United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested five people in connection with the rape and subsequent killing of a teenage girl in Narsingdi, allegedly carried out to conceal the crime.  A case has been filed against nine accused, while the prime suspect remains at large. Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rezaul Karim Mallick on Friday visited the spot. Following the visit, the DIG briefed reporters at Madhabdi Police Station. He said the victim’s mother, Fahima Begum, filed the case naming nine people.  So far, five people -- former local member Ahmad Ali Dewan, his son Md Imran Dewan, Mohammad Aiyub, cousin of prime accused, along with Ebadullah and Gaffar of the Hossain Bazar area -- have been arrested. The DIG said two of the arrestees were directly involved in the rape, while three acted as mediators in an attempt to suppress the incident. Drives are underway to arrest the remaining accused, including the main suspect Nur Mohammad Nura. “No offender will be spared,” he said, expressing hope that all fugitives would be arrested soon. BNP Joint Secretary General and Narsingdi-1 MP Khairul Kabir Khokon also visited the spot and termed the incident “highly condemnable,” calling for exemplary punishment to prevent such crimes. He said instructions had been given so that no legal assistance is provided to those involved, stressing zero tolerance against criminals regardless of political identity. Meanwhile, the autopsy of the victim, Amena, was conducted at Narsingdi Sadar Hospital by a four-member medical board led by Resident Medical Officer Dr Farida Gulshanara Kabir. Body of Kaptai road crash victim received by inconsolable family in Narshingdi The body remains at the hospital morgue. The victim’s mother said it is still undecided where the body will be buried. She, along with the victim’s stepfather Ashraf Mia and brother Sifat, are currently at Madhabdi Police Station for legal formalities.

A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice for the arrest of Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, daughter of Sheikh Rehana, sister of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in connection with a corruption case. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez issued the order following an application from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). ACC Assistant Director AKM Mortuza Ali Sagar had applied for a notice to arrest the fugitive accused. After hearing the case, the court approved the request. According to the ACC, Siddiq allegedly obtained illegal benefits from Eastern Housing Limited, including unearned gratuities, such as acquiring a flat without payment, through abuse of power. The petition alleges that she influenced RAJUK’s legal officers to approve the flat sale despite serious irregularities, taking advantage of her family ties. Tulip Siddiq reportedly left the country before the case was filed, prompting the ACC to request an Interpol Red Notice to secure her arrest.

The High Court on Thursday granted ad-interim bail for six months to former mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) Selina Hayat Ivy in five cases filed with Fatullah and Narayanganj Sadar Model police stations. The HC bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order. Four cases were filed against Ivy for the killings of Abul Hossain Miji, Abdur Rahman, Md Yeasin and Pervez filed with Fatullah Police Station while another case was filed with Sadar Model Police Station for obstructing police from discharging duties in 2024. Advocate Sara Hossain and Motahar Hossain Saju stood for Ivy while deputy attorney general Mohammad Ashiquzzaman represented the state. However, Ivy will remain behind the bars as five more cases were pending with the Appellate Division. Police arrested Ivy from her Deubhog residence in Narayanganj on May 9, 2025 in connection with the murder of Minarul Islam. Later, she was sent to jail and shown arrested in different cases. Among the cases, three were filed for killing people while two for attempts to murder during the July movement. Former NCC Mayor Ivy shown arrest in 5 more cases On November 9, the High Court granted bail to Ivy in the five cases. The Appellate Division on November 12 stayed the High Court order that granted her bail.  

The Appellate on Thursday acquitted Kahn Akram who was sentenced to life term imprisonment in a case over crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in Bagerhat district. The Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order after hearing. On August 11, 2015, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master to death and Khan Akram to life imprisonment in a case filed over crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. According to the verdict, of the six charges brought against Sirajul Haque five were proved and of the three charges brought against Akram, one was proved. Khan Akram filed an appeal against the  judgment. Another accused in the case Abdul Latif Talukdar died during the trial proceedings. Later, the both accused filed appeal petitions before the Appellate Division and during the trial proceedings Sirajul died.

A former student of Jahangirnagar University has been accused of physically torturing and raping a current female student of the university. The accused, Tariqul Islam, 32, a resident of Sarishabari upazila in Jamalpur, is a former student of the 2014-15 academic year (44th batch) of the university’s Institute of Information Technology (IIT). The victim is a student of the 2023-24 academic year (53rd batch) and resides in a female student hall. Rubel Hawlader, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ashulia Police Station, said police received a 999 call from the Islamnagar area of the university on Tuesday night. “On receiving the information, police immediately reached the spot, rescued the victim, and sent her first to JU Medical and later to Savar Health Complex. Signs of torture and rape were found during initial investigation,” he said. The victim was later referred to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital for full treatment and medical examination. The police are continuing efforts to arrest the accused. During her stay at the university medical center, she described her ordeal to a female teacher of her department. Quoting the victim, the teacher said she had a previous relationship with the accused, which later ended. On Tuesday, Tariqul Islam reportedly went in front of her hall, pressuring her to leave and “talk for the last time.” When she refused, he allegedly blackmailed her. At one point, she went to his home. Later, Tariqul Islam tied her face with tape, beat her, and poured hot water on her hands. He also reportedly locked the door while she went to buy medicine for her burn wounds. Taking advantage of this, the victim called the emergency number 999, and police rescued her.

A Dhaka court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to freeze the bank accounts of former director general (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Barrister Md Harun Ar Rashid, his wife Fatema Pervin Luna on graft charges. Judge of the Dhaka Senior Special Judge Court, Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to the petition, allegations were brought against the former Rab DG and his wife for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 1,000 crore and for money laundering. Public suffering on pretext of movement won’t be tolerated: RAB DG As information has been found regarding the acquisition of substantial movable assets inconsistent with known sources of income and amid concerns that the assets may be transferred elsewhere, an application has been filed to freeze over Tk 64 lakh kept in various fixed deposits at One Bank and savings certificates with the National Savings Directorate.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on former Vice-Chancellors of National University (NU) Md Mashiur Rahman and Harun-or-Rashid in a graft case. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge and Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Anti-Corruption Commission, said bench assistant of the court Riaz Hossain . ACC deputy director Joynal Abedin filed a petition seeking travel ban of the two former VCs of the university. HC questions legality of Village Court Act According to the petition, a three-member inquiry committee has been formed to investigate allegations of various irregularities and corruption by the National University authorities. For the sake of a proper investigation into the allegations of irregularities and corruption at the university it is necessary to impose a travel ban on the two former VCs.

A schoolboy abducted in the capital on Sunday was rescued within an hour following direct intervention by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who ordered law enforcement agencies to act immediately, officials said. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the boy’s father, an employee of the Secretariat, rushed to the Prime Minister’s Office in tears after learning about the abduction. He managed to meet the Prime Minister in person and informed him of the incident. Upon hearing the matter, the Prime Minister immediately called the police officials concerned and instructed them to rescue the boy without delay. “Within an hour, police rescued the boy from an under-construction building in Khilgaon,” Rumon said. The boy, a ninth-grade student of National Laboratory Ideal School in Khilgaon, was abducted around 2:30 pm after leaving school. According to police, four to five youths intercepted him and took him to a seven-storey under-construction building in Jorapukur area of Khilgaon. He was allegedly beaten. The abductors later phoned his father, demanding Tk 50,000 as ransom and threatening to kill the boy if the money was not paid. Bangladesh govt orders strict adherence to office hours for public servants Following the Prime Minister’s directive, Deputy Police Commissioner of Ramna Division Masud Alam contacted the abductors using the number from which the ransom demand was made and assured them that the money would be sent.

The High Court on Monday issued a rule asking why the Village Court Act, 2006, which empowers union parishad chairmen and members to exercise judicial powers, should not be declared null and void. A High Court bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order after hearing a writ petition challenging the law’s constitutionality. The court directed the law secretary and other concerned respondents to submit their replies within four weeks. HC orders closure of all abandoned tube-well shafts across Bangladesh Advocate Ishrat Hasan represented the petitioner, who filed the writ on February 15 seeking annulment of the act as unconstitutional. The petition argues that granting judicial powers to politically affiliated elected representatives violates Article 22 of the Constitution, which ensures separation of the judiciary from the executive. It also cites Article 35(3), which guarantees the right to be tried by an independent and impartial court. According to the petitioner, village courts lack trained judges, do not fully apply the Evidence Act, 1872 and procedural laws, and restrict lawyer participation, undermining judicial independence and fair trial guarantees. HC orders closure of secondary schools during Ramadan The writ further contends that the geographically separate justice mechanism violates citizens’ rights to equality before the law and equal protection as guaranteed under Articles 27 and 31 of the Constitution. The petition refers to Articles 7, 22, 27, 31, 33, 35, 109, and 116A, seeking a rule to declare the Village Court Act, 2006, unconstitutional.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested three accused in connection with the sensational killing of a Leguna driver in the capital’s Jatrabari area. According to the case statement, two to three days prior to the incident, an altercation took place between accused Md Hridoy Hossain, 24, and the victim, laguna driver Md Nure Alam Islam alias Khairul, 35, over picking up passengers at a laguna stand on the Jatrabari-Chittagong Road route. During the altercation, the accused allegedly threatened the victim in various ways. When the victim was driving his laguna and reached in front of Sufia Garments on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway under Kutubkhali area of Jatrabari Police Station (DMP) on February 20, at around 2:45pm, Hridoy Hossain and his associates allegedly attacked him in a premeditated manner, leaving him critically injured, said Senior SS Hasan Siddiqi, Company Commander of CPU Jatrabari Camp under Rab-10. He was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared him dead, senior ASP Hasan Siddiqi added. Following the incident, a murder case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). In continuation of the drive, a team of RAB-10, CPC-1 Jatrabari Camp, conducted a special operation in the Kutubkhali Fish Market area under Jatrabari Police Station on February 21 at around 7:30pm and arrested the fifth accused named in the case, Md Sohan Munshi, 29, within 12 hours of filing the case. RAB-10 continued its efforts to arrest the remaining accused. Later, on February 23 at around 3:45pm, the first accused named in the case, Md Hridoy Hossain, 24, was arrested from Dayaganj intersection under Gendaria Police Station (DMP). On the same day at around 4:20pm, the third accused named in the case, Md Shakil, 29, was arrested from Mir Hazirbagh Pipe Road area under Jatrabari Police Station. The arrested accused have been handed over to the concerned police station for further legal action.