Police
Police were always in favour of AL 'no matter who stayed in power': Land Minister
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed on Saturday said the police administration had always had an understanding with leaders and activists of Awami League (AL) -- directly and indirectly -- no matter who was in power.
He made the remarks while speaking at a programme organised by Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Saturday.
Javed came up with the remarks a day after Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen reportedly said that he urged the Indian government to back Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina so that she can stay in power, at a Janmashtami programme in Chattogram on Thursday.
Read: Those who are in power with others’ help can’t rule Bangladesh: Fakhrul
It would be difficult for the AL to stay in power if the police were tough, aggressive, and extreme to the party, he added.
“The AL came to power through a 21-year struggle. During hard times, police always showed that soft corner for the AL," Javed said.
"Prime Minister is not ungrateful and she has shown her gratitude to the police through her activities after coming to power."
5 motorbike lifters held in city
Police in a drive arrested five members of a motorbike theft gang including its ringleader from Shanir Akhra and Dhalpur areas of the capital on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
The arrestee were Nur Mohammad, 26, Rabin, 23, Sajal, 18, Manir, 22 and Akash, 22. Nur was the ringleader of the gang.
Police in a simultaneous drives in Sanir Akhra and Dhalpur arrested them after checking the CCTV footage of Wari and Gendaraia areas of the capital during investigation of two motorbike theft cases, said a press release of DMP issued on Wednesday.
Read:BSF arrest Bangladeshi youth from Kaliganj border
After interrogation, it was known that the arrestees had long been involved in stealing motorbike from different parts of the city.
Nur Mohammad is the ringleader of the gang and he used to work at a furniture shop in Juraine.
Postagola Bridge, Mawa Road, Srinagar Bypass via Meghula Bazar and Dohar routes and Keraniganj, Joypara and Dohar routes were used as safe spots for stealing bikes.
Sajal, Manir and Akash were involved in brining customers to sell the stolen bikes, it said.
The gang has been able to steal over 500 motorbikes since 2015.
Besides, Nur was wanted in four cases, Robin in three cases and the others were wanted in one case.
Traffic gridlock: DMP requests passengers to arrive at Dhaka airport early
Due to traffic gridlock caused by an ongoing Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) project, police have requested Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport-bound passengers to leave their homes early so that they can arrive on time.
Traffic (Uttara Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) urged the passengers to do so as the work of the project has narrowed the road to the airport.
Read: Salman dissatisfied with services at airport
DMP Joint Commissioner (Traffic North) Abu Saleh Md Raihan said vehicle movement has been suspended in three lanes of the road, leading to heavy congestion. "So, airport-bound passengers need to set out ahead of time."
"As the road has been separated into two, passengers need to stick to the left lane after passing Le Méridien Dhaka and Kawla. Those travelling from Khilkhet to Uttara or to Gazipur need to head out early," he added.
Is Hero Alam the problem or social media ?
The Hero Alam episode has been a bad advertisement for the state as a culture controller. Not that they are feeling embarrassed about it. As the police told the media, they have received many complaints against Hero Alam’s singing. So they brought him in. And the police told him not to do the singing which irritates many, at least going by the complaints.
What is odd is that the police thought this to be worth noticing. As they act when under pressure, it seems a large section of the elite are seriously unhappy and feel “threatened” by Hero Alam.
The police of course had another axe to grind. As they told the media, he had been using a police uniform in some of his videos acting as police bosses wearing constables’ dress. This had insulted the force in general.
Also read: Accept Hero Alam’s nomination, HC orders EC
What was unexpected is the response from social media which was overwhelmingly against such action. Hero was turned into a victim and a public hero. Many said the police had no business deciding what is culturally appropriate. That Alam was from the bottom and the police were shutting down a voice from there. Hero Alam had suddenly become a voice of a cultural class war.
So where is the conflict ?
Ex-Minister Murad who was sacked after rape threat tapes were leaked is reportedly one of the complainants. In a You Tube interview, he said, “ I was at an event where he was singing. He probably didn’t recognize me. After he finished singing I told him “have you no shame. ? The impudence you showed in singing is astounding. You need voice, talent, knowledge of music and you have none. Given the voice and the face God has given you, you should sing for the lower class which is your audience and should not come to Gulshan to sing. “
Admitting that Hero Alam had an audience who listened to him on You tube, his ire was that he should be singing in front of He had no doubt that he sang for the lower class and it’s Gulshan that was offended.
Also read: DB quizzes Hero Alom for controversial video content
The matter has been here for long but the issue is not about his singing but the control of social media. No one controls social media and that is anxiety creating. Hero Alam insults the establishment culture by his singing and it can’t be stopped on social media. Anyone studying popular culture will know that Facebook has built a virtual alternate world of culture which neither the establishment nor the shushils can recognize. With millions of views with which no mainstream product can compete, the sense of lack of control is high. And its growing.
The conflict is not about who sings Tagore but who controls social media. The outcome is obvious. The state has turned Alam into a Hero. And the battle has no chance of ending right now, no matter how many times police class.
Police tow truck runs over Cambrian student in Gulistan
A 17-year-old student on a motorcycle was killed Thursday night after police said one of their tow trucks, also called wreckers, ran over him in the capital's Gulistan.
Tenth-grader Mahatab Ahmed Tahsin of Cambrian School and College's Keraniganj branch was from Lohajang, Munshiganj. He lived with his family in Dhaka's Wari.
The hit-and-run crash occured in front of the Paltan Maidan Outer Stadium at 9:30pm as a tow truck of police crushed Tahsin under its wheels, Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost, said.
The critically injured Tahsin was rushed to DMCH where he was declared dead at 10pm. His sister Sabiha Jannat Arpa said: "I heard that a wrecker of the police ran over my brother in front of the stadium and sped away."
Tahsin's body was kept at the DMCH morgue for autopsy, Bachchu said.
Also read: CU student killed in Kolkata road accident
Police kill 6 armed drug traffickers in southern Iran
The Iranian police have seized 697 kg of illicit drugs and killed six armed smugglers in an operation in the southern province of Kerman, provincial police chief Abdolreza Nazeri said on Tuesday.
Additionally, three assault rifles and large quantities of ammunition were discovered from the smugglers, Nazeri was quoted as saying by state TV.
In the operation, one police officer was killed and five others were injured by the armed drug traffickers, he added.
Iran has been suffering from drug trafficking given its location at the crossroads of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe.
Read: Woman held for drug trafficking in DU
Over the past few decades, Iran's eastern and southeastern borders have seen deadly clashes between Iranian security forces and armed drug smugglers. Unx4
Armed assailants kill 6 at Mexico rehab center.
Rio police raid leaves 18 dead in favelas
At least 18 people were killed on Thursday during a police raid targeting a crime group at the Almao favelas in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, police reported.
Among the dead were a 50-year-old woman, who was hit by a stray bullet during the raid, and a police officer, police spokesman Ivan Blaz said at a press conference.
Four suspects accused of killing police officers were arrested during the operation, in which 400 officers were involved and supported by four helicopters and 10 armored vehicles.
Read: Death toll from Brazil floods at least 91, with dozens lost
Blaz described the situation in the region as "very tense," saying that the criminal ring had expanded from drug trafficking to robbing cargo trucks entering the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The dragnet aimed to locate and arrest the gang members, who planned to enter other favelas Thursday to carry out vehicle thefts, Lieutenant Colonel Uira do Nascimento Ferreira of the Special Operations Battalion of the militarized police in Rio said at the press conference. ■
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.
Police: Shooting in Newark wounds 9; all expected to survive
Nine people, including a teenager, were wounded Thursday evening in gunfire outside a neighborhood grocery shop in Newark, police said.
All of the victims are expected to survive and police are searching for a vehicle believed to have been involved in the shooting, Acting Newark Public Safety Director Raul Malave told reporters at the scene.
Five of the victims, including a 17-year-old, brought themselves to a hospital. Four other victims were taken to a hospital by emergency responders, Malave said.
Also read: 2 killed in mass shooting in Norway; more than a dozen hurt
Officers responded to the residential neighborhood at about 6:19 p.m. after an alert from the city's ShotSpotter system, which can detect gunfire. Police were looking for a white Honda Pilot that was stolen in Jersey City, Malave said.
It wasn't immediately clear how many people were shooting or why the gunfire started.
Also read: 2 dead, 2 wounded in Alabama church shooting; suspect held
3 cops hurt in bid to free arrestee in Khulna
Three cops were injured after a group of miscreants allegedly attacked a police team and vandalised their vehicle in a bid to free an arrestee in Khulna.
The miscreants attacked the police team around 11.30pm on Monday in the Purba Baniakhamar area of the city during a raid, said Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station.
The injured cops have been identified as inspector (investigation) Shahriar Hasan, sub-inspector Rakibul Islam Rakib and constable Mahabub Islam from Khan Jahan Ali police station.
Also read: Highways to calm Padma bridge traffic in Khulna
Inspector Shahriar said they arrested a man named Khairul, 30, from Pother Bazar Check Post with 500 gm gunpowder around 4.30pm on Monday.
"Around 9pm, we arrested two more people, named Ismail Hossain and Ibrahim Hossain, following a raid in the Bara Masjid Mor area after Khayrul named them during interrogation," he said.
Also read: Hi-Tech Park to turn Khulna industrial area into tech-based zone: Palak
On their way back, Khairul’s father Mohammad with some people attacked the police vehicle. "They tried to free Khairul but failed," said inspector Shahriar Hasan.
Steps will be taken against the attackers, said OC Hasan.