United News of Bangladesh

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed three cases against former state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid, his wife Seema Hamid and son Zareef Hamid on charge of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income. 60 kathas plot: ACC to probe allegations against Hasina, family members ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain disclosed the decision in front of its headquarters in the city. Deputy director Mostafizur Rahman filed the cases with district coordinated office, Dhaka-2. Earlier on August 20, the bank accounts of Nasrul Hamid and his wife were frozen by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). Burning bodies of protesters: ICT issues arrest warrants against ex-MP, 4 cops Day after the freezing notice, law enforcement agencies conducted a drive at a building owned by Nasrul Hamid in Banani and seized TK one crore, a weapon and 50 rounds of ammunition.  

Bangladesh Army are working along with the law enforcement agencies to prevent attacks and sabotage at important installations or Key Point Installations (KPIs) across the country and ensure their security. The issues are regularly reviewed with other law enforcement agencies, said Colonel-Staff of Military Operation Directorate under the Army Headquarters Colonel Intekhab Haider Khan while briefing reporters at the Banani Army Officers Mess-A of Dhaka Cantonment on Thursday noon regarding the activities of the army deployed under the campaign, In Aid to Civil Power. When his attention was drawn to Thursday's fire at the important installation like Bangladesh Secretariat , Colonel Intekhab said the incident just occurred, and they have not yet received detailed information in this regard. However, the army is working on the security of important establishments, he added. In response to another question, he said how long the army will serve in the field is a matter of the government's decision. The army is working to maintain law and order according to the government's decision. Therefore, the army’s withdrawal depends on the government's decision. He also said that the army has taken training to take pressure while maintaining law and order. However, the army is working in coordination with other law enforcement agencies to keep law and order, he added In response to another question regarding security risk in the Cox's Bazar area, Col Intekhab said, there is no threat to the sovereignty of the country of security at the moment. The army in the area has always on alert. If there ever is a security threat, the army is ready to take action accordingly. Moreover, the BGB and Coast Guard and the law enforcement agencies are working on the Rohingya infiltration. Army, BGB deployed outside Bangladesh Secretariat after fire, gates closed When asked about the arson attack on Tripura community in Bandarban district, he said the incident occurred due to a land dispute and no other reason. Though incidents related to law and order has occurred there has been no deterioration. In this regard, the army is continuing to work in coordination with the police and others to keep the law and order situation tolerable. Earlier in a written statement, Col Intekhab said that members of Bangladesh Army have recovered  28 illegal fire arms and 424 rounds of ammunition conducting drives across the country in the past one month since November 28. During the period, the army played an active role in controlling 67 unstable situations and 13 main road blockades arising from such situations in various industrial areas of the country (mainly in Gazipur, Ashulia and Savar areas). In addition, they (army members) have been working to keep the factories running in coordination with all concerned, including the police, BGMEA, the owners, workers and the concerned ministries. As a result, all but one of the country's 2,093 garment factories are currently operational, he added. Apart from the industrial area, the army members have also controlled 45 different types of disorderly situations in the last one month. Of which five were related to educational institutions, three to government organisations/offices, seven were political conflicts and 30 were other types of incidents. In addition, on December 19, the army members provided direct assistance to the police in the attempted robbery at Rupali Bank in Keraniganj, which made it possible to quickly bring the incident under control without any incident. Besides, 200 suspected drug dealers or people associated with drugs have been arrested in joint operations along with recovery of a good amount of illegal drugs, such as Yaba, Phensedyl, illegal liquor, etc. Around 1,405 people involved in various types of crimes were also arrested from different parts of the country during the joint drives. 26 arrested in Army's special anti-crime operation in Dhaka city The army personnel worked with law enforcement agencies and religious leaders to ensure that the recently concluded Christmas celebrations of Christians across the country wre celebrated safely. A total of 4,241 churches across the country celebrated Christmas without any incidents, he said. In addition to these tasks, the army is also continuously performing its duties of maintaining communal harmony in the country, ensuring the security of foreign diplomats and embassies, maintaining peace and order in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and providing security to the FDMN camp area in Cox's Bazar district.

The Anti- Corruption Commission ( ACC) on Thursday decided to investigate the irregularities in the allocation of 60 kathas plot at Purbachal new city project of Rajuk in the name of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members . ACC spokesperson Aktarul Islam informed media about the development of the investigation. The ousted ex-prime minister allegedly became the owner of plots for herself and the members of her family at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) Purbachal New Town Project secretly.  Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, and her two children reportedly received up to 10 katha of land each.  ACC to reinvestigate Padma Bridge corruption case against Sheikh Hasina The family reportedly took possession of a total of 60 katha plots in 2022 after which the matter was classified as highly confidential.  According to the final allocation letter signed by Naib Ali Sharif, deputy director (Estate and Land-3) of Rajuk, the price for a one-katha plot was set at Tk 3 lakh per katha, totaling Tk 30 lakh for a 10-katha plot. Sheikh Hasina took plot No-9 on Road No-203 in Sector-27 of the proposed diplomatic zone within the Purbachal project. The allocation letter in her name was issued on August 3, 2022.

The Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 2,596 cases for traffic rules violations during operations conducted in various areas of the capital over two days until Thursday morning. The authorities also dumped 102 vehicles and towed 92 others as part of the crackdown. Irfan killed 7 on Meghna vessel over wage ‘dispute, deprivation’: RAB The DMP Traffic Division started the drives to ensure discipline on Dhaka’s roads and those will continue in the coming days.

A court in Chandpur on Wednesday placed Akash Mondal alias Irfan on a seven-day remand in connection with the murders of seven people on board fertilizer-laden vessel MV Al-Bakhera on the Meghna River near Eshanbala Char in Chandpur's Haimchar upazila. Chandpur Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Farhan Sadiq granted the remand after Inspector Mohammad Kalam Khan of the River Police, the investigating officer, presented Irfan before the court and pleaded for a 10-day remand. Advocates Sharif Mahmud Sayem, Masud Pradhaniya, Yasin Arafat Ikram, and Md Shahjahan Khan represented the state during the hearing. However, no lawyer was present to represent the accused. Irfan killed 7 on Meghna vessel over wage ‘dispute, deprivation’: RAB Earlier, a team of RAB-11 arrested Irfan from Bagerhat's Chitalmari area on Tuesday night over the murders. On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard and River Police recovered five bodies and rescued three injured victims from the cargo vessel. Later, two of them succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.The bodies were handed over to families after completing legal procedures on Tuesday. Later on Tuesday night, a case was filed at Haimchar Police Station following a complaint lodged by the vessel owner Mahbub Morshed.  Chandpur tragedy: RAB arrests an accused from Bagerhat A separate investigation committee has been formed by the Ministry of Industries, the district administration, and the district police to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, family members of the victims claimed that the killings were planned and demanded justice. 

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has revealed that arrestee Irfan murdered the seven people onboard fertiliser-laden vessel in the Meghna River out of anger after being deprived of wages for long and misconduct with him by the vessel’s master Golam Kibira. Major Sakib Hossain, deputy commandant of the RAB-11 in Cumilla, disclosed this at a press briefing in Cumilla on Wednesday. He said Irfan, son of Jagodish Mandol of Bagerhat’s Fakirhat upazila, used to work as a helping-hand of the vessel’s staff. The RAB official said they recovered a hand glove, two empty packets of sleeping pills, seven mobile phones of the deceased, a blood-stained jeans pant from the procession of Akash Mondal alias Ifran who was arrested from Bagerhat’s Chitalmari upazila. Major Sakib informed that the vessel’s master Kibria didn’t pay wages to Irfan for the past eight months and used to misbehave with him, causing anger to the accused. From this point, the accused hit upon a plan to kill the master and bought three packets of sleeping pills from a Pabna Bazar when the vessel anchored there, the RAB officer said. The accused made the master and others senseless by feeding the sleeping pills after mixing with meals, he said. Read: Killings on vessel: Families demand investigation, justice First, he murdered the master with a Chinese axe wearing hand gloves and later the six others when they witnessed the matter, Major Sakib said. After killing all, the accused took the vessel near Eshanbala Char in Chandpur's Haimchar upazila from the Meghna River and anchored it there, he said, adding that later Irfan fled the scene by a trawler. On the other hand, the vessel’s owner Mahabub Morshed filed a murder case accusing some unidentified people with the relevant police station, said Haimchar police station’s officer-in-charge Md Mohiuddin Suman on Wednesday. On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard and River Police recovered five bodies and rescued three injured victims from the vessel. Later, two of the injured succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Read more: Chandpur tragedy: RAB arrests an accused from Bagerhat The bodies were handed over to families after completing legal procedures on Tuesday. The Ministry of Industries on Tuesday formed a four member probe body headed by an additional secretary and asked to submit a report within five working days. Family members of the victims claimed that the killings were planned and demanded justice. They made the demand while receiving the bodies from Chandpur Sadar Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased were Golam Kibria ,55, captain of the vessel hailinh from Faridpur, his nephew Sheikh Sabuj,35, a sailor, Aminul Munshi, 40, helmsman from Narail district, Majedul,16, a sailor from Magura Sajibul Islam ,26, sailor from Magura, Salahuddin,40, an engineer from Narail and Kazi Rana 24, its cook from Munshiganj.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has claimed to have arrested one Akash Mondal alias Irfan in connection with the murders of seven people onboard fertiliser-laden vessel MV Al-Bakhera in the Meghna River near Eshanbala Char in Chandpur's Haimchar upazila. A message sent from the elite force said the accused was arrested from Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat. But it didn’t mention the time when he was arrested. On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard and River Police recovered five bodies and rescued three injured victims from the vessel. Later, two of the injured succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The bodies were handed over to families after completing legal procedures on Tuesday. Expressing grave grief, the Ministry of Industries on Tuesday formed a four member probe body headed by an additional secretary and asked to submit a report within five working days.  Read more: Ministry of Industries shocked, forms probe body over MV Al Bakera incident in Chandpur Family members of the victims claimed that the killings were planned and demanded justice. They made the demand while receiving the bodies from Chandpur Sadar Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased were Golam Kibria ,55, captain of the vessel hailinh from Faridpur, his nephew Sheikh Sabuj,35, a sailor, Aminul Munshi, 40, helmsman from Narail district, Majedul,16, a sailor from Magura Sajibul Islam ,26, sailor from Magura, Salahuddin,40, an engineer from Narail and Kazi Rana 24, its cook from Munshiganj.    

The Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has filed 1, 529 cases against violators of traffic laws during a drive conducted in various parts of the capital. Moreover, 30 vehicles were dumped and 63 vehicles were towed away during the drive. The drive was conducted on Monday by the DMP's Traffic Division, according to Talebur Rahman, DC (Media) of the DMP. The DMP has announced that such operations will continue to ensure traffic discipline across Dhaka metropolitan areas.

The International Crimes Tribunal(ICT) has issued  warrants for the arrest of  former Dhaka-19 MP Saiful Islam and four police officers in a case over burning the bodies of six students after killing them at Ashulia in Savar.  The three-member ICT bench led by its Chairman  Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar passed the order on Tuesday following a petition filed by the prosecution. After the order, Chief Prosecutor of the tribunal Tajul Islam told the media that six students were shot dead on August 5 and their bodies were deliberately burned, he said. Investigation found that former MP Saiful Islam was involved in the incident, he added. Arrest warrants have also been issued for four police officers whose identities have been kept confidential, said Tajul adding that a hearing has been scheduled for January 26 to review the status of the arrest warrants. Legal costs escalate due to lawyers’ syndicate: ICC Chief Prosecutor Tajul said the trial process will be easier if former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is brought back to the country.  Earlier on September 11, separate cases were filed against 70 people including Sheikh Hasina in connection with the killings and burning. On August 5, six protesters were shot dead during a protest and their bodies were allegedly burned on a van. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media helped the victims' families identify two of the victims.  The video shows several bodies lying on the back of a van while police officers are seen loading another body onto the vehicle. The bodies were covered with dirty cloths and banners found on the streets before being set on fire, according to witnesses.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has taken all necessary security arrangements for peaceful celebration of Christmas on Wednesday. Additional Police Commissioner of DMP’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit Mohammad Masud Karim said this on Tuesday after inspecting a security drill at St Mary's Cathedral Church at Kakrail in Dhaka. He said adequate number of plainclothes and uniformed police have been deployed at every church in the city. Specialized units, including SWAT, Bomb Disposal Teams and other counter-terrorism units will be on duty during the celebrations. He also said Bangladesh Army is working alongside the police to ensure security. “Christmas will be celebrated in a very joyful atmosphere with the cooperation of everyone,” he said. DMP solicits public cooperation in helping police shift to more community-based approach In response to a question about potential security threats during the Christmas celebrations, he said, "We have not received any information about security risks so far and we are remaining vigilant. As in previous years, Christmas will be celebrated peacefully and joyfully." Senior officials from the DMP, as well as priests from St Mary's Cathedral and media personnel from both print and electronic outlets were present during the exercise.