United News of Bangladesh

Md Nahid Islam, adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, said on Thursday that the Cyber Security Act has largely been used as a political instrument. He made the remark during a discussion on amending the "Cyber Security Act, 2023" held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka. Nahid expressed concern that the law's political misuse has eroded public trust. "People have developed a negative perception of the Act, and even with amendments, this skepticism is unlikely to disappear," he remarked. He further stressed the need for a complete overhaul of the legislation, incorporating the constructive suggestions from the ongoing discussions and addressing other relevant elements that may require addition or removal. At the outset of the meeting, a draft proposal to amend the "Cyber Security Act, 2023" was presented. Additional District Judge Shamsuddin Masum led the presentation of the draft. The proposed amendments include several key changes: allowing only the aggrieved party to file a case, thereby preventing multiple cases on the same incident from being filed in different districts. Additionally, the draft seeks to limit the arbitrary powers of law enforcement agencies. It also proposes reducing the maximum penalties for certain offenses, lowering sentences from 14 to 10 years for more serious crimes, and from three to two years for lesser offenses. Following the presentation, a detailed discussion ensued regarding these proposed amendments.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified patrols along the Satkhira border to maintain law and order and boost public confidence during Durga Puja. The Neeldumur Battalion (17 BGB) is responsible for security in the Debhata, Kaliganj, and Shyamnagar upazilas of Satkhira district, where 39 pujamandaps are located within 8 km of the border. A platoon of BGB personnel, led by Assistant Director Shah Khaled Imam, began patrolling the area at 8 am on Thursday, with two pickup trucks, according to a press release. The BGB is in communication with pujamandap presidents, Sanatan community members, and local leaders to ensure a peaceful environment. Additionally, another BGB team is reviewing security measures such as the availability of CCTV cameras, generators, and volunteers at the pujamandaps. They are also assessing the potential for any disruptive activities and considering setting up a BGB base camp in the area.

A Thakurgaon court has sent former seven-time member of the parliament Dabirul Islam to jail in an extortion and land grabbing case Thakurgaon Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge rejected his bail plea and sent him to jail on Thursday. On August 10, Habibul Islam Babul claimed that Dabirul’s associates demanded Tk 10 crore in extortion and threatened his life when he visited a plot of land he had purchased in Baliadangi. Babul was also allegedly assaulted by the group. Following the incident, Babul filed a case on September 3 against Dabirul Islam, his son former MP Mazaharul Islam Sujan, and 28 others. Dabirul, former MP of Thakurgaon-2 constituency (Baliadangi, Haripur, Ranishankoil), was named as the prime accused. Police arrested Dabirul in the early hours of October 2 from the home of an Awami League leader in Ruhia. Earlier, on September 11, his son Sujan was also arrested in connection with the same case from Dhaka's Nikunja area. The court denied Sujan's bail on September 29 and scheduled a hearing on a 10-day remand request for October 10. Speaking on behalf of the plaintiff, Advocate Zainal Abedin stated, "Dabirul Islam has long been involved in criminal activities such as extortion, land grabbing, and issuing threats. His arrest is a significant step in holding him accountable for these actions."

Members of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police have arrested former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder. A DB team arrested the former minister from Dhaka’s Bhatara area, confirmed DC (media) of DMP, Talebur Rahman Sadhan is accused in a number of cases, added the police official.

A complaint has been lodged at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) over the death of BAF Shaheen College student Shafiq Uddin Ahmed Ahnaf who was killed during the anti-discrimination movement in Dhaka Mirpur-10 on August 4. Ahnaf’s mother, Zartaj Parveen, accused unidentified people of involvement in the tragic incident. The complaint was submitted on Thursday to the Chief Prosecutor of the Tribunal, Mohammad Tajul Islam. "We were not present at the scene. It is now the responsibility of the investigators to determine who was involved in my son’s murder," Zartaj said after filing the complaint. Ahnaf’s death marked a turning point in Bangladesh's political landscape, triggering an unprecedented wave of public protests. Speaking to the media, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam confirmed that no specific individuals were named in the complaint, but it implicates the then-government, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and the police forces. “Since the complainants were not at the scene, they demand a thorough investigation into the government's involvement in the crime," Islam stated. This complaint is one of 53 separate filings lodged against Sheikh Hasina and others during the period from July 5 to August 5, with 36 of those submitted directly to the ICT's Chief Prosecutor.

The High Court has withdrawn its August 4 ruling that ordered Grameen Kalyan, an organization founded by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to pay BDT 666 crore in taxes to the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The decision was made after one of the judges, upon preparing the full judgment, expressed discomfort due to a conflict of interest. This development was confirmed on Thursday by court sources. The decision came after Justice Sardar Md. Rashed Jahangir, part of the two-judge bench, revealed that he had earlier served as a Deputy Attorney General and had contested the case on behalf of the government. This revelation came while the full text of the court’s August 4 ruling, which mandated Grameen Kalyan to pay Tk 666 crore to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) was being written. In response, the High Court bench, consisting of Justice Mohammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Jahangir, withdrew the ruling, citing a conflict of interest. The case documents have now been forwarded to the Chief Justice, who will appoint a new bench to rehear the case. Yunus' lawyer, Abdullah-Al-Mamun said, "The bench felt the ruling would be defective as one of the judges had previously represented the government in the matter. This puts us in a challenging position, and we hope it doesn't lead to misunderstandings about the fairness of the judicial process."  The original ruling, delivered on August 4, dismissed a writ filed by Grameen Kalyan challenging the NBR's tax demand for the fiscal years between 2012 and 2017. The High Court's decision at the time had compelled Dr. Yunus' company to settle the tax liability with the government.

A Dhaka court on Thursday issued a travel ban on former head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank ( BFIU) Masud Biswas. The commission decided to initiate investigation on September 26 and formed four committees to probbe alleged corruption of former BFIU chief Masud Biswas According to the ACC's primary investigations, Biswas allegedly amassed huge wealth within a short time. He adopted unfair means regarding the aircraft purchase of Sky Capital Airlines Limited, according to the primary investigation. Read: Travel ban imposed on former fisheries minister SM Rezaul Karim By taking a bribe from the company,Biswas concluded an investigation of the company without sending a report to the law enforcement agency. Biswas also approved a report as a general monitoring report instead of an intelligence report under the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations. The report was related to the embezzlement of Tk 50 billion by NRB Commercial Bank Chairman Tamal Parvez. Read more: Travel ban imposed on 8 former AL ministers, 6 MPs As an accomplice of Saiful Alam Masud, chairman of S Alam Group, the ex-BFIU officialsiphoned off billions of taka taking loans from Islami Bank.

Director General (DG) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui has acknowledged the BGB's partial responsibility in preventing Awami League leaders and activists from fleeing the country. “But the agency should not be solely held accountable for the situation,” he said at a press conference held at the BGB headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday. The DG said that the BGB has so far held 22 people identified as opponents of the anti-discrimination student movement. “Despite these arrests, a significant number of Awami League leaders and activists have still managed to escape across borders,” he recognised. Major General Siddiqui said that while the BGB bears responsibility for the fleeing incidents, it is critical to determine whether other entities should also be held accountable. "An investigation is necessary to ascertain who crossed which border—there can be no compromises on this matter," he emphasised. Read: BGB DG warns KNF, vows support for joint operations The DG said that a request had been made on August 6 to aid the BGB in curbing escapes through border, an initiative that was undertaken independently and without any external directive. “We have been working on this continuously. If all organisations that collect intelligence share their information, our efforts would be far more effective,” he said. He also referred to speculations that a large number of Awami League leaders and activists had already fled the country. “Did everyone flee? I don’t think so. Some are still hiding in this densely populated country,” he asserted. Major General Siddiqui urged journalists to assist the BGB by sharing any relevant information they might have. “You also have information. Please share it with the BGB, and we will take action. We are committed to preventing these escapes,” he said. Read more:Integrated checkpost to benefit both Bangladesh and India economically: BGB DG The BGB DG reiterated that the BGB is dedicated to fulfilling its role in safeguarding the borders and that all stakeholders must collaborate to address the ongoing issue effectively.

A Dhaka court on Thursday issued an order barring former lawmaker from Manikganj-1 constituency and former Bangladeshi cricketer Naimur Rahman and his wife Farhana Rahman from leaving the country. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain passed the order after hearing a petition submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). In the petition, the former lawmaker is accused of amassing a huge amount of illegal wealth in his name and family members from unknown sources through irregularities and corruption. Read: HC bench embargoes any 'bakseesh' for small advantages in court    Investigation against him and wife is underway. According to sources involved in the investigation, the accused have been trying to flee the country and the probe against them will be delayed or obstructed if they flee the country. Read more: Dhaka Court imposes 60-day travel ban on former WASA MD Taqsem amid corruption probe

Jagannath University (JnU) students detained and handed over Professor Farid Ahmed of Jahangirnagar University’s Philosophy Department to police on Thursday for allegedly assisting in an attack on students during the anti-discrimination student movement at JU in July. Farid was detained on the JnU campus around 11:30 am before being handed over to the Kotwali police station.  “We recognised him when he arrived on our campus this morning,” said Tawhid Islam, a student of the JnU Philosophy Department. “There is a case against him for his role in the attack on students, and we handed him over to the police.” Enamul Haque, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, confirmed the  matter saying students detained him on the campus and handed him over to us.   “A case was filed against him at Ashulia police station for his suspected involvement in the attacks on Jahangirnagar University students. He is currently in our custody. Ashulia Police Station may arrest him, or we can arrest him and produce him to the court if we receive orders from higher authorities.” Read: Students in Rajshahi hand over Tk 18 lakh found on the street to police Farid Ahmed faces allegations of aiding Chhatra League's attack on protesting students on July 15, followed by a police assault two days later. Sajjadul Islam, a JU English Department student, filed the case with Ashulia police station, naming then-Vice Chancellor Nurul Alam as the main accused. He was listed as the seventh accused for his alleged role in the attacks. Read more: HC orders MP Salam Murshedy to hand over Gulshan house to govt