United News of Bangladesh

A committee has been established at the district level to return firearms that were registered and submitted to the government last September. The committee, chaired by the District Magistrate, includes two members and a member secretary.  This information was revealed in a memorandum signed by Israt Jahan, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Public Security Division, on Wednesday night.  According to the memorandum, based on a notification from the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs dated August 25, the committee will verify and decide on applications for the return of firearms acquired for personal security which have been submitted to the police stations by September 3, 2024.  However, firearms issued for special purposes that may worsen the law and order situation will not be considered for return.  Additionally, individuals with ongoing criminal cases or those already convicted of criminal offenses will also not be eligible for the return of their firearms.

Army personnel have detained a local Jubo Dal leader on charges of creating chaos during tender submission for Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital. The detainee is Jahangir Alam Julhas, 40, convenor of Lalmonirhat Municipal unit Jubo Dal and the senior vice-president of the Lalmonirhat District Jubo Dal. He was detained from the hospital premises this noon, said Tariqul Islam, superintendent of Lalmonirhat Police. Attack on police in Kushtia: Body of another missing cop recovered Later, the army officials handed him over to the police. Locals said tenders were invited by Dr. Abdul Mokaddem, the supervisor of the hospital, in three categories for supplying equipment for the 250-bed Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital. A tender box was set up in front of the hospital's superintendent's office for submissions from 9:00am to 12:00pm on Wednesday. Security was tightened on the hospital premises to prevent any incident during the submission of hospital tenders but the Jubo Dal leader s along with his associates obstructed other bidders from submitting their tenders since the morning in an effort to bypass police security and favor a preferred contractor. During this time, he also assaulted the officials accepting the tenders. International Crimes Tribunal grants bail to ex-NSI DG Wahidul Later, army personnel rushed to the spot after receiving a call from one of the bidders and detained him. Once the situation was brought under control, 24 bidders were able to submit their bids. Legal action will be taken against the Juba Dal leader, added the SP. Anisur Rahman Anis,  president of Lalmonirhat District Jubo Dal, said Jahangir Alam did not obstruct any contractors from submitting tenders. In fact, he was detained while attempting to flee at that moment. "This isn’t a significant issue and can be resolved through discussion," he noted.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed former agriculture minister Md Abdus Shahid on a four-day remand in a case over murder during the recent student-led mass uprising. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharifur Rahman passed the order as police produced the former minister before the court with a 10-day remand plea. Earlier, police conducted a raid on his Uttara residence in the small hours on Wednesday and arrested him. Ex-Agriculture Minister Abdus Shahid arrested: DMP During the raid, law enforcers seized more than Tk 3 crore cash and foreign currencies, said Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC-media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). In addition to this case, there are two murder cases against him at the Uttara West police station and one attempted murder charge at the Srimangal police station in Moulvibazar district. The officer added that he will also face charges under the Special Powers Act for illegal possession of foreign currency, as well as under the Money Laundering Act.

The High Court has scrapped 11 cases including one for sedition and 10 for acts of sabotage against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. A High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain passed the order on Thursday after the final hearing on 11 separate petitions filed by Khaleda. Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister MA Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Barrister Nasir Uddin Asim, Barrister Kaisar Kamal, Barrister Ragib Rauf Chowdhury and five others stood for Kahleda. Among the cases, one was filed on charge of sedition, seven were filed at Darus Salam police station and three at Jatrabari police station on charge of sabotage during the anti-government movement in 2015. BNP joins legal battle with others against 15th Amendment The trial proceedings of the cases remained suspended for long following a High Court order. The sedition case was filed against Khaleda for her remarks about the number of martyrs in the Liberation War. The BNP chief had been on bail in all these cases. Advocate Zainul Abedin told reporters that there was no evidence that Khaleda Zia was present on the spot or gave any order in any of the cases filed on charges of sabotage. Police submitted charge sheets in the cases unnecessarily, he said. Khaleda was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail on February 8, 2018, after a special court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. On October 30, 2018, the High Court raised her punishment to 10 years. Later, she was convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. AL can’t stage a comeback in Bangladesh politics: BNP Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail after 776 days through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. On August 6, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The body of another assistant sub inspector (ASI), who went missing in the Padma River during an attack allegedly by miscreants on Sunday, was recovered this morning. The deceased was identified as ASI Mukul Hossain, posted at Kumarkhali police station in Kushtia. He was son of late Abdul Latif Biswas from Kalachandpur of nearby Meherpur. Palash Kanti Nath, additional superintendent of Kushtia police, confirmed the matter saying that the body was retrieved from the river at Pabna-Nazirganj terminal around 8 am. case was filed naming eight people and 20 to 25 unnamed others with the concerned police station, he said, adding that no one has so far been arrested.On Sunday, a police team accompanied two UP members was on the way to Charsadipur area to arrest wanted criminals. Fishermen, who were catching hilsa flouting a government ban, allegedly attacked the cops and others forcing them to jump into the river to save their lives. Though ASI Nazurl Islam and the UP members could swim ashore, two ASIs went missing. Members of Kumarkhali fire service station conducted a search drive on Monday but failed to trace the missing cops. A diver team from Khulna joined the fire service members on Tuesday and recovered ASI Sadrul Hasan’s body.

Police arrested former Agriculture Minister Md Abdus Shahid from Uttara in capital on Tuesday night. Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC-media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the matter. He said a team of Uttara West Police Station arrested Abdus Shahid. More details about it will be shared later.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday noted Bangladesh has a remarkably better standing on human rights issues compared to many countries worldwide. He noted that human rights violations are rampant in various regions, including the Middle East, and emphasized that Bangladesh experiences a much lower rate of violations, with improvements being made over time. The adviser made these remarks during a briefing for journalists following a bilateral meeting with a delegation led by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka. He mentioned that the discussions primarily revolved around human rights issues, with the UN High Commissioner requesting comprehensive cooperation from Bangladesh in this regard. Furthermore, the delegation assured support for addressing changing circumstances and the work of various reform commissions. The adviser noted that the human rights representatives recommended a neutral and independent vetting process for sending personnel to UN peacekeeping missions. They praised Bangladesh for its strong performance in these missions and discussed the importance of prioritizing human rights in police reform initiatives. Moreover, they emphasized the need to ensure witness and victim protection in the judicial process.   Jahangir Alam addressed Bangladesh's request for comprehensive UN support concerning the Rohingya crisis. While acknowledging assistance from the UN and various countries in the rehabilitation and repatriation of Rohingyas, he remarked that the support has been insufficient relative to the need. He pointed out that recent violence in Myanmar has led to an influx of more Rohingyas into Bangladesh, urging the UN delegation to draw international attention to this issue. The five-member UN delegation, led by High Commissioner Volker Turk, included senior human rights advisor Huma Khan, Asia-Pacific chief Rory Mungoven, media spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, and human rights officer Livia Cosenza from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Bangladesh delegation was led by Dr. Mohammad Abdul Momen, Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division, along with the Inspector General of Police, Major General Mohd. Mainul Islam, Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion, AKM Shahidur Rahman, DMP Commissioner Mohd. Mainul Hasan, and additional secretary Abu Hena Mostafa Zaman.

Police arrested a youth for his alleged misconduct at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital on Sunday. The arrestee is Jubayer Elahi who was rounded up from Kishoreganj on Monday. According to police sources the youth equipped with a stick entered the first gallery on the second floor of the hospital's academic building on Sunday. He began to behave erratically, shouting and causing panic among several students present, who quickly fled the area. Then the accused fled the college after running to and fro. Being informed, a police team from Kotwali police station rushed to the spot and started investigating the incident through scrutinizing CCTV footages. Later, a case was filed against him with the police station in this regard. Police identified him and arrested from Kishoreganj on Monday. He was sent to jail through a Dhaka court on Tuesday. A video footage containing the youth’s unusual behavior went viral on social media, triggering criticism over security measures on the college campus.

The International Crimes Tribunal has granted bail to Muhammad Wahidul Haque, former Director General (DG) of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Passport Directorate, in a case related to war crimes from the 1971 Liberation War. The bail was passed on Tuesday by a three-judge bench led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumdar. Defense lawyer Abdus Sattar Palwan stated that Wahidul Haque has been in custody since April 24, 2018, and there are no obstacles remaining for his release from jail. The charges against him indicate that on March 28, 1971, around 4 PM, thousands of freedom-seeking civilians gathered in the Kotwali police station area, south of the Rangpur cantonment, to protest against the brutal massacre carried out by the Pakistani army on the night of March 25, and to express their support for independence. No relief for Sohel Rana: Top court stays his bail in Rana Plaza tragedy case Under the command of Major (Retired) Muhammad Wahidul Haque, who was a captain in the 29 Cavalry Regiment of Rangpur Cantonment during the war, armed forces indiscriminately fired machine guns on the unarmed civilians, resulting in the deaths of 500 to 600 people. Wahidul Haque was indicted for crimes against humanity on December 5, 2016. Following this, an investigation was initiated based on the charges. Allegations arose that he attempted to influence the investigation, leading the tribunal to issue an arrest warrant against him. He was subsequently arrested from his residence in Baridhara, Gulshan, on April 24, 2018, and the tribunal ordered his remand into custody. On October 16, 2019, the International Crimes Tribunal ordered the formal framing of charges against him.

A search committee has been formed to establish the Election Commission, Law Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul said on Tuesday. The recommendation has been submitted to the Chief Adviser for signature, and official notification will be issued as soon as the signature is obtained today or tomorrow, said the adviser. Following a morning meeting with Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the adviser shared these updates with journalists. Law Adviser hails revival of Supreme Judicial Council  He emphasised the government’s steps toward a fair election, starting with the establishment of the Election Commission. He further noted that once the Election Commission is constituted, the priority will be updating the voter list to eliminate fake entries allegedly added by the previous government. After the meeting, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said he discussed with the Law Adviser matters related to the rule of law and human rights issues.  Journalists involved in killing students to face trial in ICT: Law Advisor Turk also mentioned the importance of aligning government reforms with human rights standards, adding that a fact-finding committee is investigating human rights violations committed from July 1 to August 15, and the UN headquarters is closely monitoring the situation.