Testimony is scheduled today against former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman and seven others in a case over the killing of six people during the July-August 1975 uprising in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area. The chief investigating officer, Md Monirul Islam, is set to testify before International Crimes Tribunal-1, marking the final witness session in the case, where 26 witnesses have already testified. Separately, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 will continue hearing testimony for the 18th day in another crimes against humanity case involving the burning of six bodies and the killing of seven people in Ashulia, with former MP Saiful Islam and 15 others accused. The prosecution stated that SI Sheikh Abzalul Haque, who turned state witness, will testify soon. Of the 16 accused in the Ashulia case, eight are currently in custody and were presented before the tribunal this morning.

Hundreds of buyers across Bangladesh have reportedly fallen victim to online fraud schemes involving fake advertisements for Katimon mangoes from Chapainawabganj. Despite the mango season being over, several social media pages have been offering 'juicy and delicious' mangoes year-round, luring customers to pay in advance. One such page, 'BD Official Mango House,' allegedly deceived a buyer from Charghat, Rajshahi, who lost 11,000 taka after being tricked by scammers posing as couriers. Investigations revealed that the page had no physical office in Chapainawabganj as claimed and that the perpetrators were operating from Narail. Victims and local residents have demanded swift action against these fraudulent online businesses. Police have urged consumers to verify sellers before placing online orders and warned against making advance payments until goods are received.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, convicted of crimes against humanity linked to the July uprising and sentenced to five years in prison, has been transferred to Gazipur’s special jail. Following his conviction, Mamun will lose his Division-1 prison privileges and be downgraded to Division-2 status, as per prison regulations. The Inspector General of Prisons, Brigadier General Syed Motaher Hossain, confirmed that once a prisoner is sentenced, Division-1 privileges are automatically revoked. Mamun may apply to retain certain privileges, but government approval is required. If denied, he will be treated as a regular inmate and must wear the standard prison uniform. Sources indicate that over 150 cases are pending against Mamun in various courts and police stations. A 1982 BCS police cadre officer, Mamun served as Bangladesh’s 29th IGP and previously led the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) before his arrest on September 4, 2024.

A major fertilizer smuggling operation has been uncovered in Khulna, Bangladesh, involving urea imported under the supervision of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC). Following the seizure of around 20 tons of fertilizer in Chuadanga, authorities have begun investigating allegations that a powerful syndicate, including warehouse officials and transport operators, is diverting government fertilizer to the black market. The fertilizers, meant for farmers, are reportedly sold illegally at lower prices for massive profits. Summit Associates, the official distributor, and its subcontractor Jewel Transport are under scrutiny after one of their trucks was caught transporting smuggled fertilizer. Despite evidence of systemic irregularities, BCIC officials have been accused of ignoring the issue. The scandal has raised concerns about corruption in fertilizer distribution and its damaging impact on farmers and agricultural productivity in the region.

Murad Hossain, a 65-year-old Awami League leader and former commissioner of Mirpur’s Ward 12, died on Tuesday after falling ill at Gazipur’s Kashimpur High-Security Central Jail. Prison officials said he was an undertrial prisoner facing three murder cases. Around 3:15 p.m., Hossain suddenly became ill, prompting authorities to transfer him first to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj and then to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). He was declared dead by on-duty doctors at approximately 4:30 p.m. Inspector Md Faruk, in charge of the DMCH police outpost, confirmed the death. The body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy in the presence of an executive magistrate. After the post-mortem examination, prison authorities will formally hand over the body to his family. The cause of death has not yet been officially determined.

Pakistan’s security forces have killed 15 militants belonging to the India-backed Fitna-al-Khawarij group in two separate counterterrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The operations, conducted on November 15 and 16 in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan, were based on intelligence reports. In the first raid in Dera Ismail Khan’s Kalachi area, 10 militants, including senior commander Alam Mehsud, were killed. A second operation in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, eliminated five more militants. Security forces continue to pursue others who fled the scene. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister congratulated the forces, calling the elimination of India-supported terrorists a matter of national consensus. The government uses the term ‘Fitna-al-Khawarij’ to refer to the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The development follows a recent suicide bombing in Islamabad claimed by the TTP that killed 12 and injured 27.

A fire broke out at a market in Dhaka’s Gulistan area shortly after midnight on Tuesday, November 18. According to the Fire Service, the blaze started around 12:30 a.m. on the third floor of a six-story building known as Ramna Bhaban, reportedly from a clothing store. Five units of the Fire Service responded promptly and managed to bring the fire under control by 1:00 a.m. Duty officer Rafi Al Faruk of the Bangabazar Fire Station confirmed the incident and said no casualties had been reported so far. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. After the fire was contained, three units returned to their stations while two remained on-site as a precautionary measure to ensure safety and prevent any possible re-ignition.

A parked car was set on fire by unidentified miscreants in Dhaka’s Agargaon area late Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. in front of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board building. According to Fire Service duty officer Rafi Al Faruq, two units from the Mohammadpur Fire Station were dispatched to the scene and worked to bring the blaze under control. Authorities have not yet determined the extent of the damage or the motive behind the attack. No casualties were reported, and an investigation is expected to follow to identify those responsible. The fire service confirmed that the situation was contained shortly after their arrival, preventing the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles or structures.

Authorities from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company conducted a raid in Sonargaon municipality’s Khasnagar and Bhabanathpur areas of Narayanganj, disconnecting illegal gas connections at two unauthorized lime and casting factories. The operation, led by Senior Assistant Secretary Milton Roy from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, took place from morning to noon on Tuesday. Factory owners fled upon learning of the raid. Officials said the factories had been illegally using gas worth around 2 million taka per month. Acting on secret information, a mobile court demolished the factories using excavators and seized pipes and other equipment used for the illegal connections. Titas Gas officials stated that the illegal operations had been running under political protection since August 5 and vowed to continue similar drives to prevent theft of government resources.

Elite force RAB-11 has arrested top-listed criminal Rakib, also known as Gui Rakib, from his home in Rupganj, Narayanganj. The 24-year-old suspect faces at least 20 cases, including charges of murder, robbery, and illegal arms possession. During the early morning raid on November 18, RAB recovered a single-barrel gun, eight rounds of bullets, and nine cartridges. According to RAB, Rakib had recently been involved in extortion and a shooting incident on October 18, when a businessman named Lokman Hossain was shot in the leg after refusing to pay extortion money. Rakib and his associates had earlier demanded Tk 500,000 and threatened to shut down the victim’s business. Following the arrest, RAB handed Rakib and the seized weapons over to Rupganj police for further legal action. Authorities said the arrest is part of an ongoing drive to curb organized crime in the region.

A fire that broke out on Tuesday evening in the Kuratoli area near Kuril, on Dhaka’s Kuril World Road, has been brought under control. The blaze reportedly started around 7 p.m. and affected a rickshaw garage and nearby residential houses. Four units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene and managed to control the fire within about an hour. According to fire officials, the fire has been completely extinguished, and no casualties have been reported. Local residents claimed that the fire originated from a stove at a local pitha (rice cake) shop. Approximately 150 rickshaws in the garage were reportedly burned in the incident. The extent of property damage is yet to be determined as authorities continue to assess the situation.

A major fire broke out on Tuesday night at Kuratoli Bazar in the Kuril-Bashundhara area of Dhaka, engulfing a rickshaw garage and several tin-shed houses. The Fire Service received the alert at 7:38 p.m. and dispatched four units to the scene, with the first team arriving at 7:58 p.m. to begin firefighting operations. Duty officer Khaleda Yasmin from the Fire Service control room confirmed the incident to the media, stating that efforts were ongoing to bring the blaze under control. As of the latest reports, no casualties or details of property damage have been confirmed. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire while ensuring nearby residents’ safety. The incident caused panic among locals, but prompt response from fire crews helped prevent the flames from spreading further.

Malaysian immigration authorities have detained 95 migrants, including Bangladeshi nationals, during a large-scale operation at the Pendamar B Apartments near Klang Port in Selangor. The raid, conducted on Monday night by 78 officers from the Selangor Immigration Department, was led by Deputy Director General (Operations) Dato’ Lokman Effendi bin Ramli, with Selangor Immigration Director Khairul Aminus bin Kamaruddin also present. A total of 285 foreign nationals were questioned during the operation, and 95 were detained on suspicion of violating immigration laws. The detainees include citizens of Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Authorities have not disclosed the exact number of detainees from each country. All arrested individuals have been transferred to the Semenyih Immigration Depot for further investigation and legal procedures.

Traffic on the Dhaka-Barishal highway was disrupted for about two hours early Tuesday after miscreants felled trees to block the road in Kamaldi area of Rajoir upazila, Madaripur. The incident occurred around 5 a.m., halting vehicle movement and causing suffering for passengers and drivers. Police and fire service personnel from Rajoir and Mostafapur Highway stations worked jointly to remove the trees and restore normal traffic flow by 7 a.m. Authorities suspect the act may be linked to political unrest following the reported death sentence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Earlier, similar blockades were reported in several nearby locations, including Gopalpur and Melkai, where trees were also used to obstruct the highway. Law enforcement is investigating the incident to identify those responsible for the coordinated obstruction.

A Dhaka court has issued a travel ban on A.K.M. Badiul Alam, a member of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) responsible for tax legal and enforcement, following a request from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order was given by Judge Md. Sabbir Foyez of the Metropolitan Sessions and Senior Special Judge’s Court on Tuesday. ACC Assistant Director Piyas Pal filed the petition, citing corruption allegations against Badiul Alam. The ACC had earlier instructed him to submit a statement of assets, which he has already done, and the verification process is ongoing. According to reliable sources, Badiul Alam was allegedly attempting to flee the country, prompting concerns that his departure could obstruct the investigation. The court therefore deemed the travel restriction necessary to ensure the integrity of the ongoing inquiry.