CID
Launch fire: CID collects DNA samples of missing passenger families in Barguna
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)of police in Barguna on Monday started collecting DNA samples from families of missing passengers of MV Avijan-10 to identify the unclaimed bodies.
Earlier on Sunday, the district administration urged the family members looking for their missing relatives to submit their samples to identify the 23 unclaimed bodies that were buried in Potkakhali mass graveyard in the Sadar upazila on Saturday.
“We have collected 35 samples today at Barguna General Hospital and we will continue the collection if more people come to claim their missing relatives”, said Robiul Islam, DNA tester, Forensic DNA Laboratory CID, Dhaka.
Also read: Launch fire tragedy: Number of missing remains uncertain on 3rd day of search
A five member team is currently collecting the samples in Barguna, he said.
“We will be able to announce the results at least after a month of collecting the samples, He said.
However, the anxious families of the missing passengers complained the sample collection started at 4 pm six hours past the announced time.
A case filed with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10 Hamjalal Sheikh and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire in the launch has been lodged as a First Information Report on Monday, said Shahidul Islam Milon, inspector (Investigation) of Barguna police station.
The investigation in the case has already started, he said.
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 42 on Monday. Besides, over 81 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Also read: Launch fire: Death toll climbs to 42
However, the exact number of passengers traveling by the launch and the missing passengers is yet to be known.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested Hamjalal Sheikh, one of the owners of launch MV ‘Avijan-10’ on Monday from Keraniganj, in connection with the tragedy in the launch.
Missing Files: 3 more Health Ministry officials taken into custody
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken three employees of the Health Ministry into custody for interrogation in connection with the 17 files of the Ministry that went missing.
Contacted, Additional SP of the CID media wing Azad Rahman told UNB that the three employees were taken into custody for interrogation on Tuesday. He, however, did not disclose the names of the three employees.
Earlier, six other employees of the same ministry were taken in by the CID for interrogation over the same issue. Besides, Nasimul Goni Toton, a contractor of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital, was detained from Keshabpur in Rajshahi city on Monday night, he said.
Read: Files missing from Health Ministry: Man held in Rajshahi
So far ten individuals, including the contractor, are being interrogated by CID, a specialized unit of Bangladesh Police, in connection with the Health Ministry’s missing files.
On October 27, it was revealed that seventeen files of the Health Ministry had gone missing from the ministry’s Health, Education and Family Welfare division. A General Diary (GD) was registered with Shagbagh Police station in connection with the missing files the following day.
The Health Ministry formed a three-member probe body in connection with the incident on October 30. Shah Alam, additional secretary (administration) of Health, Education and Family Welfare division, was made the chief of the probe body.
Quran desecration case against Iqbal, 3 others transferred to CID
Police handed over the Quran desecration case against Iqbal Hossain and three others to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Sunday.
The instruction came from the Police Headquarters, Mohammad Rezwan, police super of Cumilla CID, told UNB.
"Also, the law enforcers took Iqbal to the Daroga Bari Mazar Mosque pond at night. At 11pm the divers found the mace which went missing from Nanuar Dighi puja site in Cumilla city," Parimal Das, inspector of Cumilla Detective Branch of Police, told UNB.
In footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, Iqbal could be seen taking the Quran from a local mosque and entering a Durga Puja site. He is later seen walking away with a mace, taken from an idol of Lord Hanuman.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
3 hijackers arrested over murder of garment worker
Three members of an organised hijacking gang have been arrested from different parts of the country over the murder of a garment worker in Ashulia of Savar.
The arrestees are ringleader Md Aminul, 28, his associates Sagor Molla 28 and Md Yunus,35, according to a CID press release.
Read: DB tracks down airport area robbers near Hatirjheel; 3 arrested
Garment worker Ramjan,19, was killed on October 1 after being stabbed by some hijackers.
Kulsum Begum, aunt of the victim, filed a case with Ashulia Police over the matter on the same night.
The Criminal Investigation Department of Police started investigation following similar reports of snatching in the same area.
A special team of CID arrested Aminul from Narsingdi on Sunday.
Read: UP poll violence: Police arrest son of AL leader in Manikganj
Later, police arrested Sagor from Bagerhat and Yunus from Jamalpur.
During primary interrogation, all of them confessed to killing Ramjan.
CID submits information on 8 money laundering cases to HC
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Sunday submitted information on eight money laundering cases to the High Court.
Information on these cases under financial crimes investigation and signed by CID Special Superintendent of Police Md Humayun Kabi has been submitted as per the HC order.
The accused in the eight cases are - expelled leaders of Juba League Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, Enamul Haque Arman, Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, expelled commissioners Mominul Haque Sayeed, Rajib Hossain Rana, Jamal Bhatara, Shariful Islam, Awlad Hossain, Shajahan Bablu, Nazmul Abedin, Sohela Abedin, AKM Jahid Hossain, A&B Outerwear & Norm Outfit & Accessories Ltd. Chittagong’s CEPZ.
The report also mentioned hacking Bangladesh Bank's vault. Unidentified hackers have been accused in the case as well.
Read: HC wants to know steps taken to prevent money laundering by e-commerce firms
It said that a total of 81 million USD was smuggled to the Philippines and 20 million USD to Sri Lanka. Among them, 14.61 million USD was recovered from the Philippines and 20 million USD from Sri Lanka, the report said. The report contains information on money laundered to 6 countries.
Physician found dead in Dhaka
Police have recovered the body of a young physician from his flat at Nikunjo in the city’s Khilkhet area.
The deceased was identified as Dr Joydeb Chandra Das, 25, son of Dilip Chandra Das of South Salanda Kumarpara under Parbotipur thana in Dinajpur.
Police said they recovered the body from his flat on the 8th floor of a building on Saturday night.
Read:3 members of a family found dead in Mirsarai: 2 held
The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
Khilkhet Police Station SI Russel Pervez said the CID crime scene unit collected evidences from the spot.
Police suspected that Dr Joydeb has committed suicide.
Another director of 24tkt.com arrested
Members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested one of the directors of 24tkt.com, yet another scam operation beneath the veil of e-commerce from the 3Sadarghat area in Old Dhaka, on charge of embezzling money through fraudulence. Mizanur Rahman Sohel is not the first member of the board of directors of 24tkt.com to be arrested.
READ: Money laundered by e-commerce firms to be recovered: Murad Hassan Earlier on October 4, a team of CID arrested another director of 24tkt.com Rakibul Hasan from Chuadanga district. According to the complaint of a customer, the accused in collusion with them embezzled money through providing false information on their websites and Facebook. The e-commerce platform www.24tkt.com launched its website in 2019 and so far it has been used to embezzle Tk 50 crore, police sources said. Besides, a team of cybercrime police of CID arrested an agent of ringID, a social media platform, from Borogram in Kamrangirchar of Dhaka on Sunday. The arrestee was identified as Redwan Rahman, 22. After primary interrogation, Redwan said he got involved in the e-commerce platform as a user and embezzled over Tk 1 crore selling the Id of customers.
READ: More e-commerce scams exposed: 6 officials of Tholay.com, WeCoom.com held
The platform used the well-worn formula introduced by Evaly to defraud people, by offering products at abnormally large discounts, conceding there may be delays but in cases of cancellation or refunds, plus even gimmicky 'cashback' offers, the money would only be returned as far as the customer's 'e-wallet' on the platform, from where it could only be spent again on tkt24.com, and thus effectively never being returned at all.
Mumunul asked to appear before Cumilla court Dec 23
A Cumilla court on Sunday asked Mamunul Haque, former joint secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam and Mawlana Khaled Saifullah Ayubi to appear before it on December 23 in a case filed over delivering provocative speech at a mahfil in 2020.
Judge Irfanul Haque Chowdhury of Cumilla Cognizance Court-7 fixed the date when the two Hefazat leaders appeared before the court in the case on Sunday, said Advocate Nurul Islam, a counsel of the state.
Read: Charges against Hefazat’s Mamunul in explosive case on Oct 10
On December 17, last year, police filed a case against six people including Mamunul for organizing a mahfil in Chandina upazila of the district without the consent of the local administration and delivering provocative speech at the mahfil.
On April 18, a joint team of Tejgaon Division police and DMP's Detective Branch arrested Mamunul from Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasah in Mohammadpur in separate cases.
He was remanded for 18 days in six different cases over rape, vandalism and Hefazat mayhem. Among them, three were filed by the district police, two by the CID, and one by the PBI.
Read: Mamunul sent to jail after remand
Mamunul was held with a woman he claims to be his second wife from a resort in Sonargaon on April 3.
Later, Hefazat leaders claimed that Mamunul went to the resort with his “second wife” where locals confined and harassed him before calling in the police.
Investigation on Pori Moni and others in final stage, says CID chief
Investigation into the cases against arrested film actress Pori Moni, businesswoman Helena Jahangir, film producer Nazrul Islam Raj and models Piasha and Mou is on the final stage, additional IGP and CID chief Mahbubur Rahman said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at his office here Mahbubur Rahman said CID has been investigating 15 cases against the arrested persons. The submission of the reports before court is expected to start in next one and a half months.
Read: Shakib Khan at odds with acting association's stance on Pori Moni
Asked about the drugs seized from the houses of Pori Moni, model Faria Mahbub Piyasa and others, the addition IGP said evidence of narcotics were recovered from their possessions. “Chemical and forensic tests are being done to find out if those are narcotics at all,” he said.
When asked about the source of the seized drugs he said different sources were mentioned. But no matter from where the drugs came from, it is illegal to procure or stockpile these drugs, he said.
Read: Narcotics Case against Pori Moni: Hearing on bail, remand petitions Thursday
Pori Moni and Raj were arrested by Rab following separate raids from Banani in Dhaka on August 4. Earlier on August 3, Rab arrested Helena Jahangir from her Gulshan residence in the capital.
The DB police arrested Piasha and Mou from the city on August 2 on charges of blackmailing people with objectionable pictures.
CID arrests five, inc. Bigo and Likee executives, for app-based crimes
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police arrested five alleged members of a gang, including a foreign national, for smuggling hundreds of crores using livestreaming apps Bigo and Likee.
Mobile phones, laptops, private cars, credit cards and cheque books of various banks, along with undisclosed amounts of cash, were recovered from their possession.
The arrested Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Mostafa Saif Reza (26), Md Arif Hossain (27), SM Nazmul Haque (27), and Asma ul Husna Sejuti (28). The CID did not reveal the identity of the foreign national, for 'purpose of investigation'.
Read Tecno launches 1st shopping cart campaign on Likee
Briefing reporters at the CID's head office in the capital's Malibagh on Sunday, head of Cyber police DIG Jamil Ahmed said the people in ultimate control of organised criminal rings using apps like Bigo and Likee, are still out of reach. "But we are collecting all important information about them," he added.
The arrested foreign national is "directly involved" with Bigo and Likee apps, while Mostafa Saif Reza is Bigo and Likee's Bangladeshi admin, he added.
Bigo Live and Likee are live video streaming apps owned by JOYY Inc, a Chinese company that is listed on New York's NASDAQ, the capital market for tech companies.
Read Top 5 Mobile Apps for Farmers in Bangladesh
DIG Jamil Ahmed said that the arrested Arif Hossain used to associate different girls with Bigo Live by giving jobs on a monthly salary. SM Nazmul Haque is one of the leading Bangladeshi agents for selling virtual currency diamonds, while Asma ul Husna Sejuti is the chief admin of Bigo Live. Admins get a salary of Tk 1 lakh per month.
Jamil said that information about criminal activity through these apps was recently published through various newspapers and magazines and social media. In this context, the issue of smuggling huge amounts of money abroad through live streaming apps Bigo Live and Likee came to the notice of CID's cyber unit. After that, they started investigating.
The Cyber police chief said during the investigation, it was revealed that many of the country's youngsters and expatriate Bangladeshis stream videos on Bigo Live and Likee. The Bigo Live app has two types of ID: one is Broadcaster ID and the other is Supporter ID or Sender ID. Adolescents use Broadcaster ID to stream live video. This is used to spread various obscenities behind the veil of so-called entertainment.
Read Top Job Searching apps in Bangladesh
Those who streamed videos with a supporter ID or sender ID were gifted a 'digital coin-like diamond'. Later, the diamond was used to make huge amounts of money illegally.
He also said that during interrogation, the arrestees have disclosed the names of several more people associated with them and more than Tk 100 crore worth of transactions have been found in the accounts of their various banks and mobile banking services in the last one year.
Meanwhile, BIGO Technology (BIGO) in a statement Sunday evening said that the company has a zero-tolerance policy against any criminal activity by any person or individual, regardless of whether or not the person is involved with any of the company’s local agency partners.
Read Top health apps for online doctor consultation services in Bangladesh
“We have developed rigorous policies and processes, combined with our industry-leading technology to combat any criminal behavior. At the same time, we do not take a side with or endorse any isolated action of any person or organization who may or would have an intention of involving BIGO’s name in any criminal activity,“ it said.
The Singapore-based company said they are conducting a thorough review of the case and will work with relevant law enforcement agencies in whatever way they can.
BIGO has operations in more than 20 countries around the world, one of which is Bangladesh. Its total user base is upwards of 400 million, spread across 150 countries.
Read Tribunal orders CID to probe DSA case filed by Samia Rahman