Law-&-Order
Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of one convict and commuted that of three others to life term imprisonment in a case filed for killing a child after rape in 2004.
A five-member virtual bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after hearing separate petitions.
Read: Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape
The court upheld the death sentence of Shukur Ali, son of Khayer Ali of Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia.
The three other convicts whose death sentence has been commuted are-Azanur Rahman, son of Abu Taleb, Nuruddin Sentu, son of Pijab Uddin and Mamun Hossain, son of Sirajul Pramanik of the same upazila.
Advocate SM Shahjahan and Barrister Ragib Rauf Chowdhury stood for the petitioners while deputy attorney general Biswajit Debnath represented the state.
According to the prosecution, the convicts abducted a 13-year-old girl on March 25, 2004 while she was returning home after watching TV from a neighbour’s house at Lalnagar village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia district.
Read: Man gets death penalty for carrying heroin in Gaibandha
Later, they took the girl to a tobacco field and raped her in turns. They also killed the girl.
Victim’s father filed a case on the following day against five people with Doulatpur Police Station.
On February 4, 2009, Kushtia Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Akbar Hossain sentenced five people to death in the case.
During the trial proceedings, another convict Kamu alias Quamrul, son of Abdul Goni died.
In 2014, the High Court upheld the death sentence of four convicts.
Munia’s sister files no-confidence petition against final investigation report
In the abetment of suicide case of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia, her sister filed a no-confidence petition in response to the police's final investigation report that exempted Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir from charges.
Nusrat Jahan Tania filed the petition Tuesday with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury.
General Registry official, Deputy Inspector Alamghir Hossain said the court may hold a hearing on the petition on Wednesday after assessing the documents but it’s not confirmed.
On July 19, Gulshan police submitted a final investigation report on the case exempting Anvir from the charges.
Also read: Munia’s Death: Sister files GD after receiving death threat
On April 26, Munia’s sister filed a case with the Gulshan police station after her body was recovered from a flat in Gulshan.
According to the case complaint, in 2019 after being introduced through a friend Anvir started living with Munia in a Banani flat as husband-wife.
In 2020, when Anvir’s family got to know about their relationship, his mother started threatening Munia.
After that Anvir sent Munia back to her hometown Cumilla saying he will marry her later.
On March 1, 2021, Anvir rented a flat in Gulshan area and Munia was living in that flat since.
Also read: Munia’s death: HC refuses to hear Bashundhara MD’s anticipatory bail plea
On April 23, Anvir had a fall out with Munia and threatened her over posting a photo in a neighbor’s house where she went for an iftar party
On April 25, Munia had called her sister in Cumilla and confided to being "in trouble". On that basis, Nusrat Jahan came to Dhaka next day and reached her sister's flat in the evening.
As her sister didn't answer the door, she then informed the landlord, who called in the police. In the flat they found Munia's hanging body.
HC issues rule on depiction of smoking in movies, theatre
The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the ineffectiveness of the authorities concerned in preventing scenes depicting smoking in movies and plays, should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the rule following a writ petition.
It also asked the authorities concerned to explain as to why directives should not be given to them for implementing the Narcotics Control Act.
Also read: Polluting canal: HC issues contempt of court rule against 5 govt officials
Secretaries to the Public Health and Family Planning, Law, Home, Information and Bangladesh Film Censor Board Chairman have been made respondents to the rule which is returnable in four weeks.
Advocate Maniruzzaman Linkon stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.
On February 3, Bangladesh Cancer Society, Anti drug organisation ‘Prattyasha’ and Population Development Organisation (PDO) filed a petition seeking ban on use of smoking and showing smoking scenes in movies and plays.
“There is a law on using drugs and tobacco but it is ineffective,” said Advocate Maniruzzaman.
On March 11, 2020, a legal notice was sent to the Secretaries to the Public Health and Family Planning, Law, Home, Information and Bangladesh Film Censor Board Chairman seeking implementation of the law. But no response came from the respondent, he said.
Also read: HC issues rule on ethics code for news media
According to the writ, Bangladesh has signed the ‘Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ (FCTC) in an effort to discourage people from smoking and tobacco during the 56th conference of World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003.
To make the issue a success, the government enacted a law on Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005.
According to the law, smoking in public places is an offence and there is a provision to fine Tk 300 to those who are found smoking in public places or public transport.
As per the section 5 (1) of the law, Prohibition of advertisement of tobacco products. -(1) No person shall-display advertisement on tobacco products in cinema hall or government and non-government radio and television channel, and shall not make any exhibition of photographs audible or made audible :print or publish or make published any advertisement in any books, magazines, handbills, bill-board, newspaper or printed papers published in Bangladesh; and distribute or supply to public any leaflet, handbill or documents containing the name of brand of tobacco product, colour, logo, trade mark, sign, symbol or advertisement.
Owners of e-orange.shop sent to jail over fraud case
A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent owners of virtual outlet e-orange.shop Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Masukur Rahman in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique passed the order rejecting their bail pleas.
Earlier, the accused surrendered before the court seeking bail.
Also read: Film actress Eka sent to jail in two cases
On Monday an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.
According to the case, on April 21, Taherul ordered a product from eorgance.shop paid in advance. But the online shop failed to deliver the product on the promised date. Neither did it return the money.
The outlet has posted notice on its Facebook page many times seeking more time from the customers to deliver the products. But the products didn’t come.
Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Owner sent to jail, his 2 sons granted bail
Besides, the gift vouchers the company provided to shop in different outlets were also not being honoured. They said the company didn’t pay them their money.
Taherul said he filed the case in fear of losing his money after he came to know the company’s ownership has changed hands.
Helena Jahangir gets bail, but cannot walk out of jail
A Dhaka court Tuesday granted bail to ‘Joyjatra IPTV’ chairman Helena Jahangir in a case filed under the Telecommunication Act but she needs to secure bail in other cases to walk out of jail.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sufian Md Noman passed the order on a bond of Tk 20,000 during a hearing on the bail plea filed by advocate Shafiqul Islam. The state side stood against the bail plea during the hearing.
Court sources said Helena Jahangir will stay behind the bars until she gets bail in another case filed over fraud with Pallabi police station and in cases filed with Gulshan police station under the Digital Security Act (DSA) and Narcotics Control Act.
According to the case complaint, Helena Jahangir with her two associates Hajera Khatun, 40, and Sanaullah Nuri, 47, and other involved have embezzled a large amount of money in the name of appointing district correspondents in Joyjatra IPTV claiming it as a satellite channel which is not even a registered channel.
READ: Helena Jahangir put on 14-day remand in four cases
They used to extort Tk 3,000 every month from those correspondents.
On the night of July 29, members of Rapid Action Battalion-1 (Rab) arresed Helena Jahangir from her Gulshan residence, four days after she was removed from her post of a ruling party sub-committee.
The elite force members "seized foreign liquor, illegal walkie-talkie sets, casino equipment and deer skins" during a four-hour raid on her home.
Later another raid was conducted at Joyjatra IPTV station in Mirpur and it was sealed after recovering illegal equipement.
READ: 2 associates of Helena Jahangir held in Dhaka
Later the court placed Helena on a 17-day remand in four cases.
HC to resume hearings on anticipatory bail pleas Aug 22
The High Court has fixed August 22 for resuming the hearings on anticipatory bail petitions that remained suspended during the government’s restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court Administration issued a circular on Tuesday in this regard as per the directives of the Chief Justice.
According to the notice, the High Court bench will start hearing anticipatory bail petitions from August 22 following all health guidelines and necessary precautionary measures.
The hearings on the anticipatory bail petitions of the High Court division bench remained suspended for long during the government restrictions that was imposed to contain transmission of Covid-19.
Man gets death penalty for carrying heroin in Gaibandha
A Gaibandha court on Tuesday morning sentenced a man to death in a case over his involvement in heroin trade.
The convict was identified as Md Parvez.
Read:HC releases full text of verdict upholding death penalty of 10 militants
However, three others accused in the case were granted bail .
The court of sessions judge Judge Dilip Kumar Bhowmik pronounced the verdict.
Public Prosecutor Saiful Islam Prince said Parvez, a helper of a bus, was arrested along with the supervisor and driver from a highway by Rab-13 back in 2018.
Around 450 gm of heroin were seized from their possession.
The RAB team carried out the drive upon a tip off that a drug syndicate active in the northern region of the country was smuggling heroin in Bogra.
Read: Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape
A case was filed with Gobindaganj police station over the matter.
Saiful Islam Prince said that as Parvez’s guilt was proven at the court, he was given death penalty while the other accused were granted bail due to lack of evidence against them.
Stop harmful online games like PUBG, Free Fire: HC
The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to take steps to remove harmful games including PUBG and Free Fire from online platforms in Bangladesh.
Justice Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after hearing of a writ.
Read: HC: Only MBBS, BDS holders can use 'Dr' before their names
The court also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why all types of online games and apps like Tiktok, Bigo Live, PUBG, Free Fire Games and Likee should not be banned.
Earlier on 24 June, Law and Life Foundation, a human rights organization, filed the writ petition with the High Court seeking directives to ban Likee, TikTok, Bigo Live apps, and PUBG and Free Fire games in Bangladesh.
Secretary to the Post and Telecommunication Division, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Education, Home, Law and Health secretaries, and the Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh Bank, bKash, Nagad and 18 other individuals and organizations were asked to respond to the rule within 10 days.
Lawyer Humayun Kabir Pallab appeared for the writ petitioner.
Read: HC inquires about progress in establishing e-judiciary
According to the writ petition, children and youth are being addicted to these games which is destroying social values and culture. They are being engaged in various immoral activities and crimes using apps like TikTok.
Recently, Nepal banned PUBG. The game was banned in India's Gujarat. Some were arrested for playing this game. PUBG was temporarily stopped in Bangladesh too and later the ban was withdrawn.
HC: Only MBBS, BDS holders can use 'Dr' before their names
Health professionals won’t be able to add ‘Dr’ before their names if they don’t achieve MBBS or BDS degree, according to a verdict delivered by the High Court on Saturday.
Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS )is an undergraduate medical degree in the course to become a doctor. BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-year undergraduate program required for the students aspiring to work as dentists at government or private hospitals. BDS is one of the most popular medical courses after MBBS in Bangladesh.
The HC in its full verdict Saturday stated the government's decision of allowing homeopathy, unani and ayurvedic healthcare professionals to use "Dr" before their names is "illegal".
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil has delivered the verdict.
“Only MBBS and BDS degrees can use the prefix 'Dr' under the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act, 2010,” the bench observed.
The HC bench said the ‘illegal’ decision of the health department to allow homeopathy, unani and ayurvedic under the operational plan titled 'Alternative Medical Care' to use 'Dr' before their names was very unfortunate.
A short verdict over the matter was delivered on November 19 last year following a writ petition seeking necessary directives on this issue.
The 71-page full text of the HC verdict was relaeased on Saturday.
Snatching gold bars: 5 Feni DB officials remanded again
A court in Feni on Wednesday placed five suspended DB officials on a 3-day remand again in a case over snatching 20 gold bars from a businessman on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on August 8.
They are sub-inspectors Motaher Hossain, Mizanur Rahman, Nurul Haque and assistant sub-inspectors Abhijit Barua and Masud Rana.
The court of Feni Senior Judicial Magistrate Kamrul Hasan passed the order after investigation officer of the case Monir Hossain produced the accused before seeking a 7-day remand for them after expiry of their three-day remand.
They were initially remanded for three days on August 11, said Golam Jilani, a police inspector posted at Feni court.
Also read: Six detectives rob bizman of 20 gold bars in Feni, held
DB inspector Md Saiful Islam Bhuyian is currently on a 4-day remand in the same case and is scheduled to be produced before the court within the next few days.
Besides, a source within Feni Police requesting anonymity told UNB that the investigation of the case has been handed over to the Police Bureau of investigation (PBI).
However, a separate source claimed that no official letter has been issued over the matter yet.
Contacted, Deputy Inspector General Of Police, Chattogram Range Anwar Hossain said, “ An application has been sent to the court seeking its order to transfer the case to PBI. Final decision on the matter would be made upon receiving the court’s directive.”
Six sleuths of the detective branch of Feni police were arrested on Tuesday night for allegedly robbing a businessman of 20 gold bars worth Tk 1.24 crore.
Also read: Cattle trader refuses to pay protection money, shot dead in Feni
Some 15 of the 20 looted gold bars have been recovered from the possession of the accused, police said on Wednesday.
However, the remaining 5 gold bars were not recovered as of filing this report on Saturday night.
Khandaker Nurunnabi, superintendent of Feni police, said the arrests were made following a complaint against them by businessman Gopal Kanti Das.
As per the complaint, the six detectives intercepted Gopal's car on the road under Fatehpur flyover on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway while he was on his way to Dhaka with 20 gold bars on August 8.
Later, the accused looted the gold bars from Gopal and left the spot.
A robbery case was filed against the six at the Feni model police station.