Law-&-Order
SC upholds Mossadek Ali Falu’s acquittal in relief scam case
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday upheld the acquittal of BNP leader and businessman Mohammad Mosaddek Ali Falu in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of embezzling relief tins.
An eight-member bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after rejecting a review petition filed by the ACC against the acquittal.
Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal appeared for Falu in the court. Advocate AKM Fazlul Huq appeared for the ACC.
Barrister Kajal said the ACC's review petition was rejected, resulting in the cancellation of the case.
“There were no further judicial proceedings left in the case. He was ultimately acquitted,” he said.
Falu ane five others were accused of embezzling relief tin in a case filed during the regime of army-backed caretaker government in 2007.
According to the case statement, Tk 4 lakh worth of tin was allocated to the poor people during his tenure as a parliamentary member from Dhaka-10 constituency. He was accused of embezzling those relief tins instead of distributing those to underprivileged people.
Falu challenged the legality of the charges in the case and filed a petition with the High Court to quash the case. The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order acquitting him of all the charges on March 7, 2018.
Later, the ACC filed a leave-to-appeal petition with the Appellate Division against the verdict. On June 2, 2021, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court's verdict quashing the case of embezzlement of relief tins against Falu.
In response, the anti-graft body filed an appeal with the Appellate Division seeking review of the verdict, which was dismissed today.
HC orders probe into Tk 350 crore loan approval by AB Bank for ‘Brandshare Trading’
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the allegations of Tk 350 crore loan approval by AB Bank to a nonexistent company named “Brandshare Trading”.
The court asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit a report within three months.
A HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after taking cognisance of a report published in a national daily on Tuesday.
The rule sought to know why the inaction of the defendants in taking action against those involved in the loan sanctioning complaint should not be declared illegal and why the authorities concerned should not be identified and directed to take appropriate legal action against them.
ACC Chairman, Bangladesh Bank Governor, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Secretary of Banks and Financial Institutions of the Ministry of Finance, BFIU, CIED, Managing Director (MD) of AB Bank have been asked to respond to the rule within two weeks.
Recently, it was revealed that AB Bank approved a loan of Tk 350 crore in favour of a shell company -- named Brandshare Trading. A businessman named Mohammad Ali Haider Ratan -- who previously created an uproar by withdrawing the loan money from the Gulshan branch of The National Bank at night -- is the beneficiary of the loan.
However, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which is under the control of the central bank, has already stopped the loan after coming to know about the fraudulent loan.
It has also sought an explanation from the board of directors on sanctioning loans in the name of shell companies.
According to the BFIU report, Ali Haider Ratan currently has a loan of Tk 559 crore in five banks. These loans, taken in dubious ways against various government functions, are now defaulted.
The report states that the Board of Directors of AB Bank recently approved a loan of Tk 350 crore in the name of a reputed company in the name of “Brandshare Trading”. On January 10, the bank's Gulshan branch received a loan application. Mohammad Ataur Rahman and Md Mamun Rashid were shown as the owners of the company in the application.
However, its address has been given by Ratan-owned Infratech Construction, whose office is at Midas Centre in Dhanmondi. And the e-mail and website used in the application pad is also owned by another company named Brandwin.
On the same day, three officials of AB Bank, including the Gulshan branch manager, visited the customer's Dhanmondi office and home address and submitted an inspection report. Although there was never any import in the name of the customer company, the report said that the customer imported a large amount of energy, construction materials, chemicals and essential food.
Meanwhile, the BFIU report shows the company was registered in June last year. In November last year, an account was opened at AB Bank's Gulshan branch with a deposit of Tk 10,000. There is no transaction -- even related to import -- beyond that. However, a completely newly registered company is shown as a big company with fake inspection reports.
2 fake DB men arrested in Thakurgaon
Two people who identified them as members of the Detective Branch (DB) were arrested for extorting people in Ranisankail upazila of Thakurgaon on Wednesday.
The detainees--Munna Hossain, 36, son of Yusuf Khalifa and Nur Mohammad, 37, son of Abdul Mannan, are residents of Phulbaria upazila in Dinajpur.
Gulfamul Islam Mandal, officer-in-charge of Ranisankail police station, said the detainees identifying them as the DB men realised Tk 18,000 from an indigenous Amin Mardic by intimidating him that he will be implicated in a drug case unless the money is paid.
The incident happened in Sundarpur area under Hossaingaon union of the upazila at noon, he said.
Suspecting their movement, locals informed police of the matter and caught them, the OC said.
During the primary interrogation, the detainees confessed to realising the extortion money from the man by issuing a threat to implicate in a drug case, he said.
A process was underway to file cases against them in this connection, the OC added.
Woman arrested with 20 gold bars in Chuadanga
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Wednesday arrested a suspected woman smuggler with 20 gold bars worth over Tk 2.34 crore in Darshana upazila of Chuadanga.
Shahanara, 48, is wife of late Md Kashem of Nastipur village under the upazila in the district.
A team of the border force led by Baradi Border Outpost (BOP) Commander Md Ahsan Kabir conducted a drive in Jhora Graveyard area along India border after being tipped-off that a consignment of gold will be smuggled to India through the border, said a press release signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sayeed Mohammad Jahidur Rahman, a director of the BGB-6.
Suspecting movement of the woman who arrived there by an auto-rickshaw, the BGB personnel challenged her and searched, it said.
Later, 20 gold bars weighing around 2.341 kilograms were recovered from her possession during the drive, it said, adding that the market value of the gold is about Tk 2.34 crore.
The gold bars were deposited.
BNP’s leader Chand faces another case for threatening to kill Sheikh Hasina; arrest warrant issued
One more case under the Digital Security Act (DSA) was filed on Wednesday against Rajshahi chapter BNP’s Convenor Abu Sayeed Chand for making a “death threat” against Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina at a recent rally in Rajshahi.
Magura chapter Jubo League Convenor Fazlur Rahman filed the case at the court of Magura First Class Magistrate Humayun Kabir.
Taking the case into cognisance, the court issued an arrest warrant for the BNP leader and directed officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station to record it as first information record (FIR), said the plaintiff’s counsel Shakarul Islam Shakil.
According to the case statement, there is a fear of losing the life of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina due to direct threat by the BNP leader at a recent rally in Rajshahi.
On Friday, Chand threatened the prime minister at a public rally of metropolitan and district BNP at Shibpur High School ground in Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi as part of the central programme.
"No more 27- or 10-point demand, just one point now – send Sheikh Hasina to the grave! We will do whatever is necessary to get Sheikh Hasina to resign,” he said.
Meanwhile, a video of the threat went viral on social media, triggering a series of protests among Awami League leaders and supporters.
Several cases have so far been lodged against the BNP leader in parts of the country.
Two cases filed against 98 BNP activists over Dhanmondi clash
Two cases were filed on Wednesday against 98 BNP leaders and activists including its standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy in connection with a clash between police and the party activists in front of City College in the capital's Dhanmondi area on Tuesday.
Police filed the cases with Dhanmondi Police Station and New Market Police Station.
Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ikram Ali Miah said a case was filed with the police station mentioning names of 52 BNP leaders and activists and many unknown ones for attacking police and vandalizing cars during the party’s march on the day.
Shafiqul Gani Sabu, officer-in-charge (OC) of New Market Police Station, said police filed a case against 46 named BNP leaders and activists and another 400/ 500 unidentified people over the clash.
The plaintiff claimed the attack by BNP men caused losses of Tk 10 lakh, the OC said.
Earlier, police clashed with BNP leaders and activists in front of City College the capital's Dhanmondi area on Tuesday after the party’s prescheduled march programme to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
13,000 law enforcers to be on polls duty: GMP Commissioner
A total of 13,000 law enforcers will be engaged to maintain law and order during the Gazipur City Corporation election slated to be held on Thursday (May 25, 2023), said Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Molla Nazrul Islam on Wednesday (May 24, 2023).
“ 20-22 members of law enforcement agencies will perform duty at each centre. I hope a free and fair election will be held with the efforts of all amid foolproof security,” he told UNB.
Campaign in the Gazipur City Corporation election has ended and the local administration has taken all-out preparation to hold the polls.Twenty platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed alongside 30 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar members, said Returning Officer Faridul Islam.Already the EVM machines and all necessary materials have been sent to the polling centers while CCTVs were installed at all polling centres.
Read more: SCC elections: 387 aspiring candidates inc.11 for mayor submit nomination papersMobile teams will be there in 57 wards while 19 striking forces led by 19 magistrates will remain vigilant at the polling centers.
Already 351 polling centres out of 480 have been declared vulnerable and additional forces will be deployed at these centres, said FDaridul.Gazipur City Corporation election will be held on Thursday, using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at all polling stations.Eight candidates will contest for mayoral posts in the election and there are 248 councillors and 79 female councilor candidates.A total of 11,79,476 voters are expected to exercise their franchise and of them, 5,92,762 are males while 5,86,696 are females and the number of transgender is 18.
Read more: SCC elections: 387 aspiring candidates inc.11 for mayor submit nomination papers
Youth gets 10 years’ jail for anti-Islam comments
A Rangpur court on Tuesday sentenced a Hindu youth to 10 years in prison in a case over derogatory remarks about Islam and its prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook around six years back.
The court of Rangpur Cyber Tribunal Judge Dr Abdul Majid also fined the convict Tk 50,000, said Public Prosecutor Advocate Ruhul Amin Talukder.
The convict is Titu Roy, son of late Khogendranath Roy of Harikoly Thakurpara under Gangachara police station in Rangpur.
According to the case statement, Tipu uploaded the post on October 28, 2017 when he had been working in Narayanganj.
On November 10 of the same year, local Muslims formed human chains and staged demonstrations demanding punishment of Titu at Shleyashah Bazar in Rangpur.
Enraged by the incident, people torched and vandalized houses of Hindu community at the Thakurpara.
Later, two separate cases were filed with Rangpur Sadar and Gangachara police stations in this connection.
After completing all legal procedures, the court handed down the judgment in the presence of Titu.
Expressing satisfaction, the PP said they got justice and it will be an instance regarding the humiliation of religion.
On the other hand, the accused’s lawyer Proshanta Kumar Roy said they will appeal to the high court against the verdict as they were deprived of justice.
1 dead, another wounded in IED explosion in Bandarban, KNF blamed
A construction worker was killed and another injured in an explosion of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Ruma upazila of Bandarban on Tuesday, said police.
The deceased Md Rashed, 18, and injured Md Dulal were from Chhanua village under Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.
Locals said a construction work of a road along Thanchhi’s Likkri border in Bangkupara area under the upazila was going on.
The explosion happened around noon when the workers including the duo were engaged in the works in the area, leaving them critically injured, they said.
They were rushed to nearby Thanchi Upazila Health Complex where physicians declared Rashed dead upon arrival, said Emdadul Hoque, officer-in-charge of Thanchhi police station.
Injured Dulal was undergoing treatment at Bandarban Sadar hospital as he was sifted from the Upazila Health Complex when his condition worsened, he said.
The OC guessed that members of armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) placed the IED along the road.
He said security measures were beefed up in the area after the incident.
Army Chief leaves for Saudi Arabia
Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed Left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia today (Tuesday) on an official visit at the invitation of Commander of Royal Saudi Land Forces Lt. Gen. Fahd Bin Abdullah Al-Mutair.
During the visit, he will pay courtesy calls on the Royal Saudi Land Forces Commander, the Chief of General Staff of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and senior military and civilian officials.
During the meeting, the Army Chief will discuss various issues of training and bilateral cooperation between the armies of the two countries, says a media release of Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) directorate.
General Shafiuddin Ahmed will return to the country on May 27 after visiting the Armed Forces Staff College of Saudi Arabia and later performing the holy Umrah.