United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested 392 people in 24 hours under Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2 from 1 am to 11.59 pm on Tuesday (December 16) at various locations in the capital. Among those arrested were 15 active leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, along with 377 individuals wanted in various cases or held on existing warrants with warrants, said Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP. The operation was carried out as part of the ongoing efforts to maintain normal law and order in the capital. In addition, special checkposts were set up at eleven entry and exit points of the capital from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm on Wednesday (December 17) to search suspicious vehicles and ensure public safety. During this operation, 769 vehicles were searched and five people were arrested. The DMP’s ongoing operation will continue to ensure law and order in the capital, DC Talebur added.    

Police have taken special security measures ahead of the twin celebrations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. A meeting on security and law and order was held at the Hall of Pride of Police Headquarters on Wednesday (December 17, 2025), chaired by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bangladesh Baharul Alam, ahead of the Christmas celebration on December 25 and the New Year’s Eve on December 31. Welcoming leaders of the Christian community, the IGP said Christmas is a universal festival and emphasized that the police would remain alert throughout the celebrations. He expressed hope that, with the capabilities of the Bangladesh Police, both Christmas and New Year’s Eve would be celebrated in a peaceful environment. Read more: Missing Guns: Can Bangladesh’s arms crackdown ensure peaceful polls? Authorities warned that any individual or group attempting to disrupt communal harmony by posting misleading content, comments, or images on social media during the festive period would face immediate legal action. Cyber monitoring will be strengthened to prevent the spread of rumors. The meeting urged concerned parties to recruit volunteers, arrange adequate lighting, standby generators or chargers, and ensure the security of churches across the country in coordination with law enforcement agencies. Security will also be heightened in all tourist areas, including Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata, during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Authorities said action would be taken against anyone who honks loudly or drives recklessly on the roads. People are urged to contact the National Emergency Service 999 or their nearest beat police officer in case of any emergency. During the meeting, Christian community leaders expressed satisfaction with the security measures and thanked the police administration. They expressed hope that, with everyone’s cooperation, Christmas would be celebrated in a festive atmosphere while maintaining religious solemnity, as in previous years. Read more: Freedom fighter, wife found dead in Rangpur RAB Director General (Additional IGP) AKM Shahidur Rahman, concerned Additional IGPs and senior officers of Police Headquarters, St. Mary’s Cathedral Church Pastor Father Albert Rosario, Bangladesh Christian Association President Nirmal Rosario, Joint Secretary General James Subrata Hazra, Public Relations and Communications Secretary Apu Placid Madhu, and The Christian Cooperative Credit Union Limited President Michael John Gomez and Secretary Manju Maria Palma were present at the meeting. All police commissioners, Range DIGs, and district police superintendents were connected to the meeting virtually.

The government has decided to amend several provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 to make the recovery of money and assets siphoned off abroad more efficient and effective. The decision was taken at the 30th meeting of the National Coordination Committee on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, held on Wednesday, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The meeting reviewed overall policy directions, strategic guidelines and implementation measures aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s framework for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. In this context, members agreed that certain sections of the existing law need to be updated in line with evolving challenges and international best practices, particularly to facilitate faster tracing, attachment and recovery of illicitly transferred assets from overseas jurisdictions. The committee discussed in detail the progress of joint enquiry and investigation teams formed to handle 11 priority cases identified for the recovery of laundered money and assets abroad. Officials informed the meeting that, so far, 104 cases have been filed in connection with these priority cases, charge sheets have been submitted in 14 cases and courts have already delivered verdicts in four cases. The meeting was also apprised of the scale of assets attached and frozen as part of the ongoing recovery drive. According to the figures presented, immovable and movable properties worth Tk 55,638 crore have been attached and frozen within the country, while assets worth Tk 10,508 crore have been attached and frozen abroad. In total, assets amounting to Tk 66,146 crore have been brought under attachment and freezing measures. In addition, 21 Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs) related to the 11 priority cases have already been sent to the concerned countries to facilitate cooperation in investigation, evidence collection and asset recovery. Stressing the need for momentum, the chair directed the relevant authorities to expedite the submission of charge sheets, send MLARs to foreign jurisdictions without delay and take effective steps to ensure swift disposal of cases under the priority list. The meeting also focused on Bangladesh’s preparedness for the upcoming fourth-round Mutual Evaluation by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), scheduled for the 2027–28 cycle. Emphasising that the mutual evaluation is a matter of the highest importance for the country, the committee instructed all concerned ministries, divisions and agencies to take necessary and timely preparations to ensure full compliance with international standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. Among those present at the meeting were the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank, the Finance Secretary, the Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, the Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, the Secretary of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, the Secretary (Bilateral) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Additional Attorney General, the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Police and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).

The brutal murder of a mother and her teenage daughter in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur has taken a grim turn with the housemaid at the centre of the case giving a confessional statement before a court. Housemaid Ayesha Akhter, arrested in connection with the killing of Layla Afroz, 48, and her daughter Nafisa Binte Aziz, 15, confessed to her involvement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on Wednesday. The statement was recorded by Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam after the completion of Ayesha’s six-day remand. She was subsequently sent to jail. Earlier, on Monday, Ayesha’s husband Rabbi had also made a confessional statement before a magistrate. His statement was recorded by Metropolitan Magistrate Ripon Hossain, further tightening the net around the accused couple. The crime sent shockwaves through the capital after the bodies of Layla Afroz and her school-going daughter were discovered at their Mohammadpur residence. Layla’s husband, AZM Azizul Islam, a schoolteacher, found the bodies after returning home and immediately alerted the authorities. Later that night, he filed a murder case with Mohammadpur Police Station. Investigators revealed that Ayesha had been employed at the flat for only four days before the killings. Despite the brief tenure, her behaviour soon drew suspicion. CCTV footage from the apartment complex showed her leaving the building wearing Nafisa’s school uniform and a face mask, a detail that became a crucial breakthrough in the investigation. Following the trail, police arrested Ayesha on December 10 during a drive in Nalchiti upazila of Jhalakathi, where she had gone into hiding. Her husband Rabbi was arrested alongside her from his grandmother’s house. The case has raised serious concerns over domestic security and the vulnerability of households, particularly in urban settings where domestic help is often hired on short notice and with limited background verification. With both accused now behind bars and confessional statements on record, the investigation is moving into its next phase as law-enforcers work to piece together the full sequence of events behind one of the most disturbing crimes in recent memory.

The government has suspended 14 employees from various ministries and divisions following protests at the Bangladesh Secretariat demanding a special allowance. The action comes after a court accepted the chargesheet in a case filed against the employees. Different ministries and divisions issued notifications in this regard on Monday. On December 10, officials and employees staged protests in several offices of the Bangladesh Secretariat, demanding a Secretariat Allowance. During the protest, led by a section of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Joint Council, Financial Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed was confined to a Secretariat office for around six hours. Some employees leading the demonstrations were detained. Subsequently, a case was filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 and they were formally shown as arrested. The employees are currently on remand in connection with the case. Among those suspended are Badiul Kabir, president of Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Sangjukta Parishad, vice-president Shahin Golam Rabbani and Nazrul Islam. Other suspended employees include Md. Tayeful Islam, Bikash Chandra Roy, Islamul Haque, Md. Mohsin Ali, Roman Gazi, and Abu Belal of the Ministry of Health; Mizanur Rahman Sumon of the Ministry of Information; Kamal Hossain and Mohammad Alimuzzaman of the Ministry of Public Administration; Bipul Rana Biplob of the Ministry of Finance; and Nasirul Haque of the Cabinet Division.  

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has recovered a motorbike, a helmet and a fake number plate used in the attack on Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, from the capital’s Bonolota Residential Area. The motorcycle, helmet and fake number plate were recovered in abandoned condition at around 8:45am on Sunday from the Bonolota Residential Area, DMP's DC (media) Talebur Rahman said on Wednesday afternoon. According to the sources, a CTTC team, after examining CCTV footage, found that the number plate of the motorbike used in the attack had been changed. Acting on intelligence information, the team recovered the bike and the helmet from the ground-floor parking area of a building in Bonolota Residential Area under Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. Later, the fake number plate was recovered from inside a manhole where it had been abandoned. CTTC sources said an in-depth investigation was carried out to identify the ownership of the motorbike. The bike changed hands eight times before it was purchased in the name of Mainuddin Islam using the national identity card of Md Kabir, an associate of Faisal, the prime suspect in the attack, CTTC sources said. The recovered goods have been handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) for further legal action, the sources added.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has intensified security through setting up more check posts in the capital on Wednesday to ensure public safety and maintain law and order. The checkposts will be operational from 4:00pm at several strategic locations under different crime divisions of the DMP, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman on Wednesday afternoon. The areas include Bosila under Ramna Division; Babubazar under Lalbagh Division; Postogola Bridge, Matuail U-loop and Staff Quarter under Wari Division; Basabo Road (Kamalapur) under Motijheel Division; Gabtoli under Mirpur Division; 300 Feet Road under Gulshan Division; and Abdullahpur Bridge, Kamarpara and Dhaur Bridge under Uttara Division. DMP intensifies drive to arrest attackers of Hadi Law enforcement officials said the checkposts will focus on monitoring suspicious movements, verifying vehicles and individuals, and preventing any untoward incidents. The DMP has urged city residents to cooperate with police personnel during the checkpost operations in the greater interest of public safety and security.  

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested three more people, including the parents of prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud, in connection with the attempted murder of Dhaka-8 aspiring independent candidate Sharif Osman Hadi in Puratan Paltan. With the latest arrests, the total number of detainees in the case has risen to 10. The newly arrested people are Faisal’s father Humayun Kabir, 70, his mother Hasi Begum, 60, and another suspect, Md Faisal, 25, a resident of Narsingdi. They were later handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, according to a media release issued by RAB-10 on Tuesday night (December 16, 2025). Read more: Inqilab Moncho provides first update from Singapore on Osman Hadi's condition RAB officials said a team conducted a special drive around 5:30am on Tuesday in Hasnabad Housing area under Dakshin Keraniganj Police Station and arrested Faisal’s parents. Preliminary investigations revealed that Faisal, the third of four siblings, frequently visited his sister Jesmin Akter’s apartment in Dhaka’s Agargaon area. On the night of the incident, he reportedly carried a bag to the apartment and later disposed of it discreetly. He subsequently sent his 18-year-old nephew, Jamil, to retrieve the bag. During the period, Faisal also threw one of his mobile phones from the rooftop and handed another phone to his mother, RAB officials said. Feeling insecure in Agargaon, Faisal allegedly moved to Mirpur and later to Shahjadpur, where he stayed at the residence of his cousin Arif, the nephew of his father Humayun Kabir. Read more: RAB arrests close aide of main accused in attempted assassination of Osman Hadi Investigators said Humayun Kabir later hired a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and provided cash to transport Faisal’s bag. Faisal also visited his younger brother Hasan Mahmud Bablu, also known as Raj, in Keraniganj, and used two newly purchased SIM cards. Meanwhile, RAB recovered three firearms and ammunition from a water body near Molla Bari in the Tarua area of Narsingdi Sadar during the operation. The seized items included two foreign-made pistols, two magazines, one toy pistol and 41 rounds of ammunition. However, forensic examination is yet to confirm whether the weapons were used in the shooting. Hadi, a spokesman of the Inquilab Moncho formed after last year’s July uprising, was shot in the head on Friday while campaigning in Puratan Paltan. The assailants opened fire from a moving motorcycle. CEC takes attack on Hadi seriously, orders immediate action: EC He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being shifted to Evercare Hospital. On Monday, he was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment. With the consent of Hadi’s family, Abdullah Al Zaber, member secretary of Inquilab Moncho, filed a case with Paltan Police Station on Sunday night, naming Faisal Karim Masud and several unidentified individuals. The case, now under DB investigation, has already led to the arrest of Faisal’s wife, a female friend, his brother-in-law, the owner of the motorcycle used in the attack, an accomplice named Kabir, and two others from border areas accused of aiding his escape. Read more: CEC takes attack on Hadi seriously, orders immediate action: EC

The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate in a statement has condemned certain media outlets and social media platforms for circulating "false, misleading and unfounded reports involving the Bangladesh Navy. These reports allege that a Bangladesh Navy ship intruded into Indian waters and deliberately sank an Indian fishing trawler named PAROMITA-10 while it was engaged in fishing activities in the Bay of Bengal. In fact, at the time the Indian fishing trawler met with the accident, a Bangladesh Navy patrol ship was conducting routine maritime patrol well within Bangladesh waters, at a distance of more than 12 miles from the incident location. Bangladesh Navy had no involvement whatsoever in the said incident, says an ISPR media release on Tuesday evening. On Monday (Dec. 15), at 1515 hours Bangladesh Local Time, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Indian Coast Guard officially informed MRCC, Dhaka via email that an Indian Fishing Boat (IFB) named PAROMITA-10 had capsized and sunk in Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal with 16 fishermen on board.  Another Indian fishing trawler IFB RAGHUPATI successfully rescued 11 of the fishermen, while the remaining five remained missing. The Indian Coast Guard subsequently requested all nearby ships and fishing trawlers to assist in the ongoing search efforts.  Immediately upon receiving this information, Bangladesh Navy promptly directed its patrol ship to undertake search activities within Bangladesh waters. Through close coordination and cooperation with the relevant authorities of both countries, a Bangladesh Navy patrol ship actively participated in the searching efforts alongside the Indian Coast Guard and local Bangladeshi fishermen. Such initiatives reflect the Bangladesh Navy’s commitment to humanitarian assistance at sea and contribute significantly to strengthening mutual trust, cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighboring countries. ISPR said notwithstanding these facts, some sections of the News Media and Social Media have continued to disseminate unfounded allegations claiming that a Bangladesh Navy ship entered Indian waters and sank the fishing trawler PAROMITA-10. These claims are entirely baseless.  The publishing of such misinformation is deeply regrettable and unwarranted, the statement said. In this regard, all media outlets were "earnestly urged" to exercise responsible journalism and to refrain from publishing and circulating misleading, sensational or defamatory reports against Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh.  

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-1) on Tuesday arrested the prime accused and two others in an attempted murder case over the attack on the members of ‘July Rebels’. The prime accused was Altaf alias Thotkata Altaf, 46, an accused in multiple cases. Tipped off, RAB-1 members arrested him in a drive in BSCIC Industrial Area, RAB officials said. On December 13 when members of the organization formed a human chain in front of Uttara BNS Centre around 6:30pm to protest the shooting of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Osman Hadi a group of assailants armed with local weapons attacked them, they said. During the attack, Altaf allegedly struck July Rebels member Yusuf Ali Redowan on the head with intent to kill, causing serious injuries, said Md Rakib Hasan, Additional Superintendent of Police and Senior Assistant Director (Media Officer) of RAB-1. The attackers also vandalised July Rebels’ head office at Muktijoddha Market in Sector-6 under Uttara East Police Station and threatened its members before fleeing the scene, he added. Yusuf Ali Redowan filed an attempted murder case with Uttara East Police Station. The two other arrestees are Saiful Islam, 37, and Md Amir Hossain Firoz, 47. The arrestees were handed over to the police station concerned for further legal proceedings.