Thousands of BNP leaders and activists started gathering at Golapbagh ground in Dhaka since Friday afternoon as the party was finally given permission for holding its last divisional rally there on Saturday. By the evening on Friday, thousands reached the venue in advance to join the anti-government rally that will formally begin at 11 am. People were seen coming to Golapbagh field with small processions from different parts of the city chanting anti-government slogans. BNP Dhaka city unit member secretary Aminul Haque said they will set up the stage and make all other arrangements, including setting up loudspeakers, overnight. He said lakhs of people will join the rally to make it a huge success. Read more: Join Dhaka rally spontaneously to reply to govt’s ill-motive, says Khandaker Mosharraf Earlier on Friday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq and a team from Rapid Action Battalion-10 visited the venue. Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at a press conference called upon the Dhaka city dwellers to spontaneously join their party’s rally in Golapbagh ground peacefully to give the government a befitting reply to its efforts to foil a democratic programme. “We will hold the programme in Dhaka peacefully as we did in nine other divisional cities. We call upon people from all walks of life to participate in our programme spontaneously,” said Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a former cabinet minister and the most senior member of the BNP's standing committee.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) claimed to have detained seven hackers early Friday for tricking an expatriate Bangladeshi into sending them Tk1.2 lakh. The detainees Md Belal, Mehedi Hasan, Md Shimul, Md Mohan, Shah Poran, Md Robi and Md Rubel hacked into expatriate Wasim's account on audio/video calling and instant messaging app imo, Farhad Hossain, RAB-5 Natore camp company commander, said. Read more: Bank Account Hacking Protection: How to save financial accounts from hackers? Based on a complaint filed by Wasim's brother Monirul Islam, Rab conducted a drive across Natore's Lalpur upazila and detained the hackers. Rab also recovered Tk15,500 and electronic devices from the hackers, Farhad said. "We've lodged a case against the hackers and handed them over to Lalpur Police Station," he added. Read more: Somoy TV regains control of YouTube channel after it got hacked

The Appellate Division on Tuesday revoked the bail order of suspended ACC director Khandaker Enamul Basir by the High Court in a bribery case. Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division M Enayetur Rahim passed the order following an appeal by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against the bail order. The court also fixed December 5 for the hearing of ACC’s appeal in front of a full bench of the Appellate Division. Advocate Khurshid Alam represented the ACC in the court. On November 17, HC granted Basir bail for six months after hearing his bail petition. Earlier in February, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam sentenced two disgraced government officials to different jail terms in the high-profile bribery case. Read more: HC Chamber Judge asks Wasa MD to submit salary statement While Enamul Basir was sentenced to eight years in jail as the recipient of  Tk 40 lakh as bribe , ex- Deputy Inspector General of police Mizanur Rahman was given three years as the one paying the bribe in the same case. A fine of Tk 80 lakh was also imposed on Basir in the case. The appeal against that judgment was accepted by the High Court for hearing in April. On July 22, 2019, ACC arrested Enamul from his Darus Salam residence in the city for taking the bribe from ex-DIG Mizanur Rahman. On July 16, 2019, ACC director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafillah lodged the complaint over the bribery scandal. A private TV channel reported that Mizan gave Tk 40 lakh to Basir to get a clean chit in a corruption case. Enamul was suspended on June 10 of that year for allegedly leaking information, a breach of his job discipline. Mizan was arrested in the case on July 21, 2019. Read more: Defaming PM: Chamber Judge stays bail to Rajbari Mahila Dal leader DIG Mizan was an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). He was withdrawn on January 9, 2019 following allegations of threatening a female news presenter of a private television channel.

Khan Md Alauddin, Public Prosecutor of Pirojpur on Tuesday sought unconditional apology from the High Court for misbehaving with district Chief Judicial Magistrate Abu Zafar Md Noman. After the hearing, the court warned PP Alauddin and exempted him from contempt of the court. High Court bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order in the public interest. Advocate Fida M. Kamal and Sayed Ahmed Raza stood for the PP in the court, accompanied by Abdullah Al Mamun while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during the hearing. Read more: Defamation Suit: Court summons Shajahan Khan Addressing the PP, the court said, "You are the lawyer for the state. You are the leader of the bar. As a lawyer at the bar, such behavior with the court is not desirable. If you do not respect the court, how will the dignity of the court be protected? It is PP’s responsibility to assist judges in keeping the court's environment civil. Such behavior cannot be expected." On July 25, during hearing on the bail plea of an accused named MD Hafizur Rahman Siddiqui, the CJM asked all the lawyers to step outside the courtroom except the plaintiff’s and defendant’s lawyers, after being unable to control the heated arguments between the two sides. Read more: HC dismisses defamation cases against Asian Age chairman Shoaib Chowdhury On September 19, Pirojpur CJM Abu Zafar Md Noman sent a letter to Supreme Court Registrar General alleging PP Md Alauddin had misbehaved. On October 17, the High Court summoned PP Alauddin to appear before the court on November 15 and present his statement in this regard.    

Local administrations of Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua and Rangamati’s Kaptai upazilas imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, that restricts freedom of assembly - effectively a curfew - in their respective areas on Sunday to avert any untoward situation after yet another instance of local units of the two main political parties calling for clashing or back-to-back programs that greatly increase the security risk in any setting. Local law enforcement resources around the country have been frequently stretched in this manner in the last few months, but also throughout the year. The curfew imposed by Pekua upazila administration has been in force from 6am, and is supposed to go till 9pm. All types of public gatherings within the upazila’s Sikder Para Stadium and Kabir Chowdhury Bazar areas were banned during the curfew. The curfew was imposed through a notification signed by Pekua Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Purbita Chakma. BNP’s Pekua upazila unit had called for a rally protesting the recent fuel price hike on Sunday, while the local AL unit had called for a mourning program simultaneously. On Saturday night, AL and BNP activists took positions in the upazila’s Chowmuhani and Stadium areas, which compelled the local administration to impose Section 144 fearing the eruption of a clash. Read: Section 144 imposed in Barishal’s Hijla over fears of AL infighting On the other hand, Kaptai upazila administration issued a notification signed by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Muntasir Jahan on Saturday night, banning all types of meetings and demonstrations in Kaptai Sadar area from 6:00am to 6:00pm on Sunday. According to Muntasir, the Kaptai unit of BNP was taking preparations for a rally to be held on Sunday protesting the price hike of fuel and daily essentials, while the local AL had also called for a protest rally on the same day demanding the hanging of BNP leader Tarique Rahman.   “As there was a possibility for the deterioration of the law and order situation, we had to impose Section 144 to maintain peace and stability in the area,” said the UNO.

A 40-year-old man posing as a judge of the High Court has been arrested in Matlab Dakshin upazila of Chandpur on Friday. Businessman Arif Hossain Prokash alias Biplob Prodhan, son of late Mahbub Prodhan, was nabbed from Uttar Dighaldi village, said OC Mohiuddin of Matlab police station. Read: Rab arrests 2 BCL leaders SI Ruhul Amin filed a case in this regard this afternoon. Biplob Prodhan identified himself as a High Court judge and rented a car from Dhaka to Daudkandi and left for his village, said the OC. He would also avail the protocol and facilities of the judge in different places. “When he reached Daudkandi, he also introduced himself as a judge to the traffic police”. Police got suspicious after visiting Biplob's home and arrested him. Read: Moulvibazar: Three to hang for war crimes During the preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted himself as a fake judge, the officer said. Two identity cards were seized from his possession. The car was also seized. However, the driver of the car was released. He will be produced before the court on Saturday.    

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Thursday said the capacity of Bangladesh Police has increased in tackling any challenge to keep law and order. The IGP came up with the comment while speaking as the chief guest after inspecting the anti-terrorism and hostage rescue exercise of police commando course at APBN and specialized training centre in Khagrachari. He said police are playing a professional role in ensuring the safety of the people, providing security to their lives and property, maintaining law and order in the country, reducing crime and arresting criminals. Also read: Bangladesh police will be made worth of a developed country by 2041: IGP Mentioning the need for training to enhance the skills of the police personnel, the IGP said that such training is very helpful in enhancing the skills of the police personnel. He said the exercise conducted by the police members today was undoubtedly of international standard. The police chief also mentioned that the skills of the trainers of this course are of international standard.

The Nachol upazila administration has imposed Section 144 to prevent any untoward incident as two factions of upazila Awami League planned rallies on Monday at the same venue. Nachol Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sharif Ahmed said the restriction will remain in force in  Nachol Bus stand and adjacent areas from 7am to 7pm on Monday. Read: Chapainawabganj pourashava election postponed Selim Reza, officer-in-charge of Nachol Police Station, said the local administration resorted to the restriction to keep the law and order situation under control. Earlier, Nachol Upazila Awami League General Secretary and Nachol Upazila Parishad Chairman Abdul Quader called a rally at Nachol bus stand at 10 am on Monday. Besides,Municipality Awami League President and municipality Mayor Abdur Rashid Khan Jhalu also called a rally at the same venue.

The government has formed a 15-member ad hoc committee to run the Bangladesh Bar Council. A notification was issued by the Law and Justice Department of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs over the matter on August 3. Read: Bar Council elections held in Bogura, Jashore Golam Sarwar, the secretary of the ministry confirmed the news to UNB on Wednesday. “The government constituted the 15-member ad hoc bar council with the powers conferred on it by paragraph (8) of the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972 (Presidential Order No. 46 of 1972),” he said. Advocate AM Amin Uddin, the attorney general of Bangladesh will be the chairman of the committee. According to the notification, this committee will serve till June 30, 2022. The Ad Hoc Bar Council will complete the election of the Bar Council on or before May 31, 2022, and the elected Bar Council will assume its responsibilities on July 1, 2022. The committee was formed as the election of the Bar Council was not held in time due to Covid-19 pandemic, added the law secretary.