United News of Bangladesh

Safia Khatun, former MP (reserved seat) from Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria-Pekua upazila) has been arrested from Dhaka’s Pallabi area in connection with a case over the killing of a youth during the July-August movement. Safia, 70, former vice-president of Mahila Awami League, was arrested from Balughat area around 10:10 pm on Saturday night, said Talebur Rahman, DC (Media) of the DMP. HC acquits Tarique Rahman, others in Aug 21 grenade attack cases After analysing  CCTV footage, information from intelligence and with the help of technology police arrested her, he said. On July 19, Akram Khan Rabbi was shot dead during the movement in front of Abul Taleb School at Mirpur-10 in the capital. TK 19 lakh fines imposed, 40,000 Kg polythene seized in Anti-Polythene Campaign Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. On August 25, Faruk Khan, father of Akram filed a case with Pallabi Police Station.      

The High Court (HC) has overturned the verdict of a lower court in two cases filed over the August 21 grenade attack, acquitting all convicts, including BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar. An HC bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the judgement on Sunday. The court also declared the charge sheet in the case illegal. Earlier, the court concluded hearings on the death reference and appeals of the accused on November 21, keeping the cases awaiting judgment (CAV). Subsequently, the two cases were listed for verdict today (Sunday). The grenade attack, a shocking incident, occurred on Dhaka's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. On October 10, 2018, a Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal issued a verdict in one of the cases (pertaining to murder and explosives). The tribunal sentenced 19 accused, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu, to death. Read: Silence marks 20th anniversary of Aug 21 grenade attack Besides, 19 others, including BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, were handed life imprisonment sentences, while 11 accused received various terms of imprisonment and fines. The judgment was subsequently transferred to the HC in 2018, registered as a death reference case.  

Journalist Munni Saha has been released from the custody of the Detective Branch, just hours after being detained from Kawran Bazar in the capital on Saturday night. She was handed over to her family on payment of a bond shortly after midnight (technically Sunday). Quoting Rezaul Karim Mallick, additional commissioner (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, The Daily Star is reporting she was released under the obscure Section 497 of the CrPC. It means she must appear in court to seek bail and comply with future police summons. Read: BFIU seeks journalist Munni Saha's bank account details Earlier, a DB team picked up Munni Saha from the Karwan Bazar area around 9:30pm on Saturday, said DB Additional Commissioner Rezaul Karim Mallik. He said that Munni Saha faces several cases in Dhaka. Responding to questions, he said that they have not yet determined under which police station's case the arrest will be shown.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained 47 Bangladeshi nationals during separate raids in various border areas under Maheshpur Battalion (58 BGB) of Jhenaidah on Saturday. Lieutenant Colonel Shah Md. Azizus Shahid, Commander of Maheshpur Battalion (58 BGB), confirmed the matter. Among the detainees are 12 women, 19 men, and 16 children. Several individuals were reportedly apprehended by BGB patrols in the past as well. Read: BGB detains joint secretary attempting to illegally cross border in Brahmanbaria The raids were conducted by teams from the Matila, Khoshalpur, Polianpur, Baghdanga, Shyampur, and Loraighat Border Outposts (BOPs) in the border areas of Maheshpur upazila. Lieutenant Colonel Shah Md. Azizus Shahid said that legal proceedings against the detained individuals are currently underway.

Detective Branch (DB) officers of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested journalist Munni Saha from Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar. A DB team arrested Munni Saha from the Karwan Bazar area at around 9:30 pm on Saturday, said DB Additional Commissioner Rezaul Karim Mallik. He said that Munni Saha faces several cases in Dhaka.  Responding to questions, he said that they have not yet determined under which police station's case the arrest will be shown.

Three persons were arrested in separate raids in Khulna and Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area on Friday in a acase filed over the murder of Dr AKM Abdur Rashid, a Bangladeshi-born British citizen. The arrestees are Md Nayem Khan, 22, Md Zahidur Rahman Rifat, 20, and Md. Abu Taher Sikder, alias Shawon, 22, said Masud Alam Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Saturday. The suspects were arrested from Dumuria of Khulna, and Mohammadpur on Friday, he said. During the raids, a knife used in the murder was recovered acting on information provided by Md. Nayem Khan. Joint Forces arrest 12 men with arms in Dhaka's Geneva Camp According to Hazaribagh Police, Dr Rashid, who lived in the UK and occasionally visited Bangladesh, resided at House No. 294/1, Road No. 8/A, of West Dhanmondi in Dhaka. On November 15, around 2:30 am, three to four unknown assailants entered Rashid’s home. They confronted him and engaged in a struggle. When his wife, Sufia Rashid, tried to intervene from the adjacent room, one of the attackers blocked her. The assailants stabbed Rashid multiple times in the chest, leaving him seriously injured. Later, the attackers fled the scene after Sufia screamed for help. Rashid was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital in a critical state, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival, the DMP official said. Md. Rezaul, Rashid’s cousin, lodged a complaint at Hazaribagh Police Station, leading to the case being filed on the same day. Three men held for cheating on Shwapno jobs: Police During  primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that Nayem and Zahidur, tenants in a flat at Rashid’s house, had ongoing disputes with the victim’s wife over rent. Frustrated, Nayem and Zahidur decided to break into Rashid’s home and steal money to fund a restaurant business .On November 15, 2024, Nayem and Zahidur, along with their accomplice Abu Taher Sikder (Shawon), carried out their plan by scaling the boundary wall to enter the house. Rashid, who had woken up for Tahajjud prayers, sensed the intruders’ presence. When Dr. Rashid attempted to intervene, the assailants engaged in a scuffle. They stabbed him with a sharp knife before fleeing the scene.

The Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 2,683 cases during operations against traffic rule violators in the last two days in various areas of the capital. Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, shared this information in a media release on Saturday afternoon. Joint Forces arrest 12 men with arms in Dhaka's Geneva Camp During the operations, 34 vehicles were impounded, and 93 others were towed. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) carried out the operations on Thursday and Friday (November 28 and 29). The DMP's drives will continue to enforce traffic regulations in the Dhaka metropolitan area, he added.

Joint forces have arrested 12 individuals, including Mahbub and Irfan, who are close associates of notorious drug trafficker Chua Selim, during an operation in the Geneva Camp of Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area on Friday. A press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation was carried out by a combined team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and army personnel. During the drive, the forces seized a range of weapons and drugs, including one revolver, eight rounds of ammunition, five machetes, and seven sharp-edged weapons. Fight Indian media's misformation campaign with truth: CA's Press Secretary The arrested individuals were later handed over to Mohammadpur Police Station, it added. The joint forces' operation, led by the Bangladesh Army, will continue to maintain law and order.    

The government is intensifying its efforts to enforce the ban on polythene shopping bags, urging all citizens to comply with the directives to stop using such bags. Non-compliance will result in strict actions, said Tapan Kumar Biswas, additional secretary and chair of the Monitoring Committee on this issue under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate, during a monitoring operation at New Market Kitchen Market in Dhaka on Friday. He told reporters that since November 3, authorities have conducted 166 raids to enforce the ban. Officials fined 349 establishments a total of Tk 19,29,900 and confiscated 40,000 kg of polythene during this period.  “Public awareness is growing, and we are witnessing gradual improvements,” he said.  “Awareness campaigns, providing alternatives, and strict enforcement are advancing simultaneously,” added Tapan. Realistic solutions key to addressing sustainable plastic management: Speakers During the monitoring activity, market committee members acknowledged the harmful effects of polythene usage and pledged to adopt eco-friendly alternatives. Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Department of Environment, law enforcement agencies, and representatives from the media participated in the operation.

Police arrested three members of a fraud gang accused of deceiving job seekers by offering employment at super shop ‘Shwapno’. The arrestees are Shahin Rabbani, Swapan Das and Parvez Mosharraf. Of them, Shahin is the leader of the gang and Managing Director of one Dragon Shield Security Solutions.   Police recovered mobile phones, SIM cards, and various documents, including money receipts, from the possession of the arrestees. Based on information from Shwapno’s Crisis Management Team, a police team arrested the suspects on Thursday from a second-floor apartment on Road No. 2 in Sector 4 of Uttara. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Uttara East Police Station, Md. Muhibullah, said the gang had been cheating  people for a long time. Based on secret information, police raided their (arrestees) office and arrested them on charges of fraud and embezzlement, he said. A case was filed in connection with the incident on Thursday night, the OC said. A job seeker named Sujan Pal, present during the raid, shared his ordeal. "They asked for money, claiming it was necessary for a bank account linked to my job at Shwapno. I paid them some money but was later asked for more. Many others like me fell for their promises and paid money in hopes of getting a job," he said. "They should face strict punishment for this deception." Thanking police for their action against the frauds, Masum Billah, head of Shwapno’s Crisis Management Team, said that the gang had been active since 2019, targeting areas such as Uttara, Badda New Market, Mohammadpur and Savar using fake online job advertisements. "At Shwapno, we never charge money for recruitment—only qualifications matter,” he added.