United News of Bangladesh

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued warrants for arrest of three police officers in connection with the mass killings in Dhaka's Rampura area during the anti-discrimination student movement in July last year. ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam confirmed this to the media on Sunday. "However, we are not disclosing their identities at the moment, as this could alert them or prompt them to flee," he said. Hasina ordered ‘no treatment, no release’ for uprising victims: ICT Chief Prosecutor "Once they are arrested, their identities will be made public," he added. At the same time, the investigation report of a total of 10 accused, including former Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, in connection with the Uttara massacre has been ordered to be submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal on May 12, the chief prosecutor said. The accused are - former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Atiqul Islam, Awami League education affairs secretary Shahinur Mia, Uttara West unit Awami League president Monowar Islam Chowdhury, Gazipur Metropolitan Awami League organizing secretary Abdullah Al Mamun Mondal, Uttara Sector 6 Awami League president Bashir Uddin, Metropolitan North Ward 1 Jubo League president Delwar Hossain Rubel, OC Mashikur Rahman, Constable Hossain Ali, AC Jabed Iqbal and Omar Ali.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is set to launch a hotline for reporting rape and abuse complaints. “It will be announced within the next 24 hours and will be toll-free,” Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said during a press conference on current issues at the Secretariat on Sunday. Besides, a cell will be established under the Ministry of Law to monitor rape cases, he added. Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was also present. Investigation into rape cases in 15 days, trials within 90 days: Law Adviser He said, "The hotline will be available 24 hours a day. Complaints can be reported at any time, and a dedicated cell within the Home Ministry will monitor rape cases to ensure that no unnecessary delays occur in the disposal of these cases." The adviser also mentioned that the bail of Saiful Islam, the individual sentenced to life imprisonment in the Dinajpur child rape case, has been revoked by the Appellate Division. He further said, "Many times, we are unable to meet expectations, and there is pain and self-reflection over that.” The violence, torture, and rape that women are currently facing in Bangladesh will not be tolerated in any form. No place for rapist in Bangladesh: Home Adviser The entire administration of this government is committed to ensuring justice in these cases and taking all necessary measures to prevent sexual harassment. Regarding the meeting held at the office of the chief adviser, which focused on the law and order situation, Asif Nazrul said, "We are all disturbed, just like you. We have decided that we must become much stricter. From now on, any form of mob justice will be firmly suppressed."

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has vowed to eliminate any presence of teenage gangs in the Mohammadpur- Basila area, revealing that previous local Ward Councillors had been nurturing and supporting them. The teenage gangs have now become uncontrollable due to the absence of the two Ward councillors. Commanding Office (CO) of Rab-2 battalion Additional DIG Md. Khalidul Haque Howlader came up with the remark while replying to a reporter’s question during a media briefing held at the RAB media center in Karwan Bazarin the city on Sunday afternoon. Commanding officer of the RAB-2 said that the teenage gang members did not form overnight. They grew under the patronage and shelter of influential figures and eventually rose to positions of power within the criminal network, he said. "Had it not been for political patronage, these criminals would not have emerged as they did today. However, we have not yet identified any political affiliations among those involved in robbery and snatching," he added. ICT finds evidence of enforced disappearance, rape, and torture against ex-SP Faruki and RAB Commander Alep Additional DIG Md. Khalidul Haque highlighted that two former Ward Councilors, Asif and Tarek, had played a pivotal role in nurturing and supporting these criminal groups in the past. Due to their backing, Geneva Camp had turned into a 'mini cantonment' of teen gangs, he said. He said that RAB has already dismantled this stronghold ensuring that there is no longer a "godfather" figure in the camp. While there is still some drug activity, the Rab commander assured that operations would continue to maintain peace and order in the area. Regarding recent incidents in Mohammadpur, he said that the two former Ward Councilors may have been involved in such incidents. He emphasized that these two former Ward Councillors were responsible for the rise of the teenage gangs, and their absence has allowed the gangsters to act more recklessly. However, the teenage gang members are reportedly now involved in power struggles among themselves, he added.

A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of shares worth Tk 102.85 crore belonging to 23 companies associated with former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, along with individuals and organisations linked to him. The court has also approved the attachment (seizure) of 957 bighas of land, worth Tk 4.65 crore, in Anwara Upazila of Chattogram for corruption.  According to the land attachment application, there have been attempts to transfer the immovable property registered under the name of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and affiliated entities. After paying ACU’s bills, Bangladesh's reserve drops below $20 billion The ACC says that securing these assets was essential under Section 14 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012, to ensure their potential confiscation by the state upon conviction. Further legal proceedings are expected as authorities continue to probe the alleged misappropriation of wealth.

Mozammel Haque Manik, a teacher at Kachubari Madarganj Government Primary School in Thakurgaon, was arrested on charges of raping a 5th-grade student. While being escorted to court on Sunday, he was beaten by a group of protesting people in the presence of police officers. The incident took place when Manik was being taken to the court of Thakurgaon Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shariful Islam. Case filed over ‘gang rape’ of pregnant woman in Narsingdi, 1 arrested In response, additional police forces arrived at the scene to control the situation, eventually sending Manik into court custody. Later, an hour-long human chain was formed in protest, demanding justice for the accused teacher, Mozammel Haque Manik. After the human chain, a protest procession was organized, which marched through various roads in the city and culminated at the District Judge Court premises. During the procession, protestors were seen chanting slogans calling for the hanging of the accused. They also warned of more intense actions if the teacher did not face exemplary punishment. Later, students from different educational institutions gathered at the Deputy Commissioner's office to express their outrage. To ease the tension, Deputy Commissioner Ishrat Farzana reassured the students that the law would take its course and that, if the allegations were proven, the teacher would be given exemplary punishment. Investigation into rape cases in 15 days, trials within 90 days: Law Adviser The incident that sparked the protests occurred on Saturday, March 8, when teacher Manik allegedly violated the girl while giving private lessons at the school. The victim was later admitted to hospital. Following a complaint, police conducted a raid and arrested Manik in the afternoon. That evening, the victim's father filed a case against Manik at Bhulli Police Station in Sadar.

A case was filed against five people on Sunday over the alleged rape of a seven-month-pregnant woman in Pachdona union of Narsingdi’s Madhabdi upazila. The 23-year-old victim lodged a complaint at Madhabdi Police Station on Saturday naming two of the accused, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nazrul Islam.  According to police, the victim was living in a rented house in Bhagirathpur with her husband who was jailed in a case linked to the July movement. Upon his release, she informed him about the incident and filed the case.  Police arrested Iqbal Hossain ,43, son of Joynal Mia from Asmandirchar in Pachdona union while the second named accused, Pappu Mia ,29, son of Abdul Motaleb from the same area, managed to flee.  HC orders completion of Magura child rape trial in six months The incident took place between February 19 - 21, when the woman was allegedly held captive in a room for two days and gang raped.  Md Anwar Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle), said that the victim appeared at Madhabdi Police Station on Friday night. She claimed that Iqbal posing as a lawyer had deceived her by promising to help secure her husband’s release. Later, four people allegedly drugged her, detained her in a building for three days, and sexually assaulted her in turns.  Police have inspected the crime scene based on the victim’s information. One of the accused was arrested and a drive is underway to arrest the other suspects, said the OC.

The government is going to amend the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with a provision that investigations into rape cases must be completed within 15 days and trials to be concluded within 90 days, said Law Adviser Asif Nazrul on Sunday. "We are also cutting the investigation time in rape cases by half from the previous time. Earlier it was 30 days, now we are making it 15 days. We are also halving the trial time. The trial of rape cases must be completed within 90 days,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. No one can be granted bail on the pretext of not completing the trial within 90 days, he said. Under the current law, bail could be granted if the trial was not held within 180 days but according to the amended law, no bail can be granted in rape cases, he added. HC orders completion of Magura child rape trial in six months However, the interim government is also taking many initiatives, said the adviser. Referring to the rape incident in Magura, Asif said “We strongly condemn this rape incident and are determined to ensure speedy justice in this case.” To ensure the speedy trial, the government has made an amendment in the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, he said. The eight-year-old girl, a class III student of Jaria Government Primary School, in Sreepur upazila, was raped when she visited her sister’s in-laws’ house at Nijnanduali village in Magura’s Sadar upazila. Mentioning about the recent mob justice, Asif said the government has taken steps to address the incidents of mob justice and moral policing that have taken place in the last few days. The culprits have been arrested and the process of further arrests is underway, he said. Magura rape: Students blocked Dhaka-Khulna highway demanding justice All incidents are under the government's watch, he added. “We want to assure the countrymen that no criminal will go beyond justice,” said the adviser. In order to curb violence against women, the government has been regularly reviewing all recent rape cases for speedy disposal, he said. Besides, a hotline will be introduced to prevent sexual harassment.

The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered the lower court to complete the trial of the case involving the rape of an eight-year-old girl from Magura within six months. An HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury passed the suo motu order. Two lawyers also submitted a writ in this regard drawing the top court’s attention. The Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal concerned was directed to implement this order (completion of trial) with the timeframe. The HC also ordered the completion of investigation into the case within 30 days, and submit a report in this regard accordingly.     The court instructed to remove all photos of the victim from all types of media, including social media platforms, within 24 hours. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), police and Cyber Crime Unit were instructed to implement the order immediately. Besides, the court ordered the authorities to take action against those print and social media published photo and identity of the victim within three days as the section 14 of the Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act. Magura child rapist to be brought to justice: Home Adviser The social welfare official of Magura district was ordered to ensure security of the victim and her sister within 24 hours. The court in its observation said publishing the identity of the victim, and sharing photos are punishable offences and people will have to know it.   The incident occurred when the victim visited her sister’s in-laws’ house at Nijnanduali village in Magura’s Sadar upazila. She went to bed with her sister at night, but in the dead of night, her sister found her missing and began searching for her. After a frantic search, the girl was found unconscious a few yards away from the house. She was initially admitted to Magura General Hospital and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated. On Thursday, she was moved to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) before being shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka. Meanwhile, university students, including that of Dhaka University, staged demonstrations early Sunday on their respective campuses, demanding the death penalty of the accused. Earlier in the day, Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury visited the girl at the CMH and said the rapists will not be spared as the state is determined to ensure justice.  

The government is committed to ensuring that the perpetrator of child rape in Magura do not escape justice, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt. General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Sunday. He made the remark while visiting the victim undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on Sunday. A case was filed with Magura Sadar police station and all four accused were arrested in this connection, he said. "I have directed the law enforcement agencies to take a tough stance against harassment and rape of women. I also directed the concerned to submit reports to the court after completing quick investigation by making a list of all the violence against women so far,” the home adviser said He said the criminals involved in the recent incidents of rape will be brought to justice and punished strictly. Magura rape victim shifted to Dhaka CMH for better treatment Jahangir also said that women will perform their duties fearlessly at home and outside and those who will try to obstruct them will be brought under  law. He said that everyone should be aware and vocal against violence against women. “Family, social and moral values should be nurtured.” During the visit at the CMH, the adviser inquired about the child's treatment and instructed the hospital authorities to ensure the highest level of medical care. Senior officials of CMH were also present. Earlier, on March 6, upon learning about the incident, the adviser contacted the child's mother over the phone and assured her of the government's full support for the child's treatment. Tarique talks to Magura rape victim’s mother, assures justice The victim was transferred to CMH from Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday for better medical care. The horrific rape of the minor girl in Magura triggered protests across the country.

Students, mostly female ones, rocked their campuses with their overnight protests at different public universities, including Dhaka University, demanding immediate justice for recent incidents of rape and sexual harassment across Bangladesh. At Dhaka University, students from Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall gathered at the base of Raju Smrity Bhasjkarjya (Raju Memorial Sculpture) at midnight and started protests chanting various slogans. Students from other dormitories joined the protests and announced the Raju Smrity Bhasjkarjya as the ‘Anti-Rape Platform’ (Dharshan Birodhi Monch) to amplify their voices against rape and violence against women. They demanded the formation of a tribunal to ensure that justice is served without delay. The protests follow the recent harassment of a Dhaka University student allegedly by a Central Library staff member. College student raped in Ctg The protests intensified as the news of a child rape case in Magura triggered nationwide outcry, with the hospital authorities describing the child's condition as "critical." Besides, female students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet staged demonstrations demanding the death penalty for the rapist. Breaking open the gates of dormitories, the students came out of the halls and staged demonstrations for two hours starting at 1am. The students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) also staged demonstrations on the same demand around 3am. The Jahangirnagar University (JU) students blocked Dhaka-Aricha Highway, demanding toughest punishment of the rapist. Magura rape victim shifted to Dhaka CMH for better treatment They carried out the protest programmes around 2am.    The wave of protests also touched the students of Jagannath University as they took to the streets demanding death penalty of the accused.