Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Bangladesh

Now NGO worker gang-raped in Bagerhat

2020-10-12

[Dhaka Tribune] A female NGO worker has allegedly been gang-raped at her Maitkumra house in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat district.

Police arrested Mamun Sheikh, 30, early Sunday after the rape survivor filed a case against four people -- Mamun Sheikh, Firoz Nikari, 29, Raju, 25, and Musa, 29, -- in this regard.

One of the accused is a three-wheeler driver and three others are construction and agriculture workers, police said.

Pankaj Chandra Roy, Superintendent of Police of the district, said the four miscreants entered the victim's house at night and raped her in turns.

Police seized a video of the incident which was recorded by the rapists to blackmail her, Pankaj said.

The culprits also looted Tk 16,000 and gold ornaments from the victim's house.

Patrol police arrested one of them but three others managed to flee, the SP said.

"We're on a manhunt to catch others," he added.

The houseowner of the victim said the woman is married but she was staying alone in a rented room due to her job.

The 25-year-old woman was sent to Sadar Hospital for medical tests.

Local people demanded immediate arrest of the rapists.

Link

Bangladesh

3 'top militants' of 'Allahr Dal' arrested

2019-12-19

[Dhaka Tribune] The Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of police has arrested three suspected top members of the banned bad boy outfit "Allahr Dal".

...the old name of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)...

They were arrested in the Keraniganj area, on the outskirts of Dhaka, around 6:30am on Wednesday.

The arrestees are -- Abdullah Al Hasnat alias Kollol, 39, chief of the outfit's Khulna and Barisal divisions; Aminul Islam alias Shatu, 30, executive nayek of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts; and Fazleh Karim alias Shohag, 32, head of the outfit's Khulna division.

ATU's Superintendent of Police (SP) (Intelligence) MM Hasanul Zahid said some members of the bad boy organization came to Keraniganj from Khulna and plotted to execute anti-state activities.

"Acting on a tip-off,
[RING!]
Cop shoppe! Sergeant Shafiq speaking!
Lissen! Dis is Mahmoud da Weasel! I got a tip for youse...
a team of ATU conducted a raid in the area and arrested them."

In the raid, a mobile phone, various documents of the outfit's activities, and books related to extremism were also recovered from their possession, he said.

During the primary interrogation, they admitted that they gathered in the area to promote religious extremism ideology to destroy the law and order situation, the official claimed.

A case was filed against them with the South Keraniganj cop shoppe under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he added.

Link

Bangladesh

20 members of Sundarbans bahini surrender

2017-01-30

[Dhaka Tribune] Twenty members of Jahangir Bahini, an infamous robber gang of Sundarbans, surrendered to Rapid Action Battalion

(RAB) in presence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at RAB headquarters in the district town yesterday.

The surrendered gang members were Jahangir Shikari, the gang leader, his associates Sheikh Md Farid, Maruf Sheikh, Akram Sheikh, Mustahar Sheikh, Kamrul Sheikh, Harun Sheikh, Haidar Sheikh, Aiub Ali Sheikh, Aiub Ali Gazi, Mofikul Gazi, Kabir Gazi, Ershad Khan, Palash Hossain, Baser Shikdar, Hannan Sardar, Ijaj Molla, Mohsin Morol and Eakub Sardar.

They were inhabitants of different areas of Bagerhat and Jessore districts, told Major Adnan, deputy commander and media front man of RAB-8.

The gang members laid down 31 firearms and 1,507 bullets, said Lieutenant Colonel Faridul Alam, commanding officer of RAB-8.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan was the chief guest in the programme presided over by Lieutenant Colonel Anowar Uz Zaman, commanding officer of RAB-8.

Among others Benazir Ahmed, Director General of RAB, Maruf Hasan DIG of Barisal Range, S M Ruhul Amin, police commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police, Dr Gazi Md Saifuzzaman, DC of Barisal also present in the programme.

"Jahangir Bahani was the notorious gang in Sundarbans area," said Anowar uz Zaman.

The robbers used to attack trawlers of fishermen and kidnap fishermen for ransom in deep forests of the Sundarbans adjacent to Shibsha River, Kateshwar and Sapkhali area under Satkhira range.

In the programme, the Home Minister assured the surrendered gang members that government will provide them all types of assistance to come back in normal life.

Over the nine months, a total of 92 members of nine robber gangs of the Sundarbans surrendered to law enforcers along with huge arms and ammunition.

According to previous reports, with assurance that the government would provide all legal assistance to forest robbers if they wanted to return to normal life, several gangs of the bandidos in Sundarbans were going to surrender to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The robber gangs ’Majnu Bahini’ and ’Iliaz Bahini’ were scheduled to surrender their firearms and vessels around 3pm at Mongla port, said Commanding Officer of RAB 8 Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Faridul Alam.

With the incidents of surrender of infamous robbers’ gang local fishermen happy as they are the target of the bandit. They said they would be able to catch fish without fear if other bandidos also decided to surrender to law enforcers.

Forest department sources said ’Majnu Bahini’ had long been involved in extorting ransom after taking fishermen hostage in Satkhira range area of the Sundarbans while ’Iliaz Bahini’ used to attack trawlers in the Sundarbans West Zone and the Bay of Bengal.

On May 31, another gang ’Master Bahini’ based in the Sundarbans, led by its gang leader, Mostafa Sheikh alias Kader Master, along with seven other robbers surrendered to the RAB.

According to sources, there are at least 18 robber gangs operating in the Sundarbans, the biggest mangrove forest of the world, including "Majnu Bahini", "Sagar Bahini", "Raju Bahini" and "Jahangir Bahini".

All the gangs possess modern arms and ammunition, and they collect money from fishermen, honey collectors, and wood cutters.

Each of these gangs has its own area of operations and nobody can enter the Sundarbans without a "token" given by them in lieu of a monthly payment.

At present, the RAB and Bangladesh Coast Guard provide security in and around the Sundarbans.

The surrender of the bandidos made local fishermen happy. They said they would be able to catch fish without fear if other bandidos also decided to surrender like the ten.

Link

Bangladesh

Jhalakathi judge killer JMB man executed

2016-10-17

[Dhaka Tribune] JMB member Asadul Islam Arif, who was given death penalty in Jhalakathi judges Jagannath Pare and Sohel Ahmed killing case, has been hanged in Khulna district jail.

The sentence was executed at 10:30pm on Sunday amid tight security, said Khulna Jail Super Kamrul Islam confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.

Khulna Deputy Commissioner Nazmul Ahsan, DIG Prisons (Jessore) Tipu Sultan, Magistrate Md Nur-e-Alam Siddique, Civil Surgeon Dr Md Abdur Razzak and Jail Superintendent Kamrul Islam were present during the execution.

Arif and six other JMB leaders including its founder Shayakh Abdur Rahman and second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were sentenced to death on May 29, 2006. The six were executed on March 29, 2007 after the Appellate Division upheld their sentence and the president turned down their mercy petitions.

The four others executed were Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Majlish-e-Sura members Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal Molla alias Omar alias Shakil Ahmed and Amjad Hossain alias Khalid Saifullah, and jacket wallah Iftekhar Hassan Al Mamun.

Arif, who was absconding during the trial, was tossed in the clink
Please don't kill me!
on July 10, 2007 and appealed against his sentence. Finally the Appellate Division rejected his appeal on August 28 this year.

He is the first death-row convict executed at the Khulna jail after a decade. On May 9, 2004, the jail authorities hanged top criminal Ershad Sikder.

Hailing from Bandorgachhia village of Barguna, Arif’s relatives were allowed to meet him at noon. He would be buried at his in-law’s village in Bagerhat’s Morelganj, family sources said.

Senior assistant judges of the Jhalakathi court Jagannath Pare and Sohel Ahmed were killed in a suicide kaboom at Purba Chadkati of the town when they were going to the court on a microbus on November 14, 2005 as part of the JMB’s all-out attacks on the courts and law enforcers across the country.

Sohel was struck down in his prime while Jagannath departed this vale of tears at a hospital. JMB member Mamun, who was injured in the attack, was arrested from the spot.

The JMB recently said that their members had conducted the suicide kabooms after the August 17, 2005 series blasts as the then "government did not respond to their call for establishing Islamic rule in the country positively."

After the execution of the six JMB leaders, its members rubbed out Jhalakathi public prosecutor Haider Hossain who represented the state in the case "as the first Dire Revenge."

A Jhalakathi court in February last year sentenced to death five members of the JMB for the murder of Haider.

Link

Bangladesh

Seven Sundarbans bandits surrender to RAB

2016-05-30

[Dhaka Tribune] Seven members of a gang of bandidos who operate in the Sundarbans surrendered to RAB yesterday, expressing a wish to give their life a fresh start.

They are Md Mostafa Sheikh alias Kader Master, son of Abdul Latif Sheikh of Mithakhali area in Bagerhat’s Mongla upazila, Md Sultan Khan, son of Ismail Khan of the same area, Sohag Akon, son of Yusuf Akon of Boro Katakhali area in Rampal, Md Fazlu Sheikh, son of Ahad Ali Sheikh of the same area, Solaiyam Sheikh, son of Safrul Sheikh of Sreefaltala village, Shahin Sheikh, son of Md Motleb Sheikh of Khulna’s Dacope area, and Sumon Sarder, son of Nurul Islam Sarder of Satkhira’s Tala upazila.

The gang named Master Bahini is led by Md Mostafa Sheikh, who is said to be the most notorious bandit at the Sundarbans.

The seven also surrendered 51 firearms of different types and some 5,000 rounds of ammunition at Charaputia area in Chandpai range of the Sundarbans (east) around 6:30am.

They were taken to RAB 8 custody after they surrendered.

The seven were to officially surrender to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed at noon but the process was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

Nizamul Haque Mollah, superintendent of police of Bagerhat, said the bandidos did not officially surrender as the home minister could not make it to the programme due to bad weather.

’We want to start a new life’

After his surrender, the leader of the gang, Mostafa, said a union parishad chairman of Rampal area made him a bandit and he started working as a member of the gang named Raju Bahini.

He said he formed a gang of 10-15 members on his own after the leader of Raju Bahini, Raju, fled to neighbouring India following a raid conducted by the joint forces.

"As RAB continued to crack down on bandidos, we decided that we would surrender. Except the seven, other members of the gang fled after they learned that we would surrender," Mostafa said.

"We wish to return to a normal life after the legal procedure ends."

RAB sources said a RAB intelligence team connected with the members of Master Bahini after they were informed that the bandidos were willing to surrender.

According to RAB, Master Bahini terrorised local fishermen and beekeepers in the Sundarbans and the west coast. They would extort fishermen and were also involved in a range of crimes, such as abduction and demanding ransom.

The surrender of the bandidos made local fishermen happy. They said they would be able to catch fish without fear if other bandidos also decided to surrender like the seven.

Md Jahangir Alam, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat, praised the decision of the bandidos to surrender in order to start a new and normal life.

"This is undoubtedly a good move for them, and a good news for locals as well. It will be great if other forest robbers follow in the footsteps of the seven Master Bahini members," he said.

The government official said all necessary measures would be taken for helping the seven bandidos to return to a normal life.

Link

Bangladesh

Four pirates killed in Sundarbans ‘gunfight’

2016-03-11

[Dhaka Tribune] Four alleged members of a pirate gang, including its ringleader, were killed in a ‘shootout’ with members of Rapid Action Battalion

(RAB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard in the Sundarbans yesterday morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Faridul Alam, commanding officer of Barisal Rab-8, said they had got information that members of a pirate gang locally known as ‘Nayan Bahini’ were taking preparation to commit a robbery in the area, a joint team of RAB and Coast Guard launched a drive there. 19 fishermen were kidnapped from Barguna’s Patharghata area a few days ago and they were held hostage by Noyon Bahini, said Faridul Alam.

The team reached Kachikhali Chandeshwar area under Shoronkhola upzila, Bagerhat around 6:30am.

Spider senses tingling at the proximity of the joint team members, the pirates shot up them prompting the team members to fire back, triggering a shootout. After 40 minutes’ shootout, the pirates expeditiously departed at a goodly pace.

Later, the joint team recovered the bodies of Manir Hossain,25, commander of ‘Nayan Bahini’ and son of Abduk Khalek of Patharghata upazila in Barguna district, and Enam Ahmed,35, deputy commander of the gang and its two members Gias Uddin,25, and Hachan,20, residents of Chittagong.

Eighteen firearms and 450 rounds of bullet were also recovered from the spot. The bodies of the dacoits were sent to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital morgue. Two cases were filed in this connection.

Earlier, two forest bandidos were killed in a "shootout" with RAB personnel at Tambulbunia canal of Chandpai range of the Sundarbans on December 28, last year.

The RAB members also recovered 17 firearms and 450 rounds of bullets from the forest during the drive.

Despite effort from law enforcment agencies, piracy in the Sundarbans has sharply risen with the killing of several fishermen and around 200 incidents of abduction in the last six months.

Link

Bangladesh

Bandit killed in a 'gunfight' with RAB in Sundarbans

2016-02-01

[Dhaka Tribune] A forest bandit was killed in a "shootout" with a team of Rapid Action Battalion

8 (RAB) members in Chandpai range of the Sundarbans in Bagerhat yesterday morning.
"[Sniff!] Little John! The shutter gun! Quickly, you fool!"
The dear departed was identified as Moshiur, 35, one of the leaders of Moznu Bahini, an infamous gang of bandidos active in the Sundarbans.
"

That's when I fell for...
The Leader of the Bahini!

"
When contacted, RAB 8 Deputy Commander Major Adnan Kabir said the team was patrolling Chandpai range when they noticed human activity in a particular spot. It later turned out to be a den of bandidos.
"Your report, Sergeant Rafiq?"
"It's a den of bandidos, sir!"
"Ahah! As I suspected!"
When they approached the spot to take a better look, the bandidos, taking notice of the law enforcers, shot up them and triggered the shootout, the RAB official said.
"[KAPOW!] Take that, coppers!"
"After around half an hour of shooting, the bandidos retreated. The RAB team went to the spot and found one of the bandidos' body."
"That was some mighty poor shooting, Sergeant Rafiq!"
"I think I got one, sir!"
"Why so you did! And right behind the ear, too!"
They also recovered 11 locally made and foreign firearms and 450 rounds of bullets.
"It looks like the Mother Lode of Locally and Foreign produced firearms, sir!"
Later, local fishermen identified the bandit as Moshiur, chief of one of the wings of Moznu Bahini, Adnan said.
"Aye, [SPIT!] I recognize er! 'At's Moshiur!"
"Who's he?"
"Chief o' one o' the wings of Moznu Bahini!"
"Izzat so? Why, they're feared throughout the land!"

Link

Bangladesh

DB: Foreign intelligence agency pulling JMB strings

2015-12-01

[Dhaka Tribune] In what sounds like a scene from a James Bond film, Sherlocks say a foreign intelligence agency provided a local Islamist bad boy outfit with a spy telephone to evade increased surveillance operations by local law enforcement agencies.

A high official of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, asking not to be named, yesterday confirmed the development to the Dhaka Tribune.

He added that the recent bombing of the Hussaini Dalan, an important Shia shrine, was carried out by banned krazed killer outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
The JMB is said to be the youth front of Al Mujahideen, the parent organization that began working toward establishing Bangladesh as an Islamic state in the mid 1990s which remains obscure even today. Other organizations, such as Jama'atul Jihad, JMB, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), Hizbut Tawhid, Tawhidi Janata, Islami Jubo Shangha, Islami Shangha, Al Falah A'am Unnayan Shanstha and Shahadat-e al Hiqma are believed to be part of the Al Mujahideen network. The JMB at its peak was reported to contain at least 100,000 members, and an alleged 2,000-man suicide brigade, few of whom actually exploded. JMB allegedly received financial assistance from individual donors in Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Libya. Reports have claimed that funding of JMB by international NGOs like Kuwait based Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage (RIHS) and Doulatul Kuwait, Saudi Arabia based Al Haramaine Islamic Institute and Rabita Al Alam Al Islami, Qatar Charitable Society and UAE-based Al Fuzaira and Khairul Ansar Al Khairia. The top leadership of JMB was captured in 2005 and hung in 2007, which pretty much shot their bolt.
(JMB) according to the instructions of the unnamed foreign intelligence agency.

The DB source said a foreign agency was definitely involved in the attack and added that Sherlocks were searching for the involvement of other groups.

The link between a foreign intelligence outfit and the JMB was discovered after the arrest of four JMB men last night and the analysis of their spy cell phone records.

The arrestees have been identified as Md Idrish Sheikh, Md Makbul Sharif, Md Salam and Md Mostofa Zaman.

"After conducting a drive in the Khilgaon and airport areas, DB tossed in the calaboose
Please don't kill me!
the four men last night and recovered a huge stash of jihadi literature, Indian, Pak and Bahraini currency, a spy mobile phone, two Pak and one Bangladeshi passport," Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, said.

Addressing a briefing at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's media and community centre, Monirul said whenever the JMB operatives communicated with each other using the spy phone, a copy of their voice and image was automatically sent to foreign intelligence officials.

"Idrish Sheikh used the spy mobile and we have found evidence of a relationship between him and a female official of a foreign embassy in Bangladesh," Monirul said.

Monirul declined to disclose the name of either the foreign intelligence agency or the foreign embassy implicated in the investigation.

Monirul, also the DB chief, said Idrish went to India with the aid of brokers in 1985 before travelling onward to Pakistain. He received Pak citizenship after marrying a Pak woman in 1990.

Idrish became involved in Pak politics and took part in national elections there in 2002 under the banner of the "Pak Muslim Alliance." He lost the election.

Idrish returned to Bangladesh in 2007 and, after providing a false address in Bagerhat, procured a new Bangladeshi passport, Monirul said.

Idrish later began working with the JMB. An analysis of his passport shows that he entered Pakistain at least 48 times over the last two years, Monirul said.

JMB member Makbul Sharif also has connections to Pakistain. He went to Pakistain through brokers in 1985 and repeatedly visited the country as a cloth trader.

"He was a JMB operative working in the guise of a trader," Monirul said, adding that Makbul used a fake passport to visit Pakistain.

During his visits, Makbul established good relations with a Rohingya man living in Pakistain, Abdul Kuddus.

Makbul helped Rohingya based in Bangladesh by providing fake passports and helping to send them to Pakistain, Canada and Australia.

The funds he collected for these activities went into the JMB's coffers, Monirul said.

Of the two other arrestees, Salam lived in the Bihari camp in Dhaka and also visited Pakistain. Mostofa worked as an assistant traffic inspector for Pakistain International Airlines.

Monirul said they not only worked for the JMB but operated as currency traders, using their profits to fund krazed killer activities.

Asked about the recent attacks on the Shia community, Monirul said the attacks were designed to create uncertainty in the country. He said a foreign power was behind the attack.

Police have filed two cases with Airport police and another with Khilgaon cop shoppe against the four arrestees. The four were later placed in court where police sought a 10-day police remand. The court granted three days' remand for each of the arrestees.

Link

Bangladesh

Suspected forest robber killed in gunfight

2015-09-01

[Dhaka Tribune] An alleged forest robber was killed early yesterday in a shootout with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Sharankhola range of Sundarbans in Bagerhat.
Someday I'm going to combine all these stories into Tales from Bagerhat.
Lt Col Faridul Alam, Commander of RAB-8, claimed the dear departed ~~Little John~~ Khalil was the second-in-command of 'Monir Bahini'.
A band of merry men inhabiting the Sunderbans. They rob from the rich and give to the poor, which usually equates to them.
Alam said on a tip-off, they raided Dorjar canal area around 5:30am while Khalil with his cohorts were preparing to commit robbery.
"Ho ho, my good bishop! You look tired! Lemme relieve you of all those gold ornaments!"
[BANG!]
"Hey! Wot gives?"
[BANG! BANGETTY BANG!]
Spider senses tingling at the proximity of the elite force members, the robbers opened fire on them, forcing them to fire back that triggered a shootout. Khalil was caught in the line of fire and was struck down in his prime while other members of the gang managed to flee the spot.
"We're outta here!"
"Hey! Youse forgot my lute!"
"After they left, we went to the spot and found the body along with the weapons and other materials," Alam also said.
"Gosh, Chief! Is that a long bow?"
"Yeah. Long arrows, too!"
The seizure list contains four double-barrelled shotguns, one single-barrelled gun, three sawed-off rifles, three light guns, an air-gun, various ammunition, sharp weapons, mobile phone and tokens for collecting ransom and protection money.
"Never bring a quarterstaff to a gunfight."

Link

Bangladesh

Rab arrests three poachers with tiger remains

2015-01-15

[Dhaka Tribune] Rab tossed in the slammer
Book 'im, Mahmoud!
three poachers from a gang yesterday from Morelganj area of the Bagerhat district. Skin, skull, teeth and bones of Royal Bengal Tigers were recovered in the arrest.

Major Adnan Kabir, deputy commander of RAB-8, disclosed the information at a press briefing at RAB headquarters in Rupatali area of Barisal.

The arrestees are Delwar Sheikh, 35, Nuruzaman Sheikkh, 53, and Kabir Haoladar, 40 from Sharonkhola area of Bagherhat district.

Adnan said, acting on a tip-off, RAB personnel raided Morelganj bus stand area, and arrested the culprits carrying one tiger-skin, skull; 29 teeth; and 24 pieces of bones.

After interrogation, the poachers said they have killed different species of rare animals, including eight to ten Royal Bengal Tigers, in recent times the RAB official said.

Interrogations also revealed the recovered set was being smuggled to China. Tiger parts ingredients for many herbal medicines are highly demanded in China. RAB will file a case in this connection with local cop shoppe.

Operation is to arrest other members of the gang is already underway.

Link

Bangladesh

AKM Yusuf pegs out

2014-02-10

[Bangla Daily Star] The "founder of the Razakar force", AKM Yusuf, died yesterday with the war crimes case against him at the final stage.

The 88-year-old Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
nayeb-e-ameer died around 11:30am at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. He was taken there after he reportedly suffered a stroke and collapsed in Kashimpur Jail-1 earlier in the day.

Sources in the morgue said they believed Yusuf died of a hemorrhagic stroke but they would be able to confirm the cause of death after the results of the viscera tests were in. The body was handed over to the family yesterday evening after an autopsy.

Yusuf had been facing 13 war crimes charges and the closing argument of his case was scheduled to start on Wednesday.

AKM Nasiruddin Mahmud, registrar and front man for the international crimes tribunal, told The Daily Star last night that as per the Code of Criminal Procedure, an accused gets discharged after his or her death.

He said there was neither any specific provision in the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act nor in the rules of the tribunals about continuing or discontinuing proceedings against a deceased accused.

"Now the tribunal will decide," he said.

CONTROVERSY OVER DEATH

Abdul Wahab, Yusuf's son-in-law, said the jail authority called him around 8:30am notifying him about Yusuf fainting. Yusuf had regained consciousness after some time, said Wahab.

Jamil Ahmed Chowdhury, superintendent of Kashimpur Jail-1, told The Daily Star that after checking his health, the jail doctor referred Yusuf to BSMMU.

Wahab claimed that around 10:15am the jail authorities took Yusuf to the emergency section of the cardiac department at BSMMU where doctors suggested him to the Intensive Care Unit.

As there was no vacant bed at the ICU, the authorities suggested that he be moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Wahab, adding that Yusuf died around 11:15am just after he was put inside an ambulance.

However,
the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach...
BSMMU Director (Hospital) Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Majid Bhuiyan told news hounds that Yusuf was rushed to the hospital around 11:00am in a critical condition and doctors had tried their best to save his life.

He denied that any doctor of BSMMU had referred Yusuf to be taken to DMCH. Majid said Yusuf died on his way to the Coronary Care Unit of the hospital and it was not true that there were no empty beds there.

Tajul Islam, counsel for Yusuf, and Wahab alleged that Yusuf was not given proper treatment at BSMMU. "Getting treatment is a basic right but the hospital deprived him of that," alleged Tajul.

After his death, Yusuf's counsel went to Tribunal-2 with a petition to allow Yusuf's family have his body without an autopsy done. But, the tribunal denied and said it needed to know the cause of his death.

After the autopsy at Dhaka Medical College, his body was taken to his Dhanmondi home. Yusuf's family were yet to decide when and where he would be laid to rest as of filing this report at 10:00pm.

Tajul Islam, counsel for Yusuf, said his client went through four heart surgeries and had colon cancer. They had sought bail for Yusuf several times but the tribunal denied them all.

In last October, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 denied Yusuf bail for the third time following a report from Kashimpur jail that his health was "stable".

BACKGROUND

Yusuf in 1971 was deputy chief of Jamaat, a party which vehemently tried to prevent the birth of Bangladesh.

He had against him seven charges of genocide which left several hundred people dead in Khulna and Bagerhat during the Liberation War. The remaining six charges were related to killing, arson, looting, and forced conversion of Hindus to Moslems.

According to the brief profile read out by the tribunal in its indictment order on August 1, 2013, Yusuf, son of late Azim Uddin Howlader of Rajoir in Sharankhola of Bagerhat, joined Jamaat in 1952.

He became the chief of Khulna division Jamaat in 1957. In 1962, Yusuf was elected a member of the National Assembly. He was nominated provincial joint secretary of Jamaat in 1969.

In 1971, he was made the deputy ameer of the then East Pakistain Jamaat and he was one of the two provincial ministers from Jamaat.

According to prosecution documents, Yusuf established the Razakar force, an auxiliary force of the Mighty Pak Army, on May 5, 1971, at an Ansar camp on Khan Jahan Ali Road in Khulna with 96 Jamaat activists. He also named the force.

Yusuf landed in jail on May 12 last year, hours after Tribunal-1 took the charges against him into cognisance. Later, his case was transferred to Tribunal-2.

A total 27 prosecution witnesses, including the investigation officer testified against Yusuf while his son Mahbubur Rahman testified as the lone defence witness.

Link

Bangladesh

2 robbers killed in 'gunfight'

2013-10-31

[Bangla Daily Star] Two robbers, including the kingpin of a gang, were killed in a "shootout" with Rapid Action Battalion

(Rab) in Chandpai range of Sundarbans in Bagerhat yesterday.
We haven't had any news from Bagerhat lately. I was worried.
I had a Badger hat once. Went with my raccoon coat...
The dear departed are Mortuza Hossain Rana, 32, of Joymoni village and his associate Mosaref Sheikh, 30, of Ghol village under Mongla upazila.
They will be missed. Actually, they weren't missed, were they?
Maj Anwarul Kabir, deputy commander of Rab-8, said a patrol team of Rab went to the east side of the Shela river on information that the robbers had kidnapped at least five fishermen for ransom.
How much ransom do you get for a fisherman?
Sensing Rab presence around 7:50am,
"Hark! My spider sense! It tingles!"
"Mine's been tingling ever since we got to Bagerhat!"
Mortuza, the linchpin of Mortuza Bahini (gang), and his cohorts opened fire prompting the law enforcers to return fire.
"Return fire, men!"
[BANG! BANG! BANGETY BANG!]
During the shootout that continued for over half an hour Rab shot at least 300 bullets, the Major said.
"We need more ammo, Sergeant Shafiq!"
"Have we hit anything yet, sir?"
"Not yet! But we will!"
Rab members recovered 15 firearms, including seven light guns, two rifles, two double-barreled rifles, one shutter gun, 27 bullets, 25 cartridges, one binoculars and Tk 19,672 from the spot.
It was a pretty big spot. Well-armed, too.
And they found the shutter gun...
Maj Anwarul said the Mortuza Bahini, since its formation, had been abducting fishermen, Bawali (reeds collectors) and honey collectors for ransom.
I guess you need to kidnap them wholesale if you're gonna make a profit. I don't imagine bawalis and honey collectors make lakhs of taka.

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