Arrest
2 more associates of PK Halder held in city
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Wednesday detained two more associates of Proshanto Kumar Halder, disgraced director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL), in a money laundering case.
The detainees were Sharmin Ahmed, 42 and Tania Ahmed, 37—two daughters of People’s Leasing Company director Khabir Uddin, one of the main associates of Halder.
Tipped off, the elite force detained them from Dhanmondi and Shyamoli area in the city, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of Rab.
Read: Extradition of PK Halder has to go through legal process: Indian envoy
Halder now in jail as Indian intelligence team arrested him.
Halder reportedly amassed Tk 3,600 crore and laundered the money abroad while performing his duties as director at ILFSL.
Besides, on January 8, the Anti-Corruption Commission also lodged a complaint against Halder for acquiring wealth of around Tk 275 crore beyond any known income sources and money laundering.
Mother, daughter raped for 7 days in Sylhet; 2 held
Police have arrested two people in connection with the rape of a woman and her 15-year-old daughter for seven days in Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet district.
The arrestees are Matin Miah, manager of Supreme Filling Station of Goaulbazar area of Osmaninagar upazila and Bulbul, 40, owner of Bogura hotel of the same area.
SM Mayeen Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Osmaninagar Police Station, said the mother, hailing from Netrokona district, used to work at the Bogura hotel and lived with her daughter at a rented house beside the hotel at the upazila headquarters.
Read: Female UP member ‘gang-raped’ in Faridpur, one held
The culprits picked up the mother and her daughter and rape them after taking to several places for seven days from June 14 to 20, he said.
Escaping from the hostage of the rapists, the mother filed a complaint accusing the two under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with the police station on August 04, he said.
The rape survivors are now undergoing treatment at One-Stop-Crisis Centre of Sylhet MAG Osmain Medical College and Hospital, the OC said adding that the arrestees were sent to a court.
Assault on Faridpur journo: Main accused held
Rab members have detained Japan Mollah, main accused in a case over assaulting a journalist in Faridpur, from a house in the capital’s Jatrabari area Wednesday evening.
Japan is the younger brother of Saifur Rahman Saifar, mayor of Alfadanga municipality in Faridpur.
According to witnesses, Mujahidul Islam Naim, staff correspondent of Dhaka Times and organizing secretary of Faridpur Press Club, was attacked by Japan and some other miscreants on Monday over a trifling matter.
The attackers beat him up mercilessly with rod, cricket stumps and locally-made weapon, leaving him critically injured.
Read: Sunamganj journalist assault: 1 more held
He was first admitted to Alfadanga Upazila Health Complex and shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for better treatment.
A case was filed with Alfadanga Police Station in this regard on Tuesday. Police detained a suspect named Parul Begum who was later produced before the court and sent to jail.
Group seeks ex-Sri Lankan president's arrest in Singapore
A human rights group said Sunday it had filed a criminal complaint with Singapore’s attorney general to seek the arrest of Sri Lanka’s former president for alleged war crimes during his country’s civil war.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted from office over his country's economic collapse and fled to Singapore earlier this month. He was defense secretary during Sri Lanka’s civil war, which ended in 2009.
The International Truth and Justice Project — an evidence-gathering organization administered by a South Africa-based nonprofit foundation —said its lawyers filed the complaint requesting Rajapaksa’s immediate arrest. The complaint alleges Rajapaksa committed grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions during the civil war "and that these are crimes subject to domestic prosecution in Singapore under universal jurisdiction.”
Sri Lanka's economic crisis has left the nation’s 22 million people struggling with shortages of essentials, including medicine, fuel and food. Months of protests have focused on the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has ruled the country for most of the past two decades.
Read: Sri Lankan president urged not to use force on protesters
“The economic meltdown has seen the government collapse, but the crisis in Sri Lanka is really linked to structural impunity for serious international crimes going back three decades or more,” said the ITJP’s executive director, Yasmin Sooka.
“This complaint recognizes that it’s not just about corruption and economic mismanagement but also accountability for mass atrocity crimes,” she added.
Sri Lanka’s civil war killed 100,000 people, according to conservative United Nations estimates. The actual number is believed to be much higher. A report from a U.N. panel of experts said at least 40,000 ethnic minority Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of the fighting alone.
Tamil Tiger rebels fought to create an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils. The country’s ethnic Sinhala majority credited Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa with the war victory, cementing the family's political dominance, though accounts of atrocities, autocratic governance and nepotism persisted.
Efforts to investigate allegations of war crimes were largely suppressed under Rajapaksa leaders.
After Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country earlier this month, lawmakers elected Ranil Wickremesinghe to serve the remainder of his presidential term. He declared a state of emergency with broad powers to act to ensure law and order, and a day after he was sworn in, hundreds of armed troops raided a protest camp outside the president’s office, attacking demonstrators with batons.
Rights groups have urged the president to immediately order troops and police to cease use of force and said Friday's display seemed to follow a pattern of Sri Lankan authorities forcefully responding to dissent.
The political turmoil has threatened Sri Lanka's potential for economic recovery. Wickremesinghe recently said bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund were nearing a conclusion.
Another student held over Narail teacher humiliation
Police have arrested another student of Mirzapur United College in a case over the humiliation of acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas in Narail Sadar Upazila as the college reopened on Sunday after closure of 36-days.
The arrestee was identified as Ripon Sheikh Ripu,16, son of Afzal Sheikh and a student of class eleven at Mirzapur United College, said Mahmudur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of the sadar police station.
He was arrested Saturday night for being involved in setting fire to motorcycles of the teachers after identifying him from the video footage, said the OC.
On Sunday, earlier arrested student Rayhan was put on a three-day remand starting from Monday by the cognizance court of Judicial Magistrate Amatul Murshida. Meanwhile, police did not seek remand for Ripon as he is still a minor.
Also read: Narail teacher humiliation: HC orders judicial inquiry
So far eight people have been arrested over the incident.
No students were present Sunday at Mirzapur United College and only 10 to 12 teachers came until noon.
Additional District Magistrate Jubayer Hossain Chowdhury told UNB, “The college has reopened after a long closure and the teachers have been asked to inform all the students about it. At first classes of 12 th grade will begin and then classes of 11 th and degree level will resume gradually.”
However, a teacher of the college said, “We were informed about the college reopening around 12 pm today and were asked to attend it.”
Meanw,hile the humiliated acting principal Swapan Kumar has not returned to his quarters at the college campus since the incident.
Also read: Narail teacher humiliation: Mirzapur United College governing body, another teacher show caused
“The decision to reopen the college was taken on Saturday after 9 pm. As it was a sudden decision it took time to inform all the teachers. Principal Swapan Kumar will join the college after remaining on vacation for several days”, said Advocate Achin Chakraborty, president of the college governing body.
On June 18, a Hindu student of Mirzapur United Degree College made a post on Facebook supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
There was day-long unrest in the college over the post and rumors that acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas had sided with the student, following which police escorted him out of the campus but not before he was garlanded with shoes.
A video of the incident also went viral on social media that sparked huge criticism.
Different organisations, including Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, lodged protests over the incident and demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in it.
Later, the accused, who made the Facebook post, was arrested and a case was filed against him under the Digital Security Act.
On June 27, three more were arrested in another case filed at the Sadar Police Station police for setting teachers’ vehicles on fire and obstructing police duty.
Police also arrested Rahmat Ullah Roni, the prime accused in this case, from Khulna on June 29.
Faridpur Juba League member detained with foreign pistol, ammos
A Juba League (JL) member and his associate were arrested with a foreign pistol, six rounds of bullets and a magazine from Sadar upazila Friday night.
The arrestees were identified as Shahidul Islam Mojnu, 47, a member of the district JL and also chairman of Ishan Gopalpur union parishad, and his associate Sohail Hossain, 35, a resident of Baitula Aman area of the Sadar upazila.
OC Md Rakibul Islam said they conducted a drive in Babuparra area under the Ishan Gopalpur union around 8:30pm on secret information.
During the drive, the DB members detained Mojnu and his associate Sohail with the pistol and other ammos. Legal action against them was underway, said Rakibul.
Read: UP chairman arrested over clash at AL conference in Rajshahi
Youth associated with journo Rubel killing held in Kushtia
Police arrested a youth associated with the killing of local journalist Hasibur Rahman Rubel from Rajarhat intersection area of Kushtia town on Wednesday night.
The arrestee is Imran Sheikh Emon, 32, son of Shamsul Alam Samu of Courtpara area of the town.
Emon used to be a leader of Kushtia town Jubo League’s (JL) past convening committee. He has four cases of arms, drugs, theft and fighting pending against him.
He was also arrested with arms and phensedyl by Rab previously.
Md Khairul Alam, Kushtia’s Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed these matters at a press briefing at the SP’s office on Friday afternoon.
“Emon is directly involved in the killing of journalist Rubel. Besides, Kazi Sohan and Khondker Ashikur Rahman Jewel, who have been previously arrested by Rab, are also involved in the killing,” said Khairul.
Read: Prime accused in Cumilla journo murder case killed in 'gunfight’ with Rab
The SP asserted that Rubel wasn’t killed for doing journalism. He added that police will present Emon before the court and ask for a 10-day remand.
Rubel was working at his office around 9:00pm on July 3 and went to the Singer intersection area of Kushtia town upon receiving a phone call. His decomposed body was found by Pabna river police under Joduboyra bridge in Kushtia’s Kumarkhali upazila four days later.
Rubel’s uncle Mizanur Rahman filed a case with Kumarkhali police station in this regard the next day, based on which the arrests were made.
Hasibur Rahman Rubel was the Editor(Acting) of local daily ‘Kushtiar Khabar’ and the Kushtia Correspondent of national daily ‘Amader Notun Shomoy’. He was also the General Secretary of Kushtia Reporters’ Club.
Two sent to jail for possessing deer meat in Bhola
Monpura Senior Judicial Magistrate Court on Friday sent two people to jail for illegally possessing 8kg deer meat in a case filed by the forest department under Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012.
The two have been identified as Md Arif and Md Shakil, from Dasherhat village of Hazirhat union under the upazila.
According to Md Abbas Ali, Beat Officer of Pocha Koralia forest department, a team led by him detained the two hunters from Charpiyal restricted forest area under Monpura’s South Sakuchia union in a covert operation early Friday.
“Later, we brought them to Monpura forest department’s range office and filed a case against them,” Abbas said.
Md Moinul Islam, Range Officer of Monpura forest department, confirmed the matter.
Read: Father-son arrested with deer meat in Bagerhat
Police arrest 3 with Yaba pills in Brahmanbaria
Police arrested three people including a woman with 1,200 pieces of Yaba from Nabinagar municipality area of Brahmanbaria Thursday night.
The arrestees have been identified as Liton Dev, his wife, Moni Rani Dev, and accomplice Mainul Islam. They are residents of Nabinagar municipality.
Aminur Rashid, officer-in-charge (OC) of Nabinagar police station, said on secret information they conducted a drive at the house of alleged drug peddler Liton Dev on Thursday night.
He said police team found the Yaba pills from the possession of the trio during the drive.
Read: Rab nabs 4, including cop, with Yaba pills in Ctg
A case related to drug peddling against them was filed at the local police station; the OC said adding that the arrestees have several earlier cases on drug peddling against them.
Arrest warrant issued against City Group chairman
A Chattogram court Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Fazlur Rahman, chair of City Group, in a case filed in 2019 by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).
Fourth Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Shariful Islam gave the order after framing charges in the case, Advocate Ashraf Khandaker, public prosecutor for the BSTI, told UNB.
BSTI filed the case on October 20, 2019, claiming the Vitamin A content in City Group's edible oil brand "Teer" fell short of what the company advertised.
The BSTI examines the quality of edible oils refined and marketed in Bangladesh in line with the Vitamin A Enrichment in Edible Oil Act 2013.
According to the Vitamin A Enrichment Act 2013, no edible oil can be sold, stored, supplied, marketed, or commercialised without vitamin A enrichment.
Read: SCB, Kumudini, City Group delivering food to 25,000 families
Ashraf said after the case was filed, Fazlur was summoned by the court but he failed to appear.
"The City Group chair was later granted bail by the High Court. He used to extend the time from the lower court without appearing before the court physically. As he did not appear before the court, the magistrate issued the arrest warrant in the case," he added.