United News of Bangladesh

The Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has filed 2,594 cases against people for violating traffic rules in different parts of the capital over the past two days. Besides, the authorities seized 206 vehicles and towed 63 others during the drives conducted on Sunday and Monday, said DC media of DMP Talebur Rahman. DMP files 1,652 cases for traffic rules violations The DMP’s Traffic Division has vowed to continue its enforcement drives to maintain discipline on Dhaka’s roads.

Police rounded up three suspects after activists of the banned Chhatra League staged a procession in Osmaninagar upazila in Sylhet on Sunday night. The procession, which began around 8:15pm, quickly gained outrage after videos circulated on social media, creating a stir in the area. According to sources, leaders and activists of the banned Chhatra League gathered from various parts of the upazila in Madarbazar area and started the procession from the premises of Nabagram Haji Md. Shaim High School. They marched through key roads of Madarbazar, chanting slogans in support of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Following the incident, a written complaint was lodged with Osmaninagar Police Station. However, locals claimed that those directly involved in the procession were not among the detainees. Confirming the detention, the police station's Inspector (investigation) Noor Hossain said a written complaint was received and three people arrested.

Planning and Education Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday said every university has to have its own code of conduct under which the student politics will run. “Any university must has its own code of conduct, every student has its political identity, again an educational institution prepares its code of conduct comprising the country, society and other related matters,” he said. The adviser made the statement while answering a question after holding a press briefing on the recently submitted report of a task-force to develop strategies to boost the economy and mobilise resources for equitable and sustainable development at the NEC conference room in the planning ministry. Former director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr KAS Murshid led the 12-member taskforce which was formed in September last. The Education Adviser mentioned that Cambridge, Oxford and like other universities across the globe have their own code of conduct. “That type of code of might not be happen in our country,” he expressed his depression. The taskforce in its report said all public and private universities should completely ban on-campus student politics. Responding to a question, the taskforce chief KAS Murshid said that they thought that in the last 50 years the traditional student politics will come to an end. Fixed college-to-university timeline for Titumir unjustified: Education Ministry “The taskforce does not think that we do not benefitted much by this student politics,” he said whereas the current interim government is the outcome of the student politics and the government formed this taskforce. He said that through this student politics any on campus matter transformed to crude economic corruption. “Most of the cases we see that, so why this kind of space will prevail, does any civilised country have this, apart of our South Asian countries any other civilised country have this space,” he questioned. But, he said that it does not mean that student politics is bad. “Student politics aligned with national parties is what we are against, this have to be considered seriously,” he said. The former BIDS chief said that student politics must have to remain, student will give their opinions, they will engage in activism for social issues, political issues and other issues and will be vocal. “They will play active positive role, for that we have to create some spaces, we should have to create a platform for that, (student will) come forward for the country, that is natural, but for that space is needed, we have to rethink that if that space means Shahbagh and Mohakhali,” he said. He mentioned that this is high time to think about the matter. “We can talk this matter during this kind of government (interim government) we can not do that in the past time, of we do not say it right now, then when we will talk avout it,” he said. Education Ministry has no direct role in addressing pvt universities' problems: Wahiduddin In his introductory speech, the taskforce chief briefly describing various points of the report said that it’s the show time and they have to do something. “If we do not do it, then when will be dome that.” He mentioned that there is no political government right now while the political influence has reduced. “As a result, the politically related barriers which often put obstacles in our jobs that is on the backfoot to some extent,” he said. He also said that this opportunity has to be availed, otherwise the scope will be lessen with the spinning of time. “So there is urgency in here I think, if we take the change at the end of the day we will be able to left behind something at least,” he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a taskforce to address the issue of illegal foreign nationals staying in Bangladesh. A notification of the Home Ministry, signed by Deputy Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman, on Monday said the Additional Secretary (Security and Immigration) of the Security Services Department has been made convener of the taskforce and the Joint Secretary (Immigration-2 Branch) as its member secretary. Eight-member investigation committee formed after fish die in Meghna River Other members of the taskforce are Director General of the Office of the Chief Adviser, the Director General (Consular) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Joint Secretary (Political-1 Branch) of the Public Security Division, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Immigration) from the Special Branch (SB), the Additional Director General of Passport, Visa, and Immigration at the Directorate of Immigration and Passport, the Director of the Operations Wing at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Director of the NGO Affairs Bureau, the Director (External Relations and Liaison Wing) of the Directorate of National Security Intelligence, and the Director (External Affairs and Liaison Bureau) of the Directorate General of Defense Intelligence. Committee on NBR reform submits report advising wholesale changes in tax collection system According to the notification, the committee will coordinate actions and provide guidance on the handling of illegal foreign nationals in Bangladesh. It will also have the authority to issue instructions on necessary measures and make recommendations when needed. Besides, the committee may invite officers or individuals to attend meetings and co-opt members if necessary.

A total of 85 out of 157 officers and employees did not join Bangabandhu Super Specialized Hospital after completing the training funded by the project. This information was revealed in a drive conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, Head Office, Dhaka today in the wake of allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of manpower and management of the hospital at the Super Specialized Hospital. They said that although they were sent to South Korea for training on the condition of serving for at least 5 years, 85 officers did not join the hospital after the training. ACC approves filing cases against Shajahan Khan, his family During the drive, the enforcement team met the hospital director and collected records related to the Super Specialized Hospital project. In reviewing the records, the primary truth of irregularities related to the purchase of equipment was also found. The truth of irregularities in sending officers abroad for training beyond the need was also found. Tourist travel to St Martin’s suspended for 9 months starting Feb 1 Moreover, irregularities were observed in the management of two banks and a pharmacy inside the hospital. The enforcement team will submit a detail report to the commission after verifying the records collected during the drive.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday approved filing of three separate cases against former Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and his family on charges of amassing illegal assets worth Tk 25 crore. ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhter Hossain briefed  reporters at the agency's head office at Segunbagicha in the capital. In a case, former minister Shajahan Khan will be accused of acquiring illegal assets worth TK11.36 crore. Besides suspicious transactions worth TK 86 lakh were found in his bank account. ACC finds defects in EVMs, questions experts' endorsement Another case was approved against his wife Syeda Rokeya Begum on charge of acquiring illegal assets worth TK 4.7 crore. Another case will be filed their son Anisur Rahman  for acquiring illegal assets worth TK 9.89 crore. Shahjahan Khan, an MP from the Madaripur-2 constituency, was previously summoned by the ACC in 2014 over allegation related to irregularities in plot allocation and acquiring illegal assets. ACC files 2 cases against ex-Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan, wife His affidavit for the 11th parliamentary election revealed substantial wealth, including two cars, 96 bhori of gold belonging to his wife, two buses, an SUV, a microbus, and a 10-katha plot of land from Rajuk, registered under his wife's name. The Commission also ordered his daughter Oishi Khan to submit her wealth statement as they found illegal asset worth TK 1.71 crore under her porssession.  

The Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has filed 1,311 cases for traffic rules violation during a drive conducted in different areas of the capital on Saturday. 1,636 cases filed in Dhaka for traffic rules violation As part of the drive, authorities also dumped 95 vehicles and towed 23 others, said a DMP press release issued by Md Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of the DMP, on Sunday. The DMP’s Traffic Department vowed to continue such enforcement drives.

A man and a woman - alleged to be in extramarital relationship- died by hanging in Gomastapur upazila of Chapainawabganj, said police and locals on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Tushi Khatun, 24, wife of an expatriate of Khairabad area under Rohanpur municipality of the upazila, and Rakib Hossain, 28, of Argarhat area of nearby Shibganj upazila. Police and locals said there had long been an extramarital relationship between them and the youth entered the housewife’s room at 10pm. But the woman's mother-in-law sensed the presence of the youth and asked her to open the door of her room several times, but there was no response. Read: Housewife ‘commits suicide’ in Dhaka As she didn’t respond for long, the mother-in-law screamed seeking help of neighbours who rushed to the house and saw the bodies hanging from a wooden pile, connecting two ends of the ceiling, with a scarf through the window of her room, according to them. Tushi was the mother of two children. Gomastapur police station’s Officer-in-Charge Khairul Bashar said being informed they recovered the bodies from the house and sent to the 250-bed general hospital in the district for autopsy.

Detectives have arrested five suspects in connection with the murder of Minhaz, a student of Dhania College in Jatrabari. The arrestees are prime suspect Md Mahfuz, also known as King Mahfuz, Md Jahidul Bhuiyan Shawon, Md Sabbir Sarkar, Md Ashik, and Md Shohan Mia. Tipped off, a team of DB (Wari Division) along with Patuakhali district police conducted drives in Sadar thana area of the district on Friday and arrested them. DB chief and Additional Commissioner of the DMP Md. Rezaul Karim Mallik disclosed this at a press conference held at the DMP media centre in the city on Saturday. Two Indian nationals arrested in B’baria He also said  that two more suspects have already been arrested by Jatrabari Police and efforts are continuing to capture the remaining fugitives.  Victim’s elder brother Abdullah Al Mamun filed a murder case at Jatrabari Police Station naming 'King Mahfuz' and nine others, along with 10-12 unidentified people as suspects," said Md. Rezaul. Minhazul, an Honours 4th-year student at Dhania College, locked into an altercation with Mahfuz and others at a cultural event at the college on January 26. 6 arrested over attack on DoE official at Chawkbazar polythene factory On January 28, Minhazul and his friend Ahad were attacked near Dhania College by Mahfuz and other suspects with switch blades, knives, and machetes. Minhazul was severely injured in the attack and later succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Bodies of four people who were killed in Ashulia during the July-August movement are being exhumed following a court order. Police led by Assistant commissioner (land) of Ashulia circle Sadia Akter, executive magistrate, were exhuming the bodies from Charalpara, Pabnartek, Bagabari and Ambahan areas on Saturday. Already bodies of Zahidul Islam Sagar and Ashraful Islam were exhumed from Charalpara and Pabnartek graves. Besides, the bodies of Abul Hossain and another unidentified victim will be exhumed from Bagabari Ambagan graves by afternoon. After exhuming the bodies, those will be sent to a hospital for autopsy.