A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed seven Regent Hospital employees on a five-day remand in a case filed over their alleged involvement in issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shadbir Yeasir Ahsan Chowdhury passed the order during a virtual hearing after Inspector Md Alamgir Gazi of Uttara West police station and also investigation officer of this case, produced the accused before the court seeking a seven-day remand.

The accused are -- Md Ahasan Habib, admin officer of Regent hospital, Md Ahsan Habib Hasan, X-ray technician, Hatim Ali, medical technologist, Rakibul Islam Sumon, project admin of Regent head office, Amit Banik, HR admin manager of head office, Abdus Salam, driver of head office, and Abdur Rashid Khan, executive officer of  head office.

Meanwhile, the court also sent a 17-year-old accused to Tongi juvenile correction centre.

A case was filed against 16 people including the managing director and chairman of Regent Hospital for their alleged involvement in issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates.

Inspector Faisal of Rab filed the case at Uttara West Police Station on Tuesday night, officer-in-charge of the police station, Tapan Chandra Saha told UNB on Wednesday.

Earlier, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) sealed off the head office of Regent Group and its hospital in the city’s Uttara after they were found involved in issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates and collecting money from Covid-19 patients.

A mobile court of the elite force conducted drives at the head office of the group and the Uttara branch of its hospital separately on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, Rab also conducted separate drives at the Uttara and Mirpur branches of Regent  Hospital and arrested eight people for issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates and collecting money from Covid-19 patients.

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday stayed a government order that had cancelled the 119 greedom fighters' certificates of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members.

A virtual bench of Justice JBM Hasan stayed the order until the regular bench of HC resumed after the covid-19 pandemic.

The HC passed the order after hearing two separate writ petitions filed by 87 BGB men, including Molla Mosharaf Hossain and 32 others.

Advocate Md Abdul Kayum Liton and advocate AKM Ashraful Alam represented the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Samarendra Nath Biswash stood for the state.

Read Also: Govt cancels gazettes of 1,181 ‘freedom fighters’

Earlier on June 17, the cancellation order of another BGB member Md Abu Taher was also stayed by the High Court  after he filed a separate writ petition for himself.

The government cancelled the Freedom Fighters' certificates of 1,134 BGB members on June 7.

Later, 119 BGB members filed two writ petitions challenging the government order.

The High Court on Monday ordered the authorities concerned to conduct a judicial inquiry into the allegation brought against police for torturing college student Imran Hosain.

The court also asked the Jashore District and Sessions Judge to conduct the inquiry by an official not below the rank of district and session judge and submit the report within 60 days.

The virtual bench of Justice JBM Hasan passed the order after hearing a writ petition.

Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Samrendra Nath Biswas represented the state.

Barrister Humayun said earlier, a report from police said Imran was addicted to drugs.

On June 28, the HC asked the Jashore District Civil Surgeon to conduct a dope test of Imran. Later, the report from the civil surgeon said Imran was not addicted, he said.

As the two reports were contradictory, the HC ordered judicial inquiry into the matter.

Two lawyers, including Barrister Humayun filed a petition with the High Court seeking directive over judicial inquiry, compensation and bear the expenses of the medical treatment of Imran, whose kidney was damaged during torture by police.  

According to the writ petition, Imran Hossain, son of Nesar Ali of Shahbazpur village in Sadar upazila of Jashore district has brutally been tortured by a policeman at Sajiali Police camp.

On June 9, a report on the incident was published at a daily newspaper.

Currently, Imran is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jashore and undergoing kidney dialysis since June 7 which is a sheer violence of the human rights of Imran.

On June 23, the High Court sought two reports from Jashore Civil Surgeon and superintendent of police which was submitted on June 28.

According to the report from Civil Surgeon, it is said that the kidney function of Imran is normal and he is physically fit while the report of police said Imran is a drug addict and they did not get any bruise on the body of Imran.

Besides, another report said three policemen took money illegally from Imran and released him.

The High Court on Monday issued five directives asking the authorities concerned to look into allegations that some hospitals were turning away patients without providing them any treatment.

The bench of Justice Enayetur Rahim issued the directives and asked the health secretary and director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to submit a report within July 21 after hearing six separate writ petitions.

The other directives include providing treatment to patients suffering from different disease including cancer and continuing their treatment if they have symptoms like coronavirus within 36/48 hours, fixing the price of oxygen within 10 working days, launching an online system for filing complaint over refusal of medical treatment at DGHS and filing complaint at Anti-Corruption Commission after getting abnormal bill from private hospitals for ICU facilities.

Barrister Anik R Haque, Advocate Yeadia Zaman, Barrister Mahfuzur Rahman Milon, Advocate Jamiul Haque Foysal and Barrister Ehsanur Rahman stood for the petitioners while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

On June 15, the HC issued 11 directives with observation saying if any hospital refused to deal with any patient and if he/she died in the meantime, it will be considered as ‘death due to negligence’ and a criminal offence.

Later, a petition was filed with the Appellate Division seeking a stay order on the 11 directives issued by the court.

On June 16, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division stayed seven directives and upheld three directives issued by the High Court.

Meanwhile, the health department submitted a report before the court saying no allegation has been found against any hospital refusing any patient without providing medical services and necessary action will be taken if allegations raised against hospitals are found to be true.

Besides, the authorities concerned have launched a monitoring system to prevent charging Covid-19 patients taking treatment at ICUs extra while an order has been given to fix the price of oxygen.

A supplementary writ petition was filed seeking action against the directors of four private hospitals in Dhaka and Chattogram for refusing to admit patients and demanding additional charges from patients on Sunday.

Advocate Yadia Zaman, on behalf of Helal Uddin, son of Mohamamd Hossain, who died following negligence, in Chattogram filed the petition.

A total of 4,960 people secured bail after their petitions were heard by virtual courts across the country in three days from June 28 to July 2.

Hearing on 10,866 bail petitions were held virtually during the period, said Md Saifur Rahman, special officer of Bangladesh Supreme Court on Friday.

Read Also: Virtual Court Hearings: 6,542 people granted bail in 5 days

Court operation remained suspended since March 26 but trial proceedings through videoconference began on May 11 during the general holidays to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A total of 49,750 accused, including 608 children, secured bail from virtual courts since May 11 while the courts heard 95,523 bail petitions.

Earlier on May 10, the High Court formed three benches for hearing urgent cases virtually and directed the subordinate courts concerned to hear cases related to emergency bail.

An ordinance was promulgated that day allowing courts to run trial proceedings through videoconference and other digital facilities. President Abdul Hamid promulgated the ordinance.

Later, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued a gazette notification, saying that it will take immediate effect.

The Cabinet on May 7 cleared the draft of an ordinance to pave the way for courts to run trial proceedings through videoconference and other digital means.

Read Also: Virtual court a new chapter in law: Anisul