United News of Bangladesh

Former minister and Awami League Advisory Council member Amir Hossain Amu has been sent to jail following the completion of his six-day remand in connection with the murder of businessman Abdul Wadud in the New Market area of Dhaka.Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharifur Rahman rejected Amu’s bail plea and ordered him to be sent to jail on Tuesday morning, after hearing arguments in court.The request for remand came from the case's investigating officer, Jahangir Arif, Inspector with the DB’s Ramna Zone Team, who sought to keep Amu in detention.Amu’s lawyer had filed the bail petition, which was opposed by the prosecution. Following the hearing, the court denied the request for bail and reaffirmed the decision to keep Amu in custody.Amu was arrested on November 6 by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) from the Dhanmondi area of the capital. His remand was granted the following day after he was charged in the murder of Abdul Wadud, killed in police shooting during the anti-discrimination student movement on July 19.Abdul Wadud’s brother-in-law, Abdur Rahman, filed the murder case against 130 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Road Transport and Bridges minister Obaidul Quader, alleging their involvement in the fatal shooting.

Police have arrested Md Mosharat Hasan Benu (52), a close associate of former member of parliament Elias Mollah, in connection with the killing of student activist Md Sakib Raihan during the mass uprising. A team from Pallabi Police Station arrested Benu from E-Block area of Section 12 in Pallabi, Mirpur around 9:30 pm on Monday, confirmed DC (media) of DMP Talebur Rahman on Tuesday. Benu is a key figure in the local Awami League, said the DC. The killing of Sakib Raihan, which occurred on July 19, was part of a violent crackdown on protesters in Mirpur. According to the case filed by Sakib's father, Sheikh Azizur Rahman, the incident unfolded outside the Popular Diagnostic Centre on Mirpur-6 Road, where Awami League members, armed with weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on the protesting students. Sakib was shot in the chest during the attack and later succumbed to his injuries at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. Following an investigation, which included intelligence gathering and an analysis of CCTV footage from the area, police identified Benu’s involvement in the fatal shooting. Authorities have confirmed that legal actions are now being taken against him.

The traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 2,183 cases and imposed Tk 7,934,500 in fines during operations against traffic rule violators on Monday. Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the DMP, shared the information in a media release on Tuesday. The fines covered various offences, including speeding, illegal parking, and driving without proper documentation or safety measures. Additionally, 189 vehicles were seized and impounded, while 69 others were towed due to poor driving practices.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed former MP Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu on a six-day remand in a case over the killing of businessman Abdul Wadud in Dhaka’s New Market area during the student-led mass upsurge. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharifur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition,  said the court’s public prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki. Earlier, investigation officer of the case Jahangir Arif produced the accused before the court with a 10-day remand prayer, he said. Though the defendant’s lawyers appealed for the bail the court rejected it. Earlier, the former lawmaker, who was elected from Barguna-1 constituency, was arrested from Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday night. On July 19, businessman Wadud was shot dead during the student-led movement in New Market area. Later, the victim’s brother-in-law filed a murder case naming 130 accused including Sheikh Hasina with the New Market police station.

Chief Prosecutor of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) advocate Md Tajul Islam has written to IGP Md Moinul Islam to take initiatives to issue red notice through Interpol to bring back former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives. The chief prosecutor sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP)  in this regard on Tuesday, sources at the tribunal said. On November 10, law adviser Prof Asif Nazrul said red notices will be issued soon through the Interpol against the fugitive accused including Sheikh Hasina involved with the July-August killing. He said fugitive fascist elements, regardless of where they may be in the world, will be held and brought to justice. He assured that the government would put it maximum effort to ensure these people are returned to face trial. Asif Nazrul alleged that Awami League lodged baseless complaints against the government to the International Crimes Tribunal in Netherlands' Hague to tarnish the image of the country. Earlier on October 17, a three member ICT bench led by its Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumdar issued arrest warrants for 46 accused including Sheikh Hasina and former minister Obaidul Quader in separate cases.

The body of college student Suman Mia, who went missing on November 4, was recovered after digging earth in Sajobkhila area under Sherpur Sadar upazila, said police on Tuesday morning. The body was recovered from a yard of a policeman’s house after digging earth late Monday, said district Superintendent of Police Md Aminul Islam. He informed that they have so far arrested three people in this connection and would produce them before a court on Tuesday. The arrestees are Nazrul Islam, a resident of Bagrakosa area of the Sherpur city, her daughter Anni Aktar, 19, and the policeman’s son Rabin Mia, 20. The deceased Suman was son of farmer Md Nazrul Islam of Kosba Barakpara area the Sadar upazila and intermediate first year student of Sherpur Government College. According to the case deposition, Anni Aktar, a classmate of the victim, sought to start an affair with Suman who rejected it a few days back. On November 4, Anni along with two to three youths abducted Suman on his way home from the college in Bagrakosa Kazibari Pukurpar, according to the case. Later, Suman’s father filed a general diary with the Sadar police station. With the help of technology and intelligence, the law enforcers found involvement of the three in the abduction and arrested them, said the SP. During the primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted the kidnapping and the body was recovered from the yard upon their statements, the police super said. Aminul Islam informed that they detected Suman’s last location in Mymensingh on Sunday and since then his mobile phone was found switched off. Sadar police station’s Officer-in-Charge Md Jubaidul Alam said the body was sent to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Locals said there was a relationship between Suman and Anni. The relationship started deteriorating when Anni’s family set her marriage with another man recently.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested former lawmaker and Jatiya Party’s central leader Yahya Chowdhury from Dhaka’s Uttara late Monday. A media release, signed by Md Mashiur Rahman Sohel, assistant superintendent of police (media) of the RAB-9, said this on Tuesday morning. A joint team of the RAB-1 and- 9 conducted a drive at a house in the Uttara and arrested him, it reads. The former lawmaker was shown arrested in a case filed, over the attack on students and people during the recent mass upsurge, with Sylhet’s Kotwali police station on October 2. Yahya, who was elected from Sylhet-2 constituency (Bishwanath–Osmaninagar upazilas) in 2014, discharged duty as standing committee member on the Parliamentary Affairs of Environment and Forest Ministry. In the 2018 national election, he was defeated by Gonoforum’s candidate Mokabbir Khan in the constituency. He is known as close aide to Jatiya Party leader Raushan Ershad.

Former Member of Parliament of the ousted Awami League Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, was arrested by Dhaka Metropolitan Detective (DB) Police from Uttara in the capital on Monday evening. Additional Police Commissioner (Detective) Rezaul Karim Mallik confirmed the arrest, stating that Shambhu faces multiple cases. DB conducted a raid at a residence in Uttara at night, leading to his arrest. Shambhu was elected as an MP five times, representing his constituency Barguna-1, starting from 1991. He also served two stints as a deputy minister, in the food and shipping ministries. It has long been alleged that using his power and influence, he established a fief in the southern district of Barguna such that hardly anything could develop without his participation, or his share being assured. Under his watch, particularly during the AL's 15-year stint in government from 2009 onwards, organised crime is said to have taken hold in the region.

The Appellate Division on Monday stayed the High Court verdict that had sentenced BNP chairperson Khaldeda Zia to 10-year jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. A three-member Appellate Division bench led by Senior Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order after hearing Khaleda’s leave to appeal petition against the High Court verdict. The court also allowed Khaleda to move a leave-to appeal before the court challenging the HC verdict. Senior lawyers Joynul Abedin and Barrister Kaisar Kamal stood for Khaleda Zia while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman represented the state and lawyer Asif Hasan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission. Lawyer Joynul Abedin said the court granted the leave to appeal petition and suspended the sentence. “Now after filing the appeal, the appeal will be heard. Until then, the sentence will remain suspended. Earlier on November 4, the court set November 10 for hearing on her leave to appeal pleas. After hearing, the court fixed November 11 for passing an order. Khaleda, also a former prime minister, filed the leave to appeal petitions with the Appellate Division on March 14, 2019 through his lawyer challenging the HC verdict. Read: High Court scraps 11 cases against Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia was initially imprisoned on 8 February 2018, when a special court in Dhaka sentenced her to five years in prison for her involvement in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft incident. Later, in response to an appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the High Court on  October 30 of the same year, raised her jail term to 10 years. The graft case The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2008, accusing Khaleda of misappropriating over Tk2.10 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank. In August 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources and abusing power. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020, with the condition that she would stay at her Gulshan house and not leave the country. Read more: Khaleda Zia, two others acquitted in Gatco corruption case Since then, her release term was extended every six months following the family's pleas. On August 6 this year, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The president passed the order under Article 49 of the Bangladesh Constitution, according to a gazette issued by the home ministry on August 6.

Workers of TNZ garment factory in Gazipur have blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for the 3rd consecutive day, demanding payment of their arrears. The workers who took to the highway on Saturday continued their demonstration on Monday morning, leading to severe traffic congestion and creating immense hardships for commuters. The workers were demanding the payment of their three months’ overdue wages and vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met. Due to the protest, at least 20 garment factories in the surrounding area declared a holiday to avert trouble. Gazipur Metropolitan Police, industrial police, and army personnel were trying to remove the workers from the highway but they remained firm in their stance and were staying on the road. Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Sarwar Alam said efforts were being made to communicate with the factory owners to resolve the issue. He also said the workers were urged to leave the highway with hopes of resolving the matter by the end of the day.