The Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal has rejected for the sixth time a time extension request by the defense lawyer of accused Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. During the May 20 hearing, defense counsel Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya sought more time to cross-examine the plaintiff, citing illness. The court found the request inconsistent with standard court practice and denied it. The court then concluded the testimony of the first prosecution witness, Alif’s father Jamal Uddin, and ordered summons for the next witness. The next hearing is scheduled for June 24.

According to court sources, since the charge was framed on January 19, 2026, the defense has sought time on six occasions between February 2 and May 20. The plaintiff’s lawyer and assistant public prosecutor Md. Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury said the elderly and ailing Jamal Uddin has attended every hearing from Lohagara but expressed frustration over repeated delays.

During the hearing, Chinmoy Krishna Das appeared virtually from prison and submitted applications for bail, medical treatment, and visitation, all of which were rejected due to his lawyer’s absence.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Secretary General, Principal Hafiz Maulana Yunus Ahmad, described the recent killing of a child named Ramisa in Dhaka’s Pallabi area as horrifying and inhuman. In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said the brutality of the incident shows how cruel people can become toward one another.

He added that such crimes are not isolated but occur frequently across the country, with many involving children. According to him, the most alarming issue is the lack of punishment for offenders, as reflected in the grief expressed by Ramisa’s father. Yunus Ahmad argued that the existing legal system fails to protect women and children from such violence and suggested that implementing Shariah law could be an alternative to ensure justice.

Citing Supreme Court data, he said over 151,000 cases were pending in 90 women and child repression prevention tribunals as of December 31 last year, many of them rape cases. He claimed that delays, weak witness management, and legal loopholes prevent justice, calling for the replacement of current laws with Shariah-based legislation.

Mohammad Selim Uddin, Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka North unit, visited the family of murdered child Ramisa in Pallabi, Dhaka, on Wednesday. During his visit, he expressed condolences to the grieving family and called for the perpetrators to face a swift trial under charges equivalent to crimes against humanity.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, Selim Uddin compared the killing to the brutality of the pre-Islamic era and warned that any delay or manipulation in the judicial process would not be tolerated. He urged the state to set a specific timeline to ensure the killers receive the maximum punishment, including execution.

Selim Uddin also stated that he would request senior Supreme Court lawyer Shishir Monir to take responsibility for handling the case to strengthen the legal proceedings.

Three additional witnesses from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) testified in a case involving former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and 35 other accused over alleged embezzlement and laundering of about Tk 25 crore from United Commercial Bank. The testimonies were recorded on Wednesday at the Chattogram Divisional Special Judge’s Court, presided over by Judge Mizanur Rahman. Defense lawyers cross-examined the witnesses following their statements.

According to ACC public prosecutor Mokarram Hossain, seven witnesses had previously testified on May 5, bringing the total number of witnesses heard so far, including the complainant, to 21. The court has scheduled June 23 for the next hearing. The ACC filed the charge sheet on January 7 against Javed, his wife Rukmila Zaman, and 34 others, accusing them of misappropriating and transferring the funds abroad.

Court sources said the main accused, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, is currently in London with his family and remains absconding. Legal procedures are ongoing to take action against the fugitives.

A Dhaka court has set July 6 for delivering its order on charge framing against former Member of Parliament Abdus Salam Murshedy and ten others in a case over alleged misappropriation of 27 kathas of government land in Gulshan. The hearing was held on May 20 at the court of Dhaka’s Ninth Special Judge Md Abdus Salam. Murshedy was produced from jail, while other accused appeared on bail.

Defense lawyers Masud Ahmed Talukder, Alhaj Borhan Uddin, Shahinur Islam, and Khademul Islam represented the accused and sought their discharge. Following the hearing, the court fixed July 6 for the order. The accused include former RAJUK chairman Humayun Khadem, several former RAJUK officials, a former assistant secretary of the Housing and Public Works Ministry, and two private individuals from Cox’s Bazar.

According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly abused their official positions to falsify records and facilitate the illegal transfer of the government property. The case was filed under sections of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Murshedy has been in jail since his arrest on October 1, 2024.

Twelve fishermen were abducted along with their trawler by the forest bandit group known as Jahangir Bahini in the Sundarbans. The incident occurred late Tuesday night in the Dublarchar area under the Sharankhola Range of Bagerhat district. The abducted fishermen were identified as residents of Patharghata’s Ruhita area, aged between 20 and 58 years.

A local fish trader from Rajapur in Sharankhola, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said that the armed bandits, numbering around 15 to 16 and wearing distinctive uniforms, attacked the fishermen’s boats and took one trawler with 12 men. He also mentioned that several other fishermen might still be held by the gang.

Forester Md. Mizanur Rahman, in charge of the Kochikhali patrol post under the Sharankhola Range, confirmed that forest guards launched an overnight operation to rescue the abducted fishermen, but no trace of them had been found as of reporting time. Sharankhola Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Md. Shamimul Haque stated that no formal complaint had yet been filed, but legal action would follow upon receiving one.

A member of the Detective Security Branch (DSB), Faridul Islam, was assaulted while gathering information about a fatal road accident in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, near Sonapota Government Primary School on the Asian Highway. Faridul was rescued in an injured state and admitted to Debiganj Upazila Health Complex.

Earlier that evening, a six-year-old girl named Papri Rani Roy was killed after being hit by a truck at the same location. Enraged locals detained the truck, vandalized and set it on fire, and blocked the road for about one and a half hours. During the protest, several vehicles were also damaged. When Faridul Islam tried to document the situation and report it to his duty officer, a group of 10 to 12 men allegedly attacked him, seizing his phone and wallet.

According to the on-duty doctor, Faridul sustained multiple injuries, including to his head, and was hospitalized. The Debiganj police officer-in-charge confirmed the assault and said necessary action would be taken following instructions from higher authorities.

Police in Barura upazila of Cumilla arrested eight members of a robbery gang during an operation conducted on Tuesday night at a location known as Haripur cemetery. The arrests were made by Barura Police Station officers, who also seized various locally made weapons, handcuffs, and fake Detective Branch (DB) police uniforms from the suspects.

Following the arrests, police filed a case against the detainees at Barura Police Station on Wednesday. The accused were subsequently sent to court for legal proceedings. The operation was led by local law enforcement as part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities in the area.

Authorities stated that the case has been officially registered, and further legal steps are underway to investigate the group’s activities and recover any additional evidence related to the robbery network.

Two children drowned in a pond in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. in Kutipara village of Khayerbari Bazar area when a sister jumped into the water to save her younger brother. The victims were identified as Sabia Jannat, aged six, and Md. Siam, aged four, both children of local shopkeeper Shahin Alam.

According to police and family members, Siam went to retrieve a floating bottle from the pond near their house and began to drown. Seeing her brother struggling, Sabia jumped in to rescue him but also drowned. The officer-in-charge of Phulbari Police Station, Abdul Latif Shah, confirmed the incident and said police had been sent to the scene to investigate.

Authorities are looking into the circumstances of the drowning, while the family and local community are mourning the loss of the two siblings.

A Dhaka court has scheduled July 27 for submission of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigation report against former Awami League lawmaker and cricketer Shakib Al Hasan along with 14 others. The case involves allegations of share market manipulation, fraud, and money laundering. The new date was set by Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez after the report was not submitted on May 20, confirmed court bench assistant Riaz Hossain.

The accused include Deputy Registrar of the Department of Cooperatives Md Abul Khayer alias Hiru, his wife Kazi Sadia Hasan, and several others. The ACC filed the case on June 17 of the previous year, accusing the group of embezzling Tk 256.97 crore. According to the case statement, the accused conspired to manipulate share prices through coordinated trading, misleading general investors, and unlawfully profiting from the market.

The complaint also alleges that Shakib Al Hasan invested in manipulated shares of Paramount Insurance, Crystal Insurance, and Sonali Papers, earning Tk 2.95 crore in illicit gains through these transactions.

Two armed members of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS-Main) surrendered to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Panchhari, Khagrachhari, late on Tuesday night. According to BGB sources, the surrender took place around 1:30 a.m. at the Trighat Border Outpost under the 3 BGB Battalion. The two men, identified as Hridoy Chakma, 19, from Sajek in Rangamati, and Riel Chakma, 21, from Alikchan Para in Panchhari, handed over their weapons and equipment to the BGB.

The surrendered items included an M4A1 rifle, a shotgun, 252 rounds of ammunition, two magazines, two uniforms, two pouches, two slings, and three mobile phones—one Android and two button phones. Later in the morning, a BGB team transported the two men and the seized items to the Panchhari Battalion headquarters under security arrangements.

Officials described the surrender as a significant development in the ongoing BGB operations aimed at curbing armed activities and maintaining peace and order in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Legal procedures regarding the surrendered individuals and recovered materials are currently underway.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed announced that law enforcement will take action against criminals irrespective of their political or social identity. Speaking at a 'Meet the Press' event at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday morning, he said police will respond immediately wherever mob activity occurs. He emphasized that operations against extortionists, armed criminals, terrorists, drug dealers, online gamblers, and fraudsters are continuing under a zero-tolerance policy.

The commissioner reported that 206 listed extortionists have been arrested so far in special drives. He added that operations against juvenile gangs are ongoing, with gang leaders being brought under the law. Referring to top criminals, he noted that some individuals released on bail are re-engaging in crime and will also face legal action.

Addressing police officers, Ahmed directed that police stations must be citizen- and service-friendly, free from brokers, and that any officer found guilty of misconduct will face disciplinary measures. He also mentioned that controlling battery-powered rickshaws is difficult for police alone due to a syndicate formed during the previous government.

Locals in Sonargaon, Narayanganj blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on Wednesday morning to protest the killing of an autorickshaw driver. The protest began around 10 a.m. in the Darikandi area, causing a long traffic jam and significant public suffering due to slow vehicle movement. The demonstration lasted for about half an hour before the road was cleared.

According to reports, on May 17, an altercation over a queue at the Darikandi stand led to Shahin, 40, allegedly beating fellow driver Md. Momin, 45. Momin later died early Wednesday while receiving treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. In response, locals demanded justice and took to the highway in protest, blocking traffic from Jangal to Mograpara intersection.

Police officials from Kanchpur Highway and Sonargaon stations said the protesters left the highway following police advice, and traffic has since returned to normal.

Armed bandit activity has again unsettled the Sundarbans and its coastal areas, with residents living in fear of abduction and ransom demands. Over the past year and a half, incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and armed robbery have increased across Shyamnagar in Satkhira, Koyra in Khulna, and surrounding forest zones. On May 14, eight forest workers were reportedly abducted at gunpoint from the Satkhira range of the western Sundarbans. Families claim the abductors identified themselves as members of several gangs and demanded 20,000 to 40,000 taka in ransom via mobile banking.

Local fishermen and honey collectors say they now face constant threats, with bandits monitoring their movements and demanding payments even from those with legal permits. Reports indicate that in early May, 20 to 22 people were abducted, with most released after paying around seven lakh taka. Several gangs, including Nanna Bhai/Don Bahini and Chhoto Jahangir Bahini, are said to be active again, some allegedly regrouping after earlier surrenders.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard stated that joint operations under “Operation Mangrove Shield” have detained over 60 bandits in the past 18 months. Authorities have increased patrols and urged forest workers to enter the forest only with valid permits and caution.

A case has been filed under the Cyber Security Act against six leaders of the Chattogram unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP), including city committee member secretary Arif Moinuddin. The complaint was lodged on Wednesday in the Chattogram Cyber Tribunal by Hujjatul Islam Saeed, an assistant organizational secretary of the party. The court accepted the case and directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct an inquiry.

According to the petition, Saeed alleged that the accused shared defamatory and provocative content about him on social media, damaging his personal reputation and spreading confusion among the public. He submitted screenshots, links, and digital evidence to the court in support of his claim. The main accused, Arif Moinuddin, was recently appointed as the NCP city committee’s member secretary.

Saeed expressed hope for justice through a proper investigation, while attempts to reach the main accused by phone were unsuccessful, according to the report.