Law-&-Order
Four arrested over attacking traffic police at Dhaka’s Pragati Sarani
Police arrested four people on charge of attacking traffic police and vandalizing the police box at Dhaka’s Pragati Sarani on Sunday night.
The arrestees were identified as Md. Halim (driver), Hasan Mahadi Ami (helper), Md. Ujjal Miah and Parvez Miah.
Contacted, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhatara Police Station Asaduzzaman said that an on-duty traffic sergeant signaled a covered van to stop on Pragati Sarani, under Bhatara Police Station, at 9:10 pm on Sunday.
When the vehicle stopped, the traffic sergeant asked the driver Halim to show the documents, but he refused.
The driver kept talking to someone on the mobile phone and then asked the traffic sergeant to talk to the person on the phone. The traffic sergeant refused to speak without documents, and an argument ensued.
At one stage, the driver and his helper along with several others attacked the traffic police on duty and vandalized the traffic police box.
Being informed, police from the Bhatara police station went to the spot and arrested the four people, the OC said.
Several policemen were injured in the incident. Seriously injured policemen were admitted to Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital for advanced treatment.
A case has been registered at Bhatara police station over this incident.
Air pollution: 7 vehicles, 6 brick kilns fined over Tk 20 lakh
The Department of Environment on Sunday fined seven vehicles and six brick kilns a total of Tk 20.21 lakh in a mobile court drive for polluting the air in Dhaka and two other districts.
The drives led by the DoE’s Monitoring and Enforcement Wing, were conducted in Dhaka’s Motijheel, Munshiganj and Chandpur as part of a campaign against environmental pollution, said a media release signed by Dipankar Bar, public relations officer at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
A total of Tk 20 lakh in fines has been collected from six illegal brick kilns in Munshiganj's Gazaria upazila and Chandpur's Matlab Uttar upazila.
Meanwhile, Tk 21,500 was collected in fines from 7 vehicles for polluting the air by releasing black smoke (carbon monoxide) into the air in the capital's Motijheel area.
Read more: Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns?
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with the aim to strengthen the environmental conservation campaign, including control of air pollution and noise pollution, initiated a month-long mobile court drive on April 5.
The anti-air pollution drive conducted by the Monitoring and Enforcement Wing of the DoE’s will continue, it added.
Inspector Mamun murder case: 4 testify against Arav Khan, 7 others
Four persons, including slain inspector Mamun Imran Khan's sister, have testified in court against the accused Rabiul Islam alias Arav Khan and others in the murder case of the police inspector.
Mamun's sister Rowshan Akter, brother-in-law Mosharraf Hossain Khan, caretaker of the house Mirazul Islam and security guard Manik testified in Dhaka's First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Faisal Atiq Bin Quader's court on Sunday.
With this, the testimony of five of the 38 witnesses in the case was received.
The court also fixed May 2 for the next day of testimony.
The other accused are Suraiya Akter Keya, Rahmat Ullah, Swapan Sarkar, Mizan Sheikh, Atiq Hasan, Sarwar Hasan and Didar Pathan. Arav and his wife Kaya are absconding among them.
Police inspector Mamun was killed in Banani on July 7, 2018.
On July 10, the charred body of Mamun was recovered from a forest in Rayerdia area of Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur district.
Three days after this incident, a murder case was filed at Banani Police Station following a complaint lodged by his brother Jahangir.
After the investigation, on March 31, 2019, the police filed a charge sheet in court against eight people, including Rahmat Ullah and Rabiul Islam.
On November 25, 2021, the court ordered the trial to begin by forming a complaint in this case.
Rahmatullah, along with Inspector Mamun, went to House 5 on Road 2 of Banani to celebrate the birthday of a model.
The accused beat Mamun to death and took the body to Ulukhula of Gazipur where they left the body after pouring petrol on it and setting it on fire.
Experts for repealing DSA to salvage press freedom
Experts at a workshop on Sunday demanded the annulment of the Digital Security Act (DSA) to ensure press freedom and human rights.
They also said the government can enact a new law in line with the fundamental rights recognised by the United Nations through discussions with the civil society members by repealing the DSA to ensure digital and cyber security.
News Network organised the programme titled “Advocacy Campaign on Cyberspace, Cyberlaws and Digital Rights” with the support of Internews and EngageMedia at the NGO Forum’s Training Hall in the city’s Lalmatia area.
Speaking at the programme, Rezaur Rahman Lenin, a researcher, human rights activist and legal expert, said the DSA has become a repressive law and a weapon to suppress the freedom of expression.
“Many sections of this law are contrary to the constitution and the UN recognised fundamental rights. This law is also an obstruction to the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression,” he said.
Lenin noted a total of 1,129 cases were filed under the DSA from October 9, 2018, to August 2022. Of them, he said 301 cases were filed against politicians while 280 were against journalists and 157 against teachers and students.
He pointed out that most of the people accused in the cases suffered jail for a long time before the start of the trial process. “Most people arrested in the DSA cases were denied bail at the early stage. Some people even had to stay in jail for a year to get bail in DSA cases,” he said.
Though the abuse of the DSA is growing alarmingly, he said the government is not serious about amending this law. Besides, amending the law alone will not suffice to deal with the issues it raises.
“The government has been only giving assurances to amend the law, but no progress has been made in this regard. In fact the amendment to the law is not enough. This law must be repealed immediately,” Lenin observed.
News Network Editor and CEO Shahiduzzaman and its programme officer Rezaul Karim also spoke at the programme. Twelve senior journalists from different print and electronic media joined the workshop and exchanged their views on the negative impact of the DSA on the media industry.
Lawyers are important part of judiciary: Chief Justice
If judges are the right hand in the judiciary, lawyers are the left hand, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique has said.
If one hand becomes disabled, then the work will not proceed as desired, he said at a function organised by Faridpur Bar Association on Sunday morning.
Chaired by Ohiduzzaman, president of Faridpur district bar association, the meeting was conducted by Zahid Bapari, general secretary of the association.
The chief justice said to the lawyers that you have to think that you are part of the court. It is not possible to keep the court functioning properly without your help, he added.
Charge hearing in graft case against Tarique, Zubaida on Thursday
A Dhaka court on Sunday set April 13 for hearing on charge framing against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman in a graft case filed against them for acquiring wealth beyond their known sources of income and concealing information in their affidavits.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special judge Md Asaduzzaman fixed the fresh date.
On March 29, Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder appealed for the hearing and the court fixed today (April 9).
Earlier, on November 01, 2022, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants for Tarique and Dr Zubaida in the graft case.
The court also ordered to give notice in the newspaper to appear before the court on January 19.
On June 26, the High court ordered the judicial court to dispose of the case as soon as possible.
The HC also rejected the couple’s writ petitions, challenging the corruption case against them.
As both of them remain fugitives, the court rejected the writ petitions – saying these are not acceptable.
The court also withdrew the stay order on the trial proceedings of the case filed against them.
On September 26, 2007, ACC lodged a complaint with Kafrul police against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 4.81 crore and concealing the information.
In the same year, the High Court issued a rule suspending the trial proceedings in the case after hearing a petition filed by Zubaida.
In 2008, a charge sheet was filed against three people.
The HC rejected the rule in 2017 and asked her to surrender before the court within eight weeks.
Sagar-Runi murder case: Submission of probe report deferred for 97th time
A Dhaka court on Sunday fixed May 22 for submission of the probe report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.
With this, the deadline for submission of probe report in the case deferred for the 97th time.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was supposed to submit the report today but as it failed to submit the report Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rashidul Alam fixed the new date for submitting it.
On March 2, 2021, RAB submitted a progress report in Sagar-Runi murder case in affidavit form to the Attorney General’s Office.
According to the report, two unidentified people were involved in the murder.
Maasranga Television News Editor Sagar Sarowar and his wife ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Runi were found dead at their rented apartment in the city’s West Rajabazar area on 11 February 2012.
Nousher Ali Roman, brother of Runi, filed a case with Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station on the following day.
Police arrested Tanvir in connection with the murder case on October 1, 2012. Later, he secured bail in 2014.
Law enforcers have so far arrested eight people, including Tanvir, in connection with the murder case.
The seven other suspects are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu alias Baggira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Quamrul Hasan alias Arun, security guard Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir and Palash Rudra Pal.
Rana Plaza owner Rana’s bail order stayed
The Appellate Division on Sunday stayed a High Court (HC) order until May 8 that granted bail to Sohel Rana, the owner of the ill-fated Rana Plaza that collapsed in 2013 leaving 1,138 RMG workers dead, in a murder case over the deadly incident in Savar.
Chamber Judge Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique passed the order after hearing a petition submitted by the state seeking a stay order in this regard.
Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain and Assistant Attorney General Saiful Islam represented the state while former Food Minister Advocate Kamrul Islam stood for the accused.
On that day (May 8), the regular bench of the Appellate Division will hold a hearing upon a petition to be submitted by the state, Assistant Attorney General Saiful said.
Earlier on April 6, a High Court bench granted bail to Rana in the case.
The HC bench of Justice Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Shahed Nuruddin granted bail to Rana declaring the HC rule in this regard valid.
Advocate-on-record Sufia Khatun, on behalf of the state, filed a petition seeking a stay on the Rana’s bail order on Sunday.
On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others.
Read more: Rana Plaza Collapse: HC grants bail to prime accused Rana
Trial in the murder case filed over Rana Plaza collapse began officially on January 31, 2022 by recording statements of the witnesses.
On July 18, 2016, Dhaka District and Session Court Judge SM Kuddus Zaman framed charges against the accused and passed an order to begin the trial.
But it got barred as most of the accused appealed to the higher court challenging legality of the order.
On January 31 last year, after clearing the appeals, District and Sessions Court Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan recorded the statement of plaintiff, then Sub-Inspector of Savar police station Wali Ashraf.
Over the tragic incident then SI of Savar police station Wali Ashraf filed a murder case accusing the owner and others of dereliction and negligence in building construction.
On June 1, 2015, Assistant Superintendent of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police Bijoy Krishna Kar submitted charge sheet in the case against 41 people including the building owner Sohel Rana.
A total of 594 people were made witnesses in this case.
Clash between two groups leaves 1 dead, 25 wounded in Habiganj
A man was killed and 25 were wounded in a clash between two groups, allegedly over establishing supremacy, in Baniachong upazila of Habiganj yesterday evening.
Police have so far detained six people in connection with the incident. A tense situation has been prevailing in the area since yesterday.
The deceased was identified as Jahangir Miah, 45, while identities of the injured could not be known immediately.
Police and locals said there had long been a dispute between former union parishad member Azam Ali and Kachham Ali of Kushiyartala village under the upazila over establishing dominance.
People of both groups locked into an altercation over income earned from properties when arbitration was going on at the village on Saturday afternoon, they said.
Read more: Panchagarh clash leaves 2 killed and at least 50 hurt
At one stage, the groups attacked each other with locally made lethal weapons, leaving Jahangir dead on the spot and 25 injured. They are now undergoing treatment at Habiganj Sadar Adhunik Hospital.
Jahangir belonged to the Kachham Ali group, locals said.
Ajoy Chandra Dev, officer-in-charge of Baniachong Police Station, confirmed the death, saying that police fired 20 rounds of bullets and used 2 rounds of tear gas to bring the situation under control.
Six people were detained from the spot after the incident while members of law enforcing agencies have been patrolling the area to ward off any violent incident further, he said.
The body was sent to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC said, adding that no case has so far been lodged in this connection.
4 held over mindless assault on cop in Barishal
Four people including a Chhatra League leader of Agailjhara Upazila Unit of Barishal district have been detained over beating up a policeman on Saturday evening.
The detainees are Zakir Paik, general secretary of Upazila Chhatra League, Monir Paik, Zahirul Haque Paik and Zia Paik.
They are accused of assaulting injured police constable Bhudev Biswas.
The incident took place in front of BHP Academy of the upazila at around 7 pm, said Golam Sarwar, officer in charge of Agailjhara Police Station.
OC Golam Sarwar said, constable Bhudev was returning to the police station after his duty, when his motorcycle hit Zakir Paik's leg in the crowd in front of BHP Academy.
Later, Zakir Paik along with others beat him even after coming to know his identity. Locals rescued the policeman and admitted him to the Upazila Health Complex.
A case will be filed against the detainees, assured the OC.