United News of Bangladesh

Police officers absent from duty have been warned by Adviser for Home Affairs Brigadier (retd) AKM Sakhawat Hossain. Addressing the police personnel, Sakhawat Hossain said, “If you do not return by Thursday, I will assume you are not interested in your jobs. I have discussed this matter with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of RAB, and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.” On his first day at work on Sunday, he made the remarks to journalists at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He said, “By Thursday, everyone should return to their respective positions and be on duty. Whatever has happened, no one should unnecessarily lay hands on anyone. We will handle whatever needs to be done through the proper process. The judiciary will judge. Those found guilty, whether severely or mildly, will be punished. No one should be blamed indiscriminately.” He also urged the public not to physically assault police officers. He said, “I want to tell the public that you should not raise your hands against the police. You can see now that you yourselves are suffering.” The Home Affairs Adviser added, “A little while ago, I saw that a group of Ansar members blocked the road. They also have some demands. Everyone has demands, I have demands too. My demand is that you return to your duties. I promise you that as the Home Affairs Adviser, it is my responsibility to come to you, listen to your concerns, and do whatever is immediately possible within my power. If there are issues that involve other ministries, we will address them through discussion. Please clear the road and leave the streets.” No more political use of police: Adviser Sakhawat He also said, “If you want to engage in politics in this country, you must do so within the Political Party Act, whether you like it or not. As long as I am here, I will enforce this. You will not be allowed to act tyrannically.” The Adviser continued, “I am sending a message to all political parties. Look at the situation of a particular political party—such a large, historic party whose name is intertwined with independence—today, its members are on the run.” “If you think you can come and seize control—take over markets, engage in extortion—do it for a few days. But I have told the Army Chief, I have requested him, to break your legs. I don’t care, you can go to hell,” he said. Sakhawat Hossain further said, “I have heard that extortion is taking place in Karwan Bazar. Just a while ago, I heard there was a fight over taking control of a bank… I am neither a civilian nor a politician; my background is in the military. I will do what I say. Whether I stay here for one day or three days.” Prof Yunus returns home amid warm welcome to lead interim govt Addressing the public, the Adviser said, “Catch those who engage in extortion. Whatever needs to be done, we will do it. Discipline must be restored. The country cannot continue like this.”

Operations of 599 police stations, out of 639, have resumed across the country as of 3:00 pm on Sunday, according to Police Headquarters. Of these, 97 police stations out of 110 are functional in the metropolitan cities while 502 police stations out of 529 in districts, it said. The services of most of the police stations remained suspended after the fall of Hasina government on August 5 following attacks on the police stations across the country amid mass upsurge. Form committee to restore police station activities, maintain law and order: Police HQ Some police stations were set on fire forcing policemen to flee. Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam on Sunday said 42 police personnel were killed and 507 injured in the recent clashes. Of the injured, 27 have been undergoing treatment at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital. 12 police stations resume operations in Bogura

Adviser for Home Affairs Brigadier (retd) AKM Sakhawat Hossain has said that Bangladesh Police cannot be used for political purposes any more. Police will run according to the rules of the Police Commission from now on, he said. He made the remark on Sunday while visiting injured police personnel undergoing treatment at Central Police Hospital in Dhaka. “Police can no longer be used for political purposes. Police will operate according to the Police Commission. You give orders to the Police Commission, they (police) will abide by if the orders are good,” he said. The Home Affairs Adviser also said those who used and exploited police force must face punishment. He warned police personnel who are still not rejoining duty, saying that a date will be set from the Secretariat, asking them to join duty, otherwise they will be suspended. Regarding police’s demands, he assured of fulfilling those but said that right now all demands cannot be met. In response to incidents of robbery in various places, he called for everyone’s cooperation and advised the public to help apprehend those responsible for the crimes. He emphasized, “Please assist the police. It is not your responsibility to judge the police—that is the role of the police headquarters. We are here, and we will do it. There is a legal system in place, and those who have committed any excesses will be brought to justice. But you should not take that into your own hands.” On the other hand, Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam said 42 police personnel were killed and 507 injured in the recent clashes. Of the injured, 27 have been undergoing treatment at Rajarbagh Hospital.

Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Youth Development’s name is going to be changed to ‘Bangladesh National Institute of Youth Development,’ said Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan. He came up with the announcement on Sunday while exchanging views with reporters at the Secretariat in Dhaka on his first office day. The youngest adviser said they have taken three decisions at the ministry on Sunday, adding, “We want to change its name (institute) since Sheikh Hasina’s name is linked to a massacre in Bangladesh. We are renaming the institute to Bangladesh National Institute of Youth Development.” “As you (reporters) know, we are going through a difficult time nationally. Maintaining law and order has become a big challenge. Due to the law and order situation, the Women’s T20 World Cup is facing uncertainty as Bangladesh is a venue. We have discussed this with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB),” he said. The sports adviser said the BCB is an autonomous federation. “I can advise them. The BCB president is absent. We have requested the BCB directors to look into how they can solve the problem within the legal framework of the ICC and whether anyone can be appointed as BCB president for an interim period. They (BCB) will report about this later,” he said.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has instructed all banks in the country to freeze accounts of former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and his family members. An official of BFIU confirmed this to the reporters on Sunday. Hasan was detained at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) while attempting to flee the country on Tuesday (6 August). "He was trying to fly a Delhi-bound flight," an Airport Aviation Security official said. Later, the Air Force took him into their custody.

Newly appointed Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and two more advisers to the interim government took oath at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban on Sunday. The advisers are Supradeep Chakma and Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar. Thirteen advisers to the interim government headed by Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus took oath on Thursday last. President Mohammed Shahabuddin  administered the oath to the newly appointed  Chief Justice and the two advisers while another adviser Farooq-e-Azam is yet to sworn-in as he is still in the United States and the date of his arrival in Bangladesh is not confirmed. The interim government led by Prof Yunus took oath Thursday night four days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the county amid a student-led upsurge. Dr Bidhan Ranjan, Supradeep Chakma and Farooq-e-Azam could not take oath on  that day as they are outside the capital. The President appointed High Court Judge Syed Refaat Ahmed yesterday as Bangladesh's new Chief Justice as immediate-past Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan resigned in the afternoon. Under the authority vested upon him under Article 95 (1) of the Constitution, the President appointed High Court's judge Syed Refat Ahmed. The appointment came into effect from the day of his oath of office. Syed Refaat Ahmed is the country's 25th Chief Justice.

AF Hassan Arif, Adviser to the Ministry of Local Govt, Rural Development and Cooperatives, today said that mistakes within the ministry have led to public woes. He emphasized that efforts will be made to minimize these errors as much as possible. He said this while talking to journalists on the first day of his office at the Secretariat on Sunday.  Arif said that there are currently over a thousand cases involving the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives pending in the High Court. He mentioned that a new case was filed just a week ago and the ministry needs to understand why these practical issues are leading to court cases and stressed the importance of reducing errors to minimize public harassment. When asked about the challenges ahead, he responded that understanding the nature of the work is crucial before determining which tasks will be prioritized.  He said that the entire government faces challenges, with the country's current situation being particularly challenging. The adviser further pointed out that the government was formed under special circumstances, unlike the routine transition of a new government after a five-year term.  The duration of this government's term would depend on the evolving situation, he added. 

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has alleged there is no rule of law in Bangladesh where even the Supreme Court is not safe. “This is not reform, this is mob rule. There is no rule of law in Bangladesh when even the Supreme Court is not safe,” he alleged in his verified Facebook account. Joy, who was ICT adviser of Hasina, said on Saturday the protestors threatened to attack the Supreme Court and burn down the home of the Chief Justice of Bangladesh. In the post Joy said “They demanded the court resign and they provided a list of names of people to be appointed. The interim government gave in to their demand and appointed Justices named by the protestors. How can the Supreme Court of a country be changed without any due process, without elected Parliament? He also said that the protestors gave a list of 41 journalists to the National Press Club demanding they be expelled. “After all their allegations of my mother's government’s crackdown on freedom of speech, is this not a more severe attack on freedom of speech? So a mob gets to provide a list of journalists to throw out?” He said that he would like to hear from the international media and government on this. “You have been so vocal in the past, why are you silent now?” Joy reportedly lives in the United States. Earlier on Saturday, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement issued an ultimatum, demanding that the Chief Justice and the judges of the Appellate Division resign by 1 pm Saturday. Later, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan submitted his resignation letter to the law ministry, said Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul. Followed by him, five justices of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division-- Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Kashefa Hussain, stepped down. Later, President Mohammed Shahabuddin appointed Syed Refaat Ahmed, senior judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, as the 25th chief justice of Bangladesh on Saturday.

Finance and Planning Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said that the country is facing a difficult situation and the main task at this moment is to restore order in the financial sector. “Law and order mean not just on the streets, but that the banks are also fully operational. The ports are largely closed - they are yet to be operational under rule and regulations,” he told this reporter on Saturday attending his first office after the oath. Dr Salehuddin also said, "We want to create a smooth path for the future government. So we don’t want to stay in power for a long time." He told the journalist, “We need people who can work hard. He welcomed constructive criticism from journalists, but suggested avoiding unnecessary criticism, which hampered the working environment.” In response to the question of whether there will be a banking commission or not, the financial adviser said the activities of Bangladesh Bank should be fully operational first, then the topic of reforms will come. If the renovations start now, the main activities will stop, he said. On inflation, the finance adviser said, apart from macroeconomics, there was a mistake in the development strategy. "People as a whole have not benefited from development. There has been growth, but who got the results, to whom the money went, that is the main issue," he said. The government wants to ensure equitable and fair growth. Every effort will be made for the livelihood of all people, he pointed out. Many banks in the country have been involved in financial scams during the tenure of the recently resigned governor. But if his resignation is accepted, will he be out of the ambit of accountability - the finance adviser said in response to a question from reporters, that the position of governor is sensitive. Regarding money laundering, the adviser said, 'We all know about this, we need information about it. There is a process, we have to do this according to that.”  

 Syed Refaat Ahmed, senior judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the chief justice of Bangladesh. President Mohammed Shahabuddin appointed him as the 25th chief justice of Bangladesh on Saturday. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued a notification in this regard. The appointment will be effective from the date of the oath. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed will take oath as the Chief Justice at 12pm on Sunday, said Md Shafiqul Islam, public relations officer at the Supreme Court. Syed Refaat was born on 28 December 1958. His father, Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed, was a legendary legal mind and an Attorney General of Bangladesh and his mother, Language Movement veteran Sufia Ahmed, was a National Professor of Bangladesh and a professor of Islamic History and Culture at the University of Dhaka. He obtained LL.B. (Hons) (First Class, First in order of merit), University of Dhaka. He completed a bachelor of arts in jurisprudence and masters at the Wadham College of Oxford University in 1983. Later, he completed his Masters and PhD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, USA. He was also a Ford Foundation Fellow in Public International Law at The Fletcher School. In 1984, Ahmed became a lawyer of the District Courts. He became a lawyer of the High Court Division in 1986. In 2002, he became a lawyer of the High Court Division. Later, he was appointed an additional justice of the Bangladesh High Court on 27 April 2003. Ahmed was made a permanent Judge on the High Court Division on 27 April 2005. Justice Refaat Ahmed also worked as a Lawyer in the City of London and with the UNHCR in Hong Kongand Washington, D.C. He is a founder Member of Global Judicial Institute on the Environment, Brazil. He participated in International Roundtables, Workshops, Conventions, Study Tours and Courses held in the UK, Germany, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Nepal, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Brazil and Myanmar. The appointment came after Obaidul Hassan resigned from his post of chief justice early today. Later, five more judges of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court resigned from their posts. The five judges are Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Kashefa Hussain. They sent their resignation letters to the president through the law ministry, according to the ministry.