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Delwar Hossain Sayeedi Passes Away
Convicted War Criminal Delwar Hossain Sayeedi Passes Away While Under Treatment
Renowned Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who had been serving a life sentence for his involvement in heinous crimes during the Liberation War, passed away today at 8:40 pm, as confirmed by medical authorities at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). The Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU, Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, stated that an official declaration of his demise will be forthcoming.
Sayeedi had been undergoing treatment at the BSMMU after suffering a cardiac arrest. His health had deteriorated since his initial imprisonment, and his condition worsened when he complained of severe chest pain on Sunday. He was promptly taken from Kashimpur Central Jail to Shahabuddin Medical College in Dhaka, and due to the severity of his condition, he was subsequently referred to the BSMMU for specialized medical care.
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who once represented the Pirojpur-1 constituency in the Barisal region as a member of parliament from 1996 to 2006, was arrested in 2010 on charges of causing offense to religious sentiments. Subsequently, on 2 August of the same year, he was apprehended for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.
Following a thorough legal process, Sayeedi was found guilty of eight out of twenty alleged charges related to the Liberation War and was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh in February 2013. The charges against him encompassed grave offenses such as divulging confidential information to the Pakistani Army, rape, arson, and looting.
The pronouncement of his death sentence led to a tumultuous turn of events. Jamaat-e-Islami called for a strike, which escalated into violence and resulted in the tragic loss of over 50 lives. In a subsequent legal development, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in September 2014. However, on 17 February 2018, he was once again sentenced to death by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi’s passing marks the conclusion of a deeply contentious and protracted legal saga that has held the nation’s attention for years. It underscores the complex interplay between justice, historical reckoning, and the wounds of a nation still healing from its past.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the ongoing mild to moderate heat wave affecting six regions of the country will persist for the next 24 hours from 9 am today.
The heat wave is currently sweeping over the Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions, as well as the districts of Tangail, Kishoreganj, and Naogaon. According to the BMD, this weather pattern is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
In addition to the heat wave, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds are likely to occur in parts of the Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions. Isolated showers may also affect a few areas in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions, with moderately heavy rainfall expected in some locations across the country.
Despite these weather conditions, the BMD noted that daytime and nighttime temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged across Bangladesh.
On Wednesday, the highest temperature in the country was recorded at 37.5 degrees Celsius in Rangpur of Rangpur division, while today’s minimum temperature was 24.0 degrees Celsius, observed in Rangamati and Feni districts of Chattogram division.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded over the last 24 hours, up until 6 am today, measured 54 mm in Sandwip of the Chattogram division.
In Dhaka, the sun is set to set at 5:58 pm today and will rise again at 5:47 am tomorrow.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed 17 cases against Beximco Group’s Vice-Chairman, Salman F Rahman, and 27 others, accusing them of laundering approximately Tk1,000 crore ($83 million) under the guise of export trade. This development was confirmed by Additional Superintendent of Police Azad Rahman through a notification on 18 September.
The investigation, conducted under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, found that Salman F Rahman and his brother, ASF Rahman, who serves as the Chairman of Beximco Group, were involved in laundering around Tk1,000 crore. This was done through the export of goods linked to 93 Letters of Credit (LCs) from Janata Bank PLC between 2021 and 2024. However, the proceeds from these exports were not repatriated to Bangladesh.
The CID revealed that the accused individuals, through an organised operation involving their affiliated companies, exported goods with the malicious intent of transferring money abroad. The probe indicated that they deliberately failed to return the export proceeds, violating multiple sections of the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
According to the CID, Salman F Rahman and his associates used their influence and collaborated with an organised criminal group to launder money. This resulted in 17 cases being filed by the CID’s financial crime unit at Motijheel Police Station.
Salman F Rahman, who has long been a prominent figure during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, is now facing an in-depth investigation by the CID’s financial crime unit. The investigation focuses on significant allegations of money laundering and financial misconduct, as highlighted in a preliminary report from the CID on 1 September.
Salman is also accused of laundering Tk33,470 crore abroad, allegedly obtained through loans from seven banks over the past 15 years. Of this, Tk21,681 crore was borrowed from state-owned Janata Bank, while Tk5,281 crore came from IFIC Bank, where Salman previously served as chairman.
In addition to these allegations, Salman is believed to have profited Tk6,600 crore through manipulation of the capital market and is accused of failing to repatriate Tk1,485 crore from export proceeds.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, in all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 AM today.
According to the BMD forecast, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions are likely to experience light to moderate rain or thundershowers, while Dhaka and Barishal divisions may see similar weather at a few locations. In Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Khulna divisions, rainfall is expected in one or two places, with some areas potentially experiencing moderately heavy showers.
The BMD also stated that both day and night temperatures might rise slightly across the country.
On Tuesday, the highest temperature was recorded at 36.5 degrees Celsius in Rajarhat, Rangpur division, while today’s lowest temperature was 24.6 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, also in Rangpur.
In the last 24 hours up to 6 AM today, Cumilla in the Chattogram division recorded 3 mm of rainfall.
The sun is expected to set at 5:58 PM today and rise at 5:46 AM tomorrow in Dhaka.
