United News of Bangladesh

DMP Commissioner SM Sajjat Ali has suggested people to choose open field or auditorium instead of roads in Dhaka to press home their various demands. “In recent times, various groups have resorted to road blockades to push for their demands. They think occupying roads will lead to the fulfillment of their demands which only worsen the already fragile traffic system of Dhaka city and the commuters are left stranded for hours on roads,” he said. Sajjat Ali made the remarks while addressing the annual general meeting of Crime Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh at Dhaka Club on Wednesday. He said the city's limited roads are particularly vulnerable and the closure of even a single road brings the entire city to a standstill. Sit with the authorities concerned to realise demands and it is important to ensure that the ongoing traffic crisis does not worsen further, said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police(DMP) chief. Acknowledging the increase in mugging incidents in Dhaka, he said those involved in mugging age between 20 to 22 years and they do it to manage money for drugs. Read: Trained students take up traffic control duties to ease congestion in Dhaka The muggers choose it as the best chance when people talk over mobile phones keeping open windows of buses and microbuses, he said. “If you (residents) remain vigilant, it will be of assistance to us (police),” he said. The DMP commissioner said the detectives have been engaged in curbing the crime along with increasing patrolling by police at day and night. Police have been trying to resolve some problems that erupted after the fall of police’s confidence following the August 5, he said. The DMP commissioner said that it was their responsibility to provide Dhaka residents with security and they were working with the purpose. Read more: Number of students assisting with traffic control on Dhaka’s roads decreases significantly It will take time to change the mindset of police created over the past 15 years and training for them have already been initiated, he added.

A Union Parishad Chairman has been arrested in a case involving the torture of a Santal woman and her house set on fire in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha. The arrested Rafiqul Islam is Chairman of Rajahar Union Parishad and the victim is Philomina Hansda, a Santal woman from the Raja Birat village in Gobindaganj. Nishat Angela, Gaibandha Superintendent of Police, said that police arrested Rafiqul from a hotel in Shahbagh, Dhaka, on Wednesday morning at around 8 am. Philomina Hansda’s son, British Soren, said that on Friday at around 10 am, Rafiqul was putting soil on an ancestral land of the Santals near the village. When a few Santal youths attempted to stop him, Rafiqul assaulted them. When his mother tried to intervene, Rafiqul slapped her repeatedly. He alleged that later that night, Rafiqul’s associates set their house on fire. Read: Santal houses set on fire by UP chairman in Gaibandha The next day, Philomina Hansda’s other son, Julius Soren, filed a case naming Rafiqul Islam, his brother, and four others, along with 20-25 unidentified individuals. Following the incident, Gaibandha district BNP expelled Rafiqul Islam from all positions. In a statement on Tuesday, 47 prominent citizens of the country demanded the punishment of those involved in the incident. Bulbul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Gobindaganj Police Station, said, “The prime accused, Rafiqul Islam, was arrested from a hotel in Dhaka. He will be taken back to Gaibandha to complete the legal process.”

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled Indian goods worth over Tk 94 lakh along the borders in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. The frontier force also seized a pickup van and a microbus during the drives which continued from 12 am on Tuesday to early Wednesday. However, no one could be detained in this connection, said a media release sent from the BGB-48 Battalion on Wednesday morning. Being tipped-off, several teams of the BGB conducted drives along Banglabazar, Panthumai, Sreepur, and Sonalichela areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts and recovered the smuggled items. Read: BGB seizes smuggled goods worth Tk 147.84 cr in Dec The suspected smugglers left the vehicles abandoned after hearing the drives of the BGB. The recovery includes Indian sugar, oranges, betel nut, liquor and others, the media release says. The drives against smuggling will continue and security has been beefed up along borders, added the release.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has formed a three-member investigation committee to probe the clash between police and students of Prime Asia University that took place in front of Gate No. 1 of the Bangladesh Secretariat, official sources said. They said the incident, which saw students and police engaging in a chase and counter-chase, is under investigation. The committee is tasked with determining the causes of the confrontation and will submit its report upon completion of the probe. Read: Clashes erupt between police and students at secretariat gate Students of Prime Asia University gathered at the road nearby the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday (Jan7) to press for their nine-point demand, which included the establishment of a permanent campus and the resignation of the chairman of its trustee board. Earlier, the DMP assured that there will be a thorough investigation and urged all parties involved to cooperate with the probe.

Detectives arrested two Rohingyas with 1, 630 pieces of contraband Yaba pills after conducting drives in Magura Sadar on Tuesday. The arrestees were Aziz, son of late Amir Hossain, and Abdus Kuddus, 45, son of late Mostak Ahmed, both hailed from Hakimpara Rohingya camp in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Md Asaduzzaman, sub inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of the district, said being tipped-off, they set up a checkpost in front of Parnanduali Jame Masjid of the Sadar upazila at 8:30am and carried out the drives till 1:35pm. On suspicion, the DB detained the duo and quizzed about their arrival there, he said. Read: Man arrested with 9,900 Yaba pills in Baridhara: DB At one stage, the Rohingyas informed them that they traveled to Magura from Cox’s Bazar by swallowing the pack of Yaba pills in their stomach, the DB official said. Later, the Yaba pills were recovered from the stomach through washing at Sadar hospital, he said. A case was filed against them with the relevant police station in this regard, the DB official added.

The Department of Environment conducted four mobile court operations across the country on January 7, imposing a fine of Tk 1.14 crore on 20 illegal brick kilns. During the operation, the activities of 11 brick kilns were shut down, and two others were ordered to close. In this nationwide operation, strict actions were taken against illegal brick kilns, charcoal factories, vehicle emissions, noise pollution, plastic use, open construction materials, and hazardous waste management. A mobile court imposed a fine of Tk 1 lakh on the owner of a charcoal factory and demolished one factory completely. A lead factory was fined Tk 1 lakh, and two individuals were sentenced to 3 months and 6 months in prison. In order to ban plastic shopping bags, the Department of Environment, under the initiative of Mathbaria, Pirojpur, conducted a mobile court and seized approximately 11 tons of illegal plastic shopping bags from two warehouses, collecting Tk 3 lakh in fines through two cases. The Department of Environment also took action against black smoke from vehicles and noise pollution, warning the drivers of 9 vehicles. Discussions and warnings were held with market traders to stop plastic use. Three establishments were fined Tk 15 thousand for leaving open construction materials, contributing to air pollution, and a few others were warned. The Department of Environment has stated that these measures to control air pollution will continue.

The government has decided to strengthen the drive against polythene shopping bags, said Nasir-ud-Daulah, Additional Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry. “The number of operations carried out by police, RAB, the armed forces, and other law enforcement agencies will also be increased,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the representatives from plastic industry-related manufacturers, traders, and export organisations and law enforcers at the Secretariat. The meeting was held to implement the ban on the production and use of polythene shopping bags and to make the ongoing operations more effective. The meeting held an elaborate discussion on how to enforce the ban on polyethylene shopping bags and how to strengthen and make the campaign more effective, he said. Mentioning that the public and various stakeholders can play an important role in this regard, Nasir-ud-Daulah sought cooperation from all. Initially, the production of polyethylene shopping bags used in supermarkets will be seized and the use of polyethylene shopping bags in the market will be prohibited, he said. Gradually, the ban will extend to other types of banned polyethylene products, he added. Replying to a question, additional secretary Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and chief of the monitoring committee Tapan Kumar Biswas, said “We are looking for alternatives to polyethylene bags.” The Ministry of Textiles and Jute has already taken initiatives to produce environment-friendly shopping bags, he said. Besides, the environment-friendly shopping bags are being produced in private sectors but the representatives of polyethylene bag manufacturers, exporters, and traders assured of their full cooperation in this regard. Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, representatives from the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Plastic Packaging Roll Manufacturers Owners and Trade Association and Bangladesh Plastic Traders Association were present at the meeting. The government launched a nationwide campaign to end the use of polyethylene shopping bags on November 1, 2024.

Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday opened the renovated main building and courtroom of the International Crimes Tribunal to try the mass killings and crimes against humanity committed in July-August, 2024. During the inauguration, the chief justice said this historic establishment as Dhaka High Court or Old High Court Building carries the great legacy of the judiciary history of this land. Chief Justice pledges ‘meaningful reforms’ to strengthen judiciary He expressed hope that this great legacy will go to a new height with bringing transparency, and following proper legal process and eternal principles of justice in the trial of the killings and crimes against humanity committed in July-August,2024. Dr Ahmed said the chief justice also expects the same what an ordinary citizen does from the International Crimes Tribunal regarding the trial of mass killings and crimes against humanity committed to resist the mass uprising fueled by the moral support of the entire nation, said press release.

A court in Pabna on Monday rejected the bail plea of former deputy speaker and MP from Pabna-1, Shamsul Haque Tuku, in a case under the Speedy Trial Act related to extortion charges. Senior Judicial Magistrate Mostfijur Rahman issued the order on Monday, said Rashidul Islam, inspector of the Pabna court. Tuku was presented in court under tight security, and his appearance was met with protests by agitating students from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. They threw shoes and eggs at his car while chanting slogans demanding his trial. Mirza Mehedi Hasan, a businessman from Birsalikhar in Bera, filed a case in the Pabna court on November 6 under the Speedy Trial Act. Mehedi Hasan alleged that Tuku, along with several associates, extorted money and seized his land and market on May 6, 2014. Apart from Tuku, 11 people including his brother former municipal mayor Abdul Baten and Tuku's son former municipal mayor Asif Shams Ranjan were accused in the case. A chargesheet was submitted to the court on November 24 of last year.

A proposal to build four extended female student halls at an estimated cost of Tk 2,841.86 crore has been sent to the government for approval, as part of urgent steps to address the accommodation crisis for female students at Dhaka University. This information was confirmed by the university's public relations office on Monday evening. The announcement states that if the project is approved, arrangements will be made for the accommodation of nearly 3,000 female students. Additionally, the proposed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hall Construction Project, costing 244 crore taka with financial assistance from the Chinese government, is currently awaiting approval from the ministry. On Monday, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, reaffirmed China's commitment to supporting the construction of female student hostels during an event at the university. The announcement further mentions that under Dhaka University’s broader development project, the proposed construction of four extended female student hostels with an estimated cost of 2,841.86 crore taka is in progress. The project includes the demolition of Shahnewaz Hostel to build a 15-story female student hostel, the construction of two expansion buildings (10-story and 6-story) for Shamsun Nahar Hall, the demolition of staff quarters B and D at the Leather Engineering and Technology Institute to build a combined 11-story and 8-story female student hostel, and the expansion of Kuwait-maitree Hall into a 10-story building. The Dhaka University administration is taking multifaceted steps with utmost sincerity and working tirelessly to resolve the accommodation crisis for female students, as mentioned in the announcement. Despite the university's budget deficit, about 500 bunk beds have already been installed in various hostels on a priority basis through special allocations, providing accommodation for several female students. For the first time in the university's history, accommodation has been arranged for female students in the first year undergraduate program following a transparent process and system, which is considered an extraordinary achievement compared to previous times. Furthermore, it is mentioned that solving such a complex, long-standing issue as an accommodation crisis overnight is not possible. However, the university administration hopes that with the collaboration of the UGC, the relevant government ministries, friendly countries, development partners, and students, the accommodation crisis can be resolved within a reasonable time. Additionally, the introduction of accommodation scholarships for students under the World Bank's HEAT Project (Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project) is also in progress. It is expected that students enrolling in the undergraduate program in the upcoming academic year will be eligible for this scholarship.