and 6 August. The number of reported killings in revenge attacks since that time still remains to be determined. According to available public reports by the media and the protest movement itself, between 16 July and 11 August, more than 600 people were killed. Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from 16 July to 4 August, the UN rights body in its report titled “Preliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrest in Bangladesh.”

A complaint has been lodged against the former chief justice and recently resigned Law Commission chairman ABM Khairul Haque for his alleged engagement in fraud to alter the judgment. Md. Mujahidul Islam, a lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court, filed the complaint in the capital’s Shahbagh Police Station on Sunday afternoon. However, it has not yet been registered as a case since there is no OC in the police station, said Elis Mahmud, sub-inspector (SI) of the police station. According to the sources of the police station, Justice Khairul Haque illegally ruled for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stay in power. It is said that the lawyer's complaint will be converted into a case very soon.