United News of Bangladesh

The High Court on Monday directed the authorities concerned to seal all abandoned deep tube-well shafts across the country within three months, following the deaths of several children who fell into open shafts in different areas. The HC bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order after hearing a writ petition. Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin stood for the petitioner. HC orders closure of secondary schools during Ramadan The authorities concerned, including Local Government Division, have been asked to implement the order. Earlier, Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin filed a writ petition with the HC bench concerned after attaching reports published on newspapers over the deaths of children after falling into the open shafts of deep tube-wells in different parts of the country. In 2014, the death of child Jihad, who fell into an abandoned deep tube well in the Railway Colony of Shahjahanpur, had shaken the entire nation. He also mentioned that in December 2025, a child named Sajid died after falling into an abandoned deep tube well in Tanore of Rajshahi district. Swechchhasebak Dal leader held with Tk 50 lakh in Patuakhali On January 28 this year, another child, Misbah, died after falling into an abandoned deep tube well in Raozan upazila of Chattogram district.

Talukdar Mohammad Yunus, former MP and district general secretary of Awami League, now facing ban on its activities,  secured bail on Monday after surrendering before a court in a case over attacks on BNP leaders and activists in 2017. Judge SM Shariatullah of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court granted the bail when Yunus surrendered before the court around 12 pm. According to court sources, BNP activist Md Sarwar Hossain filed the case in 2024 with Kotwali Model Police Station over an attack on Anami Lane in the city on May 5, 2017. The case names 210 accused including former Barishal City Corporation mayor and metropolitan president of Awami League Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, metropolitan general secretary AKM Jahangir, and district general secretary Talukdar Mohammad Yunus. After securing bail, Yunus left the area quickly on a motorbike without speaking to reporters or others present. Meanwhile, state prosecutors expressed dissatisfaction over the court’s decision to grant bail.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Sunday instructed field-level police officers to take tough action against extortion, robbery and drug-related crimes. Speaking at a virtual meeting from Police Headquarters with all unit chiefs, metropolitan police commissioners, range DIGs and district superintendents of police, the IGP emphasised that law and order must be maintained at any cost. He said legal action should be taken against anyone involved in extortion, terrorism or drug offences, regardless of political affiliation. The IGP also directed the Highway Police to intensify measures to prevent highway robberies and urged district police to cooperate closely to stop such crimes. Additional IGPs from the police headquarters were present during the meeting.  

A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for violating a young girl at Kamrangirchar in Dhaka in 2009. Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Munshi Md Mashier Rahman pronounced the punishment. The lifers are—Shahidul Islam, Saiful Islam, Nizam and Manir Hossain alias Sentu. Among them, Saiful was tried in absentia. The court also fined Tk one lakh each, in default, to suffer one year more in jail. 5 arrested in Dhaka for breaching election code; awarded jail terms, fines The court also asked the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka to deposit the fine money after selling the assets of the convicts. According to the prosecution, the 25-year-old victim along with her friend went to Beribadah at Ashrafabad in Kamrangirchar on September 25, 2009. At one stage, her friend went to her home leaving her alone in the area. Later, the convicts picked up the girl to a boat and violated the girl in turns on boat. Meanwhile, the convicts kept the girl confined to a room of the house of one Salam Contractor. Being informed, the parents of the girl rescued her from the house and took her to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Biman MD, his wife, sent to jail for torturing domestic help A case was filed with Kamrangirchar Police Station. Sub-inspector of Kamrangirchar Police Station Shafiqul Islam Shikdar submitted chargehseet against them on October 31, 2010.

The Forest Department has detained 22 fishermen for illegally entering the Mandarbaria area of the western Sundarbans. The detainees are residents of different areas of Patuakhali and Bagerhat districts. Satkhira Range Assistant Conservator of Forests Mashiur Rahman said the fishermen entered the reserved forest area without permission and were fishing illegally on Friday. During the drive, officials seized two trawlers and various fishing equipment. They also recovered 410 kilograms of Shapla Pata fish, a species banned for catching as it is considered endangered. A case was filed against them under the Forest Act on Saturday morning and they were sent to jail following a court order, he said. Later, the seized fish were buried on the riverbank. However, the fishermen claimed they were fishing in the Bay of Bengal and lost their way due to dense fog, drifting near the Mandarbaria area. They said they did not catch fish from the Sundarbans rivers.  

Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of a village doctor in Sharsha upazila of Jashore on Thursday night. The arrestees are Alauddin Ala, son of Abul Hossain; Lalon Hossain, son of Jamir Hossain; and Selim Mia, son of Abdul Kader, all residents of Dakshin Burujbagan village in Sharsha upazila. Sharsha Police Station OC (Investigation) Shah Alam said they were sent to jail through the Jashore court after initial interrogation. The victim, Al Amin, son of Rafiqul Islam of the Sharsha Navaron area, was stabbed by attackers around 9:30 pm while returning home after offering prayers. According to police and local sources, a group of assailants suddenly attacked him with sharp weapons and fled, leaving him critically injured. Locals found him lying in a bloodied condition and rushed him to Sharsha Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. The victim’s family filed a case with Sharsha Police Station the following day, on February 20.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted separate drives in the capital and arrested 12 members of a honey trap gang, including two women The arrestees were identified as Tuliya Akter alias Sumi, 20; Dulali alias Mim, 20; Md Omar Faruk, 32; Md Shafiqul Islam Shanto, 38; Md Sajal Talukder, 38; Yasin, 43; Md Nasir Khan, 46; Saddam, 34; Mehedi Hasan Shahriya, 30; Azizul Hakim Tutul, 32; Md Kamrul Islam, 38; and Md Rabbi, 25. Deputy Commissioner (DC-Wari Division) of the DMP Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami gave this information at a press conference organized at the DMP Media Center on Tuesday afternoon. The DC (Wari Division) said, during investigation into two separate cases it was revealed that the arrestees were members of the same organised gang. Acting on intelligence and using technological support, several teams from Jatrabari and Demra police stations conducted joint drives simultaneously in different areas of the capital on February 15 and 16 and arrested the 12 accused. Members of the gang abducted two persons from the Saidabad Janapad intersection and took them to a house on Matuyail Kabarstan Road under Jatrabari Police Station on January 11 around 5:20am last month. The victims were confined and assaulted, and objectionable photographs were taken with two unidentified women. The gang then demanded Tk 10 lakh as ransom and threatened to circulate the photos among the victims’ relatives and on social media if the money was not paid. The accused also took Tk 48,000 in cash, a two-vori silver chain, a diamond ring, and withdrew a total of Tk 5,31,500 through bKash and debit cards from ATM booths before releasing the victims, the DC said. A regular case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station on January 13 in this connection. In another incident, a man became intimate with arrested Tuliya Akter Sumi through social media. At her request, he met her in front of Staff Quarter Hossain Plaza under Demra Police Station on December 15. As Tuliya proposed the man to visit her house, he agreed and went to her residence. After he reached there, he was assaulted by 6–7 unidentified persons who demanded Tk 8 lakh. When he refused to pay, the gang threatened to kill him. Eventually, he gave them Tk 48,500 in cash, two one-vori gold rings, and Tk 4,46,500 sent by his family through bKash. He was later threatened again and forced out of the house. Following a complaint filed by the victim, Mokhlesur, a case was lodged with Demra Police Station on January 13. Preliminary investigation found that the gang used social media to develop relationships with targeted individuals and then lured them into traps to extort cash and valuables. Police said efforts are underway to arrest other members of the gang and legal action against the detainees is in process.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday convicted a woman and sentenced her to death in a case filed in connection with the Dhanmondi double murder in 2019. Judge of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan and Session Judge Court-7, Tauhida Akter handed down the punishment. The convict is Surovi Akter, domestic help of deceased Afroza Begum. The court also fined her Tk 50,000, in default to suffer five-months more in rigorous imprisonment. Youth’s body recovered from Dhanmondi Lake The court also acquitted Bachhu Mia, a worker of the house, as allegations brought against him could not be proved. According to the prosecution, police recovered the bodies of Afroza Begum, 65 and her housemaid Diti, 18 from a house at Lobelia House in Dhanmondi area of the capital on November 1, 2019. A case was filed with Dhanmondi Police Station on November 3, 2019. Police submitted chargesheet against Surovi and Bachhu Mia on February 1, 2022.

The presiding officer of Salimunnesa Girls’ School polling centre under Jhenaidah-4 constituency was removed from election duty on Wednesday night following the seizure of 23 signed result sheets. The removed officer, Jasmine Ara, was serving as presiding officer at Centre No. 5 of Kaliganj Municipality. She is also an assistant engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering. Returning Officer and Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Masud said around 10:30pm that Kaliganj Shaheed Noor Ali College senior lecturer Shamsuzzaman Khan has been appointed as the new presiding officer. He said such irresponsible activities would not be tolerated in the interest of ensuring a free and fair election. According to officials, 23 result sheets signed by agents of the ‘sheaf of paddy’ and ‘scale’ symbols were recovered from the centre around 8pm. After receiving the information, Executive Magistrate and Chief Executive Officer of Jhenaidah District Council Selim Reza and Assistant Returning Officer and Kaliganj UNO Rizwana Nahid visited the centre. Selim Reza said the signed result sheets were seized and torn up, adding that the incident would not affect the election process. He also said fresh result sheets have been ordered to be prepared. Jasmine Ara said she had signed the result sheets without realising it was a mistake and later tore them up after understanding the error.

A summary trial court on Wednesday detained and sentenced five people, including a Jamaat-e-Islami activist, for violating the election code of conduct in different areas of the capital. In Sutrapur, a Jamaat worker, Habibur Rahman, 63, was caught red-handed while allegedly preparing to distribute cash. He was sentenced to two days’ imprisonment by Lalbagh Division Special Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman through an on-the-spot summary trial. Law enforcers seized 12 envelopes containing Tk 500 each from his possession, totaling Tk 6,000. The money was confiscated in favour of the state, said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Muhammad Talebur Rahman. In a separate incident, the Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Wari Division sentenced one person to one month’s imprisonment and another to seven days’ imprisonment for roaming without satisfactory reason. Meanwhile, Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Motijheel Division Mahidur Rahman sentenced two persons to 10 days’ imprisonment each in a case filed by Mugda Police Station. They were convicted under Section 75 of the DMP Ordinance for making negative comments about the police and being detained by members of the public, said the official.