United News of Bangladesh

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have recovered goods worth over Tk 1.18 crore during operations along the India border in Fulgazi and Chhagalnaiya upazilas of Feni. According to a media release signed by Lt Col Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, director of BGB Battalion 4 in Feni, the operations were carried out early Friday in Rajeshpur, Chhagalnaiya, Champaknagar, and Madhugram areas near the border. The recovered items include Indian lehengas, saris, Kashmiri shawls, three-piece clothing sets, 20 kilogrammers of cannabis, and other goods. The estimated market value of the seized items is approximately Tk 1.18 crore, the release stated. The confiscated goods have been handed over to Customs and the Department of Narcotics Control for further action, the release added.

An employee of Steadfast Courier Service has been arrested for stealing over Tk 20 lakh from the company’s office in Dhaka’s Motijheel. Md Shawkat Ali, 35, was arrested from the Uttar Dalgram Barantor village of Lalmonirhat early Thursday. Police recovered Tk 19,71,500 from his possession during the raid. Case filed over JU student's death caused by e-rickshaw on campus According to police, Shawkat Ali, an employee of the courier service, is believed to have stolen Tk 20,50,895 from the company’s office on November 18. The theft came to light the following day when the company’s in-charge filed a complaint at Motijheel Police Station. Through CCTV footage and intelligence analysis, police swiftly identified Shawkat as the prime suspect. A subsequent raid led to his arrest and the recovery of most of the stolen funds, which were found buried at his sister’s house in the Kaliganj Police Station area. Ex-SCC mayor Anwaruzzaman among 365 AL men sued in explosives cases During primary interrogation, Shawkat admitted to the theft. Legal proceedings are currently underway against him, police said.

A case has been filed in connection with the death of Afsana Karim Rachi, a first-year student of the Marketing Department at Jahangirnagar University (JU), who was hit by a wayward battery-run or electric rickshaw (e-rickshaw) while walking on campus last Monday. The case was filed following a complaint lodged by the university's security officer, Mohammad Abu Syed, at Ashulia Police Station on Thursday. JU students stage blockade over Afsana's death In addition, the university authorities have formed an investigation committee, with Masum Shahriar, a professor in the Pharmacy Department, serving as the convener. Other members of the committee include Professor Dr. Abu Sayeed Md. Mostafizur Rahman (Computer Science and Engineering Department), Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak (Zoology Department), Professor Dr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir (Mathematics Department), Associate Professor Amina Islam (Journalism and Media Studies Department), Associate Professor Dr. Md. Ariful Haque (Marketing Department), and Deputy Registrar (General Administration) Md. Mahtab-uz-Zahid. The committee has been instructed to submit a report within seven working days. A black badge-wearing programme was also held on Thursday. All auto rickshaws and unregistered motorcycles have been banned from the university campus for an indefinite period. JU student dies in rickshaw accident, protests erupt for justice Meanwhile, classmates of Afsana gathered in front of the Business Faculty on Thursday morning to present 11 demands in response to her death. Notable demands include: legal action against the culprit within 24 hours, financial compensation for the family, modernization of the medical center within 7 days, construction of sidewalks and installation of CCTV cameras along the roadside, introduction of a shuttle bus service on campus, and the inclusion of all students under health insurance. In addition, milad and Doa Mahfil were held at the central mosque of the university after Friday Juma prayers. University Proctor Professor Rashidul Alam said, "An unexpected incident has occurred at our university. We are focused on identifying the culprit and ensuring they receive the maximum punishment. The administration has already filed a complaint with the police. The students' demands are very reasonable. We have already banned autorickshaws on campus and are working to implement the remaining demands." Afsana, a student of the Marketing Department, died on Tuesday after being hit by a battery-operated rickshaw near the Arts Building on campus.

Newly appointed Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali took the charge on Thursday, replacing Md Mainul Hasan. Upon his arrival at the DMP headquarters, the outgoing commissioner accorded reception to Sajjat Ali who was also given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out police contingent.     Sajjat Ali started his career as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) on January 21, 1986. He served as additional superintendent of police in Jhenaidah and also worked at Police Headquarters and Special Branch. He performed duty as deputy commissioner at DMP and superintendent of police in Narail, Bagerhat and Lakshmipur districts respectively. Sajjat has the experience of working as Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner and deputy inspector general (DIG) at Highway Police, Dhaka, Chattogram ranges and police headquarters after obtaining promotions. He was sent on forced retirement in 2016 when he was performing duty as additional IGP at the police headquarters. He was one of the members of the Police Reforms Commission formed by the interim government.   Sajjat participated in the United Nations peacekeeping mission and received various professional training at home and abroad. Baharul Alam assumes role as new IGP After the assumption of duty and handover process, the newly appointed DMP commissioner and senior officials formally bade farewell to outgoing commissioner Md Mainul Hasan.

The Council of Advisers on Wednesday gave the final approval to the draft of the International Crimes (Tribunals) (amendment) Ordinance 2024, bringing significant amendments to address concerns from both local and international communities regarding trials under the law. But the provision for punishing an organisation (such as a political party) has been removed from the draft law. The approval came during a meeting of the Council, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. “We felt the need to amend the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 due to substantial criticism of the trials held under the law during the regime of the fascist government,” said Law Adviser Asif Nazrul at a press briefing. The briefing was held at the Foreign Services Academy to announce the outcomes of the meeting. Nazrul said that local and international human rights organisations had raised several concerns about the flaws in the law during the trials conducted under the Awami League (AL) regime. “Since we want to conduct fair trials and ensure due process, we have initiated these amendments,” he added. The government, he said, consulted a wide range of stakeholders, including law experts, human rights activists, journalists, prominent local and international lawyers, and human rights organisations, as well as the UN Human Rights Forum. “The draft law is based on the opinions of all these parties,” Nazrul said. The law adviser noted that while the existing law included provisions for punishing organisations, this provision had been removed in the new draft. Under the draft ordinance, tribunals will be able to recommend that the proper authorities punish an organisation, rather than carrying out the punishment directly. “If any political party were punished under this law, it would open unnecessary avenues for questioning the legitimacy of the trials. We aim for the trials to be conducted in a fair and proper manner, which is why this provision was scrapped,” he said. Nazrul emphasised that political parties could still be punished under other existing laws, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Political Party Ordinance of 1978, should there be popular demand or a necessity to ban a party for criminal activities. Highlighting key changes, the adviser said that the definitions of ‘crime against humanity’ and ‘genocide’ in the proposed ordinance are aligned with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. He also pointed out that the draft ordinance provides equal rights to the defence during prosecution. Additionally, there is a system in place to protect victims and witnesses, and victims will be entitled to compensation. According to Nazrul, the draft ordinance includes a provision allowing forces from three types of institutions – discipline forces, intelligence agencies, and auxiliary forces – to be involved. “These forces have been clearly defined in the draft, following our constitution and traditional human rights law,” he said. The proposed ordinance also allows for the appointment of foreign lawyers, should either the prosecution or defence wish to engage them. Another significant provision in the draft law allows observers, both local and international, to monitor the trial process. Human rights organisations, both domestic and global, will be able to observe the proceedings. Responding to a question about the death penalty, the law adviser said the provision for death penalty in the laws for hundreds of years in the country. “There is nothing new. Bangladesh is not a signatory to the international convention on abolition of the death penalty. So, it (the demand for abolishing the death penalty) is also not compatible with the legal culture of Bangladesh,” he said. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Adviser Mahfuj Alam and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam were present at the briefing.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered its investigation agency to submit reports within one month in the cases filed against eight accused, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun. Former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan is among the accused. The cases were filed over killings and crimes committed against humanity committed during the July-August mass uprising. The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, passed the order, said tribunal’s chief prosecutor Advocate Md Tajul Islam. The court ordered keeping the eight accused in jail until the submission of the investigation reports, the chief prosecutor said. Earlier in the morning, the eight accused were produced before the ICT in connection with killings during the July-August mass uprising. Advocate Tajul Islam said that the accused were brought before the tribunal on Wednesday after being shown arrested in cases related to crimes against humanity. Read: ICT orders completion of probe against Hasina, 45 others in a month All of them are currently behind bars in connection with other cases. The accused include former Jatrabari Police Station OC Abul Hasan, former superintendent of Dhaka police Md Abdullah Al Kafi, former DC (Mirpur) Md Jasim Uddin Mollah, former additional superintendent (Savar Circle) Md Shahidur Islam, former OC of Gulshan Police Station Md Mazharul Haque and former Detective Branch inspector Md Arafat Hossain. On October 27, the ICT had ordered that 14 accused be produced before it on November 18. Read more: We’ll seek repatriation of dictator Sheikh Hasina: Prof Yunus Thirteen people, including nine former ministers of the ousted Awami League government, were subsequently presented in court. But, former agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzaque could not be brought before the tribunal due to his illness. Besides, the court had directed that former IGP Abdullah Al Mamun, former army officer Ziaul Ahsan, and the other aforementioned police officials be presented on November 20, as per schedule.  

Two cases under the Explosives Act were filed against 365 Awami League (AL) men including former Sylhet City Corporation Mayor and general secretary of the UK unit of AL Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury with Sylhet’s Kotwali police station recently. The accused also included central committee’s former organizing secretary Advocate Misbah Uddin Siraj, district unit of AL general secretary and former Zilla Parishad Chairman Advocate Nasir Uddin, district unit of Chhatra League president Nazmul Islam, general secretary Rahel Siraj, city unit of Swechasebak League president Aftab Hossain Khan, general secretary Devanshu Das Mithu and Golapganj upazila unit of AL organising secretary Khairul Haque, among others. Those mentioned above were sued in both cases. On November 13, one Masum Ahmed, a resident of Golapganj upazila, filed a case naming 49 AL men and 100 to 150 unnamed others with the police station. His case statement reads that on July 19 the AL activists equipped with deadly arms attacked them when they brought out a procession in the city’s Zindabazar area in favour of the Anti-Discrimination Movement, leaving several people including him critically injured. He sustained bullet injuries in left leg. On November 16, another named Jahed Ahmed, son of Asman Mia of Shibganj Sonarpara area of the city, filed the second case naming 106 AL men and 50 to 60 unnamed others. According to the case deposition, the victim sustained severe injuries in attacks carried out by the supporters of the then ruling AL in Zindabazar Court Point area on August 4. Later, he was admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

The High Court on Tuesday ordered the authorities concerned to impose a ban on plying of battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka within three working days. The HC bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi passed the order after hearing a writ petition. Secretaries to the Home Affairs Ministry and Local Government Ministry, Inspector General of Police, Police Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, authorities concerned of two city corporations have been asked to implement the order. Barrister HM Sanzid Siddique and Barrister Tahsina Tasnim Mridu stood for the petitioner. HC orders formation of committee to review power deals with Adani Group Battery-operated rickshaws have been seen driving on the roads recklessly. Besides, they are being charged using unauthorised electricity connections, the petitioners contend. Barrister Sanzid drew the attention of the court about the battery-operated rickshaw on behalf of the paddle-run traditional rickshaws. According to the writ petition, a total of 12 lakh rickshaws are moving in Dhaka city and a big portion of this are battery-operated, which has made traffic management difficult. The reckless movement and risky movement of the battery-run three wheelers has become a risk. The residents of Khilgaon, Manda, Basabo, Maniknagar, Rampura, Badda, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Kadamtoli, Sabujbagh, Shyampur, Demra, Mohammadpur, Basila, Uttara, Bhatara, Dakkhinkhan, Uttarkhan, Moynartek, Mirpur, Pallabi are experiencing the movement of battery-operated rickshaws most.

The Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 2,131 cases during operations targeting traffic rule violations on Monday. Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of the DMP, confirmed the information in a media release on Tuesday. In addition, 59 vehicles were seized and impounded, while 82 others were towed due to poor driving practices, he added.

A court on Tuesday placed Shariful Islam, former proctor of Begum Rokeya University (BRU), on a three-day remand in connection with the death of Abu Sayed during the student-led movement. Judge of the Rangpur Metropolitan Magistrate Court-2 Md Asaduzzaman passed the order when police produced him before the court. Advocate Rokunuzzaman Rokon filed a petition seeking a five-day remand for the former proctor of the university. Earlier, members of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) arrested Shariful from Alamnagar area on Monday night. Abu Sayed, a 12th batch student of Begum Rokeya University's English Department, was killed during the student-led movement on July 16. Analysing the CCTV footage of the killing, former proctor Shariful was found among those instigating the killing , said Advocate Rokonuzzaman. Earlier, police arrested former assistant sub-inspector Amir Ali and constable Sujan Chandra Roy in connection with the killing. On August 16, Ramjan Ali, brother of Sayed, filed a case against 17 people including the then Inspector General of Police. Later, police inserted names of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman and Shariful’s in the case.