Law-&-Order
Fake cosmetics seized at Old Dhaka
A large quantity of counterfeit cosmetics including ones with name of popular brands were seized in the capital’s Bangshal area on Wednesday.
The containers of fake cosmetics with brand names Johnson's, Sunsilk, Dove, Head & Shoulders, and Pantene were seized in a mobile court operation of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), said a press release.
Tipped-off, a BSTI team, led by executive magistrate Kaniz Fatema Liza, raided an unregistered cosmetics manufacturing firm on the third floor of 58, Banshal, near Peyalawali Mosque, said BSTI Director General SM Ferdous Alam.
"The firm was illegally manufacturing fake versions of cosmetics using brand names without any quality control," he said.
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The mobile team found fake products including Sunsilk, Dove, Pantene, Head & Shoulders shampoos, Parachute Beliphool, Sesa, Noboratna, Emami 7-in-1 hair oil, Johnson's baby shampoo, baby oil and baby powder, and Vaseline hair tonic.
It also found empty bottles and counterfeit labels of the products, low-quality raw materials and hazardous chemicals used in production.
As no representative from the illegal manufacturing firm was found during the raid, the seized counterfeit products were destroyed.
The mobile vourt operation was conducted with the assistance of APBN-11, and BSTI field officer Tarikul Islam Suman served as the prosecutor in the mobile court.
Ferdous Alam said, "Ahead of Ramadan, market monitoring has been intensified, not just for food products but for all BSTI-regulated goods."
322 minutes ago
Operation Devil Hunt: 532 arrested across Bangladesh
A total of 532 people were arrested across the country as part of the ongoing "Operation Devil Hunt" in 24 hours till Wednesday afternoon, according to the police headquarters.
Besides, 1,051 others were arrested in connection with various warrants and ongoing cases during the same period in countrywide drives conducted by local police.
Former MP Sala Uddin held in Jashore
During this period, the joint forces also recovered a range of weapons and materials, including one foreign-made pistol.
Launched on the night of February 9, "Operation Devil Hunt" is ostensibly aimed at curbing unrest and ensuring public safety across the country.
1,400 weapons and 250,000 ammunition still missing, says Hafiz
The operation followed an attack on students and civilians in Gazipur on the night of February 7, an area known to be a stronghold of the Awami League.
312 minutes ago
ACC files graft cases against ex-minister Rezaul Karim
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against former Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim and his wife, Firoza Parveen, on charges of amassing illegal wealth worth around Tk 12 crore and engaging in suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 7 crore.
ACC Director General Akhter Hossain announced the development during a briefing at the commission’s office in Segunbagicha on Wednesday.
According to the case statements, SM Rezaul Karim, also a former MP from Pirojpur-1, allegedly misused his power and amassed Tk 8.86 crore beyond his known sources of income.
Investigators have also found suspicious transactions totalling Tk 6.84 crore across 12 bank accounts under his name, prompting the ACC to file the first case against him.
In the second case, both SM Rezaul Karim and his wife, Firoza Parveen, have been accused of abusing their official positions to acquire undeclared assets worth Tk 3.56 crore.
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The charges have been brought under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, and Section 109 of the Penal Code.
The ACC launched its investigation last September into allegations of widespread corruption and irregularities against Rezaul Karim.
The inquiry found that he owns immovable properties in Nazirpur, Pirojpur, and several locations in Dhaka and Barishal.
During his tenure as the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, he also allegedly embezzled Tk 25 crore under the pretext of purchasing equipment and training under the Livestock and Dairy Development project. He is also accused of illegally acquiring luxury vehicles, large sums in bank deposits and substantial assets both at home and abroad.
280 minutes ago
Menon, Inu, Faruk Khan remanded over attack on Khaleda's motorcade
Former ministers Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haq Inu, and Faruk Khan were put on a five-day remand each on Wednesday in connection with a case filed over the attack on BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's motorcade in 2015.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate M A Azharul Islam passed the order following a hearing on a petition.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi stood for the state.
Khaleda Zia, 7 others acquitted in Niko graft case
Meanwhile, defence lawyers filed a bail petition which was rejected by the court.
When the former ministers were being taken to the jail at Dhaka's CMM Court, journalists inquired about a post from Faruk Khan’s verified Facebook account allegedly from prison but Khan denied the claims saying, “How could I post from prison? That’s a false statement.”
According to the case statement, the attackers equipped with arms attacked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade during electioneering in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office on April 20, 2015.
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During the attack, 12-14 vehicles were vandalised, four motorbikes were torched and a number of leaders and activists were physically assaulted.
They also hurled brick chips targeting Khaleda Zia.
Leaders and activists of Awami League-led 14-party alliance and its associated bodies exploded bombs during the attack.
233 minutes ago
All gang members arrested for machete attack on couple in Uttara
The entire gang involved in the machete attack on a couple in Uttara has been arrested, according to the Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) of the Uttara Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Rownak Jahan.
Speaking at a press conference at the DMP Media Center on Wednesday, Rownak Jahan said, “The members of a teenage gang attacked the couple with a sharp weapon after they protested against the gang's reckless motorcycle driving. All the members of the gang have been identified and arrested.”
2 arrested for attacking couple with machete at Uttara
The incident occurred on Monday night (February 17) at around 10:30 pm, when the couple was attacked. Two of the assailants were caught by locals and handed over to the Uttara West Police Station after being beaten.
Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara West Police Station, said, “Members of the teen gang were driving their motorcycles at high speed inside the Uttara sector, and were about to run over a child. When the couple, traveling on another motorcycle, protested the incident, the gang members called others and attacked the couple with sharp weapons.”
27 minutes ago
Khaleda Zia, 7 others acquitted in Niko graft case
A Dhaka court on Wednesday acquitted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and seven other accused in the sensational Niko graft case.
Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Md Rabiul Alam passed the order, said the court’s peshkar (assistant) Md Belal Hossain.
Earlier on February 13, the court set February 19 to deliver the judgment after hearing from both defence and prosecution, he said.
On February 5, the recording of the testimony from the witnesses ended while 39 out of 68 witnesses gave the testimonies.
On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case accusing Khaleda and four others of causing a loss of Tk 137.77 billion to the state by signing an oil and gas exploration deal with Canadian company Niko on behalf of the state that was deemed against Bangladesh's national interests and swayed by graft.
The anti-graft body pressed charges in court against 11 people, including Khaleda, in May 2008.
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The other accused in the case are former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique, Khandaker Shahidul Islam, CM Yusuf Hossain, former Bapex general manager Mir Mainul Haq, Giasuddin Al Mamun, former parliamentarian MAH Selim and former vice-president of South Asia affairs of Niko Kashem Sharif.
Among the accused, BNP Standing Committee Member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain and former secretary of Bapex Shafiur Rahman died during the trial proceedings.
Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty and convicted in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country.
Following the political changeover in the country on August 5 last, Khaleda Zia, her party men and followers of other political parties are being acquitted in cases.
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On January 8, the BNP chairperson moved to London for advanced treatment and now is staying there with her family members.
1 hour ago
Tension high on Kuet campus after clashes over student politics
Tension gripped Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) campus on Wednesday morning a day after clashes between general students and BNP’s student wing Chhatra Dal over the demand of banning student politics.
Additional police personnel along with other forces remained deployed surrounding the campus to ward off any unwanted incident.
The general students, however, on Tuesday night placed a five point demand, including resignation of the vice chancellor (VC), pro VC, and students’ affairs director, and issued an ultimatum to press home their demand.
They threatened that they will boycott classes and exams, if the demands aren’t met by 1pm on Wednesday.
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The protesting students gave the ultimatum at a press conference held on the campus around 10:30pm.
At 11:30pm, the students also brought out a protest rally and warned that no student politics on the campus would be allowed at any cost.
They demanded that those attacked them be brought to justice immediately.
Contacted, VC Prof Dr Masud Rahman told UNB that he has received the five-point demand placed by the students.
He, however, made no remarks regarding the steps on the demands.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, at least 50 students were injured in a series of clashes between the general students and the JCD fellows over banning student politics on the campus.
At one stage of the clashes, outsiders, said to be BNP men, allegedly joined the JCD members, and attacked the students.
Clashes erupt at Kuet over banning student politics; BGB deployed
Protesting the attacks on the Kuet students, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement brought out processions on the campuses of Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday night.
2 hours ago
Former MP Sala Uddin held in Jashore
Joint forces detained former MP from Jhenaidah-3 constituency Major Gen (retd) Md Sala Uddin Miaji from Jashore Sadar upazila on Tuesday night.
Locals and students besieged Shyamolchhaya Park, owned by the former MP, in Rudrapur village of Chachra union under the upazila, on Tuesday evening after being tipped-off that Sala Uddin had been staying at the park.
The protesting people tried to enter the park but failed due to intervention of the joint forces.
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Later around 11pm, the joint forces detained Sala Uddin, former military secretary to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, from the park and handed him over to Detective Branch (DB), said Manjurul Haque Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Jashore DB.
The detainee will also be handed over to Jhenaidah police today (Wednesday), he said.
Sala Uddin was elected MP from the Jhenaidah-3 seat in the 12th national election.
4 hours ago
After the bird has flown? Court issues travel ban on Lotus Kamal and family
A Dhaka court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, aka Lotus Kamal, his wife Kashmiri Kamal and daughters Kashfi Kamal and Nafisa Kamal in a graft case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Jakir Hossain Galib passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking the travel ban.
The investigating officer of the case Md Nurul Huda, also an ACC official, submitted the appeal.
According to the petition, investigation is underway in a case against the former minister Kamal, his wife and daughters regarding acquisition of wealth beyond known sources of income. It goes on to state the petitioners' concern that in light of the investigation, Kamal and his family may attempt to flee abroad - thus necessitating the travel ban.
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The petitioners are right to be concerned, but they are many months too late. Not only has there been no sighting of the family in Bangladesh since August 5, shortly after the fall of the Awami League government, a video surfaced on social media of Kamal and daughter Nafisa.
It was clearly shot at an airport, and showed the two of them scrambling to get hold of a number of bags and suitcases. Reportedly they left the country way before the movement even picked up, on July 15. So either way, this travel ban looks set to be as ineffective as the ones issued earlier against ex IGP Benzir Ahmed, or ex-secretary Matiur Rahman(who has since surrendered), and numerous others.
Earlier on February 13, the ACC filed a case against the former finance minister, his wife and two daughters on charges of amassing illegal wealth totaling Tk 167 crore.
In the case, the allegations of amassing Tk 27.52 crore against Lotus Kamal himself, Tk 46.11 crore against wife Kashmiri, Tk 31.58 crore against Kashfi and Tk 62 crore by daughter Nafisa were brought.
14 hours ago
Ramna Batamul Cases: HC verdict expected any day
The High Court (HC) will deliver judgment any day on the death references, appeals and jail appeals of the convicts in the Ramna Batamul bombing cases filed over two decades ago.
An HC bench consisting of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Nasrin Akter passed the order after ending hearings on the death references and appeals.
Defence lawyers SM Shahjahan, Sarwar and Mohammad Shishir Monir stood for the accused while deputy attorney general Sultana Akter Rubi represented the state during the hearing in the court.
On April 14, 2001, during the Chhayanat’s Bengali New Year celebrations at Ramna Batamul, a bomb blast left nine people dead on the spot. Another died at the hospital later.
Two cases – one for murder and another for explosives -- were filed with Ramna Police Station after the incident. Dhaka's Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge ruled on June 23, 2014 in a murder case involving the bomb attack.
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Eight people, including Mufti Hannan, the top leader of Harkatul Jihad (Huji), were sentenced to death and six to life imprisonment. However, Mufti Hannan was hanged on April 12, 2017 in a conviction over another grenade attack in Sylhet.
The death references and appeals of the convicts were kept waiting for hearing in the High Court.
After hearing the death references and other appeals, the court is now set to deliver the verdict any day.
18 hours ago