United News of Bangladesh

A total of 1, 695 cases have so far been lodged in police stations across the country against those involved in the attacks, instigation and giving orders to brutally kill students during the recent Anti-Discrimination Movement, according to police. Law enforcers have arrested 3, 195 accused including 74 high profile figures of the then ruling party for their alleged involvement in the heinous acts upon specific evidence, said a press release signed by Enamul Haque Sagor, AIG (Media and PR), at police headquarters on Sunday. The law enforcers are taking actions against the accused, according to the release. Legal actions including filing cases and arrest have been taken against those who were involved with extortion, terrorism and other criminal activities under the blessing of the then political party, it said. Read: 92 arrested, 216 looted arms recovered from Sept 4 to Sept 25: Police HQ Assuring people of providing harassment-free and people-friendly services, the police headquarters said no one will face unnecessary harassment. It also stated that the general public who were part of the Anti-Discrimination Movement have no reason to worry about harassment. Calling the Anti-Discrimination Movement an epoch-making milestone in building a discrimination-free society and ensuring all human rights, the release said the movement has ushered in the door of immense possibilities for all. The police are determined to work with the students and the people to build the desired Bangladesh.

A case has been filed following the theft of a gold crown from the historic Jashoreshwari Kali Temple in Shyamnagar upazila, Satkhira. Jyoti Prakash Chattopadhyay, the temple’s caretaker, filed the complaint at Shyamnagar Police Station on Saturday. Mohammad Monirul Islam, Satkhira Superintendent of Police, stated that the District Detective Branch (DB) has been investigating the incident. Four people have already been arrested in connection with the theft, which occurred on Thursday, according to the police. Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Youth and Sports Adviser, visited the temple in the morning and urged authorities to recover the stolen crown and bring those responsible to justice. It’s worth noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the gold crown on the Kali idol during his visit to the temple on March 27, 2021. Superintendent Monirul Islam emphasized that the investigation is being treated with utmost priority, and efforts to recover the crown are ongoing.

The traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 838 cases and collected fines totaling Tk 3,794,500 following operations against traffic rule violators on Friday. Talebur Rahman, DC (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), shared the information in a media release on Saturday. Furthermore, 157 vehicles were impounded and 82 others were towed during the operations conducted in various areas of the capital. The drive will continue to uphold traffic order in Dhaka, it stated.  

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained a joint secretary while he was attempting to illegally cross into India through the border in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria on Saturday. He is currently in BGB custody and will be handed over to the Kasba Police Station. Lieutenant Colonel AM Jaber Bin Jabbar, Commander of BGB 60 Battalion, confirmed the matter. Kibria previously served as a joint secretary under former Speaker of the National Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. He is the son of the late Mofiz Uddin Ahmad Mazumdar from Komarkara village in the Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla. According to BGB sources, the joint secretary was spotted near international border pillar 2050/8-S in the Putia area of Bayek Union of the upazila, while attempting to enter India. He was apprehended by a patrolling team from the Saldanadi Border Outpost (BOP) during suspicious movements near the border. During primary interrogation, Kibria Mazumdar admitted that he had come to the border to cross into India after multiple criminal cases were filed against him for his involvement in destructive activities during the recent anti-discrimination student movement.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have detained two Bangladeshi women at the Borjala border outpost (BOP) in Sadar upazila of Cumilla, while they were attempting to illegally enter India. Lt. Col. AM Jaber bin Jabbar, commander of the Sultanpur Battalion (BGB-60), confirmed the matter on Saturday. Two detained over Islamic song at Ctg puja mandap: Police The detainees have been identified as Shilpi Akhter (33), wife of Swapan Islam, and Sultana Akhter (20), wife of Shafiq Alam, both from Varalla Gharucho village in Burichong Upazila. They were detained on Friday evening during their attempt to cross the border into India, the BGB official said. Primary investigations suggested the women were trying to cross into India with the help of an Indian human trafficking ring, involving M Abdul Jalil and Nashir Mia. 2 Indian nationals detained along Rajshahi border Legal procedures are in progress to hand the detainees over to Adarsha Sadar Police Station in Cumilla for further investigation, added the BGB official.

Legal action will be taken against those responsible for the attacks on police that led to fatalities on August 5, said Sarwar Jahan, deputy commissioner of DMP's Ramna Division on Saturday. While cases related to the protests and unrest leading up to the August 5 incidents have been closed, legal measures are still being pursued for the more serious crimes, including murder, he said at a press conference held at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road on Saturday. He pointed out that the DMP Commissioner has been clear on the continuation of legal procedures for these cases. Police action taken in 35 isolated incidents centring Durga Puja, 17 arrested: IGP The attacks, which occurred during a turbulent time in the capital, shocked many as the violence escalated and resulted in casualties among law enforcement officers. The police have since focused on identifying those involved and bringing them to justice. In the Ramna Division alone, 135 individuals were arrested in September for various offenses linked to the unrest. Among those detained were key figures from the Awami League's youth wing, the Jubo League, including its acting president, who was arrested in connection with a case related to the student movement, said the DC. Police on high alert to prevent rumors during Durga Puja Celebrations: IGP    

 Police arrested three men on Friday night after they allegedly detonated a small explosive device and attempted to mug worshippers at a temple in Old Dhaka’s Tantibazar neighborhood. The suspects, identified as Akash, 23, Md. Hridoy, and Md. Jibon, both 19, were arrested  after setting off a chocolate bomb at around 8 pm to create panic among temple-goers. As worshippers fled, the suspects began snatching valuables, according to Kotwali Police Sub-Inspector Md. Liton. Five people were injured during the chaos, though their identities have not yet been known. The injured were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital for treatment. SI Liton said one sharp weapon was recovered from the suspects. Preliminary reports suggest that the suspects are homeless men, commonly referred to as “tokai.” Police are preparing to file charges against them, he said. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Jasim Uddin of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Lalbagh Division said officers are reviewing nearby surveillance footage to clarify the events.  "We are still determining whether this was purely a mugging or if other factors were involved," he said. Witnesses reported that the robbers attempted to snatch a gold chain from a woman behind the temple’s Puja Mandap, injuring four people who tried to intervene.      

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Mainul Islam stated that action has been taken in response to all unpleasant incidents centring the Hindu community's largest festival, Durga Puja, this year in the country. Durga Puja is being celebrated at over 32,000 puja mandaps nationwide, and the police have responded to each isolated incident, he noted. The IGP made these remarks to journalists after visiting the Banani Pujamandap in the capital on Friday night. So far, 11 cases and 24 general diaries (GDs) have been filed concerning 35 untoward incidents, resulting in the arrest of 17 individuals. Police on high alert to prevent rumors during Durga Puja Celebrations: IGP The IGP stated that this year's Durga Puja posed significant challenges, with many expressing concerns about the celebrations. "We assured you of a peaceful Puja, and it is now being celebrated with great grandeur," he said. He emphasized that the constitution upholds the right of individuals of all faiths to practice their religion. Aside from a few criminals, the people of Bangladesh are generally peaceful, and the police are committed to supporting law-abiding citizens while ensuring that those who engage in criminal behavior are held accountable. Later, the IGP visited the Durga Puja Mandaps in Bashundhara and Uttara, where he exchanged greetings with worshippers.

A Dhaka court on Friday ordered four days of remand for each of the five accused arrested in connection with the murder of Tanjil Jahan Islam Tamim in the capital’s Hatirjheel area. The accused—Md Abdul Latif, Md Kurban Ali, Mahin, Mozammel Haque Kabir, and Badhon—were presented before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbub Ahmed, who made the ruling after police requested a seven-day remand in the case filed with Hatirjheel Police Station. The accused did not have legal representation during the hearing. Earlier, four accused were arrested shortly after the incident on Thursday and the fifth one was arrested from Malibagh area early Friday. On Thursday morning, 32-year-old Tanjil Jahan Islam Tamim was beaten to death allegedly by the owner and employees of a real estate company, following a dispute over the handover of flats in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel. Tamim’s father and two other individuals are co-owners of a plot of land in the Mahanagar Project area, where a building had been constructed by the real estate developer Pleasant Properties (Pvt) Ltd. The dispute arose when the developer repeatedly delayed handing over five flats that were promised to Tamim’s father under their agreement. On Thursday morning, Tamim, along with laborers, was in the process of clearing one of the flats on the seventh floor when the situation escalated. The real estate company’s manager, Abdul Latif Mirza, along with owner Rabiul Alam and others rushed to the flat and allegedly attacked Tamim, beating him severely. Tamim’s elder brother, Samvir Jahan Islam, tried to intervene but was also attacked by the group. As the assailants fled the scene, Tamim’s family quickly called the national emergency service 999 for help. Tamim, critically injured, was rushed to a private hospital, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival. The victim’s father Sultan Ahmed filed a murder case accusing 16 people with the concerned police station.    

Police have so far arrested five people in connection with the murder of an employee of a private television channel over the handover of flats of a building to the landlord by a real estate company in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel area. Of them, four were arrested shortly after the incident and the fifth one was rounded up from the Malibagh area early Friday. The arrestees are Abdul Latif, 46, Qurban Ali, 24, Mahin, 18, Mozammel Haque Kabir, 52, and Badhan, 20. Ruhul Kabir Khan, deputy commissioner (DC-Tejgaon zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), provided the information at a press conference at the DMP’s media centre on Mintoo Road on Friday morning. Rabiul Alam, owner of the developer company and a BNP leader, will be arrested if his involvement is found with the murder, he said. Drives are on to arrest the rest accused, the AD informed. On Thursday morning, the 32-year-old Tanjil Jahan Islam Tamim, the employee of the television channel and son of one Sultan Ahmed, was beaten to death allegedly by the owner and employees of the real estate company over the issue. Tamim had been drawn into a long-standing property conflict involving his family. Tamim’s father and two other individuals are co-owners of a plot of land in the Mahanagar Project area, where an eight-storey building had been constructed by the real estate company Pleasant Properties (Pvt) Ltd. The dispute arose when the developer repeatedly delayed handing over five flats that were promised to Tamim’s father under their agreement. Of the flats, the developer company had sold a flat to one Mamun’s father-in-law. Later Tamim’s father and the real estate company filed cases against each other over the matter. Both parties reportedly reached a settlement on Wednesday to hand over two of the flats on Thursday. On Thursday morning, Tamim, along with laborers, was in the process of clearing one of the flats on the seventh floor when the situation escalated. Being informed by Mamun, the real estate company’s manager, Abdul Latif Mirza, along with owner Rabiul Alam and others, rushed to the flat and allegedly attacked Tamim, beating him severely. Tamim’s elder brother, Samvir Jahan Islam, tried to intervene but was also attacked by the group. As the assailants fled the scene, Tamim’s family quickly called the national emergency service 999 for help. Tamim, critically injured, was rushed to a private hospital, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival. The victim’s father Sultan Ahmed filed a murder case accusing 16 people with the concerned police station.