Mitu was killed for seeing Babul in an objectionable state



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Chattogram
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Former Police Superintendent Babul Akhter boarded a hotel in Cox's Bazar with his wife Mahmuda Khanam alias Mitu. An Indian woman came into another room next to it. Mitu saw Babul twice in a row in an objectionable state with that woman. And that is why she was subjected to mental torture and later planned murder.

On Monday (April 23), in the court of Chattogram's third additional metropolitan session judge Md. Jasimuddin, Mitu’s mother Shaheda Mosharraf gave this information in her testimony.

Shaheda Musharraf said, on April 26, 2002, my eldest daughter Mahmuda Khanam Mitu got married to Babul Akhtar. Babul Akhter was unemployed at that time. After marriage, their relationship was not so good from the very beginning, it was rough. Later Babul Akhtar joined the police. Then transferred as ASP (Additional Superintendent of Police) to Cox's Bazar. There, Babul fell in love with a woman of Indian origin.

He also said that one day Babul Akhtar took Mitu to a hotel in Cox's Bazar. The woman also got up in the next room. In that woman's room, Babul Akhtar was seen in an offensive state by Mitu. Then Mitu asked him, what is he doing here? Babul told Mitu that he is working on the laptop to go abroad. Mitu felt very sad to see both of them in this condition. She was there for a while. As the kids are alone, Mitu comes to their room. After the kids went to sleep, she fell asleep too.

Describing seeing him again in an offensive condition late at night, he said, Mitu woke up around 3 am. Babul Akhter was still not in Mitu's room. When Mitu went to the woman's room again, she found them both in an offensive state. Mitu came to the room crying and called me. Then I told her, you come. Mitu then said, my sons and daughters will think me bad. So I trust in Allah.

While testifying, Shaheda Musharraf said that Babul Akhtar came to Bangladesh three to four times during his stay abroad (on mission). However, even after returning to the country, he did not go to the house, i.e. to Mitu or his children. After completing the mission, he went to China. Sitting there, Babul planned to kill Mitu.

Mitu had a business. Mitu was killed with Tk. three lakh from the business. Babul Akhtar came to our house after Mitu died. He was in our house for six months. Sitting there, he interacted with the accused. On June 24 (2016) Babul Akhtar was taken to the DB office. Then Babul left the job from there. I then asked him, why quit the job? Then he said, I have to quit my job because of Mitu's murder. I told him, is the matter of your leaving your job for the trial of Mitu's murder?, he said.

Shaheda Musharraf said that Babul Akhtar bought weapons for Musa with Tk. 70 thousand to kill Mitu. Musa's wife said this. Musa's wife asked him, did you kill Mitu? Musa then told his wife, Babul Akhtar will crossfire me if I don't kill him. Babul Akhtar told us that the accused of Mitu's murder have been arrested. I asked to crossfire.

Shaheda also said that accused Wasim, Anwar were arrested. A few days later Bhola was caught. After being arrested, he gave a statement in court - Musa killed Mitu on the orders of Babul Akhtar. A month and a half after Mitu's death, we came to Chattogram to hold Milad at the house where she was staying. A few days later, accused Kalu and Shahjahan were arrested. After we came to Chattogram, it seems that Babul Akhtar killed Mitu in a premeditated manner. He filed a case of Mitu's murder himself with false information. Later, the investigating officer of the case told my husband, you filed a case against Babul Akhtar. On May 12, 2021, Mitu's father  filed a case at Panchlaish police station.

Babul Akhtar's mother called Mitu's mother Shaheda 15 days after her death (in 2017). She called me and said, my son (Babul) killed Mitu. You forgive him. Then I said to her (Babul's mother), if Babul died, would you have said this? I have told this to the investigating officer.

Retired police inspector Mohiuddin Mahmud testified first after the start of testimony in this sensational case at 12 noon today who was in charge of Panchlaish police station (OC) of the city at the time of the incident. Then Shaheda Musharraf stood in the courtroom to testify.

It is to be noted that on the morning of June 5, 2016, Mitu, the wife of Chattogram Superintendent of Police Babul Akhtar, was shot and hacked to death while going to drop her son in the school bus at GEC intersection in Chittagong city. SP Babul was transferred from Chattogram a few days before the incident. The murder took place in Chattogram soon after he left to join his workplace in Dhaka.

After three and a half years of investigation, the DB Police could not find any clues, so the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) got the charge of investigating the case on the orders of the court in January 2020. Then in May 2021, PBI said that wife Mitu was killed in Babul Akhtar's 'plan'. For this, Babul "gave Tk. three lakh through people" to the killers.

Later after giving the final report in Babul's case Mitu's father filed another case. However, Babul's case was revived after that case did not reach the court. On September 13, 2023, the PBI filed a charge sheet in the court in that case. Seven people including Babul were accused. On October 10 of that year, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Chattogram accepted the complaint. On March 13, 2023, the court ordered the trial to be started by framing charges against the accused. The testimony began on April 9 of that year. Mitu's father Mosharraf Hossain testified as the first witness.

   

Schools and colleges are opening today, closed in 25 districts including Dhaka



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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After the closure of educational institutions across the country due to severe heat wave, teaching activities in the classrooms of all secondary level educational institutions are starting on Saturday (May 04).

However, schools, colleges and madrasas will remain closed in 25 districts including Dhaka today due to intense heat wave. On the other hand, primary school teaching activities will start from Sunday (05 May).

Sources in the Ministry of Education said that the educational institutions were closed until last Thursday on the order of the court. Class activities will start simultaneously in all secondary and higher secondary schools of the country from Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Farid Ahmed said that the primary schools which were closed till Thursday will be opened from Sunday as per the order of the court.

Schools and colleges were supposed to open on April 21 after the long holidays of Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh, but due to the heat wave across the country, it was delayed by a week. When schools and colleges opened last Sunday, some teachers and students fell ill due to extreme heat. Some deaths also occurred.

When the report in this regard was brought to the attention of the High Court, the bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Khizir Hayat gave an order with a suo moto rule. In view of the heat wave, all primary and secondary schools, higher secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutes were ordered to remain closed till last Thursday.

Schools, colleges and madrasas are closed in 25 districts today

Secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions will be closed today in 25 districts of the country to ensure the health protection of students during the severe heat wave. This information was informed in the notification signed by MA Khayer, Information and Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education on Friday (03 May).

Districts declared closed include all districts of Rajshahi and Khulna divisions (8 in Rajshahi and 10 in Khulna). Besides Dhaka and Tangail of Dhaka division, Chandpur of Chattogram division and Rangpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Dinajpur districts of Rangpur division. 

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Bangladesh is 165th in the world media index two steps behind



News Desk, Barta24.com
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Bangladesh ranks 165th in the World Free Media Index with a score of 27.64. Bangladesh is ranked 165th out of 180 countries this year. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a France-based organization working on media freedom around the world, released the index on Friday (May 3).

Nepal has occupied the top position in terms of media freedom in South Asia; the country has occupied the 74th position with 60.52 points. Next is Maldives. The country is at the 106th position with 52.36 points. In this year's list, Bhutan fell from the first position and got the third place. The country is at the 147th position with 37.29 points.

Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh is ahead of only Afghanistan. Bangladesh is ranked behind India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan.

In South Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India are at the fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively. The global position of these three countries is 150, 152 and 159 respectively.

India has got the 159th position two steps ahead of last year's 161st. Afghanistan ranks last among South Asian countries. 26 steps behind, the country's global position is 178th, only 19.09 points.

According to the report, the Asia-Pacific region ranks second in the world in terms of journalistic challenges. The report named Myanmar, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan as the most dangerous places to work for journalists.

Norway has retained its top position in the global index. Their points are 91.89. The rest of the top ten countries are Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany.

Through the World Free Media Index, the extent to which journalists in different countries and regions of the world carry out their duties independently is verified. Five factors are taken into account in this index. These are political context, legal infrastructure, economic context, socio-economic conditions and security.

The report also states that free media around the world are facing threats from political authorities, as confirmed by the significant decline in the political index. The global average of this index has fallen by 7.6 percent this year. 

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Norwester hit Lama inflicting huge loss of around Tk. 5 crore



District Correspondent, Barta24.com, Bandarban
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Nearly nine hundred houses of the pourashava and various unions have been destroyed by the sudden gale in nor'wester in Bandarban's Lama. Those concerned said that there has been a loss of more than Tk. 5 crore.

On Friday (May 03) talking to the officials of the administration, this information is known.

Two days after the norwester, most of the victims are still living under open sky. Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin and Superintendent of Police Saikat Shaheen came to Lama today to see the victims. At that time, the Bandarban district administration distributed rice and clothes among the families affected by the norwester. These relief items were distributed in the Linejhiri area of Lama Pourashava at 5:30 pm on Friday.

Resident Engineer of Lama Electricity Department Sajjad Siddique said that in the early morning of May 01, the electricity department suffered extensive damage. 17 poles of 11 KV transmissions and 1 pole of 33 KV transmissions were broken, disrupting the normal operation of electricity transmission.

Electricity connection was restored to Lama Hospital and city areas by opening the main line on Friday. The most affected line was Chagalkhaiya, Lama Alikadam transmission line of 11 KV, about one and a half kilometers of power cable was broken and Alikadam connection could not be established. The officials and employees of the electricity department are working day and night simultaneously to restore the power lines. He said that electricity supply to Lama and Alikdam will be normal in two days.

Lama Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Monirul Islam said that information has been received that more than 900 houses have been damaged in five unions including Lama Pourashava. In this incident, members of the Red Crescent along with the mayor of Lama Pourashava and the locals have cut and cleared the branches of fallen trees on the road. Allotted food grains and some rations have been distributed immediately from the district administration. He said that the amount of damage may be more than Tk. 5 crore.

Lama Mayor Md. Zahirul Islam (Absar) said that there was a huge damage in Lama upazila during the cyclone last Wednesday night. Urban areas suffered the most damage. Only in the municipal area, one hundred and twenty houses were completely destroyed and three hundred houses were partially damaged. The amount of damage in the municipal area will be two and a half to three crore takas. Immediate rice and financial allocations have been received from the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation to assist the victims.

Lama upazila nirbahi officer Kamrul Hossain Chowdhury said that in Lama municipality, seven unions suffered extensive damage in the cyclone last Wednesday night. Six hundred to seven hundred houses were completely and partially damaged.

Adequate amount of relief allocation has been received from Bandarban Deputy Commissioner. Relief is being distributed among the victims on Thursday and Friday along with the chairman of seven unions of the upazila and the mayor of the pourashava. He said it would take time to estimate the total financial loss. 

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RRR President Anwar Hossain, Secretary Tawhidul Islam



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
RRR President Anwar Hossain, Secretary Tawhidul Islam

RRR President Anwar Hossain, Secretary Tawhidul Islam

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Reporters for Rail and Road (RRR) forum has elected President for the next two years - Prothom Alo Special Representative Md. Anwar Hossain and the General Secretary elected - Tauhidul Islam, Senior Reporter of Dainik Amader Somoy.

They were elected at the first annual general meeting of RRR held at a restaurant in the capital on Friday (03 May).

Other members of the Executive Committee are – Vice-President Partha Sarathi Das (Protidiner Sangbad), Joint Secretary Shipan Habib (Dainik Jugantar), Finance Secretary Shaheen Akhter (New Age), Organizational Secretary Tuhin Shubhra Adhikari (The Daily Star), Office, Publicity & Publication Secretary Taufiqul Islam (The Daily Sun), Training and Research Secretary Tarek Sikder (Boishakhi TV), Executive Member Munima Sultana (The Financial Express), Rajeev Ahmad (Dainik Samakal) and Ibrahim Mahmood Akash (Dainik Janakantha).

Apart from this, a cell of five members was formed for research and publication. The other members of the cell headed by Shamim Rahman (Bonik Barta) are Sajib Ghosh (Dainik Kaler Kantha), Al Amin Sajal (Independent TV), Taufiqul Islam (The Daily Sun) and Tarek Sikder (Boishakhi TV).

A committee of three members conducted the election.

Before the election, Finance Secretary Shaheen Akhtar and Outgoing Executive Committee General Secretary Tawhidul Islam presented their report, which was approved by voice vote. Almost all members of the organization were present in the event.

Established in March last year, Reporters for Rail and Road (RRR) forum is a Dhaka-based platform of professional and working journalists who report on road, railway, communication infrastructure and transport related sectors in reputed national dailies, television channels, radio stations and online. 

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