United News of Bangladesh

Two Dhaka courts on Tuesday sent Shahrin Islam Chowdhury Tuhin, nephew of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, after he surrendered before the courts in two cases. In the tax evasion case, he appeared before the court of Judge Kabir Uddin Pramanik of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 and submitted a bail petition through his lawyer Syed Zainul Abedin Mezbah. Later in the day, he surrendered before Judge Pradip Kumar Roy of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-7 in connection with a case filed over amassing wealth and again sought bail. Both courts rejected his bail petitions and sent him jail. Asiya rape and murder: 10 witnesses testify before court Tuhin had been absconding since the filing of the cases and surrendered 17 years after the verdicts were delivered. His lawyers sought division facilities in jail and medical treatment saying that Tuhin has heart disease and other complex health issues. They also requested that he be sent to jail by ambulance at his own expense. The court ordered the prison authorities to ensure division and necessary treatment for him as per the jail code. According to case documents, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the two cases against Tuhin with Gulshan Police Station in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government. In the tax evasion case, he was sentenced eight years of rigorous imprisonment—three years under one section and five years under another in 2008. However, the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning he would serve a maximum of five years. In the graft case, he was sentenced to 13 years of rigorous imprisonment—three years under one section and 10 years under another in the same year. Tuhin had remained a fugitive throughout the trial and conviction in both cases.  

A Bandarban court on Monday sent Myanmar’s Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) chief Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi to jail after rejecting his bail petition in two separate cases filed over the death of a member of DGFI. Bandarban Additional District and Sessions Judge Arun Pal and Senior Judicial Magistrate of Bandarban Cognisance court passed the order after hearing two separate petitions. The court also rejected his bail petition in the two cases. Evaly CEO Rassel, chairman Nasrin get 3 yrs jail in cheque fraud case Earlier, the ARSA chief was taken to the Bandarban court from Chattogram court amid tight security. Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested ten people including Ataullah while holding a clandestine meeting in Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj district on March 19. He was an accused in different cases including that of the murder of a DGFI member.  

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent chairman of Sadeeq Agro Imran Hossain to jail in a money laundering case. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam passed the order following a petition filed by CID inspector and also investigating officer of the case Sayedur Rahman. Masud Ahmed Talukdar, a counsel to the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and also the president of Dhaka Bar Association,  filed a petition seeking bail for his client. Members of CID arrested Imran Hossain from Dhaka on Monday. He was produced before the court around 1:23 pm on Tuesday. Zunaid Hossain, sub-inspector of CID ,filed a case against three people including Imran with Mohammadpur Police Station. According to the case statement, Imran and Touhidul Alam Jenith had laundered nearly Tk 86 lakh abroad through fraudulence in the name of importing Brahman cows, violating the government rules. They were also found involved in bringing cows of ‘bhutti’ variety from Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal through Teknaf and Ukhia bordering areas of Cox’s Bazar. They were found to have earned Tk 121,32,15,144 illegally and transferred and converted through various bank accounts in the name of the accused persons and their interested organisations. Sadeeq Agro chairman arrested in money laundering  case Dhaka Customs House seized 15 Brahma cows and kept in the central cattle breeding and dairy farm in Savar, which were supposed to be slaughtered and sold at a fair price as per government instructions. Besides, they forcibly occupied the Ramchandrapur government canal in Beribandh area under Mohammadpur police station.  

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has announced plans to provide employment opportunities within prisons for the protestors injured during the July-August movement. “Our initiative is aimed at providing them with employment opportunities,” he said while speaking to reporters after inspecting the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on Sunday. Responding to a query, the adviser said 700 inmates who escaped from various prisons following the incidents of August 5 remain at large, while the rest have been apprehended. Beximco’s closed factory won’t reopen: Adviser Sakhawat He assured that comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent any future security lapses in prisons. “Any escaped individual who is recaptured will be brought to justice.” Replying to another question, the adviser acknowledged that incidents of mugging and extortion persist. “While perpetrators are being arrested, many return to criminal activities after their release. Efforts are ongoing to minimise these offences as much as possible.” Speaking about police performance, the adviser said, “There is no shortage of police personnel, but perhaps their motivation for work has declined. We are making every effort to reinvigorate their enthusiasm.” Home Adviser urges US to rehabilitate more Rohingyas During his visit, the Home Adviser also inaugurated a prison hotline (09612021690). This hotline enables people to access various inmate-related details, such as their status, court appearance dates, visitation schedules, phone call timings, health updates, and information on parole. It also provides a platform for submitting complaints and suggestions.

A judge set January 10 as the sentencing date for President-elect Donald Trump in his hush money case, just days before he is set to return to the White House. However, the judge indicated that Trump would not face jail time. The decision positions Trump to become the first U.S. president to assume office with a felony conviction. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over the trial, stated in a written ruling that he plans to issue an "unconditional discharge." This means Trump’s conviction will remain on record, but he will not face jail, fines, or probation. Trump has the option to attend the sentencing virtually. Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s attempts to dismiss the verdict on grounds of presidential immunity and his upcoming second term. He emphasized the need to conclude the matter, balancing Trump’s ability to govern without interference against the public expectation of equality before the law and respect for the jury's decision. Trump's strength and unpredictability can help end the war with Russia: Zelenskyy Trump reacted strongly on Truth Social, calling the ruling a political attack and a “rigged charade” orchestrated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He warned that upholding the decision would undermine the presidency. Bragg’s office declined to comment, and legal experts noted that while Trump can appeal his conviction, he cannot pardon himself, as the case falls under state law. The charges against Trump stemmed from a scheme to conceal a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The case centered on how Trump reimbursed his former attorney Michael Cohen for the payment, which was made to suppress claims of an alleged affair—a claim Trump denies. Trump’s sentencing was initially scheduled for July 2024 but faced delays. After his November election victory, both sides weighed the implications of his upcoming presidency. Trump’s lawyers argued for the case's dismissal, citing disruptions to his governance, while prosecutors advocated for accommodations that still upheld the conviction. Merchan ruled against dismissing the case, stating that granting such immunity to a president-elect would undermine the rule of law. He dismissed arguments linking the Supreme Court's immunity ruling to the case, noting that Trump’s actions occurred before and during his first presidency. The hush money case is the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to reach trial. Federal charges related to election interference and classified documents have been dropped, while a Georgia state election case remains unresolved. Trump’s lawyers argued that these developments should lead to the dismissal of the New York case, but Merchan found no basis for such a conclusion, emphasizing the distinct stages of the respective cases. 

Popular actor in southern India Allu Arjun was released from jail on bail on Saturday, a day after he was arrested by police in connection with a stampede that led to the death of a woman at the premiere of his movie earlier this month. A 35-year-old woman died and her 8-year-old son was critically injured in the stampede, which occurred during the screening of Arjun’s release for “Pushpa 2: The Rule” in southern Telangana state's Hyderabad city on Dec. 4. Arjun was arrested after the woman’s husband filed a case against him, his security team and the theater's management for not informing police of the actor’s plan to attend the screening, which resulted in a larger-than-expected crowd. Police charged the actor, his security team and the theater’s management staff with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police have already arrested the theater’s owner and two of his employees in connection with the case. Allu Arjun arrested over woman’s death at 'Pushpa 2' Screening A local court on Friday ordered the actor to spend 14 days in jail, but within hours the Telangana High Court granted him bail. However, the actor had to spend the night in jail because prison authorities did not receive a copy of the bail until late Friday, the Press Trust of India reported. The accident happened after the 41-year-old actor made a surprise appearance at a local theater where the movie was being screened. As his fans surged toward the venue, the theater’s main gate collapsed, resulting in the stampede. The actor did not comment on the police charges or his arrest. But shortly after the accident, Arjun wrote on the social platform X that he was “heartbroken by the tragic incident.” He later announced financial assistance of $29,000 for the woman’s family and promised to take care of the medical expenses for her injured son.  

A court here on Thursday sent Shahjahan Omar, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jhalakathi-1 constituency, to jail in a case filed with Kathalia Police Station in Jhalakathi district. Jhalakathi Senior Judicial Magistrate Afroza Binte Shahid passed the order after rejecting his bail petition. Earlier in the day, local people also vandalised the vehicle carrying Shahjahan when he was on his way back home and assaulted him physically. Police arrested him when he went to the Rajapur Police Station to file a complaint. Ex-MP Shahjahan Omar arrested The agitated BNP leaders and activists gathered in the court premises area following the arrest of Shahjahan and staged demonstration there. They also threw shoes and eggs at the former MP when he was being moved to the court. Muhitul Islam, additional superintendent of Jhalakathi Police, said Kathalia Police filed a case against Shahjahan on November 20 (Wednesday) in connection with vandalising the Kathalia unit BNP office on December 4, 2023. Former MP and Food Minister advocate Qamrul Islam arrested in Dhaka On Wednesday night, unidentified miscreants reportedly attacked and vandalised the former MP's residence in Rajapur-Kathalia area. Shahjahan Omar served as an MP for the Jhalakathi-1 constituency, covering Rajapur and Kathalia. On November 30, 2023, Shahjahan Omar, former BNP Vice Chairman of BNP, submitted his nomination paper as an Awami League candidate for Jhalakathi-1 constituency.    

A court in Jamalpur on Wednesday sentenced a man to life term in jail in a case over the violation of a minor girl in Melandaha upazila of Jamalpur district around eight years back. Jamalpur’s Women and Children Repression and Prevention Tribunal-2 Senior Judge Md Shahidul Islam also fined the convict Tk 100,000, in default of which he will have to suffer one more year’ jail, said the court’s Public Prosecutor Md Rezaul Amin. The convict is Shahid Mia, 43, son of late Dastar Mandal of Dilalerpara village in the upazila. According to the case statement, the accused violated the seven-year-old girl in the village on April 27, 2016. Later, the victim’s father filed a case with the concerned police station. After completing legal procedures, the court handed down the judgment in the presence of the accused. Rejecting the verdict, the accused’s daughter Shahana said they would move to the High Court to get justice.  

The International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday sent former additional superintendent of police Shahidul Islam of Dhaka district to jail in connection with a case filed over mass killing during the student-led movement. The three-member bench of the tribunal led by its chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder passed the order when chief prosecutor Tajul Islam submitted a petition seeking to send Shahidul to jail. International Crimes Tribunal: Hasina to be brought back to stand trial, vows new chief prosecutor Shahidul, who was arrested from Cox’s Bazar, was produced before the court around 10 am. Earlier on Wednesday, the ICT sent former deputy commissioner of DMP (mirpur Division) Jashim Uddin to jail. On October 27, the tribunal issued warrants for the arrest of 17 former police officers including former DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman for mass killing from July to August 5. On October 17, the tribunal issued warrants for the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others.

A Dhaka court on Sunday sent former independent lawmaker Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman to jail after his bail was denied on completion of five-day remand in a case over an attempt to murder. The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatuallh passed the order. Though the defendant’s lawyer submitted a petition for bail, the prosecution opposed it. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court ordered to send him to jail, said Mirpur Model Police Station’s Sub Inspector Abdul Halim, also investigation officer of the case. Earlier on October 22, a Dhaka court placed him on a five-day remand in the case filed with Mirpur Model Police Station. Read: Barrister Suman put on 5-Day remand Suman was arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of a student during the July-August student-led movement. Before the arrest Barrister Suman said on his verified Facebook account, "I am going with the police. See you in court. Pray for me, everyone." Suman was elected as an independent candidate in controversial January 7 polls from Habiganj-4 constituency.