United News of Bangladesh

The High Court has issued a rule of contempt of court against the Daily Jugantor's editor, publisher, and the writer of an article titled "A Retrospective View of Judicial Separation" that was published in the newspaper. The rule asks why the writer Dr. Mohammad Abdus Salam, editor Saiful Alam, and publisher Salma Islam should not be charged with contempt of court. They have been directed to submit affidavits explaining their position by next Sunday. The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury, issued the rule today, following a hearing on a contempt petition filed by Mohammad Mazharul Islam, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association. The article written by Dr. Abdus Salam was published in Daily Jugantor on November 1. It criticized and allegedly made contemptuous remarks about the judgment in the Masdar Hossain case, which dealt with judicial separation. The petition filed on Monday accuses the three individuals of contempt for publishing disparaging comments about the case. Lawyers Tanim Hossain and Ridwanul Karim represented the petitioner's side, while Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan and Assistant Attorney General Mujahidul Islam appeared for the state.

The inquiry commission formed to investigate incidents of enforced disappearances during the Awami League regime has uncovered eight secret detention centres where detainees were reportedly tortured over the years. “Eight secret detention centers more horrific than “Aynaghor” have been detected,” Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, head of the Commission,  said at a press conference at Gulshan in the capital on Tuesday. Around 1,600 complaints of enforced disappearance have so far been filed and 400 complaints are under investigation, he said. Among these, 172 complaints were lodged  against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 37 against the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC), 55 against the Detective Branch (DB), 26 against the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), 25 against the police, and 68 against others. Read: Identify masterminds of enforced disappearances, killing: Salahuddin Besides, over 200 victims of enforced disappearance have remained untraced, said the chief of the commission. Earlier on August 27, the government formed a five-member commission to search of individuals who were made disappeared by the law enforcement agencies during the 15-year rule of Awami League. The commission was formed to investigate cases of enforced disappearances through law enforcement agencies from January 1, 2010, to August 5 of the current year, identify the disappeared persons, and determine under what circumstances they were disappeared.

Police have arrested journalist Molla Jalal, former President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), from Segunbagicha area of Dhaka in connection with a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. A team of police arrested Jalal from the area around 11 am on Tuesday, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Khaled Mansur . RAB arrests former-Tarash upazila chairman from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi A woman named Soheli filed the case against Jalal a few days ago with Shahbagh police station, the OC said. Later, he was produced before a court and sent to jail. Journalist Molla Jalal was elected president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) in 2018.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has initiated a special check post operation aimed at maintaining law and order across the metropolis. Following the directives of DMP Commissioner Md Mainul Hasan, these operations will take place at various key locations to combat illegal activities, including the recovery of weapons, drugs, and stolen goods, as well as to prevent robbery. Traffic violators fined over Tk 63 lakh in a day: DMP Talebur Rahman, the deputy commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, shared the information on Monday. The operation began at 4pm on Monday, with check posts established in several strategic areas, including Basila in Hazaribagh, Babubazar in Kotwali, Postogola Bridge in Shyampur, Signboard in Jatrabari, Staff Quarter in Demra, Basabo area of in Sabujbag (Kamalapur), Gabtali in Darus Salam, 300 Feet in Khilkhet, Abdullahpur Bridge in Uttara West Police Station, and Dhaur Bridge in Kamarpara and Turag. 10 kidnapped fishermen rescued in Sundarbans The special check post operation will be conducted in two shifts daily until further notice: the first shift from 4pm to 12am and the second shift from 12am to 8am, Rahman added. The DMP urged the cooperation of city residents, as well as all vehicle drivers and passengers entering Dhaka, during this important security initiative.

A Dhaka court on Monday sent Gaan Bangla TV Chairman Kaushik Hossain Taposh to jail in an attempted murder case. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman issued the order after police presented Taposh before the court and pleaded for a seven-day remand. The court sent Taposh to jail and set Wednesday for the remand hearing. Gaan Bangla TV chairman Taposh arrested According to the case statement, on July 18, businessman Ishtiaque Mahmud participated in an anti-discrimination student movement. When he along with other protesters reached Azampur Nawab Habibullah High School in Sector 4 of Uttara, they were attacked and shot at by the activists of Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League. That day, Ishtiaque was shot in his stomach. Following this incident, on October 29, Ishtiaque filed a case naming 126 individuals, including Taposh. Police arrested Taposh from Bhatara area in Dhaka earlier today.  

The traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed fines totaling Tk 6,345,000 on traffic violators across the capital. The operations, conducted on Sunday (November 3), resulted in 1,682 cases filed by the traffic department. Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said that during the drives, 215 vehicles were impounded while 47 others were deemed wrecked. The DMP's traffic department will continue to carry out such operations to enforce compliance with traffic laws and enhance overall order on the streets of the capital, added the officer.  

Haji Mohammad Salim, former lawmaker of Awami League (Dhaka-7) has been shown arrested in a case filed for attempting to kill a man during the July-August mass uprising. Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shahin Reza passed the order when Hasanur Rahman, sub-inspector of Chawkbazar Police Station and also the investigating officer of the case, produced him before the court with a prayer to show him arrested in the case. The court also took the petition into cognisance and ordered sending him to jail, said Salim’s counsel Pran Nath. BDR carnage to be reinvestigated: Home Adviser According to the case statement, Fazlur Karim, 50, was injured in an attack in front of Dhaka Alia Madrasha on a procession on August 5. Later, he was taken to a local hospital. A case was filed against 104 people including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on October 26. Detectives from Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Haji Salim from Bangshal area of Dhaka on September 1. He was put on five-day remand in the case the following day.    

Home Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam has said the BDR carnage will be reinvestigated and it’s a must. “Investigation team will be formed very soon ,” he said responding to a question from reporters after visiting the headquarters of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Pilkhana on Monday morning. Replying to another question the home adviser said the law and order situation of the country has improved slightly but it isn’t satisfactory yet and more improvement is needed. “You know the government has changed almost all the police members  in Dhaka. The new police personnel will take time to know alleys, lanes and make a network,” he added. He reaffirmed that the criminals won’t be spared, no matter how much powerful they are though many influential criminals had been spared earlier. Regarding the BGB, he suggested the frontier battalion to maintain cordial relationship with people who could help them in several ways. About the influx of drugs, he strictly instructed the BGB personnel to strengthen vigilance to check smuggling of the phensedyls and other drugs through borders. Admitting the intrusion of some Rohingyas recently, the advisers said those entered will be sent back as the number of Rohingyas has already stood at around 13 lakh. Earlier, he held a views exchange meeting with senior officials and others at the BGB headquarters. BGB Director General Maj. Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui was also present. On 25-26 February 2009, a mutiny in the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) left 74 people, including 57 army officers, murdered at the Pilkhana Headquarters. Read: BDR Mutiny: Dismissed jawans demand reinstatement in their jobs with full facilities On 5 November 2013, a Dhaka court awarded death sentences to 150 BDR members and two civilians, and life imprisonment to 160 others in the case. On 27 November 2017, the High Court confirmed the death penalty for 139 out of 152 accused. Following the heinous killings of the army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters, the government renamed the mutiny-hit paramilitary force BDR as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), changing its logo as well as uniform.

Ten fishermen, who were kidnapped by robbers, have been rescued by the Forest Department officers after a gunfight from Takkakhali area in the Sundarbans’s Chunkuri River. Three boats, a solar panel and one round of bullet were recovered. The rescued fishermen are Abdul Alim, 62, Nur Islam, 45, Rabiul Islam, 28, Hafizur Rahman, 45, Raju Fakir, 47, Shafiqul Islam, 45, Rafiqul Islam, 45, Mafizur, 38, and Nazrul Islam, 57. Solaiman, station officer of Kadamtala Forest Station in Satkhira range, said being tipped-off they conducted a drive in the river to rescue the fishermen on Sunday afternoon. Sensing their presence, the robbers opened fire on them, forcing them to fire five rounds of bullet, he said. At one stage, the robbers fled leaving behind the fishermen. The rescued fishermen were taken to Burigoalini station of the forest department, he said. The fishermen alleged the robbers led by one Manju kidnapped them from several spots of the forest for ransom.

Authorities have transferred officer-in-charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj’s Gomostapur police station and punished seven other cops after a detained Awami League leader was snatched away from police custody. Superintendent of Police Rezaul Karim confirmed the matter saying that the seven cops were taken off duty attached to District Police Lines last night. However, it could be known where OC Shahidul Islam was transferred. The policemen have been accused of negligence in performing duty. Read: Two accused snatched away after two cops stabbed in Rajshahi Seven plainclothes policemen arrested AL leader Mintu Rahman, president of the ward No-2 of the upazila’s Bangabari union on Thursday evening. A Chapainawabganj court issued an arrest warrant for him earlier. As he was being driven to the police station, his supporters allegedly swooped on the police team in Santoshpur Bazar leaving five cops injured, they said. Sub Inspector Mamun filed a case with the police station in this connection while 13 accused have so far been arrested.