Faridpur
Hefazat leader detained in Faridpur
A Hefazat leader in Faridpur was arrested in connection with the attack at Faridpur's Bhanga police station.
On Friday morning Bhanga police arrested maulana Mohammad Abul Hossain, vice-president of Hefazat-e-Islam Faridpur district branch from his home at west Alipore, with the help of Faridpur police.
Abul Hossain was a Mohaddess of Charkamalapur Madrasa in Faridpur.
Also Read: 2 more top Hefazat leaders held
On March 27, a procession from a nearby madrasa attacked the Bhanga police station, causing extensive damage.
Several people, including the police on duty were injured in the attack.
Bhanga Police Station sub-inspector Mohammad Shahidullah filed a case accusing 300 unidentified persons.
Also Read: Hefazat leader Qurban Ali Kasemi arrested in Dhaka
The investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector of Bhanga Police Station Bikash Mandal said Abul Hossain was arrested from Faridpur city as an accused in the case.
A 7-day remand will be asked for Abul Hossain at the court, he added.
So far 19 people have been arrested in the case.
Also read: Hefazat leader Mamunul Haq finally arrested
18 arrestees have been sent to jail after they were taken into remand for various periods.
Mamunul fallout: Jharna's father to be ousted from AL
Alfadanga Union Awami League in Faridpur have decided to oust the father of claimed second wife of controversial Hefazat e Islam leader Mamunul Haque.
The decision was made in the local Awami League unit’s executive committee meeting on Thursday.
Waliur Rahman is the father of Jannat Ara Jharna, the woman at the centre of events at a Sonargaon resort where she was with Mamunul two weeks ago. Waliur is also an ex freedom fighter, former army member and member of Gopalpur union Awami League’s ward number four unit.
Gopalpur union AL’s president Md Monayem Khan, confirming the decision, said on April 12, a show cause notice was issued to Waliur Rahman seeking explanation on why he shouldn’t be banished from the party for his family's links with the Hefazat leader, who was arrested this week. He was asked to respond within 7 days.
As no response came, the decision was made to suspend Waliur temporarily, said the president.
President Monayem Khan further said, "We never got any proof of him mixing with any other parties but his family members following some other ideologies while he stays the president may risk confidentiality of the party."
As Waliur doesn’t use cell phone he couldn’t be contacted on the matter.
However, his wife Shiuli Begam said, "We are pro-Awami League family and he (Oaliar) is a freedom fighter and party’s union leader. There is no prospect of suspecting him."
On April 18, joint secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, Mamunul Haque was arrested in connection with a case filed over vandalism with Mohammadpur Police Station in 2020.
Later on April 19, a Dhaka court placed him on a 7-day remand in the vandalism case.
Earlier Mamunul, who has been in the limelight due to some recent controversies, was held with a woman he claimed 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.
Faridpur Violence: Former upazila chairman detained
Police on Monday night arrested former chairman of Faridpur’s Saltha upazila Md. Wahiduzzaman in connection to violence and sabotage in Saltha on the first day of lockdown.
On information, a team of Detective Branch (DB) police arrested him from Jhiltuli area of the district.
Police handed over Wahiduzzaman to the district chief judicial magistrate's court on Tuesday afternoon and asked for a 10-day remand.
Also read: Faridpur violence: Fearing arrest, most Saltha men flee their villages
Faridpur DB police officer-in-charge Sunil Karmakar said seven accused arrested in connection with the sabotage in Saltha had given confessional statements in court.
Wahiduzzaman's name came up in the statement and he was arrested, he added.
So far, seven cases have been filed in Saltha police station with 364 people accused in those.
Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence
Another unidentified 4000 persons have been shown accused.
As many as 99 people have been arrested till Tuesday.
Operations are being run to arrest the other accused in the cases.
Also read: 1 dead, 20 injured in Faridpur violence: Police Super
On the night of April 5, thousands of agitated people over rumour attacked different government offices of Saltha Upazila Parishad.
They set fire to several motorcycles and two government vehicles.
3 including ex-army official arrested for torturing woman in Faridpur
Three including a former army official have been arrested at Boalmari Upazila in Faridpur on grounds of brutally torturing an elderly woman on Monday.
The arrestees are ex-army member Masudur Rahman, his brother Zia Sheikh and his wife Mahida Begum.
According to sources, the perpetrators brought the victim to their home when she was distributing iftar on Monday. Then they tortured her in a medieval way by tying her hands and legs.
Later, local UP member Md Rashed Molla rescued the woman after hearing her screams.
The police rushed to the spot upon hearing the news and arrested the criminals immediately.
The arrestees were sent to jail on Tuesday by the order of the local court.
Md Rashed Molla confirmed the news to UNB.
Sub-inspector of Boalmari Police Station Wahidul Islam said that police acted swiftly in arresting the criminals.
"We produced the arrestees in Faridpur court under section 151 on Tuesday as the woman did not lodge any complaint with the police station," he added.
He also said that the incident may have happened due to previous enmity between the two families.
Local administration ‘vigilant’ in enforcing lockdown in Faridpur
Faridpur District Administration has taken a vigilant stance in executing the week long countrywide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
A 15-member team has been formed to ensure people do not go out unnecessarily during this period.
A mobile court, led by Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Muhammad Al-amin has fined 6 people a total amount of Tk 9,200 for keeping their businesses open.
Also read: Day 4 of lockdown: Dhaka wears a deserted look
Al-Amin said,” Only drug stores and pesticide stores can stay open during the lockdown. 6 people were fined as they disobeyed government’s instructions by keeping their business establishments open.”
AL leader occupies government land in Faridpur
A local Awami League leader has been accused of occupying government land at the dead of night at Boalmari Upazila in Faridpur.
The leader is identified as Mizanur Rahman. He is the general secretary of Rupapat Union Awami League of the upazila and lecturer of Salthar Navkam Palli University College.
A written complaint signed by nine people, including Emdadul Haque Milon, a resident of Kalinagar village in the upazila, was lodged with the Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer on Saturday (April 17) morning.
According to the complaint, Mizanur and his men occupied government land on the bank of the Kumar River.
Around 10% of the said land was owned by Water Development Board. They cordoned the land off by putting up bamboo walls around it.
The market value of the occupied land is Tk 30 lakh.
The accused Mizanur Rahman denied occupying the land in illegal means. He said that he can provide legal documents to back his claim.
Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jhotan Chanda said, “I have received a written complaint of occupation of government land. In this regard, the Rupapat Union Land Officer has been instructed to go to the spot and take actions accordingly."
Child hospitalized after 'rape attempt’ by 50-year old in Faridpur
An eight-year-old girl has been hospitalized following an alleged rape attempt by a 50-year old man in Boalmari upazila of Faridpur district.
The critically ill child is currently undergoing treatment at Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital.
The child's mother lodged a written complaint with the Boalmari police station on Saturday.
Also read: Child Rape in Shariatpur: 'Rapist' madrasa teacher let off with fine
According to the complaint, the girl was having shower at a pond beside her house when Yunus Sheikh, 50, forcibly took her to a garden near Raipur cremation ground and tried to rape her after giving death threat.
The girl was initially silent out of fear when she reached home. But as the pain in her genitals increased during the night, she started crying and told her family about the incident.
She was rushed to the emergency unit of Boalmari Upazila Health Complex.
Also read: Teen held for child rape in Narayanganj
Later, she was shifted to Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital on Friday night for better treatment as her condition deteriorated.
The child's mother lodged a written complaint with the Boalmari police station the following afternoon.
Kazi Ripon, a sub-inspector of Boalmari police station, said, "I have received a written complaint of rape bid on a child. Necessary legal action will be taken.”
Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019
Boalmari Upazila Health Complex emergency unit physician Amir Hamza said signs of rape attempt was found on the child’s body.
Faridpur ‘gang rape’: 3 along with mother-daughter arrested
Police have arrested three persons, including a mother-daughter duo, for allegedly plotting a gang rape at Madhukhali Upazila of Faridpur.
The arrestees are Rozina, her mother Parul Aktar and one Zakirul Haque.
On Tuesday night, the victim’s father filed a case against the trio and accused several other anonymous people of human trafficking and rape.
The victim recently came to her father’s home at Madhukhali from her husband’s village. On Sunday, her friend Rozina came to visit her.
After an argument with the victim, Rozina with her mother and some men abducted her from her father’s house that afternoon.
Also read: Rape epidemic: 2 held over gang-rape of Pabna woman
The victim said they took her to different places, drugged her and had her raped several times.
They dropped her in front of her father’s home on Tuesday morning after her condition deteriorated.
Her father said the victim’s condition has improved. She is currently being treated at the One-Stop Crisis Centre of Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital.
Madhukhali Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Rathindra Nath Tarafdar said Zakirul was arrested in a drive on Tuesday night after the arrest of Rozina and Parul.
The women are residents of Modhukhali Asrayan centre. Zakirul, hailing from Gopalganj, was a contractual worker at the Madhukhali Sugar Mill, said police.
Also read: Housewife ‘gang-raped’ in Patuakhali
OC Rathindra Nath said the court had sent the three accused to jail. The other accused will be arrested after getting the victim’s statement. Rape becoming a regular crime
Rape incidents continue to take place even after the government amended the law making death penalty the highest punishment for the crime.
Last month, a police headquarters report said 26,695 rape cases had been filed across the country in the last five years.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data show that 1,018 children were raped last year, but only 683 police cases were filed. Also, 116 victims were 6 years old or below.
Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the victims were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, the data showed.
Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019
The original number is believed to be higher as most victims don’t report incidents of sexual assault fearing for their safety and social stigmatisation.
Following days of protests against sexual violence against women across Bangladesh, the government introduced death penalty for rape in October last year. In November, the Parliament passed the necessary amendment.
Faridpur violence: Fearing arrest, most Saltha men flee their villages
An uneasy calm prevails in 70 villages of Faridpur's Saltha as almost all the men have gone into hiding following cases filed in connection with the April 5 violence in the area.
Tensions are running high as the police have been carrying out drives to arrest people involved in the attacks on different government offices and infrastructures.
Those who were involved in the incident have fled to escape arrest. The ones who had nothing to do with the incident are also running away to avoid harassment.
Five cases have been filed so far over the violence in Saltha. Names of 261 suspects have been mentioned in the cases with 16,800 anonymous accused.
Also read: Faridpur violence: 4 more cases filed
The villages of Saltha are as silent as the grave now.
As there are no men in the villages, crops of thousands of hectares of land remain unharvested and are being allowed to rot in the fields.
Women of different villages were seen selling daily necessities including onions and jute at Saltha Bazar on Sunday morning. Also, some homemakers came to do their grocery shopping.
Salma Begum, who came to sell onions at the market, said: "There are no male members in the house. Everyone has fled the house since that incident."
Only women and children were seen in 70 of 109 villages of Saltha.
Also read: 8 held, 4k booked over Faridpur violence
Hashi Begum, a local, said: "I am feeling scared all the time. I'm living with the fear of a police raid all day long. There are no men in the house. Everyone is fleeing to avoid arrest."
Lockdown: Youths respond as ‘ food crisis looms’ in Faridpur
A group of youth is reaching out to the people in need in Faridpur town at night, feeding as many people as they can amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Also read: Lockdown unproductive due to mismanagement: BNPActivists of the Communist Party and the Chhatra Union are distributing packets of hotchpotch (khichuri) among the helpless people throughout the town.The government enforced a weeklong lockdown to contain the transmission of coronavirus. It has been strict at some places and lax at others.