United News of Bangladesh

The presiding officer of Salimunnesa Girls’ School polling centre under Jhenaidah-4 constituency was removed from election duty on Wednesday night following the seizure of 23 signed result sheets. The removed officer, Jasmine Ara, was serving as presiding officer at Centre No. 5 of Kaliganj Municipality. She is also an assistant engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering. Returning Officer and Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Masud said around 10:30pm that Kaliganj Shaheed Noor Ali College senior lecturer Shamsuzzaman Khan has been appointed as the new presiding officer. He said such irresponsible activities would not be tolerated in the interest of ensuring a free and fair election. According to officials, 23 result sheets signed by agents of the ‘sheaf of paddy’ and ‘scale’ symbols were recovered from the centre around 8pm. After receiving the information, Executive Magistrate and Chief Executive Officer of Jhenaidah District Council Selim Reza and Assistant Returning Officer and Kaliganj UNO Rizwana Nahid visited the centre. Selim Reza said the signed result sheets were seized and torn up, adding that the incident would not affect the election process. He also said fresh result sheets have been ordered to be prepared. Jasmine Ara said she had signed the result sheets without realising it was a mistake and later tore them up after understanding the error.

A summary trial court on Wednesday detained and sentenced five people, including a Jamaat-e-Islami activist, for violating the election code of conduct in different areas of the capital. In Sutrapur, a Jamaat worker, Habibur Rahman, 63, was caught red-handed while allegedly preparing to distribute cash. He was sentenced to two days’ imprisonment by Lalbagh Division Special Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman through an on-the-spot summary trial. Law enforcers seized 12 envelopes containing Tk 500 each from his possession, totaling Tk 6,000. The money was confiscated in favour of the state, said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Muhammad Talebur Rahman. In a separate incident, the Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Wari Division sentenced one person to one month’s imprisonment and another to seven days’ imprisonment for roaming without satisfactory reason. Meanwhile, Special Metropolitan Magistrate of Motijheel Division Mahidur Rahman sentenced two persons to 10 days’ imprisonment each in a case filed by Mugda Police Station. They were convicted under Section 75 of the DMP Ordinance for making negative comments about the police and being detained by members of the public, said the official.  

At least nine people from both sides were injured in a clash between leaders and activists of the BNP and an independent candidate in the West Gate area behind Joypurhat Government College on Wednesday afternoon. The injured were identified as Al Hamza, 31, of Nagarkanda in Faridpur; Tanjid, 29, Sohag, 24, Rohan, 26, and Abdullah, 26, all from Faridpur district headquarters; Toufiq Hossain, 27, of Danejpur in Panchbibi upazila; Roman Hossain, 39, of Tajur More area adjacent to Joypurhat Sugar Mill; and Rajib Hossain, 41, and Al Amin, 36, of Shantinagar Mohalla. They are undergoing treatment at Joypurhat General Hospital. Quoting locals, police said the clash broke out around 4:30pm when independent candidate Sabekun Nahar (Shikha), contesting with the horse symbol in the Joypurhat-1 (Sadar and Panchbibi) constituency, went to the Government College area with her supporters. An altercation ensued with supporters of BNP-nominated candidate Masud Rana Pradhan, who is contesting with the paddy sheaf symbol. Sabekun Nahar alleged that while she was heading to visit a booth at the college centre with relatives and supporters, activists of the paddy sheaf candidate stopped and harassed her at the college gate. When her supporters intervened, they were attacked, leaving several people, including her brother-in-law, seriously injured. However, Mamunur Rashid Prodhan, younger brother of BNP candidate Masud Rana Prodhan and president of the district Chhatra Dal, alleged that the independent candidate had brought outsiders from Faridpur and was involved in vote buying. When local people and BNP activists tried to stop her, her supporters attacked them, injuring several of their men. Superintendent of Joypurhat General Hospital Dr Rashed Mubarak Jewel said the injured were given primary treatment and are now out of danger. Anisur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Joypurhat Sadar Police Station, said he had heard about the incident but no complaint had been filed yet.

Two BNP activists were detained with more than Tk 1 lakh in Babuganj upazila of Barishal on Wednesday, hours before the national election. Commanding Officer of Army’s 62 East Bengal, Lieutenant Colonel Faiz Ahmed, said that as part of ongoing law and order and election security operations, two motorcycle riders were detained during an operation in the Madhabpasha area of Babuganj in the afternoon. After searching them, Tk 1,02,000 in cash and election-related slips were recovered from their possession. They were later handed over to Babuganj Police Station. Mizanur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of (OC) Airport Police Station, said the detainees identified themselves as BNP workers. They are Humayun Gazi and Enayet Kazi. In addition to the cash, leaflets and voter slips of BNP candidate for Barishal-2 (Babuganj-Muladi) constituency, Ad Joynal Abedin, were recovered from them, he added.

Amid rising concerns regarding the movement of funds during the election period, Bangladesh Bank has clarified that it has not imposed any specific restrictions or ceilings on carrying physical cash. The clarification comes following reports of cash seized from political activists and growing anxiety among common people and the business community regarding the legality of transporting large sums of money during the 13th National Parliamentary Election. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, stated that under standard regulations, there is no set limit on how much cash an individual can carry. However, he emphasized that the Election Commission (EC) holds the ultimate authority during this period. Under normal circumstances, Bangladesh Bank does not impose a limit on carrying cash, he said. However, “If the Election Commission issues any specific directives or restrictions to maintain the code of conduct during the election, those rules will take precedence and be strictly applied," said Khan.

A mobile court on Wednesday sentenced two agents of the 'scale symbol' to two years of rigorous imprisonment for illegally entering a polling centre and trying to influence voting in the capital's Mirpur. The incident took place at Mirpur Shahid Smrity High School polling centre in the evening. The court also fined them Tk 5,000 each. In default of payment, they will have to serve 15 more days of rigorous imprisonment. Man sentenced to prison for arson attack on Jamaat election camp in Naogaon-5 Officer-in-Charge of Pallabi Police Station Alamgir Hossain said  the two agents unlawfully entered the centre and attempted to exert illegal influence with the assistance of polling officer Mosammat Sumona Islam, an assistant teacher and wife of the general secretary of Jamaat-E-Islami’s Ward No. 6 unit. The two agents were convicted under Article 73(2B) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972. Police said action has been taken against the polling officer and she has been ordered to be removed from duty. Election office, 2 shops set on fire in Jhalakathi

A Jamaat activist was arrested with over Tk 7 lakh during a joint force operation in Naria upazila of Shariatpur on Wednesday. The arrestee is Golam Mustafa, an assistant teacher of Shaheed Samad High School in Japsa Union and a resident of the Rajnagar area. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 3,000, said Naria Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Luki Das. In default of payment, he will have to serve an additional 10 days of rigorous imprisonment. Tipped off, members of the joint forces conducted a drive at the house of Jalil Master in Ward No. 1 of Baishakhipara area under Naria Municipality around 5pm. Jamaat leader Belal Uddin hospitalised after arrest ‘with Tk 74 lakh’ During the operation, law enforcers recovered Tk 7,20,000 in cash, a laptop, some empty envelopes and documents related to the distribution of money from the house. District Jamaat Nayb-e-Ameer KM Maqbul Hossain and Jamaat activists Advocate Mahfuz Alam and Hasan Al Mannan were also detained during the operation but were later released after questioning.

A Bogura court on Tuesday issued a warrant for the arrest of content creator Ashraful Alam alias Hero Alam in a rape case. Judge of the Bogura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 Anwarul Haque passed the order. According to the case statement, Hero Alam developed a physical relationship with Sadia Rahman Mithila with a promise to marry her and cast her as a heroine. Hero Alam joins Aam Janatar Dal Mithila filed a case against Hero Alam with the Women and Children Repression Tribunal on April 21, 2005. Allegations of rape, physically torture and abortion was brought against Hero Alam. During the investigation, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) found evidence of the allegations brought against Hero Alam.

A Dhaka court on Monday ordered Azizul Haque, the investigation officer in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, to appear in person and explain why the probe report has not yet been submitted. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam passed the order after Additional Superintendent of Police Md Azizul Haque of the PBI failed to present the report to the court. The submission deadline was deferred for the 124th time, and the court has set 1 April as the next date for submission of the investigation report. Earlier on September 30, the HC asked the government to form a high-powered taskforce to probe the murder case and submit a report within six months. Following the court order, the current interim government formed a high-powered task force on October 23 last year led by the chief of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Sagar, a news editor at private television channel Maasranga TV, and Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were murdered in their rented apartment in Dhaka’s West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012. Their four-and-a-half-year-old son Mahir Sarowar Megh was present in the house at the time of the murder. Runi’s brother, Naosher Alam, filed the murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station following the murders.

The High Court on Sunday issued a contempt of court rule against the chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and four other officials over a move to lease out land along the Karnaphuli River, allegedly in violation of earlier court directives. The bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Ashif Hasan issued the rule following a contempt petition filed by the rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The five officials named in the rule are CPA Chairman SM Moniruzzaman; Additional Secretary (Administration) Md Habibur Rahman; Member (Finance) Md Shahidul Alam; Member (Engineering) Commodore Kausar Rashid; and Assistant Manager of the Port Authority’s Estate Department Mohammad Rayan Uddin. The court also ordered a stay on all further activities related to the land under BRS Dag No. 601 of Firingi Bazar Mouza. High Court issues rule against CEC over contempt of court HRPB lawyer Manzill Murshid told the media that in an earlier verdict on a writ petition filed by the organisation, the court had issued several directives instructing authorities to protect the Karnaphuli River in accordance with official survey records. He alleged that, despite those directives, the CPA decided to lease out a portion of the river, officially recorded as river land, to the Chattogram City Corporation.