Police
180-strong female police unit leaves for Congo to join MONUSCO
Some 180 members of Female Formed Police Unit (FPU) of Bangladesh Police have left for Congo to join the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
The unit left for Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, on a chartered flight of Ethiopian Airlines from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday night, said a press release of the police headquarters on Sunday evening.
Members of BANFPU-1 (Rotation-16), MONUSCO, DRC headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Marufa Yasmin will replace BANFPU-1 (Rotation-15), MONUSCO, DRC. The formed police unit has 14 commanding staff including Deputy Commander Mohammad Shafiul Islam.
Police Headquarters DIG (Operations) Md Hyder Ali Khan and members of the Police Headquarters Overseas and UN Operations Section saw off the peacekeepers bound for DR Congo at the airport.Note that Bangladesh Police FPU unit was sent to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo for the first time in 2005.
Bangladesh Police has been sending Female FPU to Democratic Republic of Congo since 2011. Since 2019, the Bangladesh Police's officers have been serving the mission as Individual Police Officer (IPO) with reputation.
Police prevented BNP’s road march in Patuakhali, local leaders say
Local leaders in Patuakhali said that police prevented BNP’s road march programme — to press home demands including resignation of the government, addressing price hike of daily essentials, and release of BNP leaders and activists in jail on “false” cases.
Leaders and activists of BNP gathered in front of its Patuakhali district unit office with processions to join the programme.
Also read: Govt unleashes police to foil BNP’s rallies
When they started their road march programme at 10 am, police obstructed them, they said. A scuffle took place among the leaders and activists of BNP and police, leaving six people including district unit Chhatra Dal President Ujjal Talukdar injured, said Snehangshu Sarkar, member secretary of district unit BNP.
Additional police have been deployed at the BNP office.
3 police stations get new OCs
Three police stations of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have got new officers-in-charge (OCs).
The three stations are Banani, Kamrangirchar and Uttarkhan police stations.
An official order signed by DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq was issued on Tuesday.
DMP Detective Branch (Motijheel Division) Police Inspector Kazi Abul Kalam has been transferred as Officer-in-charge to Uttarkhan Police Station, Police Inspector (Investigation) of Kamrangichar Police Station Mohammad Mostafa Anwar has been promoted as Officer-in-charge of Kamrangichar Police Station and Officer-in-charge of Kamrangichar Police Station Md. Mostafizur Rahman has been transferred as Officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station.
In the same order, Officer-in-charge of Uttarkhan Police Station Mohammad Abdul Majeed has been transferred to Detective Branch (Motijheel Division) and Officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station Mohammad Noor-e-Azam Miah has been transferred to Detective Branch-Cyber Special Crime (South) Division.
Man surrenders to police after ‘killing wife’ in Dinajpur
A man has surrendered to police allegedly after killing his wife at Ghasipara in Dinajpur district town on Friday night, said police.
The deceased was identified as Sumaiya Akter, 27, wife of Monwar Hossain of the area.
Sheikh Mohammad Jinnah, superintendent of Dinajpur police said Monwar used to live with his second wife Sumaiya on the 3rd floor of a building in the area after divorce with first wife.
Around 3am to 4 am on Friday night, he strangled Sumaiya to death and kept the body in a wardrobe of the house, he said quoting Monwar.
Also read: 2 killed over land dispute in Dinajpur
Later, at 10 pm, Monwar went to the Kotwali Police Station and surrendered.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Dinajpur M Abdur Rahim Medical College and Hospital.
Police are trying to unearth the motive behind the killing, said SP.
Ensure utmost security on Feb 21: IGP to police officers
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has directed police officers to ensure maximum security on February 21, observed as International Mother Language Day and Language Martyrs Day.
"Security measures should be taken after reviewing the intelligence information and security risks to deal with any untoward situation considering the gravity and spirit of Ekushey February," he said at a virtual meeting from the police headquarters on Thursday.
All metropolitan commissioners of police, range DIGs, district superintendents of police and heads of other units joined the meeting.
He also ordered to ensure close monitoring of social media as well as bringing central Shaheed Minars under surveillance in major cities of the country to avoid untoward incidents.
The IGP warned the police force about rumors, stating, "Stern action will be taken against rumor-mongers."
"Like in the past, citizens of the country should be able to observe the International Mother Language Day peacefully," the IGP hoped.
Additional IGPs Md Kamrul Ahsan, Md Atiqul Islam, Md Mazharul Islam and senior officials were also present at the meeting.
Read more: IGP directs police officers to provide proper legal assistance to those who need it
'We are moving forward due to the positive role of police': Home Minister
Lauding the positive role of police in maintaining peace and order, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said the law enforcement agency is now a symbol of dependability and confidence to the public.
Besides, the police force has now become a friend of the people, the minister said while speaking at the 48th founding anniversary of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Saturday as the chief guest.
He said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamed of creating DMP, the journey of DMP started with his efforts. Today DMP has turned 48 years. DMP has 50 police stations and several units, which are always working to maintain law and order situations.
"CTTC was established in DMP under the direction of the Prime Minister following the rise of militancy. Since then the CTTC unit was able to suppress the militancy with great success," added the minister.
"Maintaining peace and order in Dhaka, home of 2 crore people, is not an easy task. But DMP has been able to provide security to the people very successfully."
Khandker Golam Faruq, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) presided over the programme.
In his speech, he said that the capacity of DMP has increased a lot. "Strict legal action will be taken to protect the security of the people and the sovereignty of the state if any person or group commits acts of militancy, terrorism and sabotage in the future," he added.
Read more: Take service to people’s doorsteps, earn their confidence: PM to police
Clashes, obstruction by ruling party mark BNP’s nationwide march programme
The nationwide march programme at union-level by the BNP to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government, was observed in all the unions on Saturday amid clashes with police and obstruction by ruling party activists.
However, Ganatantra Mancha, Ganatantrik Bam Oikya, the 12-Party Alliance, Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum, and People’s Party, observed a similar programme in different areas of the capital peacefully as part of their simultaneous movement.
The leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies alleged that the police and the Awami League activists obstructed them while holding the programme in different areas.
Contacted, BNP assistant office secretary Taiful Islam Tipu told UNB that their party leaders and activists were attacked and obstructed by police and ruling party activists in almost every district of the country.
“We’re collecting information of the attacks and our party senior leaders will come up with detailed information on it at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 12pm on Sunday,” he said.
Tipu said their party leaders and activists came under attacks at least in 50 places across the country while observing the march programme, leaving more than 300 people injured.
Besides, he said over 200 BNP leaders were arrested in different areas while offices of the BNP and the houses of the party leaders were also attacked in some areas.
UNB correspondents in Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Natore, Kurigran, Bhola, Noakhali, Jashore, Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Jamalpur, Gazipur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalokati, Tangail, Munshiganj, Narsingdi Mymensingh, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Nilphamari reported the incidents of clashes and obstructions over the BNP’s march programmes.
Around 300 opposition activists were injured in clashes with police and the ruling party AL men and police in different places.
In Narayanganj, at least BNP activists were injured in a clash between police and BNP during their march at Panchrukhi in Araihazar upazila.
Lutfur Rahman, former joint secretary of the district unit BNP, said police attacked their procession Panchrukhi, leading to a chase and counter-chase.
Calling voters using loudspeakers by police a great joke: Abbas says about by-polls
BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday said it was a great joke that law enforcers were calling voters to cast their votes as dogs were sleeping at the voting centres during by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 seat.
“By-elections are being held (Wednesday) in various seats, including Brahmanbaria-2. There has been no voters in the polling station since morning. The media are saying three/four dogs are sleeping at a centre in Brahmanbaria,” he said.
In a brief address prior to inaugurating their party’s fourth march programme, the BNP leader said, “Allah saves us as the dogs have no right to vote…I have just got the news that the police are urging voters to come to the polling station using loudspeakers. I have never heard such a great joke in my life.”
The by-polls to the six parliamentary seats — left vacant after BNP MPs resigned —were held amid some stray incidents on Wednesday.
The six constituencies are: Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2. Advocate Abdus Sattar who resigned from the Brahmanbaria-2 seat contested the by-polls. BNP leaders alleged that the government was playing various tricks to ensure the victory of Sattar, who was expelled from the party.”
Leaders and activists of BNP's Dhaka South City unit marched towards the capital's Malibagh from Kamalapur Stadium, ending the party’s 4-day programme to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
Mirza Abbas formally inaugurated the programme in front of Bir Shrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur around 3:25 pm. The march ended at Malibgah Bazar after parading over nearly a five-kilometre stretch of the road via Mugda and Khilgaon.
Read more: Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas picked up by detectives: BNP
This was the fourth and last such programme of BNP, as the party's Dhaka north city unit marched from Badda to Malibagh on Saturday and the Dhaka south city unit marched from Jatrabari to Jurain on Monday and North City unit marched from Gabtoli to Mirpur on Tuesday.
Abbas urged the government to quit power for holding a credible election under a carter government.
He said the caretaker government was the main demand of the Awami League and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in 1996. “The Prime Minister at that time wanted the caretaker government for life. But they can’t keep their words,” he observed.
The BNP leader said the government has become scared of losing power even seeing a silent march of the BNP. “The fall of this regime is impending and their days are numbered.”
He also said their march is an advanced funeral procession of the current government.
Abbas slammed the government for increasing the power tariff just 19 days after the previous hike.
He said the current ‘fascist and monstrous’ regime must be removed from power to ensure the welfare of the people and protect the country from misrule.
2 detained with 15 gold bars in Khulna
Two males were detained with 15 gold bars from Zero Point of Khulna city on Saturday, police said.
The detainees—Emon and Abul Hossain are from Chattogram and Cumilla.
Enamul Hoque, officer-in-charge of Labanchara police station, said they challenged the duo following their suspicious movement in the Zero Point area in the noon while they got off a bus.
Later, a total of 15 gold bars were recovered from the possession of the detainees, he said.
Read more: 30 gold bars recovered from airport dustbin
During the primary interrogation, the duo admitted that they were heading towards the India border in Satkhira to smuggle, the OC said.
A process is underway to take legal action against the detainees, he added.
Unidentified man's body found in city
Police recovered the body of a man from the city's Lalbagh police station area on Friday.
The identity of the deceased, aged around 35, could not be ascertained immediately, said police.
Nuton Miah, sub-inspector (SI) of Lalbagh police station, said they found the man lying unconscious near the BGB-2 gate around 11:15am. Later, they took him to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead around 12:20pm, the SI added.
The body has been kept at the hospital morgue for an autopsy, SI Nuton Miah said.