FBI looking for similarities, links between two attacks in the United States

January 3, 2025

The new year in the United States began with bloodshed. In the first 24 hours of 2025, three attacks occurred in the country. 16 people were killed in these attacks. Many were injured. Investigators from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suspect that there is any connection between these attacks that occurred at the beginning of the year. They have already started working to verify the truth of this suspicion. Along with the FBI, the US police are investigating this incident.

The first attack took place on Wednesday local time in New Orleans, Louisiana. A man drove a car into people attending a New Year's Eve party there. He was a former member of the US military. The car he was using was found to be carrying a flag of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). Fifteen people, including the attacker, were killed and 35 were injured in the incident.

Hours later, a Tesla-made "cybertruck" exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, killing the truck driver, who was also a member of the U.S. military. Seven people were injured in the incident. The latest attack took place outside a club in New York on Wednesday night, when gunmen opened fire, wounding 10 people.

Many have expressed concerns about whether these attacks are part of a larger plan. For example, American author Sean Hastings said, "The New Orleans attack and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas are incredible coincidences. Or we are seeing coordinated terrorist attacks across the United States. If ISIS is also involved in the Las Vegas attack, then we are in big trouble."

The US administration has described the New Orleans attack as 'terrorism'-related. US President Joe Biden has said that it is investigating whether the Cyber Truck explosion has any connection to it. However, he has stated that no such information has come to light so far. For now, investigators are also saying the same.

Similarities between the two attacks

According to various US media reports, the possibility of a connection between the three attacks that took place last Wednesday cannot be completely ruled out. The two attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas occurred within a very short time. Both attackers were members of the US military. They were even stationed at the same military base. In addition, both of them rented cars from an application called 'Turo App'.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is going to take office as the President of the United States on January 20. There have also been allegations that a planned attack is being carried out to destabilize the situation. In particular, the company that manufactured the Cybertruck that exploded, Tesla, is owned by billionaire Elon Musk. And the explosion also took place in front of Trump's hotel. Musk was a big supporter of Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Many are making a big deal out of this.

Las Vegas Police Officer Kevin McMahill said that there were explosives inside the cyber truck. Explosives were also recovered from the scene of the attack in New Orleans. So, they are investigating whether there is a connection between the two incidents. They are also looking into whether the attacks are related to Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating whether terrorism is behind the Las Vegas incident. They said that so far there is no evidence of ISIS involvement in the incident. There is also no link to the New Orleans attack. However, the investigation is still in its early stages. The real story will come out as time goes by.

BCS recruitment: 227 people excluded under old rules

January 3, 2025

Many candidates recommended by the PSC from the 28th BCS to the 42nd BCS were denied appointments due to not being Awami League ideologists. Of these, 259 have been appointed during the current interim government. This has been stated in a report by the Ministry of Public Administration.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Monday appointing 1,896 people from the 43rd BCS. 267 people who received recommendations from the Public Service Commission (PSC) were excluded from this appointment. The Ministry of Public Administration says that 227 of these candidates have adverse comments from intelligence agencies. Due to this, they have been temporarily considered unsuitable for appointment. The remaining 40 did not participate in the health examination.

Public administration experts say that the general rule is that a candidate with a criminal record, a criminal record or any other such offense should be considered unsuitable for appointment. But in reality, for years, political affiliations of candidates or their families and relatives have been sought. The desire for change that began with the movement against quotas in jobs and ended with the student uprising in 2024, led many to hope that such a system would end. But in reality, it has not stopped yet.

This time, there is a lot of discussion after the publication of the notification for the appointment of 227 people who passed the 43rd BCS exam. Many people are also making various comments on the social media Facebook about the issue. The excluded candidates have been vocal about this. The Ministry of Public Administration has taken the matter into consideration. The ministry said in a notification on Thursday that any application for reconsideration from among the 227 people who are unsuitable for appointment is being accepted. The opportunity to apply for reconsideration is open to everyone.

The Ministry of Public Administration also explained why these candidates were excluded. The notification said that the PSC temporarily nominated 2,163 people for appointment to various cadres through the 43rd BCS examination and recommended them on January 25 last year. Then, according to the rules, the pre-character of the candidates was verified through the special branch of the police and the district administrators, and a total of 99 people were excluded, including 40 who were absent in the health examination and 59 people considering the agency's report, and the remaining 2,064 people were appointed, and a notification was issued on October 15. Since then, questions have been raised about the acceptability of this appointment from various perspectives. In view of this, it was decided to further verify the pre-character of the 2,163 people recommended by the 43rd BCS through the state intelligence agencies NSI and DGFI in order to determine transparent candidates and re-establish trust and confidence in the government recruitment process. Reports on the suitability or unsuitability of 2,163 candidates were received from NSI and DGFI.

According to the report, adverse comments were received about the background of 227 candidates. Due to adverse comments, 227 candidates were temporarily considered unsuitable for appointment and it was decided to conduct further verification and inquiry into their cases. However, 40 people who were absent from the health examination were considered unsuitable for appointment. In this situation, a notification for the appointment of 1,896 people was issued on December 30.

Firoz Mia, a job expert and former additional secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, told Prothom Alo, "If someone has a criminal case against them, has been in jail, or is a notorious terrorist, the police will report them by mentioning their records. If someone gets a job by cheating, that should also be taken into consideration. But no one can be excluded for any other reason or political consideration other than this type of crime. But this has happened in the past and is happening now. This should not be done in any way, it should stop."

Government sends three more additional IGPs on compulsory retirement

January 3, 2025

Three more officers of the rank of Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IG) have been sent on retirement. This brings the total number of Additional IGs of Police sent on compulsory retirement since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.

The Home Ministry on Wednesday announced the retirement of three senior police officers in three separate notifications. They are Police Staff College Rector Mallick Fakhrul Islam, Police Telecom Chief YM Belalur Rahman, and Police Headquarters Additional IG Selim Md. Jahangir.

These notifications were signed by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani on the orders of the President. It said that they have been retired from government service in public interest as per the provisions of Section 45 of the Government Services Act, 2018 (Act No. 57 of 2018). They will be entitled to retirement benefits in public interest as per the rules. This order issued in public interest will come into effect immediately.

Earlier, on December 2, the government sent 9 police officers on compulsory retirement. They are CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Selim Hossain, Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) Assistant Police Commissioner M R Shawkat Anwar Islam, RAB Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Nasir Uddin Bhuiyan, Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Mizanur Rahman and Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Jamal Uddin, APBN Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Matiur Rahman and Assistant Superintendent of Police Jobairul Haque, SAF Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Enayet Hossain and Industrial Area Police Assistant Superintendent of Police (under transfer order to RAB) Md. Mosharraf Hossain.

Earlier, on October 8, former Director General of RAB and Additional IG of Police Headquarters Md. Harun Or Rashid, Additional IG of Highway Police Shahabuddin Khan, and former Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) (currently working in Tourist Police) Supernumerary Additional IG Khandaker Mohid Uddin were sent on compulsory retirement.

On September 22, Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IG) Devdas Bhattacharya working in the Railway Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the Integrated Industrial Area Police in Dhaka AKM Hafiz Akhter, who was promoted as a supernumerary Additional IG, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Police Telecom in Dhaka Bashir Ahmed, Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman, who was ordered to be integrated in Dhaka, Assistant Superintendent of Police Rafiqul Islam working in the APBN headquarters, and Assistant Police Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Dadan Fakir were sent to retirement.

Earlier, on September 2, Additional Inspector General of Police Headquarters Khandaker Lutful Kabir, Additional Inspector General of Tourist Police Mir Rezaul Alam, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Noakhali Police Training Center Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir, and Deputy Inspector General of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) (currently in charge) Imam Hossain were sent on compulsory retirement.

On August 27, Additional Inspector General of Police Headquarters Krishnapada Roy, Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner (Deputy Inspector General rank) Md. Mozammel Haque and KMP Additional Commissioner (Additional Deputy Inspector General) Sardar Rakibul Islam were sent on compulsory retirement. On August 22, Additional Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Mia, Additional Inspector General of Industrial Area Police Md. Mahabubar Rahman and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Headquarters Joydev Kumar Bhadra were sent on retirement. It is worth noting that Mohammad Ali Mia was attached to Police Headquarters from CID on August 13.

On August 21, Additional Inspector General of Police Md. Atiqul Islam, Deputy Inspector General of Headquarters (Additional Inspector General-Supernumerary) Md. Anwar Hossain, and Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md. Asaduzzaman (of the rank of Deputy Inspector General) were sent on retirement.

Earlier, on August 13, Additional Inspector General of Police (SB-Special Branch) Monirul Islam and DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman were sent on compulsory retirement. On the same day, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md. Moniruzzaman and Rangpur Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Md. Abdul Baten were sent on compulsory retirement.

Houthis will face the same fate as Hamas-Hezbollah: Israel warns

January 3, 2025

Israel is fighting various Iranian-backed armed groups in the Middle East. In the meantime, the country has been directly involved in a war with Lebanon's Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas. This has weakened both groups. Several of their leaders have lost their lives. In such a situation, Israel has warned that if its territory is attacked, the Houthi rebels in Yemen will face the same fate as Hamas and Hezbollah. However, despite Israel's warning, the Houthis have continued to attack the country.

Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, warned the Houthis on Monday to stop firing missiles at Israel. If they continue, they will face the same "deplorable consequences" as Hezbollah, Hamas and former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He also warned Tehran that Israel has the ability to strike anywhere in the Middle East, including Iran. They will not tolerate attacks by Iranian-backed groups.

Hours after Danny Danon's warning on Monday, the Israeli military announced it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen. Sirens were heard in various parts of Israel after the missile was fired. Later on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said they had fired a hypersonic and a "Zulfiqar" ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and a power plant south of Jerusalem.

In this regard, the head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of the Houthis, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said on the social media X, "They will not stop attacking Israel. The attacks on the country will continue. At the same time, they will continue to support Gaza."

'Regional stability under threat'

On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian independence movement Hamas attacked Israel. Since that day, Israel has been attacking Gaza. The Houthis and Hezbollah have been supporting the Palestinians in this ongoing conflict in the valley. They have been attacking Israel frequently. Israel has also been responding in kind. In the meantime, Israeli forces have launched a massive attack on Lebanon since September. In this, several leaders of the group, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, were killed.

Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, Hamas and Hezbollah have been weakened by Israeli attacks. In addition, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fell in the face of a rebel offensive on December 8. Russia and Iran had kept him in power. Benjamin Netanyahu has also claimed credit for Bashar's fall.

Israel has not yet launched a large-scale attack on the Houthis. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that Israel had "begun strikes" on Houthi-linked targets in Yemen. At that time, they attacked the airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, several ports on the country's west coast and two power plants.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was present at the Sanaa airport when Israel attacked it on December 26. He later posted on Facebook that the bombing began as the plane was boarding at the airport, injuring one of the crew members.

Meanwhile, on Monday, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Affairs Khaled Al-Khayari spoke about the Israeli-Houthi retaliatory attacks in the Security Council. He said that if the military conflict in the Middle East region escalates, regional stability will be threatened. The consequences will be felt by millions of people in Yemen, Israel, and the region, and there will be no end to it. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia also criticized both sides - Israel and the Houthis - for the retaliatory attacks.

Two teenagers arrested in Kamrul murder case on Hanif flyover

January 3, 2025

Police have arrested two teenagers on charges of involvement in the murder of Kamrul Hasan (23) on Hanif flyover in the capital's Sayedabad. They were arrested in a raid in the Karatitola area of Jatrabari around 6:30 am on Saturday. One of them is 17 years old and the other is 16 years old.

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's media and public relations department, Kamrul Hasan was walking on the Hanif flyover in the Sayedabad area at around 8:40 pm on Wednesday. At that time, some robbers stopped him. At that time, the robbers threatened him with country-made weapons and tried to snatch his cash and mobile phone. When he resisted, one of the robbers hit Kamrul in the chest with a sharp knife. Then they snatched a mobile phone and 7,000 taka from him and fled. Later, Kamrul was rescued by local people and taken to Mugda Medical College Hospital, where the doctor on duty declared him dead. Kamrul's father Imam Hossain filed a murder case with Jatrabari Police Station as the plaintiff in this incident.

Police said the two arrested were active members of a professional robbery gang. They used to rob mobile phones, cash and valuables from pedestrians in and around Hanif Flyover in Jatrabari. They mainly robbed to raise money for drug consumption.

Passengers held hostage on moving bus in Savar, robbed of money, mobile phones, gold ornaments, 1 injured

January 3, 2025

A group of robbers boarded a moving bus on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar, near Dhaka, and took passengers hostage. They took them hostage with sharp weapons and stole money, mobile phones and gold ornaments. A passenger was stabbed while trying to stop the robbers.

The robbery took place on the Dhaka-Aricha highway from in front of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC) in Savar to the gate area adjacent to Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall of Jahangirnagar University on Friday (December 20) evening. Md. Shamim Hossain (30), who was injured by the robbers' knife attack, has been treated at the private Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar. He is a resident of Sreepur Notunnagar area of Ashulia.

Talking to the bus passengers and the bus owner, it was learned that a bus carrying passengers with the Welcome banner left Motijheel, Dhaka for Chandra on Friday afternoon. When the bus reached in front of BPATC in Savar at around 6:30 pm, a group of 3-4 hijackers boarded the bus. They held some people hostage with sharp country-made weapons. Later, they snatched money, mobile phones and gold ornaments from 15-20 passengers on the bus. When some tried to stop them, they were beaten and one of them was stabbed. Later, the hijackers went down the speed breaker on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in front of the gate adjacent to Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall of Jahangirnagar University.

Eyewitnesses said that after the bus reached the main gate of the university, some students stopped the bus and questioned the driver and the driver's assistant. Later, they took the bus to the Bishmail area. Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and took the bus, along with the driver and the driver's assistant, into their custody.
Meanwhile, the bus passenger injured in the stabbing, Md. Shamim Hossain, was first given primary treatment at Jahangirnagar University Medical Center. Later, he was taken to Enam Medical College Hospital. Hasan Mahbub, a doctor on duty at the hospital's emergency department, said, "A person injured in the stabbing named Shamim has been brought to the hospital. There are stab marks on his body."

A passenger on the bus, Harun Or Rashid, said that after the bus passed the Savar Radio Colony area around 6:30 pm, three young men armed with sharp weapons suddenly took the bus passengers hostage. First, they stabbed a passenger sitting in the front seat of the bus. Later, they looted money and belongings from all the passengers.

A representative of Welcome Paribahan, who did not wish to be named, said, "3-4 people got on the bus from in front of BPATC in Savar with small knives. Then they held a knife to the throat of a child on the bus. They were between 25-30 years old."

Ashulia Police Station Sub-Inspector Alok Kumar Dey said, passengers said that some robbers from the BPATC area boarded the bus, held some hostage at sharp weapons, and quickly got off the bus after the robbery. Later, students of Jahangirnagar University detained the bus and the driver. After reaching the spot after receiving the information, several passengers narrated the incident. Since the incident was in the Savar Model Police Station area, the victims have been advised to file a complaint with the Savar Model Police Station.

Savar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Jewel Mia said that a team of them is working on the matter. Details will be announced later.

Shakib-Mathues are teammates now: Memories of 'Timed Out' and a glimpse of destiny

January 3, 2025

Because, Chittagong Kings have already added two players to the team through direct contracts. That's when some people may have remembered the incident in Delhi last November. After seeing the 20-member player list of Chittagong Kings after the players' draft yesterday, some may have gone back to that afternoon in Delhi. Shakib Al Hasan, Angelo Mathews... Wow, what else is needed!

Later, there was so much debate and talk about it! The rule books were also opened and looked at. It was learned that Shakib had 'stabbed' Mathews from within the rules. The literacy rate among Sri Lankans is almost 100%. However, no instrument has yet been invented to determine how vindictive a nation is. So, although it is impossible to say how much this trend is among Sri Lankans, it can be guessed by looking at the pictures. After visiting Bangladesh in March this year and winning the T20 series

Even the Sri Lankans understand that the picture was not very pleasing to the eye. The Sri Lankans can thank Kings for that. Because Shakib will now have to spread 'flowers' in the path of Mathews!

Although it is not entirely true, it is not a far-fetched idea. Kings have brought both of them into the team. That is, Shakib and Mathews will play as teammates in the BPL starting from December 30. Since they are teammates, Shakib does not get the opportunity to 'time out' Mathews in the BPL. On the contrary, if Mathews is a victim of something like this, Shakib will have to speak up for him. Not only that, Shakib can also think of some things in advance if he wants.

Shakib and Mathews - both are all-rounders. The batting positions will also be close. That is, the possibility of both of them batting together is very high. So, Shakib can carry an extra helmet strap in his pocket if he gets out before him. Because, since Mathews will get out later, he may need it. Or, after Shakib is at the crease and the batsman on the other end is out, he can run a little forward (of course, he must stay within the boundaries of the field) and call Mathews, 'Matthews, Mathews, call, there is not much (time) left for the timed out!'

Sri Lanka batted first in that ODI World Cup match on November 6, 2023. Mathews came on the field as the new batsman after Sadira Samarawickrama was dismissed in 24.2 overs bowled by captain Shakib. Standing at the crease, he realized that there was a problem with the strap (ribbon) of his helmet, possibly torn. He pointed to the dressing room for a new helmet. There was some delay in bringing a new helmet through an additional player. Then Bangladesh captain Shakib requested Mathews to be 'timed out'. As it was legal, the on-field umpire accepted the request and declared Mathews out. New history and controversy were born.

Mathews was the first batsman to be 'timed out' in international cricket, and the cricketing world was divided over the 'spirit of the game'. That is, there was division over whether Shakib's behaviour was sportsmanlike or not.

But now is not the time to divide, it is time to work together and 'time out' the opponent. Since Mathews is the first batsman to be 'timed out' in international cricket, and Shakib is also the first captain (cricketer) to successfully request this out - who knows better than Shakib-Mathews how 'timed out' happens or when to request this out! In other words, it is not surprising to see these two cricketers together in the BPL to time out the opponent. The Sri Lankans will also find peace if they see something like this.

Bebeto-Bunocchi-Lam chose Rodrigo as the best footballer of the year, not Vinicius.

January 3, 2025

The Ballon d'Or has been a hot topic of discussion this year. A month before the award was announced, European media outlets reported that Vinicius Junior would be the winner.

Real Madrid had also completed preparations to celebrate their player's Ballon d'Or win. But the whole scene changed a few hours before the award was announced.

Real Madrid also cancelled their trip to Paris after news of Rodri's Ballon d'Or win emerged.

However, in the meantime, British media outlet The Guardian has given Real another disappointing news. Like the Ballon d'Or, they have also chosen Rodrigo as the best footballer of the year.

The Guardian's selection process for the best player of the year was made up of 23 former footballers from different countries, including legendary Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci, Germany's World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm and Brazil's World Cup-winning star Bebeto.

Among the coaches in the selection process were Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk, Iceland's Afturelding club coach Magnus Mar Einarsson, and Brazil's 2018 and 2022 World Cup assistant coach Kleber Javier. In addition, more than a hundred journalists from different countries also gave their opinions on the player selection.

In the player selection, the number one player in each judge's order of preference received 40 points and the second-choice player received 39 points. Thus, the number 40 player received 1 point. Then, all the votes were added together to determine a score.

In this voting, Rodri received 7495 points, while Rodri received 7427 points. That is, Rodri won by 68 points in the end. Of those who voted, 92 chose Rodri as the best player. And 72 people chose Vinicius as their first choice.

Although the top two are the same as in the Ballon d'Or, there have been some changes in the subsequent places. Jude Bellingham came third in the Ballon d'Or. He has dropped to number five in the Guardian's list. And Holland, who was fifth in the Ballon d'Or, is number three in the Guardian.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach an agreement on their divorce

January 3, 2025

Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a settlement after eight years of legal battles. Jolie's lawyer says the settlement has put an end to the complications surrounding Hollywood's much-discussed divorce.

Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. However, the two had disputes over several issues, including custody of their children and division of property after the divorce.

As a result, the separation process has been prolonged. Finally, after eight years, Jolie and Pitt have reached an agreement. The long-awaited separation is now just a matter of time.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt first met on the set of the movie 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'.

After being together for 9 years, Brad and Jolie got married in 2014. Two years later, they announced their separation in 2016. The couple has 6 children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and 14-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

Richie under a different identity

January 3, 2025

Even though he is still in acting, Richie is not as busy as he used to be. This actor does not want to be busy with acting like before. That is why he is now involved in new work with great deliberation. Most of his time is spent with his family and children. In the meantime, it was learned that he has come in front of everyone with a different identity. Richie wants to spend more time there to establish that identity. He said that if he does not give time, he will not be able to become an entrepreneur.

Richie Solaiman has opened a beauty salon in Uttara, Dhaka. He had been planning to open an establishment called 'Eternal Beauty Lounge' in Uttara's Rabindra Sarani for a long time. The actor and model said that he will now spend more time here. Richie also said that he feels good to be able to open such an establishment.

Richie said, 'It feels good. I can't express this feeling in words or language. Because, whenever I have done something in my life, I have done it with love. I have done it with great dedication. When I acted; I have done it with sincerity and dedication. When I became a mother, I stopped everything except raising children. Because, at that time, I wanted to be a very good mother. Now that I am not acting much, I thought of doing something new, which will keep me busy. At the same time, which is somewhat related to my work. From that point, I felt that if I do something like a beauty salon, I will be an entrepreneur, and I will be able to contribute to society at least a little bit.'

He further said, '10 to 20 women will work with me in this organization. These women will support their families. The bigger it becomes, the more it will benefit everyone. There will be more employment. The more families will also benefit from this organization.'

Richie said in words that since he has completely reduced his acting now, he wants to spend more time here. As an argument, he said, 'Since my name is coming up, how can I do it if I don't give time. Now if I don't give time to acting, then I won't be able to act well. If I don't give time to my children, I won't be able to be a good mother. Similarly, if I don't give time to this salon, then I won't be able to be a good entrepreneur.'