Boatmen operating on Dhaka’s Buriganga River have alleged that they are forced to pay Tk 20 from every Tk 50 passenger fare to the ghat leaseholder, resulting in daily payments of Tk 500–700. The alleged extortion is reportedly carried out by leaseholder Suman Bhuiyan and his associates at the Wiseghat–Keraniganj ferry route. The information emerged after several boatmen visited the BIWTA office to protest the extra charges, but the issue remained unresolved despite a meeting with a representative of the leaseholder.

According to the boatmen, they earn Tk 50 per trip carrying five passengers but must surrender Tk 20 each time, leaving little after fuel and other costs. Around 200 boatmen reportedly operate from Wiseghat, generating over Tk 100,000 daily for the leaseholder’s group. Local sources said Suman Bhuiyan has controlled the Wiseghat and Sadarghat handling centers since 2024 under lease agreements.

Suman Bhuiyan denied the allegations, claiming the charges are lawful tolls approved by BIWTA. BIWTA officials confirmed that the lease allows collection of Tk 50–100 per engine boat daily, suggesting possible irregularities in implementation.

A tragic accident occurred on Sunday afternoon at Chitoshi Bazar in Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur, when an autorickshaw lost control and crashed into a local shop. Hafsa Akter, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student and daughter of local businessman Md. Hamid, was seriously injured while sitting inside her father’s shop. She was being taken to Comilla for advanced treatment but died on the way.

According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the autorickshaw driver had left the vehicle running while stepping outside. A child accompanying a passenger accidentally pressed the pickup lever, causing the vehicle to surge forward uncontrollably into the shop. The driver fled the scene immediately after the incident, leaving the vehicle behind.

The accident has cast a deep pall of grief over Chitoshi Bazar and Hafsa’s home village, where residents mourn the loss of the young student.

A youth leader of the Natore district NCP, Md. Shanto Islam, was allegedly beaten and injured following an argument over a football game in Naldanga upazila on Sunday evening. The incident occurred around 6:50 p.m. at the Senbhag Islamia Madrasa field in Piprul Union. Shanto Islam, aged 26, sustained serious head and body injuries and was treated at Natore Sadar Hospital before returning home. He later filed a written complaint with Naldanga Police Station against the accused.

According to local sources, the altercation began when Abdul Hannan and his son objected to football being played on the field, leading to a heated exchange and subsequent assault. Police confirmed receiving the complaint and stated that surveillance had been increased to prevent further unrest. The officer-in-charge, Nure Alam, said the situation remained under control and legal action would follow after investigation.

The incident has stirred local concern, with residents calling for a swift and impartial investigation to ensure justice for the injured youth leader.

RAB-15 has arrested two individuals, including the prime suspect, in connection with a high-profile abduction and ransom case in Teknaf’s Hnila Union of Cox’s Bazar. The arrests took place late Friday night, July 18, during an operation in the Rangikhali Jumma Para area. The detainees were identified as Md. Rasel, 28, and his associate Arman, 21. RAB also seized an autorickshaw allegedly used in the abduction. The arrests were announced at a press briefing by RAB-15 Deputy Commander Major S. M. Maruf on Saturday afternoon.

According to RAB, a gang had abducted four people at gunpoint on June 23 from a remote hilly area of Teknaf and demanded a ransom of five lakh taka from each victim’s family. The victims were physically tortured to pressure their families. Acting on intelligence, RAB rescued all four victims unharmed on June 30 during a special operation in the same area.

Major Maruf stated that the two arrested suspects have been handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for legal action. He added that RAB will continue operations against organized crimes including arms, drugs, and abduction in the future.

Three people were killed in three separate accidents on road and rail within one hour in Sitakunda, Chattogram, on Sunday morning. A passenger bus lost control and overturned on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway near Chhoto Kumira, killing passenger Prokash Basu, 37, and injuring six others. Shortly afterward, an unidentified bus struck and killed a young man, Md. Imon, 20, while he was crossing the highway near the Royal Cement factory in Bara Kumira. Around the same time, an elderly man, Nizam Uddin, 75, died after being hit by the Udayan Express train while crossing the railway line near Sitakunda station.

Police and local sources confirmed the incidents, stating that the injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for treatment. The victims were residents of different districts who had come to Sitakunda for work or travel. Authorities recovered the bodies and sent them for autopsy.

Local residents expressed concern that reckless driving, unsafe pedestrian crossings, and lack of road safety measures on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway are increasing the risk of fatal accidents in the area.

A joint operation by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Dhaka Customs House recovered at least 16 kilograms of gold bars hidden inside fruit crates at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The seizure took place on Sunday, July 19, 2026, following intelligence information that led to the discovery of the concealed gold shipment.

Authorities suspect that a smuggling network attempted to bring the gold into the country under the cover of imported fruit consignments. The gold bars were found using a special concealment method inside the crates, according to officials involved in the operation.

Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest those connected to the smuggling attempt. Officials stated that further details about the source of the shipment and the network behind it will be disclosed later.

A case has been filed against three individuals, including a lawyer from Barguna, for allegedly forging the signature and seal of a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate to create a fake marriage affidavit. The case was lodged at Kotwali Police Station by Khalid Hossain, an office assistant and computer operator of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court’s Nazarat section. The accused are identified as Nayon, Rima, and Advocate Tarikul Islam Farazi, along with several unidentified persons.

According to the case details, on July 19, a magistrate ordered verification of a marriage affidavit submitted by Nayon and Fahima Islam Riya. Court records revealed no such entry, confirming the document was fabricated using a forged signature and seal. Investigations found the group attempted to use the fake affidavit to file a false case against the magistrate in Barguna, which was later dismissed for irregularities.

Preliminary findings suggest the accused operated as part of an organized forgery ring that had long been deceiving people by falsifying court documents. Police said efforts are underway to arrest the suspects.

Police detained twelve brokers, including two women, during raids at two government hospitals in Narsingdi on Sunday morning. The operation was conducted by RAB-11 in the areas surrounding Narsingdi Sadar Hospital and the District Hospital. Following the arrests, a mobile court sentenced eight individuals and released four others with warnings based on the severity of their offenses. The sentenced group included two women and six men.

The operation was led by Executive Magistrate Sarowar Alam and RAB-11 Narsingdi Camp Commander Md. Ariful Islam. According to sources, the detained brokers had long been active near the main gates of the 100-bed District Hospital and the Sadar Hospital, targeting patients for illicit activities. The authorities took the action to curb the influence of these broker groups operating around the hospitals.

The arrests and sentencing mark a continuation of local efforts to maintain order and protect patients from exploitation in public healthcare facilities.

A female prisoner who escaped from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area. The detainee, identified as Rimpa, had fled the prison on July 16 in the evening and was captured on Sunday following a targeted operation based on intelligence information.

According to the prison headquarters’ AIG (Media) Jannatul Farhad, RAB confirmed Rimpa’s location using intelligence and technology before conducting the arrest. Authorities stated that she had been in hiding since her escape. After completing necessary legal procedures, she will be handed over to the relevant authorities.

The escape had previously sparked widespread discussion across the country, leading to administrative action against several prison officials and staff accused of negligence in duty.

A 23-year-old gold medalist engineer in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide after failing around 50 government job examinations. Police recovered the body of Anand Kumar from his rented apartment in the Gujaini area under Govind Nagar police station on Friday, July 19, 2026. A five-line note found at the scene repeatedly apologized to his father, stating he had tried 50 times for a government job but could not succeed.

Anand completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering in 2024 from a reputed Kanpur college, where he ranked third in the state and received a gold medal from Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on August 13, 2024. His father, Rajkumar, a retired private employee from Bihar’s Buxar district, lived with him in Kanpur. During the incident, Anand’s father and grandfather were away in Bihar finalizing his elder brother’s marriage.

Police said Anand had been preparing for government exams while working in a private job but was under mental stress due to repeated failures.

Two young men died after reportedly consuming methanol presented as alcohol during a wedding celebration in Gazipur. The incident occurred on July 10, and both victims later died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sajib, aged 22 from Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj area, and Roni, aged 20, who lived in Baimail for his studies, fell ill soon after the event.

According to local accounts, the two became sick the morning after the wedding and initially took medicine from a local pharmacy. When their condition worsened, they were admitted to a clinic in Konabari and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sajib died around 4 a.m. on Sunday, followed by Roni at 4:30 p.m. the same day. Police confirmed receiving reports of both deaths from hospital authorities.

The incident has caused shock in the local community, and police are gathering further details about the source of the toxic substance.

A Dhaka court has sentenced two muggers to death for the killing of Shafiqul Alam, also known as Shafik, during a mugging incident at the Kalyanpur bus stand nearly two decades ago. The verdict was delivered on Sunday, July 19, 2026, by Judge Mosaddek Minhaj of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court. Each convict, Md. Sohel Rana alias Kalu and Md. Nazim Uddin alias Nazim alias Nazhu, was also fined 50,000 taka. The court issued arrest warrants as both convicts remain absconding.

According to the case, on June 22, 2005, around 4:15 a.m., Shafik arrived in Dhaka from Bogura and was attacked near Asia Cinema Hall by three muggers who attempted to rob him. He was fatally stabbed and later died in hospital. The victim’s father, Md. Akbar Ali, filed the case with Mirpur Model Police Station. Police arrested Sohel Rana, who confessed in court but later absconded after securing bail. The investigation officer submitted the charge sheet in April 2006, and the trial began in September that year, with nine of fourteen witnesses testifying.

The court described the convicts as professional criminals with multiple prior cases involving weapons, explosives, and drugs.

A garment worker was seriously injured after jumping from a moving bus in Ashulia to escape an alleged rape attempt by the driver and helper of a vehicle operated by Itihas Paribahan. The incident occurred on July 12 when the 27-year-old woman was returning from Dinajpur to her workplace in Ashulia. Police arrested the driver, identified as Azizul Shikdar alias Raju, aged 37, from Raj Fulbaria area on Saturday and seized the bus along with the victim’s missing mobile phone. The helper remains at large.

According to the case statement, the woman boarded the local bus at Chandra intersection late at night. After other passengers got off at Sripur, the driver and helper prevented new passengers from boarding. When the woman asked to be dropped off, the driver sped up instead. Near a deserted area between Sripur and the EPZ zone, the helper allegedly assaulted her while the driver assisted. The victim jumped from the bus to save herself and later filed a written complaint with Ashulia police.

Police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest the absconding helper.

Testimonies from 11 witnesses have been completed in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case against Prashanta Kumar (PK) Halder, S Alam Group Chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam, and 11 others. The case involves allegations of abuse of power and fraud in securing and misappropriating a loan. On Sunday, July 19, the fifth special judge of Dhaka, Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, heard testimony from Asadul Azad, Assistant Vice President of First Security Islami Bank PLC. The court set August 9 for the remaining cross-examinations and the testimony of the investigating officer.

According to court officials, ten witnesses had previously testified, and the investigating officer will be the final witness. The same court had framed charges against the 13 accused on January 19. The accused include senior officials of S Alam Group, Reliance Finance Limited (now Aviva Finance Limited), and Marine Vegetable Oils. Two accused, Nahida Runai and Rashedul Haque, are in custody, while the others remain absconding.

The case alleges that on August 12, 2013, the accused approved a term loan of Tk 32.5 crore under a fictitious company and later transferred the funds to S Alam Super Edible Oil Limited. The ACC filed the case on July 2 last year, and the charge sheet was submitted on October 16.

Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam announced that 58 victims of the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings in Dhaka’s Motijheel area have been identified. He made the statement on Sunday while speaking to journalists at his office. The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal has submitted a draft report on the incident to the Chief Prosecutor’s office after a long investigation.

According to Aminul Islam, the draft report will now undergo final verification to ensure transparency and accuracy in the judicial process. He emphasized that the goal is to bring the real perpetrators to justice. The draft report includes names such as the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former police chief, and former BGB chief, though these names are still under review and may change after verification.

The Chief Prosecutor added that a total of 61 victims had been listed earlier, of whom 58 have now been identified. Senior Hefazat-e-Islam leaders, including Abdul Hamid, Maulana Mamunul Haque, Mufti Harun Izhar, and Mufti Mir Idris, were present at the press briefing held at the Chief Prosecutor’s office.