United News of Bangladesh

All necessary arrangements are being made by the security forces and relevant state authorities to allow the public to participate in the funeral of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, officials said Tuesday night. According to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the funeral will be held at Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday, after Zohr prayers, around 2:00 pm. The coffin will be placed at the western end of Manik Mia Avenue instead of the South Plaza of the National Parliament. The ceremony will take place both inside the National Parliament grounds and across Manik Mia Avenue, with measures in place to ensure that people can participate safely. Roads surrounding the avenue will also be managed to allow public access. After the funeral, around 3:30 pm, Begum Khaleda Zia will be laid to rest with state honors beside the late President and freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman. Members of her family, high-ranking state officials, government authorities, foreign guests, diplomats, and BNP-nominated politicians are expected to attend. Access will be restricted to designated personnel during the burial, and public movement in Zia Udyan, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, will be limited until the completion of the burial rites.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed that no assemblies or programmes, including the Bishwa Ijtema, be held at the Tongi Ijtema ground during the pre-election period to ensure the smooth conduct of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and the 2026 referendum. The directive was issued on Tuesday through a letter sent to the Inspector General of Police (IGP). According to the letter, requests had been made to organise Khurujer Jor from January 2–4 and Bishwa Ijtema-2026 from January 22–24 at the Tongi Ijtema ground. However, considering the need to ensure a free, fair, peaceful and uninterrupted election and referendum, the ministry asked the IGP to take necessary measures to prevent any gatherings or events, including Khurujer Jor and the Bishwa Ijtema, at the venue during the pre-election period. The letter also noted that keeping the Tongi Ijtema ground free of assemblies during the election period is necessary in view of overall law and order, public safety and administrative preparedness surrounding the nationally significant election and referendum. The Home Ministry instructed the police and all concerned authorities to take required steps and ensure full cooperation in implementing the directive.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has expressed deep shock at the sad demise of three-time former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. On behalf of the DMP, its commissioner SM Sazzat Ali conveyed the sadness. As a three day state mourning will be observed showing respect to Khaleda Zia from Wednesday to Friday. Considering the situation, the DMP commissioner has issued the instructions exercising his powers conferred by Sections 28 and 29 of the DMP Ordinance. 1. During that time, all types of fireworks, bursting of crackers, flying lanterns and gas balloons have been banned in the DMP area. 2. No cultural programmes, DJ parties, rallies or processions can be held in open spaces. 3. Loud honking of car horns or any other activity that creates public nuisance is prohibited. The DMP seeks the full cooperation of the respected city residents to observe the mourning.

Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested a listed criminal and recovered  two firearms and ammunition during a drive in the Pallabi area of the capital late Monday night. The arrestee was identified as Ashikur Islam Shanto, 20. Based on secret information,  a team of DB (Mirpur Division) conducted the operation in front of Meghbaran Restaurant in Section-11 under Pallabi Police Station around 11:10pm. The detectives had information that a gang of armed men and drug dealers were staying inside the restaurant, said DMP's DC (Media) Talebur Rahman on Tuesday afternoon. Sensing presence of the law enforcers, arrested Ashikur was trying to flee the scene but finally he was caught. Acting on his information got during primary interrogation,the detectives carried out another drive  on the ground floor of an abandoned DNCC market at Paris Road in D Block of Mirpur-10 Section and recovered a foreign-made revolver, a foreign pistol with a magazine loaded with two rounds of 9mm bullets, and 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition by digging under the staircase . A case was filed with Pallabi Police Station in this connection. DB arrests 13 AL, affiliate leaders for attempting to disrupt public order During interrogation, Ashikur reportedly confessed to being an active member of a terrorist group known as “Bhaira De.” He and his associates had long been involved in drug trading, extortion and snatching in the Pallabi area by intimidating people with firearms, the DC (Media) said. Police also said Ashikur is a charge-sheeted accused in 10 cases, including snatching, preparation for robbery, theft and narcotics cases filed with different DMP police stations.

Police detained a youth with a toy pistol from behind the stage of Inqilab Mancha sit-in programme in the capital’s Shahbagh on Monday evening (December 29, 2025). Police said several people spotted the youth behaving suspiciously behind the stage of the rally and held him before handing him over to police. Read more: Inqilab Moncho's Shahbagh blockade continues demanding justice for Hadi A pistol-like object was recovered from his possession, and he was immediately taken to Shahbagh Police Station. According to the National ID card recovered from him, the detainee was identified as Md Arafat Zaman, a resident of Jigatola. Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman said the object recovered from Arafat was verified as a toy pistol. “He has been kept in police custody for questioning. During primary interrogation, he claimed he used the toy pistol for playing at home and brought it out today by mistake,” the OC said. Read more: Hadi murder case to be tried under current govt: Home Adviser

Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities on Monday detained a candidate for using the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to cheat in the 2025–26 academic year undergraduate (honors) first-year admission test (55th batch). A mobile court, after establishing his guilt, sentenced the student to seven days of simple imprisonment. The incident occurred during the second shift of the ‘A’ unit admission test under the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, in Room 102 of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department. According to the source of university administration, the arrested student, Md. Mahmudullah Hasan, a resident of Akashkuri village in Dimla Upazila, Nilphamari, was found secretly using a mobile phone to collect answers via ChatGPT and fill out the OMR sheet. Suspicious of the student’s activity, the invigilator immediately informed the proctorial body, and Hasan was later taken to the proctor’s office. During questioning, Hasan admitted to previously using the same method in the ‘D’ unit admission test of the Faculty of Biological Sciences on Dec 23, taking photos of the question paper in Room 401 of the Chemistry department to collect answers via ChatGPT. He secured the 242nd position in the merit list of that unit in results published on Dec 25. Following the investigation, the university administration canceled Hasan’s admission tests for all units. Professor Mohammad Mafruhi Sattar, acting dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, said, “The student’s results will be annulled.” Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam added, “The student will not be allowed to participate in any future admission tests at Jahangirnagar University. The executive magistrate’s court sentenced him to seven days in jail, and he is currently serving the sentence.”

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Monday instructed field-level police officers to maintain law and order at any cost, giving the highest priority to the upcoming national election. Addressing the monthly crime review meeting at the Police Headquarters, the IGP emphasised that any election-related disorder must be met with immediate and strict legal action. Prof Yunus reaffirms fair polls as preparations underway in full swing “Pre-election law and order is of paramount importance. The visible presence of police must be increased through regular patrols and strengthened searches at check-posts,” he said, adding that anyone obstructing lawful police duties must be arrested and produced before court. Baharul Alam also directed officers to intensify efforts to recover weapons looted from police stations during last year’s August student–public mass movement, and to widely publicise government-declared rewards for such recoveries. All metropolitan police commissioners, range DIGs, and district superintendents of police (SPs) joined the meeting virtually. Arms smuggling attempts rise ahead of Bangladesh polls: Home Adviser At the headquarters, Additional IGP (Administration) AKM Awlad Hossain, Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Khondaker Rafiqul Islam, DIG (Operations) Md Rezaul Karim, and DIG (Confidential) Md Kamrul Ahsan attended. The meeting also reviewed the overall crime situation for November 2025, covering execution of conviction warrants, progress of case investigations and trials, conviction rates and other key issues.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of a college student in broad daylight in Sirajganj district town on Sunday afternoon. The arrestees are Md Ashiq, 22, son of Abdus Sattar of Dhanbandhi Mohalla of the town; Md Shakib Ibrahim, 28, son of Jamal Sheikh of the same Mohalla; and Mehedi Hasan, 18, son of Ujjal Hossain. Sirajganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Nazran Rouf said police conducted raids at various locations throughout Sunday night and arrested them. The arrestees are currently being interrogated, he added. Arms smuggling attempts rise ahead of Bangladesh polls: Home Adviser According to CCTV footage, the victim, 18-year-old Abdur Rahman Riyad, was sitting in a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw on Bahirgola Road, a busy Press Club area in the district town, at around 4:30 pm on Sunday. At that time, several youths approached from different directions and stabbed him repeatedly with locally made weapons inside the auto-rickshaw, leaving him critically injured. He was rescued and admitted to Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College Hospital in critical condition, where he died later that night while undergoing treatment. The brutal incident quickly went viral on social media. Police arrest suspect with firearm, explosives in Osman Hadi killing case In this connection, the deceased’s father, Rezaul Karim, filed a murder case naming 11 people and 15–20 unidentified individuals as accused. Abdur Rahman was a first-year student at Islamia Government College.

The Appellate Division on Monday (December 29, 2025) ordered the immediate removal of Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s name from the list of loan defaulters, clearing the way for his participation in the upcoming national polls. A single member bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque passed the order after hearing a petition submitted by Manna challenging a High Court (HC) order. The court also stayed the HC order for eight weeks. Following the order, Manna has now no barriers to contest the election from the Bogura-2 constituency. Read more: Arms smuggling attempts rise ahead of Bangladesh polls: Home Adviser Senior lawyers Ahsanul Karim, Syed Mamun Mahbub, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, and Mostafizur Rahman stood for Manna while senior lawyer Abdul Kaiyum represented Islami Bank during the hearing at the court. The appeal followed the HC’s rejection of Manna’s writ petition on Sunday seeking removal of his name from the loan defaulter list. Earlier, on Wednesday, an HC bench of Justice Md Bazlur Rahman and Justice Md. Mansur Alam dismissed the petition, barring him from taking part in the elections. Then, deputy attorney general Shafiqul Rahman said as the court had rejected Manna’s petition, thereby he was disqualified now. Later, Manna filed another petition with the Appellate Division on Sunday challenging the HC order. The legal controversy surfaces after a notice issued by Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited’s Bogura Bargola branch on December 10 regarding Afacu Cold Storage Limited, a company led by Manna. The notice demanded repayment of Tk 38.04 crore in defaulted loans, instructing full payment by December 18 and warning of legal action in case of non-payment. Awami League could return if PR system is used in polls: Manna The notice, signed by branch manager Touhid Reza, was sent to the company’s chairman Manna and Managing Director ABM Nazmul Kadir Shajahan Chowdhury. According to the documents, Manna owns 50 percent of the cold storage, while couple Shajahan Chowdhury and his wife Ismat Ara Laizu each hold 25 percent shares. Although the company was profitable, it failed to pay regular profits, charges and fines, resulting in the outstanding amount. The bank described the notice as a final warning to prompt repayment, according to the notice. The bank manager said Manna had made no effort to repay the loan despite the company’s profitability. As per the agreement, the payment obligations were not fulfilled, which prompted the notice.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday acknowledged an increase in attempts to smuggle arms into Bangladesh through border points ahead of the national election, saying law enforcement agencies are regularly intercepting and seizing the weapons. “Some weapons are indeed entering through the border. However, these are being seized regularly—almost every day weapons are being recovered,” he told reporters. The adviser was speaking after a medal-giving ceremony and reception for freedom fighters marking Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Day at Pilkhana. Jahangir Alam said all necessary security preparations for the upcoming national polls are underway, with the BGB set to play a crucial role. “About 35,000 BGB members will be deployed for election duties. They are fully prepared,” he added. BGB seeks people’s support to prevent firearms smuggling Responding to queries about the Keraniganj madrasah explosion and overall law-and-order concerns ahead of the election, he said the prime accused in the incident remains absconding, but his accomplices have already been arrested and the investigation is continuing. Asked whether recent bomb incidents could disrupt the election process, the adviser said attempts to obstruct elections are not new. “Fascist forces always try to hinder elections. But with public support and law enforcement efforts, the polls will be fair, peaceful and festive,” he said, adding that the government is committed to delivering a credible and acceptable election. Steps underway to check arms smuggling: Adviser Jahangir Alam He also said special training has been provided to security personnel to deal with any situation during the polls and reiterated that they are ‘fully prepared’ to ensure safety and stability.