Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Mohammad Mikail Islam, 52, for alleged involvement in the deaths of 18 Bangladeshi nationals who died while attempting to reach Greece illegally through the Mediterranean Sea. CID said in a statement on Wednesday that Mikail, a resident of Mithapur in Dirai, Sunamganj, was detained on Monday afternoon near Sylhet Airport. During initial questioning, he reportedly admitted to being part of a human trafficking network.

According to the case report, the trafficking group had promised to send a man named Masum to Greece in exchange for 1.3 million taka, collected in two installments. Masum was taken to Libya in January, and after several months, he and 44 others were sent toward Greece by sea on March 21. The boat became stranded for days, leading to severe shortages of food and water, and 18 Bangladeshis died, including Masum.

CID stated that investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the trafficking ring, trace financial transactions, and uncover any international connections.

A police couple in Khulna has been accused of physically torturing their domestic worker, who was later hospitalized with serious injuries. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at a residence in the Sonadanga residential area’s second phase. According to the allegation, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sanjay Mitra and his wife ASI Popi Halder, both stationed at Sonadanga Police Station, assaulted their domestic worker, Milon Chandra Das, allegedly over a cooking dispute. Reports claim that Milon was beaten and burned with a hot pan.

Milon, originally from Narsingdi district and the son of Okil Chandra Das, had been working for the couple since losing his parents at a young age. Following the incident, police officer Md. Saiful Islam rescued him and took him to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where doctors admitted him to the surgery ward after initial treatment. Saiful Islam stated that no written complaint had yet been filed by the victim or his family, but legal action would follow upon receiving one.

The incident has caused public uproar in the area, and authorities are reportedly monitoring the situation. Statements from the accused officers were not immediately available.

Two children were killed by lightning in Fulgazi upazila of Feni on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred in the Basantapur Purba Para area. The victims were identified as Nadia Akter, aged 10, daughter of Md. Shahid from Basantapur Purba Para, and Abir Hossain, aged 7, son of Md. Arif from Purba Debpur village in Mahamaya union of Chhagalnaiya upazila. They were cousins.

According to family sources, the children were playing near their home when lightning struck, leaving them critically injured. Relatives quickly took them to Fulgazi Upazila Health Complex, where the attending doctor declared them dead upon arrival. Dr. Anisur Rahman from the emergency department confirmed that both children had died before reaching the hospital.

Fulgazi Police Station Officer-in-Charge S.M. Mizanur Rahman stated that the bodies were handed over to their families after hospital procedures.

A police officer has testified as the first witness in a case against former Awami League MP Abul Hasanat Abdullah and three others over the alleged crossfire killings of two men in Agailjhara, Barishal, on February 21, 2015. The testimony was given on Wednesday before International Crimes Tribunal-2, marking the formal start of the trial.

In his statement, witness Asim Kumar Sarkar, now Officer-in-Charge of Barishal Sadar Naval Police Station, described events leading up to the killings. He said that at the time he was a sub-inspector at Agailjhara Police Station and was instructed by his superiors to file a case after a pickup van was set on fire. He testified that the Superintendent of Police later ordered him to carry out a crossfire killing of two arrested suspects, which he refused.

According to the testimony, the two detainees, Tipu Hawlader and Kabir Hossain, were later killed in what was reported as a crossfire incident. The witness claimed officers from another police station were brought in to execute the operation after local officers declined to participate.

A Bangladeshi youth named Dipjal Ahmed, aged 26, has gone missing near the Uttarkul border in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet, sparking tension among residents of both Bangladesh and India. Locals allege that Indian Border Security Force (BSF) members shot and killed Dipjal and kept his body on the Indian side. However, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has not yet confirmed the authenticity of the claim and stated that Dipjal remains missing.

According to local accounts, Dipjal and several others reportedly crossed into India on Sunday night. When returning, BSF personnel allegedly chased and fired at them. The others managed to flee back to Bangladesh, but Dipjal did not return. The incident led to unrest in the area, and on Tuesday, agitated locals detained an Indian farmer named Ranjit Das, who was later handed back to BSF unharmed through BGB intervention.

Local authorities, including the union council chairman and police, confirmed that the missing person’s status remains unresolved, and it is still unknown whether he is alive or dead.

Police in Netrokona arrested fifteen individuals for allegedly organizing a gambling event under the guise of a bullfight. The arrests took place early Wednesday morning in the Kandulia Kalibari area of Sadar upazila. Officers seized 243,670 taka in cash, a pickup van, and a bull used in the fight during the operation.

According to police, the group had arranged the bullfight beside the Netrokona-Mohanganj road, where gambling activities were taking place. The raid was conducted around 4:30 a.m., leading to the detention of all fifteen suspects and the confiscation of the gambling materials. A case has been filed at the Netrokona Model Police Station.

District police spokesperson Additional Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) Hafizur Rahman confirmed the arrests and stated that the detainees have been sent to court for legal proceedings.

Police in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi arrested a man named Suman Sardar on Wednesday for allegedly making derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on Facebook. He was detained from his in-laws’ home in the Premtali area under Matikata Union following a written complaint filed at the Godagari Model Police Station.

According to police and local sources, around 10 to 15 residents of Mandail village under Rishikul Union verbally complained at the Kakonhat Investigation Center on Tuesday night that Suman Sardar had posted offensive remarks from his personal Facebook account. Police advised them to submit a written complaint the next day, which led to the arrest operation.

Godagari Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Atikur Rahman stated that the accused was arrested after receiving the complaint and that the matter is under serious investigation. Legal action will be taken if the allegations are proven true.

Police in Dhaka have re-arrested Golam Azam, a 45-year-old expelled BNP leader and owner of Rikab International Tours and Travels, who had previously escaped custody while leading a prayer. The arrest took place on Wednesday morning, June 17, in the Nandipara area of Madartek, following a technology-assisted operation by Paltan police.

According to Paltan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mostafa Kamal, a warrant had been issued against Golam Azam by a Chandpur court under the Overseas Employment and Migration Act, 2013. When police attempted to execute the warrant on June 15 at his office in Purana Paltan, he requested to lead the Asr prayer and fled during the second rakah. Police later tracked him down with the help of intelligence units.

Authorities stated that Golam Azam has long been involved in manpower export and faces multiple human trafficking-related cases. Although he presents himself as an influential BNP figure, police said he was expelled from the party long ago and holds no official position. Investigations are ongoing to determine further legal action.

Investigators of the International Crimes Tribunal questioned journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu at a safe home in connection with the 2013 Shapla Chattar massacre case involving Hefazat-e-Islam’s rally in Dhaka. During interrogation, both stated that their reporting had been done under higher authority’s instructions and denied any personal responsibility. The questioning took place earlier this week, according to tribunal sources.

Officials showed them video footage of press conferences by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from around August 5, 2024, which Mozammel Babu claimed were created using artificial intelligence. The tribunal had granted permission for their interrogation on June 7 following a prosecution request and set August 10 for submission of the investigation report.

Nine accused are currently in custody, including former ministers and senior police officials, while several others, including Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, remain fugitives. The prosecution stated that 58 people were killed in the May 5, 2013 incidents across four locations, with 32 deaths in Dhaka alone.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) and Jatrabari Police arrested Shishir Munna, 28, the administrator of Facebook pages of former land minister Narayan Chandra Chanda and former MP Anupam Shahjahan Joy. He was detained in Motijheel around 2:30 a.m. on June 16 on charges of fraud, forgery, and embezzlement. According to DB sources, Munna and his associates took Tk 11.27 lakh from a businessman by promising investment opportunities in a government project in Qatar, later providing fake visas and airline tickets.

Investigators said Munna had worked as a social media campaigner and content creator for the two former Awami League leaders. He allegedly used their names to deceive people with false promises of overseas employment and business investment, collecting large sums of money. DB sources added that Munna went to Qatar after August 5, 2024, returned to Bangladesh in April 2025, and resumed fraudulent activities. A pending arrest warrant from South Keraniganj Police Station also exists against him.

Police are continuing investigations into Munna’s network and financial dealings related to the alleged scams.

Police in Bagatipara upazila of Natore district arrested a suspected drug dealer named Babu Pramanik, aged 35, during a special anti-narcotics operation. The arrest took place late Tuesday night in the Bilpara area of Dayarampur Union. Law enforcement officials reported recovering 50 small packets of heroin, with an estimated market value of about 12,000 taka.

According to the Officer-in-Charge of Bagatipara Model Police Station, Md. Abdul Hannan, a case has been filed against the accused under the Narcotics Control Act. Following legal procedures, the suspect was presented before the court on Wednesday afternoon. The police confirmed the authenticity of the incident and stated that the operation was part of their ongoing anti-drug drive in the area.

The report highlights continued law enforcement efforts in Natore to curb illegal drug trade through targeted operations and legal action against offenders.

A Dhaka court has ordered the start of the trial against Syed Sohanur Rahman Siam, son of retired Public Service Commission driver Syed Abed Ali, in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over allegations of amassing wealth beyond known income sources. The order was issued on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, by Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Begum Shamima Afroz after a hearing. The court also set July 9 as the date for recording witness testimony. Siam was produced before the court from prison, and his defense did not seek exemption during the charge hearing.

According to the ACC, separate cases were filed on January 5 of the previous year against Abed Ali, his wife Shahreen Akter Shilpi, and their son Siam. The cases allege suspicious transactions totaling over Tk 41 crore across multiple bank accounts. Specifically, Siam is accused of acquiring Tk 3.3 crore in assets beyond known income sources under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. He was arrested following the submission of the charge sheet in this case.

Abed Ali and his wife also face separate charges involving Tk 3.72 crore and Tk 1.26 crore respectively in unexplained wealth, according to the ACC case documents.

A Dhaka court has ordered the rearrest of three individuals, including Shahed Ahmed Mojumdar, son of former state minister for industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumdar, in a case over the attempted murder of madrasa student Nazim Uddin. The order was issued on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Sefatullah after a petition from the investigating officer of Gulshan Police Station.

The other two accused are Selim Pradhan, an active leader and financier of the Awami League, and Abu Sayeed, vice chairman of Ullapara Upazila in Sirajganj and secretary of the local Awami League unit. According to the petition, the accused were present at the scene and allegedly supported efforts to suppress an anti-discrimination movement through funding and direct involvement. The court approved their arrest for further investigation.

The case stems from a July 19, 2024, protest in Dhaka’s Bashatala area, where demonstrators were reportedly fired upon, injuring Nazim Uddin. His aunt later filed the attempted murder case with Gulshan Police Station.

A Chattogram court has sentenced Monir Hossain to life imprisonment and fined him Tk 50,000 for raping a three-and-a-half-year-old child in the city’s Baklia area. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday morning by Judge Syeda Hafsa Jhuma of the Chattogram Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal. The trial concluded within 28 days of the incident.

According to Public Prosecutor Mahmud-ul Alam Chowdhury Maruf, testimonies from 18 witnesses were recorded over three working days. The case originated from an incident on May 21, when the child was assaulted inside a warehouse near a sand field in Chairman Ghat, Ward 19 of Baklia. The victim’s father, Mehedi Hasan, filed the case with Baklia Police Station.

Police stated that evidence from witness statements, medical reports, and DNA tests confirmed the allegation. Based on these findings, a charge sheet was submitted to the court 13 days after the incident under the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act.

Four members of a broker ring were sentenced to varying jail terms following a joint operation by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-9) and the district administration at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. According to a press release issued on Wednesday, the detainees were arrested from the hospital premises and sentenced by a mobile court.

The convicted individuals were identified as Tanvir Ahmed Suman (30), Sayem Ahmed (34), Bokul Mia (56), and Suman Ahmed (28). RAB stated that the group had long been deceiving patients and their relatives to gain unethical benefits. They were involved in harassment, fraud, and commission-based dealings by referring patients to private clinics and diagnostic centers from within and around the hospital.

RAB confirmed that Tanvir Ahmed Suman and Sayem Ahmed received three months’ imprisonment each, while Bokul Mia and Suman Ahmed were sentenced to one month each.