United News of Bangladesh

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam on Sunday instructed field-level police officers to take tough action against extortion, robbery and drug-related crimes. Speaking at a virtual meeting from Police Headquarters with all unit chiefs, metropolitan police commissioners, range DIGs and district superintendents of police, the IGP emphasised that law and order must be maintained at any cost. He said legal action should be taken against anyone involved in extortion, terrorism or drug offences, regardless of political affiliation. The IGP also directed the Highway Police to intensify measures to prevent highway robberies and urged district police to cooperate closely to stop such crimes. Additional IGPs from the police headquarters were present during the meeting.  

A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for violating a young girl at Kamrangirchar in Dhaka in 2009. Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Munshi Md Mashier Rahman pronounced the punishment. The lifers are—Shahidul Islam, Saiful Islam, Nizam and Manir Hossain alias Sentu. Among them, Saiful was tried in absentia. The court also fined Tk one lakh each, in default, to suffer one year more in jail. 5 arrested in Dhaka for breaching election code; awarded jail terms, fines The court also asked the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka to deposit the fine money after selling the assets of the convicts. According to the prosecution, the 25-year-old victim along with her friend went to Beribadah at Ashrafabad in Kamrangirchar on September 25, 2009. At one stage, her friend went to her home leaving her alone in the area. Later, the convicts picked up the girl to a boat and violated the girl in turns on boat. Meanwhile, the convicts kept the girl confined to a room of the house of one Salam Contractor. Being informed, the parents of the girl rescued her from the house and took her to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Biman MD, his wife, sent to jail for torturing domestic help A case was filed with Kamrangirchar Police Station. Sub-inspector of Kamrangirchar Police Station Shafiqul Islam Shikdar submitted chargehseet against them on October 31, 2010.

The Forest Department has detained 22 fishermen for illegally entering the Mandarbaria area of the western Sundarbans. The detainees are residents of different areas of Patuakhali and Bagerhat districts. Satkhira Range Assistant Conservator of Forests Mashiur Rahman said the fishermen entered the reserved forest area without permission and were fishing illegally on Friday. During the drive, officials seized two trawlers and various fishing equipment. They also recovered 410 kilograms of Shapla Pata fish, a species banned for catching as it is considered endangered. A case was filed against them under the Forest Act on Saturday morning and they were sent to jail following a court order, he said. Later, the seized fish were buried on the riverbank. However, the fishermen claimed they were fishing in the Bay of Bengal and lost their way due to dense fog, drifting near the Mandarbaria area. They said they did not catch fish from the Sundarbans rivers.  

Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of a village doctor in Sharsha upazila of Jashore on Thursday night. The arrestees are Alauddin Ala, son of Abul Hossain; Lalon Hossain, son of Jamir Hossain; and Selim Mia, son of Abdul Kader, all residents of Dakshin Burujbagan village in Sharsha upazila. Sharsha Police Station OC (Investigation) Shah Alam said they were sent to jail through the Jashore court after initial interrogation. The victim, Al Amin, son of Rafiqul Islam of the Sharsha Navaron area, was stabbed by attackers around 9:30 pm while returning home after offering prayers. According to police and local sources, a group of assailants suddenly attacked him with sharp weapons and fled, leaving him critically injured. Locals found him lying in a bloodied condition and rushed him to Sharsha Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead. The victim’s family filed a case with Sharsha Police Station the following day, on February 20.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted separate drives in the capital and arrested 12 members of a honey trap gang, including two women The arrestees were identified as Tuliya Akter alias Sumi, 20; Dulali alias Mim, 20; Md Omar Faruk, 32; Md Shafiqul Islam Shanto, 38; Md Sajal Talukder, 38; Yasin, 43; Md Nasir Khan, 46; Saddam, 34; Mehedi Hasan Shahriya, 30; Azizul Hakim Tutul, 32; Md Kamrul Islam, 38; and Md Rabbi, 25. Deputy Commissioner (DC-Wari Division) of the DMP Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami gave this information at a press conference organized at the DMP Media Center on Tuesday afternoon. The DC (Wari Division) said, during investigation into two separate cases it was revealed that the arrestees were members of the same organised gang. Acting on intelligence and using technological support, several teams from Jatrabari and Demra police stations conducted joint drives simultaneously in different areas of the capital on February 15 and 16 and arrested the 12 accused. Members of the gang abducted two persons from the Saidabad Janapad intersection and took them to a house on Matuyail Kabarstan Road under Jatrabari Police Station on January 11 around 5:20am last month. The victims were confined and assaulted, and objectionable photographs were taken with two unidentified women. The gang then demanded Tk 10 lakh as ransom and threatened to circulate the photos among the victims’ relatives and on social media if the money was not paid. The accused also took Tk 48,000 in cash, a two-vori silver chain, a diamond ring, and withdrew a total of Tk 5,31,500 through bKash and debit cards from ATM booths before releasing the victims, the DC said. A regular case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station on January 13 in this connection. In another incident, a man became intimate with arrested Tuliya Akter Sumi through social media. At her request, he met her in front of Staff Quarter Hossain Plaza under Demra Police Station on December 15. As Tuliya proposed the man to visit her house, he agreed and went to her residence. After he reached there, he was assaulted by 6–7 unidentified persons who demanded Tk 8 lakh. When he refused to pay, the gang threatened to kill him. Eventually, he gave them Tk 48,500 in cash, two one-vori gold rings, and Tk 4,46,500 sent by his family through bKash. He was later threatened again and forced out of the house. Following a complaint filed by the victim, Mokhlesur, a case was lodged with Demra Police Station on January 13. Preliminary investigation found that the gang used social media to develop relationships with targeted individuals and then lured them into traps to extort cash and valuables. Police said efforts are underway to arrest other members of the gang and legal action against the detainees is in process.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday convicted a woman and sentenced her to death in a case filed in connection with the Dhanmondi double murder in 2019. Judge of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan and Session Judge Court-7, Tauhida Akter handed down the punishment. The convict is Surovi Akter, domestic help of deceased Afroza Begum. The court also fined her Tk 50,000, in default to suffer five-months more in rigorous imprisonment. Youth’s body recovered from Dhanmondi Lake The court also acquitted Bachhu Mia, a worker of the house, as allegations brought against him could not be proved. According to the prosecution, police recovered the bodies of Afroza Begum, 65 and her housemaid Diti, 18 from a house at Lobelia House in Dhanmondi area of the capital on November 1, 2019. A case was filed with Dhanmondi Police Station on November 3, 2019. Police submitted chargesheet against Surovi and Bachhu Mia on February 1, 2022.

The presiding officer of Salimunnesa Girls’ School polling centre under Jhenaidah-4 constituency was removed from election duty on Wednesday night following the seizure of 23 signed result sheets. The removed officer, Jasmine Ara, was serving as presiding officer at Centre No. 5 of Kaliganj Municipality. She is also an assistant engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering. Returning Officer and Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Masud said around 10:30pm that Kaliganj Shaheed Noor Ali College senior lecturer Shamsuzzaman Khan has been appointed as the new presiding officer. He said such irresponsible activities would not be tolerated in the interest of ensuring a free and fair election. According to officials, 23 result sheets signed by agents of the ‘sheaf of paddy’ and ‘scale’ symbols were recovered from the centre around 8pm. After receiving the information, Executive Magistrate and Chief Executive Officer of Jhenaidah District Council Selim Reza and Assistant Returning Officer and Kaliganj UNO Rizwana Nahid visited the centre. Selim Reza said the signed result sheets were seized and torn up, adding that the incident would not affect the election process. He also said fresh result sheets have been ordered to be prepared. Jasmine Ara said she had signed the result sheets without realising it was a mistake and later tore them up after understanding the error.

A summary trial court on Wednesday detained and sentenced five people, including a Jamaat-e-Islami activist, for violating the election code of conduct in different areas of the capital. In Sutrapur, a Jamaat worker, Habibur Rahman, 63, was caught red-handed while allegedly preparing to distribute cash. He was sentenced to two days’ imprisonment by Lalbagh Division Special Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman through an on-the-spot summary trial. Law enforcers seized 12 envelopes containing Tk 500 each from his possession, totaling Tk 6,000. The money was confiscated in favour of the state, said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Muhammad Talebur Rahman. In a separate incident, the Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Wari Division sentenced one person to one month’s imprisonment and another to seven days’ imprisonment for roaming without satisfactory reason. Meanwhile, Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Motijheel Division Mahidur Rahman sentenced two persons to 10 days’ imprisonment each in a case filed by Mugda Police Station. They were convicted under Section 75 of the DMP Ordinance for making negative comments about the police and being detained by members of the public, said the official.  

At least nine people from both sides were injured in a clash between leaders and activists of the BNP and an independent candidate in the West Gate area behind Joypurhat Government College on Wednesday afternoon. The injured were identified as Al Hamza, 31, of Nagarkanda in Faridpur; Tanjid, 29, Sohag, 24, Rohan, 26, and Abdullah, 26, all from Faridpur district headquarters; Toufiq Hossain, 27, of Danejpur in Panchbibi upazila; Roman Hossain, 39, of Tajur More area adjacent to Joypurhat Sugar Mill; and Rajib Hossain, 41, and Al Amin, 36, of Shantinagar Mohalla. They are undergoing treatment at Joypurhat General Hospital. Quoting locals, police said the clash broke out around 4:30pm when independent candidate Sabekun Nahar (Shikha), contesting with the horse symbol in the Joypurhat-1 (Sadar and Panchbibi) constituency, went to the Government College area with her supporters. An altercation ensued with supporters of BNP-nominated candidate Masud Rana Pradhan, who is contesting with the paddy sheaf symbol. Sabekun Nahar alleged that while she was heading to visit a booth at the college centre with relatives and supporters, activists of the paddy sheaf candidate stopped and harassed her at the college gate. When her supporters intervened, they were attacked, leaving several people, including her brother-in-law, seriously injured. However, Mamunur Rashid Prodhan, younger brother of BNP candidate Masud Rana Prodhan and president of the district Chhatra Dal, alleged that the independent candidate had brought outsiders from Faridpur and was involved in vote buying. When local people and BNP activists tried to stop her, her supporters attacked them, injuring several of their men. Superintendent of Joypurhat General Hospital Dr Rashed Mubarak Jewel said the injured were given primary treatment and are now out of danger. Anisur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Joypurhat Sadar Police Station, said he had heard about the incident but no complaint had been filed yet.

Two BNP activists were detained with more than Tk 1 lakh in Babuganj upazila of Barishal on Wednesday, hours before the national election. Commanding Officer of Army’s 62 East Bengal, Lieutenant Colonel Faiz Ahmed, said that as part of ongoing law and order and election security operations, two motorcycle riders were detained during an operation in the Madhabpasha area of Babuganj in the afternoon. After searching them, Tk 1,02,000 in cash and election-related slips were recovered from their possession. They were later handed over to Babuganj Police Station. Mizanur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of (OC) Airport Police Station, said the detainees identified themselves as BNP workers. They are Humayun Gazi and Enayet Kazi. In addition to the cash, leaflets and voter slips of BNP candidate for Barishal-2 (Babuganj-Muladi) constituency, Ad Joynal Abedin, were recovered from them, he added.