নেত্রকোনায় প্রাইভেটকার ও সিএনজিচালিত অটোরিকশার সংঘর্ষে পুলিশ সদস্যসহ দুইজন নিহত হয়েছেন। একই দুর্ঘটনায় আহত হয়েছেন আরও ৬ জন। শুক্রবার (২৬ জানুয়ারি) বিকেলে নেত্রকোনা-ময়মনসিংহ মহাসড়কের চল্লিশা ঝাউসী এলাকায় এ দুর্ঘটনা ঘটে।
নিহত পুলিশ সদস্য হলেন- জেলার বারহাট্রা উপজেলার ফকিরের বাজার তদন্ত কেন্দ্রের কনস্টেবল আজিজুল হাকিম। তার গ্রামের বাড়ি ময়মনসিংহের ফুলপুরে। এছাড়া নিহত অন্যজনের পরিচয় জানা যায়নি। আহতদের মধ্যে সঞ্জিত বর্মণ (৫৮) কে সনাক্ত করা গেছে। তার বাড়ি শাহাপাড়ার নাগ্রা।
নেত্রকোনা মডেল থানার এসআই মশিউল জানান, নেত্রকোনাগামী প্রাইভেটকারের সঙ্গে ময়মনসিংহগামী যাত্রীবোঝাই অটোরিকশার সংঘর্ষ হলে ঘটনাস্থলেই দুইজন নিহত ও ছয়জন আহত হন। নিহতরা অটোরিকশার যাত্রী ছিলেন। পরে স্থানীয়রা ও ফায়ার সার্ভিসের কর্মীরা আহতদের নেত্রকোনা সদর হাসপাতালে পাঠায়। সেখানে সঞ্জিত বর্মণসহ তিনজনের অবস্থা সংকটাপন্ন হওয়ায় উন্নত চিকিৎসার জন্য তাদের ময়মনসিংহ মেডিকেল কলেজ (মমেক) হাসপাতালে পাঠানো হয়।
নেত্রকোনায় ঢাকা হতে আগত প্রাইভেটকার ও সিএনজিচালিত অটোরিকশার সংঘর্ষে পুলিশ সদস্যসহ দুইজন নিহত হয়েছেন। একই দুর্ঘটনায় আহত হয়েছেন আরও ৬ জন। সোমবার (৩১শে মার্চ) বিকেলে নেত্রকোনা-ময়মনসিংহ মহাসড়কের চল্লিশা ঝাউসী এলাকায় এ দুর্ঘটনা ঘটে।
নিহত পুলিশ সদস্য হলেন- জেলার বারহাট্রা উপজেলার ফকিরের বাজার তদন্ত কেন্দ্রের কনস্টেবল আজিজুল হাকিম। তার গ্রামের বাড়ি ময়মনসিংহের ফুলপুরে। এছাড়া নিহত অন্যজনের পরিচয় জানা যায়নি।গুরুতর আহতদের মধ্যে শাহাপাড়ার নাগ্রার সঞ্জিত বর্মণ (৫৮) ছাঁড়া অন্যদের সনাক্ত করা যায়নি। সঞ্জিত বর্মণ সহ তিনজনের অবস্থা আশঙ্কাজনক
নেত্রকোনা মডেল থানার এসআই মশিউল জানান, নেত্রকোনাগামী প্রাইভেটকারের সঙ্গে ময়মনসিংহগামী যাত্রীবোঝাই অটোরিকশার সংঘর্ষ হলে ঘটনাস্থলেই দুইজন নিহত ও পাঁচজন আহত হন। নিহতরা অটোরিকশার যাত্রী ছিলেন। পরে স্থানীয়রা ও ফায়ার সার্ভিসের কর্মীরা আহতদের নেত্রকোনা সদর হাসপাতালে পাঠায়। সেখানে তিনজনের অবস্থা সংকটাপন্ন হওয়ায় উন্নত চিকিৎসার জন্য তাদের ময়মনসিংহ মেডিকেল কলেজ (মমেক) হাসপাতালে পাঠানো হয়।
A case on the ground of blasphemy has been filed in relation to the recent issue of a magazine called “Atheist Era”. The list of accused consists of 20 names including the Editor and other personnel of this magazine and the contributors/writers whose writing appeared on this issue.
Magistrate Ahmed Humayun Kabir, sitting at Court No. 06 of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court, took cognizance of the case under Section 295 of the Bangladesh Penal Code 1860 on 20 November. The complainant in this case is a Md. Yasin Alam Bhuiyan. The case (CR-234/2022) has been sent to the Superintendent of Police of the Police Bureau of Investigation for investigation. The Investigation Report is due on 29 December this year.
Referring to the petiton of the case, the court sources said that the magazine did not only contain filthy articles insulting Islam but also criticized the elements of Islam existing in the legal system of Bangladesh. By doing so, in effect, it spread slanders against the government of Bangladesh, the judiciary and the lagal system. Extremely humiliating write-ups about the Holy Prophet Muhammad have also been published in the same magazine. Recognition of homosexuals/bisexuals, change or abolition of laws in this regard and Islamic fundamentalism were the subject matters of the write-ups in this magazine.
The accused of this case are, Md Arman Hossain (Editor), Tanvir Ahmed, Jishan Tanvir Mostofa, Zobayer Hossain, Md Jakir Hossain, Md Asaduzzaman Khan Rony, Johny Chandra Saha, Md Mohiuddin Masud, Imrul Kayes, Md Zahirul Islam, Johnny Joseph Costa, Asif Islam, Mohaiminul Biswas Parvez, Kamal Chandra Sarkar, K M Mahfuzur Rahman, Md Rasel Miah, Abu Bakar Siddik, Md Abdul Razzak, Mohammed Moin Uddin Chowdhury, and Md Al Amin Kaisar.
When contacted, the complainant Mr. Bhuiyan did not hold back his frustration and anger with the accused in the case. He said, “This magazine has been spreading conspiracies and slander against Islam for a long time, both online and offline, against the laws of Bangladesh, the laws that emphasize Islamic consciousness and values, and against the government of Bangladesh. We have filed this case lawfully. They are not only attacking the Islam but also the Government of Bangladesh and the law and constitution of our beloved Awami government. Especially, this atheists are plotting conspiracies against the existing law regarding atheists and homosexuals. As a supporter and activist of the Awami League I can tell that if these people are not brought under the law now our leader will be in great danger in future.”
In a significant development, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of the capital witnessed the filing of a defamation case against the editor of “Atheist Era” magazine, Md. Arman Hossain, and 19 others. The plaintiff, Md. Yasin Alam Bhuiyan, alleges that the magazine has long been disseminating conspiracy and slander against Islam, the laws of Bangladesh, and the government.
The case, registered under Section 295 of the Criminal Code, was assigned to Judge Mr. Ahmed Humayun Kabir in Court No. 16. The judge has directed the Superintendent of Police of the Police Bureau of Investigation to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The deadline for the investigation report is set for December 29, 2022.
The accused include prominent names such as Editor Arman Hossain, Tanveer Ahmed, Komol Chandra Das, Zeeshan Tanveer Mostafa, Muhaiminul Biswas Parvez, Zobair Hossain, Asif Islam, Jani Chandra Saha, Jony Joseph Costa, among others. Tensions surrounding the case have been palpable, with suppressed anger observed in some areas.
In an interview, the plaintiff, Mr. Md. Yasin Alam Bhuiyan, expressed strong indignation, stating, “They have not only expressed their opposition to Islam but have also launched an assault on the laws and constitution of the government of Bangladesh. Strict legal measures must be taken unless the safety of our leader and nation is to be jeopardized in the future.”
The plaintiff hinted at possible repercussions if justice is not served through legal channels, leaving the nature of these repercussions unspecified. Meanwhile, court sources reported a tight security system in place with a sizable crowd supporting the plaintiff, resonating with chants of “Naraye Takbir Allah Hu Akbar.”
Police sources declined to comment on the matter, and attempts to contact the defendants, including the Atheist Era magazine, went unanswered. The case, registered as CR – 234/2022, marks a contentious intersection of freedom of expression, religious sentiments, and legal consequences.
Recent media reports around the case of sedition brought by a member of the Bangabandhu Lawyers’ Association against the controversial The Daily Nobojug and some of its comment-contributors/readers on issues such as the Al-Jazeera’s hour-long documentary “All the Prime-Minister’s Men” and the controversial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in prison suggest that the investigation against the accused is in full flow and details are emerging as to their motive behind their actions leading to the charges. The offending article was published on The Daily Nobojug on 27 March 2021.
On the condition of anonymity, a reliable source from PBI (Police Bureau of Invesitagtion), which has been tasked with the investigation of the charges by the Additional Chief Magistrate Md. Hasibul Haque of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court – 05 by way of an order issued on 25 August 2021, has confirmed to TheBDNews24 that, on preliminary investigation, most of the accused appear to be based overseas, mainly in Europe and the US and it is clear that they are working closely, covertly and sometimes explicitly, with the dominant parts of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party which is currently being led by exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman, to upset the harmony within the country and to create chaos and disorder by spreading confusion and misinformation about the government, armed forces and the judiciary.
Some identities have now been uncovered – Md Razim Hossain, Md Rukon Miah, Md Sabbir Hossain, Md Al Amin Kaisar, Md Masum Sajjad, Mohammad Shahidul Islam Jaigirdar, Md Ashif Hossain, and Ahsanul Huda Sarker. The responsible PBI team are tracking the whereabouts of these individuals and investigating these individuals’ local addresses. It is expected further progress will be made.
The investigation continues in this case (CR-120/2021).
A total of 594 people have been made witnesses in the case
A Dhaka court on Monday finally began recording testimony of prosecution witnesses in the murder case lodged over the death of over 1,200 people in the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza building, around six years after the charge framing.
Plaintiff of the case and then sub-inspector of Savar police station Wali Ashraf testified at the court of Dhaka District and Sessions Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan.
Dhaka District and Sessions Judge SM Quddus Zaman on July 18, 2016 framed the charges against the 41 accused, including building owner Sohel Rana, in the murder case filed by police. But the proceedings of the case remained stalled since then because of the stay order issued by the High Court.
Police filed the case over murder because of negligence. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed the charge sheet in the case on April 26, 2015 against 41 people.
A total of 594 people were made witnesses in the case.
Hundreds of people, mostly garment workers, were killed and over 2,500 injured in the building collapse on April 24, 2013.
6 others awarded life term imprisonment, 7 acquitted
The Cox’s Bazar Sessions Judge Court on Monday sentenced former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and inspector Liakat Ali to death for murdering retired major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan on July 31, 2020. Judge Mohammad Ismail of the court pronounced the verdict in the afternoon also awarding six other people including three cops and three villagers to suffer life term rigorous imprisonment for committing the offence.
The life term imprisonment recipients are the then Teknaf police sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, and villagers Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin, and Ayas Uddin.
The court also acquitted seven other accused in the case – the then Baharchhara police investigation centre assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia and constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah Al Mamun and the then Cox’s Bazar-based Armed Police Battalion sub-inspector Shahjahan and constables Rajib and Abdullah, said Mohammad Jahangir, a lawyer representing the plaintiff of the case.
All the convicts and the acquitted ones heard the verdict from the dock.
Tight security measures were taken in and around the court premises on the occasion of pronouncement of the verdict.
The court observed that the murder was a pre-planned one.
While the court activities were in progress, a number of people, especially relatives of the people died in ‘gunfight’ incidents in Teknaf, outside the court premises formed a human chain demanding capital punishment for OC Pradeep and his cohorts for killing nearly dozens of people in Teknaf in the name of ‘gunfight’.
On January 12, the same court, following the case summing up arguments by both the prosecution and the defence lawyers, set Monday for delivering the verdict in the case against 15 accused.
Retired major Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police checkpoint in Baharchhara Union of Cox’s Bazar while returning to Cox’s Bazar town on July 31, 2020, after filming for a documentary.
His sister Sharmen Shahria Ferdush filed the case with a Cox’s Bazar judicial magistrate court against nine members of law enforcement agencies, including Pradeep and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liyakat Ali, on August 5, 2020.
On December 13, 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion submitted the charge sheet against 15 people — Pradeep, Liyakat, then Teknaf police sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, then Baharchhara police investigation centre assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia and constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah Al Mamun, then Cox’s Bazar-based Armed Police Battalion sub-inspector Shahjahan and constables Rajib and Abdullah and villagers Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin, and Ayas Uddin. All the accused are now in prisons.
On June 27, 2021, Cox’s Bazar court framed charges against the 15. All the police members named in the charge sheet were suspended following their arrest.
The court examined 65 of the 83 prosecution witnesses.
The charge sheet stated that Pradeep had plotted the murder nearly two weeks ago.
The battalion said that the three villagers were police informers and took part in the Sinha murder plot.
DHAKA, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Bangladesh on Friday closed all schools and colleges for two weeks to counter an “alarming” rise in COVID-19 infections, just four months after ending a 1-1/2 year school closure imposed due to coronavirus.
The south Asian country reported 11,434 new cases on Friday, the biggest single-day jump since Aug. 9, pushing the positivity rate to 28.5%.
“We are seeing an uptick in infections in schools and colleges. This is really alarming,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque told reporters.
He added that public gatherings like political rallies and religious functions involving more than 100 people had been prohibited, although the duration of the ban was not immediately clear.
The healthcare system would be overwhelmed if the situation deteriorates further, Maleque said, adding more than a third of the hospital beds in the capital, Dhaka, have already been occupied by coronavirus patients.
Bangladesh has so far administered at least 151 million doses of vaccine since an inoculation drive began a year ago, with 47% of the population having had two shots.
Booster shots are administered to people over the age of 60 and healthcare and frontline workers.
The authorities have so far inoculated 2.89 million children aged 12-17 years.
Schools in Bangladesh reopened in September after one and half years, one of the world’s longest coronavirus shutdowns.
Authorities hope the closure of schools will help break chains of infection amid fears about the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the virus.
It can take days to confirm the strain of a virus through genomic sequencing, and Bangladesh has so far confirmed 62 Omicron cases. Since the pandemic first swept into Bangladesh in March 2020, the country has recorded 1,664,616 cases, including 28,192 deaths.
Bangladeshi authorities buried 23 unclaimed bodies on Saturday after a day-long search failed to recover more victims or survivors of a massive fire on a crowded river ferry that left 40 people dead.
Habibur Rahman, a top government official, said he had an incomplete list of 17 missing people who were on board the ferry on Friday when the fire awoke passengers around 3 a.m., forcing many to leap into cold waters and swim ashore.
Divers looked for more survivors before suspending their efforts at sunset on Saturday.
Rahman said 50 people were being treated in two hospitals, while 19 others have been sent home.
Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, chief coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka, said his hospital was treating 15 people for serious burns. “I would say everyone is critical and no one is out of danger,” he said.
