United News of Bangladesh

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on Sunday ordered the initiation of trial against former Information Minister and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) president Hasanul Haq Inu over six killings in Kushtia during last year’s uprising. A three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, framed eight charges of crimes against humanity against him. The court also set November 30 for the presentation of opening statements and witness testimonies in the case. On Sunday, the tribunal read out the eight charges against Inu and asked whether he pleaded guilty. In response, Inu asserted his innocence, following which the tribunal formally framed the charges and issued the trial order. Read more: Ex-minister Inu threatens police: ‘I will destroy your entire lineage’ The former minister was brought to the dock from the tribunal’s detention centre around 11:30 am and the prosecution read out the allegations in his presence. The court told him, “Eight charges have been brought against you. If you plead guilty, our work will end; otherwise, the trial will proceed.” Inu then responded, “I have heard a few charges but not all. However, it seems my request is not being considered.” Inu was charged with issuing the command to kill six people in Kushtia after communicating with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the uprising. Read more: Trial of July killings to be held at Speedy Trial Tribunals On October 23, the prosecution presented formal charges against him and requested the start of trial, prompting the tribunal to issue a production warrant to ensure his presence. On October 28, Inu’s lawyer, Monsurul Haq Chowdhury, argued that none of the allegations were true and sought dismissal of the case, urging the tribunal to examine the charges thoroughly. The prosecution, however, contended that Inu could not evade responsibility as a leader of the 14-party alliance. Inu was arrested on August 26 last year from Uttara in Dhaka and remains in prison facing multiple cases. Read more: Chankharpul killings: Tribunal orders protection for witness facing security threat

Two young men lost their lives after colliding with a pickup van while racing motorcycles among themselves in Kushtia. The accident occurred around 5:30 pm on Friday in the Baromail area of the Kushtia-Ishwardi highway, police said. The deceased were identified as Mahin Hossain, 20, son of Liplu Hossain of Taragunia Sardarpara village, and Siam Hossain, 21, son of Qurban Ali of Mathurapur village, both from Daulatpur upazila. 3 DB police injured in attack during operation in Bogura According to police and local sources, the friends were racing at high speed on the highway with around 10 motorcycles, starting from Lalon Shah Bridge in Veramara. During the race, the motorcycles of Mahin and Siam collided with the rear of a pickup van in the Baromail area. Mahin died instantly at the scene, while Siam succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Kushtia Chourhash Highway Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Syed Al Mamun confirmed the incident and said the bodies of the two youths were handed over to their families as no criminal case was filed.

A woman was allegedly beaten and strangled to death by her husband in Kushtia early Saturday morning. The deceased, Urmi Khatun, 35, daughter of Mahim Mondal of Gopalpur village in Kushtia Sadar upazila, was found dead with injury marks on her body. Her husband, Rana Khan, fled the scene following the incident. They ran a clothing and food shop near City College and lived in a rented house in Housing E-Block area. Abu Said, brother of the deceased, said Rana was addicted to drugs and had been jailed several times. Frequent quarrels occurred between the couple since their marriage. Following a family dispute, Rana allegedly beat and strangled Urmi to death. Youth stabbed to death in Gazipur Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mosharraf Hossain confirmed the incident. He said that police recovered the body after receiving the information and sent it for postmortem. The husband is currently on the run and police are working to arrest him. The OC added that preliminary investigations indicate it is a homicide case. Further investigation is underway, and appropriate legal action will be taken. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem report is received.

A traffic police constable in Kushtia has been suspended over a Facebook post allegedly defaming the July Movement. Police Farjul Islam Rony was suspended on Saturday due to a controversial Facebook post, said Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mosharraf Hossain. Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Farjul, who was posted in Kushtia Traffic Division, made a derogatory post from his personal Facebook account regarding the July Revolution, triggering anger among students and locals. They also brought out processions and staged demonstrations by blocking Kushtia-Meherpur road in front of the district Superintendent of Police's office, demanding his immediate arrest and exemplary punishment. .Farjul was attached to the police lines at the same night, and an inquiry committee was formed to investigate the matter. 2 arrested over Kamrangirchar murder His leave was also canceled. Police said said he went into hiding after making the post while on leave and has not reported back to duty since. “A three-member probe committee has been formed. Further action will be taken based on the investigation,” said the OC. Kushtia Traffic Police Inspector Sheikh Shahadat Ali said Farjul hails from Dahkula village of Shailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah district. He has been serving in Kushtia’s traffic division since July 13, 2023.

Over 100 villagers besieged Kumarkhali Police Station in Kushtia for nearly an hour on Wednesday, protesting the arrest of three women in connection with an attack on another woman accused of theft. A chase and counter-chase ensued between police and locals as the latter tried to snatch the arrestees from police custody. Despite the chaos, police eventually sent the accused to court under tight security. According to statements from villagers gathered at the police station premises, the woman who filed the case had allegedly stolen beef from a refrigerator and cash from a neighbour’s house on Monday afternoon. The family members reportedly caught her red-handed, beat her severely and shaved her head. Later that night, village level arbitration took place, during which she was fined after being found guilty. Bullet-hit body recovered in Kushtia:Police Rejecting the arbitration's decision, the woman filed a case the following day, accusing seven women from the village. Police arrested three of them on Wednesday morning. The news of the arrests quickly spread, prompting villagers to rush to the police station around 11am and stage a protest demanding the release of the detainees. Officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali Police Station Md Solaiman Sheikh said the accused were sent to court in line with legal procedure, despite obstruction from the villagers. He added that the situation was now under control.

At least 11 people were injured in a clash between activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP over a traditional ‘Gazi Kalu-Champabati’ fair in Jagannathpur union under Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia on Tuesday evening. The incident involved chase and counter-chase, brick-throwing, and violent altercations between the two groups, reportedly triggered by disputes over holding the nearly 150-year-old fair, which had not received official permission this year. Kumarkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Solaiman Sheikh said that several people were injured in the clash and are now undergoing treatment at various hospitals. “The fair did not have permission this year. The situation is currently under control,” he added. Locals said at least 11 people were injured and admitted to the upazila health complex, while some were later transferred to Kushtia General Hospital and other facilities for advanced treatment. The fair was scheduled to begin on May 17. However, Jamaat and its affiliated organisations demanded the event be cancelled, citing alleged indecent activities and gambling, according to locals. Farmer trampled to death by wild elephant in Sherpur Despite the lack of administrative approval, BNP supporters attempted to hold the fair in view of local tradition, which led to rising tensions from Tuesday afternoon. Police were deployed and conducted patrols throughout the day, but violence broke out in the evening between members of both groups, resulting in injuries and damage to several shops. Some establishments were also reportedly looted during the unrest. Denying allegations against his party, Kumarkhali Upazila Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Afzal Hossain said, “Our activists and local residents were peacefully protesting against anti-Islamic activities at the fair when the fair committee members attacked us. We plan to file a case over the incident.” “Legal action will be taken in this regard if a written complaint is received,” the OC added.

A man allegedly stabbed his wife to death and injured two daughters before attempting to die by suicide on Tuesday night at Harishankarpur in Kushtia town. The deceased was identified as Meghla Khatun,22, wife of Mamun Ali, a day labourer and also a painter. The couple’s two daughters—four-year-old Kulsum and one-and-a-half-year-old Jannat—were critically injured in the attack. Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Model Police Station Mosharraf Hossain said  family dispute might be the reason behind the murder. According to family sources, the coupled used to lock into altercation over Meghla’s alleged extramarital affairs. ‘Outlaw’ shot dead in Pabna On the night of the incident, Mamun reportedly caught her speaking to someone on the phone which enraged him. He then attacked Meghla with a sharp weapon, severely injuring her and also attacked his two daughters.  After the attack, Mamun also tried to kill himself by stabbing his own head and neck. Neighbours said that they rushed to the scene and took all four to Kushtia General Hospital in critical condition. Kushtia General Hospital's Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Hossain Imam said that all three [mother and two daughters] were hit on the head with a sharp object. The mother died around 11pm while undergoing treatment, he said. The condition of the two children remains critical, while Mamun is also being treated for serious injuries. No case has been filed yet, said the OC.

The mural of poet Rabindranath Tagore in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia district has been restored after miscreants blotted it with black ink. In addition to cleaning the mural, the name’s spelling has also been fixed. An artist worked on the restoration from noon until the afternoon on Friday, according to Assistant Commissioner (Land) of the Upazila Vijay Kumar Joardar. Upon receiving the information, a team, including an artist, visited the site that morning, and started the restoration efforts in the afternoon, Joardar added. "After receiving the information, we visited the site that same night. No written complaint has been filed so far," said Md Solaiman Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali Police Station. "The act may have occurred during the Eid holiday. The image and writing have now been restored. A thorough investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken," said SM Mikail Islam, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Trade through Benapole Port resumes after 8 days The incident came to light on Thursday night when a photo of the defaced mural, showing the black ink, spread on social media, sparking outrage among Tagore’s followers. But, the identities of those responsible for the act and the exact time and place of occurrence have not yet been determined. The mural is located at the entrance to Kumarkhali in the Zilapitala area along the Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway. Local residents expressed concerns that the mural had been neglected for some time, with its paint faded and CCTV cameras non-functional. They pointed out the lack of administrative oversight, which they believe contributed to the incident. Liton Abbas, a local poet and writer, commented, "Erasing the ink alone isn’t enough. We need to uncover who did this and why. The real culprits must be identified and held accountable."

Armed robbers looted cash from passengers and injured the driver of a bus in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early Saturday. The incident took place at around 4:30 am at Bhanga Bottola on the Kushtia-Meherpur highway, where the criminals blocked the road using a truck and tree logs, according to the victims. The injured driver, Amjad Hossain, is currently undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital. According to Amjad, he had departed from Dhaka for Meherpur at 10:45pm on Friday. Upon reaching Kushtia around 3:30am, he stopped for sehri and then resumed the journey. 6 arrested over robbery, murder at Ashulia gold shop "There were nine people on the bus at that time, including five passengers and four staff members. At around 4:30am, a gang of 10-15 armed robbers stopped the bus by placing a truck and tree logs across the road. They then attacked us with sharp weapons, looted cash, and fled," he said. The robbers took approximately Tk 25,000 from the bus and an estimated Tk 200,000 from the passengers, he added. "As I attempted to reverse the bus upon noticing the barricade, the robbers surrounded us and started striking the vehicle with sharp weapons. They then forced their way in, threatened us with weapons, and looted cash. When we protested, they physically assaulted us. They slashed my hand with a sharp weapon," Amjad added. Meanwhile, Mirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mominul Islam said, "We are investigating the incident and working to arrest those involved."

At least 25 students of Islamic University (IU), Kushtia were injured as a bus carrying them plunged into a roadside ditch in the district on Tuesday. The identities of the injured could not be known yet.    According to sources at the university, the students boarding the hired bus were heading towards the campus in the morning. The bus fell into the roadside ditch as the driver lost control while it was overtaking another bus on Kushtia-Jhenaidah Highway of Bittipara area under university police station around 10am. One killed in road accident in Faridpur The injured were taken to Kushtia General Hospital. IU proctor Prof M Shahinuzzaman said that they rushed to the spot minutes after receiving the information of the accident.