United News of Bangladesh

Members of Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh police and army personnel in a joint operation, arrested 13 individuals attempting to break into a house in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi late on Wednesday night with the intent to commit robbery. The arrests were made around 11 pn on Wednesday at house No. 13 on Road 13/A in Dhanmondi, Dhanmondi Police Station confirmed the matter on Thursday. The arrestees are Mohammad Hasibul Hasan (33), Mohammad Golam Morshed (32), Mahmudul Hasan Shimul (20), Abu Saleh Hiron (26), Rubel Howlader (27), Azizul Islam (21), Mahfuzur Rahman (26), Mostafizur Rahman (26), Yasin Arafat (20), Mohammad Ibrahim (19), Jihad Hossain (19), Abdullah Al Mamun (16), and Sheikh Shahriar Ahmed (16). During the operation, five iron rods and five bamboo sticks were seized from their possession. According to the Dhanmondi police, the arrestees, along with four to five accomplices, created a chaotic situation around 10:15 pm while attempting to enter the residence to steal money, jewellery, and other valuables. Upon entering the premises, they assaulted the security guards and attempted to steal their mobile phones. The arrestees also vandalised several CCTV cameras and rang doorbells in various flats, trying to force their way in. Upon receiving the alert, a team from the Dhanmondi-32 police outpost went to the scene, collaborating with nearby security guards and pedestrians to trap the suspects inside the house.Subsequently, a night patrol team from Dhanmondi police and an army patrol arrived, resulting in the arrests. Later, a case was filed by the house owner at Dhanmondi police station regarding the incident, and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects.

Serniabat Moinuddin Abdullah, son of former chief whip Abul Hasanat Abdullah, has been sent to jail after a five-day remand in the case over Jubo Dal leader Shamim murder. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ziadur Rahman denied Moin’s bail appeal and sent him to jail on Thursday. The investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector Tanmoy Kumar Biswas from the Paltan Model Police Station, had sought to keep him in custody during the proceedings. During the hearing, Moin’s lawyers argued for his bail, but their request was met with opposition from the state. After evaluating both sides, the court ruled against the bail application and sent him to jail. Former chief whip Hasnat Abdullah’s son Moin Abdullah held Moin was arrested on October 26 from Gulshan-2 in the capital. The same day, the court approved his five-day remand for further investigation.

The Appellate Division on Thursday upheld the Commerce Ministry’s order for appointing an administrator for Hajj Agency Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) after dissolving its executive committee on October 15. A four member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order after staying the ‘status-quo’ issued by the High Court in this regard earlier. Senir lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Dr Shahdeen Malik and other stood for the writ petition, lawyers Jainul Abedin, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Barrister Kaiser Kamal and others represented the HAAB while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman and his associates represented the state. Lawyer Ruhul Quddus said the court upheld the ministry’s order to appoint a joint commissioner as administrator for the HAAB. Following the order, the HAAB now won’t be able to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) and perform its duty. On October 15, the ministry ordered the administrator to hold a fair election within 120 days and hand over the duty to the HAAB. The ministry took the decision upon an anti-discrimination HAAB forum submitted an appeal to dismantle the committee. On October 16, the HAAB held a press conference protesting the ministry order and subsequently submitted a writ petition with the HC seeking a stay order. The HC stayed the ministry order after hearing the petition last week. Against the order, the anti-discrimination again submitted a petition with the Appellate Division while the HAAB announced to hold the AGM on Tuesday. Protesting the announcement of the AGM, the anti-discrimination forum submitted a complementary appeal to the Chamber Court. After hearing the appeal on October 28, the Chamber Court postponed the AGM and sent the appeal to the regular bench of the court for hearing.

Police arrested two youths in a sedition case filed for hoisting saffron flag of hardliner Hindu group above Bangladesh’s national flag atop Independent Monument in Chattogram’s New Market area last week. The arrestees are Rajesh Chowdhury, 18, and Hridoy Dash, 25. Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner (media) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), confirmed the matter saying that the two were arrested from Sadarghat area on Wednesday night. Also on Wednesday night, one Firoz Khan, a resident from Mohora area under Chandgaon police station, lodged the case naming 19 people including ISKAN’s Chattogram chapter organising Secretary Chanddan Kumar Dhar alias Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari with Kotwali police station. Moreover, some 15 to 20 people were unnamed in the case. According to the case deposition, the Hindu community held a rally at historic Laldighi Maidan on October 25. During the rally, some unidentified people hanged the ochre flag atop of Independent Monument, triggering huge criticism online and offline over the matter. According to Bangladesh Flag Rules-1972, no other flag or coloured flag can be hoisted atop the national flag. But breaching the rule, the saffron  flag was hoisted above the national flag.

A committee has been established at the district level to return firearms that were registered and submitted to the government last September. The committee, chaired by the District Magistrate, includes two members and a member secretary.  This information was revealed in a memorandum signed by Israt Jahan, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Public Security Division, on Wednesday night.  According to the memorandum, based on a notification from the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs dated August 25, the committee will verify and decide on applications for the return of firearms acquired for personal security which have been submitted to the police stations by September 3, 2024.  However, firearms issued for special purposes that may worsen the law and order situation will not be considered for return.  Additionally, individuals with ongoing criminal cases or those already convicted of criminal offenses will also not be eligible for the return of their firearms.

Army personnel have detained a local Jubo Dal leader on charges of creating chaos during tender submission for Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital. The detainee is Jahangir Alam Julhas, 40, convenor of Lalmonirhat Municipal unit Jubo Dal and the senior vice-president of the Lalmonirhat District Jubo Dal. He was detained from the hospital premises this noon, said Tariqul Islam, superintendent of Lalmonirhat Police. Attack on police in Kushtia: Body of another missing cop recovered Later, the army officials handed him over to the police. Locals said tenders were invited by Dr. Abdul Mokaddem, the supervisor of the hospital, in three categories for supplying equipment for the 250-bed Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital. A tender box was set up in front of the hospital's superintendent's office for submissions from 9:00am to 12:00pm on Wednesday. Security was tightened on the hospital premises to prevent any incident during the submission of hospital tenders but the Jubo Dal leader s along with his associates obstructed other bidders from submitting their tenders since the morning in an effort to bypass police security and favor a preferred contractor. During this time, he also assaulted the officials accepting the tenders. International Crimes Tribunal grants bail to ex-NSI DG Wahidul Later, army personnel rushed to the spot after receiving a call from one of the bidders and detained him. Once the situation was brought under control, 24 bidders were able to submit their bids. Legal action will be taken against the Juba Dal leader, added the SP. Anisur Rahman Anis,  president of Lalmonirhat District Jubo Dal, said Jahangir Alam did not obstruct any contractors from submitting tenders. In fact, he was detained while attempting to flee at that moment. "This isn’t a significant issue and can be resolved through discussion," he noted.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed former agriculture minister Md Abdus Shahid on a four-day remand in a case over murder during the recent student-led mass uprising. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharifur Rahman passed the order as police produced the former minister before the court with a 10-day remand plea. Earlier, police conducted a raid on his Uttara residence in the small hours on Wednesday and arrested him. Ex-Agriculture Minister Abdus Shahid arrested: DMP During the raid, law enforcers seized more than Tk 3 crore cash and foreign currencies, said Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC-media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). In addition to this case, there are two murder cases against him at the Uttara West police station and one attempted murder charge at the Srimangal police station in Moulvibazar district. The officer added that he will also face charges under the Special Powers Act for illegal possession of foreign currency, as well as under the Money Laundering Act.

The High Court has scrapped 11 cases including one for sedition and 10 for acts of sabotage against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. A High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain passed the order on Thursday after the final hearing on 11 separate petitions filed by Khaleda. Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister MA Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Nasir Uddin Asim, Barrister Kaisar Kamal, Barrister Ragib Rauf Chowdhury and five others stood for Kahleda. Among the cases, one was filed on charge of sedition, seven were filed at Darus Salam police station and three at Jatrabari police station on charge of sabotage during the anti-government movement in 2015. BNP joins legal battle with others against 15th Amendment The trial proceedings of the cases remained suspended for long following a High Court order. The sedition case was filed against Khaleda for her remarks about the number of martyrs in the Liberation War. The BNP chief had been on bail in all these cases. Advocate Zainul Abedin told reporters that there was no evidence that Khaleda Zia was present on the spot or gave any order in any of the cases filed on charges of sabotage. Police submitted charge sheets in the cases unnecessarily, he said. Khaleda was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail on February 8, 2018, after a special court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. On October 30, 2018, the High Court raised her punishment to 10 years. Later, she was convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. AL can’t stage a comeback in Bangladesh politics: BNP Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail after 776 days through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. On August 6, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The body of another assistant sub inspector (ASI), who went missing in the Padma River during an attack allegedly by miscreants on Sunday, was recovered this morning. The deceased was identified as ASI Mukul Hossain, posted at Kumarkhali police station in Kushtia. He was son of late Abdul Latif Biswas from Kalachandpur of nearby Meherpur. Palash Kanti Nath, additional superintendent of Kushtia police, confirmed the matter saying that the body was retrieved from the river at Pabna-Nazirganj terminal around 8 am. case was filed naming eight people and 20 to 25 unnamed others with the concerned police station, he said, adding that no one has so far been arrested.On Sunday, a police team accompanied two UP members was on the way to Charsadipur area to arrest wanted criminals. Fishermen, who were catching hilsa flouting a government ban, allegedly attacked the cops and others forcing them to jump into the river to save their lives. Though ASI Nazurl Islam and the UP members could swim ashore, two ASIs went missing. Members of Kumarkhali fire service station conducted a search drive on Monday but failed to trace the missing cops. A diver team from Khulna joined the fire service members on Tuesday and recovered ASI Sadrul Hasan’s body.

Police arrested former Agriculture Minister Md Abdus Shahid from Uttara in capital on Tuesday night. Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC-media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the matter. He said a team of Uttara West Police Station arrested Abdus Shahid. More details about it will be shared later.