United News of Bangladesh

The Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a Law and Order Coordination Cell in preparation for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum. A statement signed by Faisal Hasan, Public Relations Officer (Director) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the cell will coordinate responses to law and order issues during the election period. The emergency contact numbers of the cell are 02-47118700, 02-47118701, 02-47118702 and 02-47118703, while mobile numbers 01550-064226 (WhatsApp) and 01550-064227 have also been provided. Election Commission imposes vehicle restrictions ahead of polls The ministry urged people to contact these numbers for lodging any complaints related to law and order during the election period.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani on Tuesday said that the threatening phone calls received by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bagerhat originated from auto-generated numbers, making it difficult to identify the callers. He said the government is aware of the matter and remains vigilant, and there is no additional concern regarding the Rohingya issue ahead of the election. Nasimul Gani made the remarks while responding to journalists’ queries after the meetings of the Advisory Committee on Government Purchase and the Advisory Committee on Economic Affairs, held at the Cabinet Division conference room at the Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. No application submitted for parole of Jashore jail inmate Saddam: Home Ministry Asked about the threats reportedly made to the Bagerhat DC and SP from different locations, the home secretary said, “We are aware of the issue. Many such calls come from auto-generated numbers, which cannot be identified. However, we are remaining alert.” Responding to another question regarding the purchase of vehicles for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Nasimul Gani said the government is ensuring that public funds remain within the public sector. “Pragati Industries is Bangladesh’s first automobile manufacturer and it is state-owned. That is why we want to purchase vehicles from there.” When asked whether the vehicles would be procured ahead of the election, he clarified that the approval was not election-related. “Only the approval has been given today. The procurement process will take time, and the vehicles will arrive much later.” He explained that the process would be a phased one, stating that after placing the order, Pragati Industries would import components from Japan using the allocated funds. Home Ministry bars Bishwa Ijtema gatherings before national election Responding to rumours that Rohingya camps were being sealed ahead of the election, Nasimul Gani dismissed the claim, saying movement would not be restricted. “Why wouldn’t they be able to move outside the compound? Of course, people will be able to move. People have to go out to earn their livelihood.” Asked whether the Rohingya issue posed any additional concern ahead of the election, he said, “There is no extra concern regarding the Rohingya issue during the election. Now there are cards, and entry will be through scanning.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday said no application was submitted seeking the release of Jashore Central Jail prisoner Jewel Hasan Saddam on parole after the death of his wife and child. In a statement, the ministry said neither Saddam’s family nor anyone else applied to the Jashore Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate or the Jashore Central Jail authorities for his parole release. It was decided to bring the bodies of his wife and child to the Jashore jail gate as per the verbal request of Saddam’s family, it said. Considering the humanitarian aspect, the Jashore district administration and the jail authorities extended maximum cooperation, the statement said. Read More: Home Ministry condoles Khagrachhari killings, vows justice The ministry also said reports published in some media outlets and on social media claiming that an application for parole had been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner or jail authorities were incorrect. The Home Ministry urged the media to uphold people’s right to information by presenting accurate and objective news. Earlier, Saddam’s wife Kaniz Subarna Swarnali and their nine-month-old child were found dead at their residence in Sabekdanga village of Bagerhat Sadar upazila. Police later recovered the bodies and brought them to Jashore Central Jail so that Saddam could see them once. Read More: Audio clip spread on social media in adviser’s name fake: Home Ministry According to jail officials, BCL leader Saddam was briefly taken inside the prison to view the bodies. He touched his wife and held his child in his arms for the first and last time, as the child was born while he was in jail. Jashore Central Jail Superintendent Abid Ahmed said Saddam was transferred to the jail on December 15 and has been detained there in multiple cases.

The government of Bangladesh is ready to provide any support needed for BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s security, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Tuesday (December 02). Talking to reporters after a meeting of the core committee on law and order at the Secretariat, the adviser said there had been no discussion at the meeting on Tarique Rahman’s return. Read more: Govt declares Khaleda Zia a ‘very very important person’ Asked whether the Home Ministry has made preparations to ensure Tarique’s security, the adviser said, “We are ready for everyone. The Home Ministry is prepared for all, and for those who need special security… whatever special arrangements are required, we are ready to provide them.” No one in Bangladesh faces any security threat, he added. Read more: No specific information over Tarique’s return, says Foreign Adviser

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday said the audio clip circulated on social media in the name of Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury involving Gono Parishad Odhikar leader Nurul Haque Nur is ‘fake or AI-generated’. The fabricated 25-second audio clip shared from multiple accounts including one named ‘Ismail Chowdhury Samrat’ attempted to show the adviser instructing an anonymous police officer regarding Nur, said a statement of the Home Ministry. The ministry clarified that the voice in the clip does not belong to the adviser but is an artificially generated or distorted version. Anyone familiar with the adviser’s voice can easily understand that it is not his voice, the statement said. The ministry said such false and misleading content misinforms the public, spreads rumours and undermines social order and the rule of law. The Ministry of Home Affairs strongly protests the creation and circulation of such fabricated audio recordings and the responsible people will be brought under strict legal action, it said. The ministry also cautioned against making or spreading any fake audio or content on social media and warned that legal action will be taken against those involved in such activities.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has transferred 16 senior officials of Bangladesh Police, including five additional deputy inspectors general (Additional DIGs), 10 superintendents of police (SPs) and one additional superintendent of police. The Public Security Division of the ministry issued a notification on Wednesday regarding this. According to the notification, among the Additional DIGs, one has been posted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), while the Additional DIG of Rajshahi has been transferred to Sylhet Range. Police killed 52 people at Jatrabari in Dhaka on Aug 5: BBC report An official from the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) has been moved to the Police Headquarters, another from Police Headquarters to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Headquarters and one from the Special Branch (SB) has been transferred to the Traffic Division in Dhaka, it said.  

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Saturday said the Home Ministry is fully prepared to maintain law and order during the upcoming national election, regardless of the date set by the Chief Adviser. “Minor incidents may happen during elections. However, such occurrences should not be used to claim that there is no level playing field,” the adviser said while talking to reporters after visiting the Rapid Action Battalion-1 (RAB-1) Headquarters in Uttara, Dhaka. Referring to the overall law-and-order situation in the country, he said it has significantly improved compared to the past. “This Eid-ul-Azha saw no major incidents, apart from some petty thefts and snatching,” he added. On the issue of traffic congestion during Eid travel and in general, the adviser noted: “Ideally, a country should have 20 percent road coverage, whereas we have only 7 percent. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles is rising daily, making traffic management a major challenge.”  Election possible before Ramadan: Prof Yunus tells Tarique Earlier in the day, during a visit to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Headquarters in Uttara, the adviser addressed the issue of arming the police. “Different units of the police force have different needs in terms of weapons. Armed Police require different equipment than the River Police or the Industrial Police. Weapons will be supplied based on specific demands,” he said. The adviser, however, clarified that the government would refrain from supplying heavy arms to regular police forces.

The government is actively working to implement the rightful demands of workers including the garment workers as the government is sincere about their demands, according to a statement of the Home Affairs Ministry.“The government is highly sincere and agreed to the rightful demands of due wages and benefits of workers including garment workers and other industrial sectors, and it is actively working to implement these demands and is making all-out efforts in this regard. Instructions have been given to factory owners and the BGMEA. Their activities are being monitored," it said.However, creating unrest in the garment industry under the pretext of unfair or unreasonable demands, blocking roads to halt vehicular movement and engaging in anarchy and violence are not acceptable under any circumstances and will not be tolerate, it said. Home adviser pays tributes at Razarbagh Police Memorial The government will take strict action against such activities, it added. To maintain stable and secure environment in garment and other industrial sectors and maintain law and order in the country the government seeks the cooperation of both factory owners and workers, the statement reads.

Molla Nazrul Islam, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police and former superintendent of Sylhet Police Abdul Mannan have been suspended.The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry issued two separate notifications in this regard on Monday.Molla Nazrul, a former commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP), is now attached to Rajshahi Sarda Police Academy.According to the notification, DIG Molla Nazrul Islam was arrested on February 9 and produced before a court. HRW asks ICC to suspend Afghanistan's membershipSP Abdul Mannan was attached to the Rangpur Range DIG office after his arrest on February 9, according to another notification. Later, he was sent to jail after being produced before a court in Sylhet.Both of them were suspended as per Section 39(2) of the Government Service Act, 2018.

Followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi will be allowed to participate in the second phase of Biswa Ijtema from February 14 to 16 at Tongi, on condition of refraining from organising any Tabligh activities or arranging the event in 2026. The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry issued a notice in this regard on Tuesday.According to the notice, Maulana Saad’s followers can hold the second phase of Biswa Ijtema as scheduled on February 14-16 but must vacate the Ijtema ground to the local administration after Maghrib prayers on February 18. 1st phase of Biswa Ijtema underway in Tongi The venue will then be transferred to the Shura-e-Nizam (followers of Maulana Zubair) on February 20. The first phase of Ijtema, organised by Maulana Zubair’s followers, took place from January 31 to February 2. They are scheduled to return the Ijtema ground to the local administration on February 6.Four people were killed and 40 were injured in a clash between two factions of Tabligh Jamaat at the Biswa Ijtema ground in Tongi on December 18, 2024. Fire Service strengthens safety measures at Ijtema ground On December 19, Maulana Zubair's follower M Alam Hossain filed a murder case against 29 people at the Tongi West Police Station naming Wasiful Islam as the main accused.