Law-&-Order
8 vehicles, 6 institutions, and 6 brick kilns fined Tk 20.57 lakh for air pollution in Dhaka
The Department of Environment on Thursday fined eight vehicles, six institutions, and six brick kilns Tk 20.57 in a mobile court drive for polluting the air in Dhaka district.
The drives, led by the DoE’s Monitoring and Enforcement Wing, were conducted in Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue, Dhanmondi, Khilgaon, and Dhamrai areas as part of a campaign against environmental pollution.
A total of Tk 20 lakh in fines has been collected from six illegal brick kilns in a mobile court drive in the Dhamrai area of Dhaka.
Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns?
Meanwhile, Tk 12,000 was collected as fines from 8 vehicles for polluting the air by releasing black smoke into the air in Dhanmondi.
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 Wednesday.
Rana Plaza Collapse: HC grants bail to prime accused Rana
The High Court (HC) on Thursday 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.
The HC bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Shahid Noor passed the order after hearing a bail petition.
After the order, there is no legal barrier to walk out of jail for accused Rana, said lawyer Kamrul Islam, one of the defendant counsels.
Earlier on March 1 last year, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why he would not be granted bail in the case.
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.
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.
Read more: 9 years of Rana Plaza collapse: Bangladesh commemorates its worst industrial tragedy
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.
Bangladesh Biman Corporation (repeal) Bill 2023 placed in JS
The Bangladesh Biman Corporation (repeal) Bill 2023 was placed in parliament on Thursday, aiming to amend and reinstate Bangladesh Biman order-1972.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali placed the bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination.
The Committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.
6 arrested for ‘posing as doctors, nurses and robbing homes’, says DMP
Dhaka Metropolitan Police have arrested 6 members of an alleged gang of robbers, including its leader, from different areas of the capital on Wednesday (April 05, 2023).
According to DMP, the arrestees used to pose as doctors and nurses by wearing aprons, masks and ID cards and rob people’s houses across Dhaka.
Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner of DMP’s media wing, said that six laptops, 10 mobile phones and 2 bags were recovered during the raid.
Read More: Tk 2.53 crore more recovered , 8 arrested over Uttara robbery
The arrestees were identified as: Afsana Akter Esha alias Mim (22), Tonmoy Biswas (30), Swapon Sheikh (45), Nurul Islam (27), Kolim Uddin Kalu alias Koliullah (40), and Md. Mokhlesur Rahman (51).
According to DMP, a team from Gulshan Police Station arrested Afsana Akter Esha alias Mim, the alleged ringleader of the gang, from Gulshan area on Wednesday. Later, Gulshan police conducted special raids across different areas of the capital based on information provided by Afsana and arrested 5 of her “accomplices”.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the arrestees were active members of an organized gang of robbers, DMP said.
Read More: Tk 11 crore robbery: Mastermind among 3 held with Tk 58 lakh
A total of 14 cases had been filed and two warrants had been issued against the arrestees at different police stations, including Gulshan.
SC temporarily suspends HC’s declaration on UNOs’ role as CEOs of Upazila Parishads
The Appellate Division’s Chamber Judge Court on Wednesday temporarily suspended the High Court's judgment regarding the declaration of the UNOs’ role as the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Upazila Parishads illegal and unconstitutional.
The suspension will remain valid till June 5 this year, according to the decision.
Chamber Justice M Enayetur Rahim made the decision following a government appeal.
Additional Attorney General Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury confirmed the information.
On March 29 this year, the High Court declared the section 33 of Upazila Parishad Act that allows Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to perform duty as Chief Executive Officers in upazila parishads illegal and contradictory to Articles 59 and 60 of the constitution.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel had pronounced the judgment after hearing two writ petitions.
President of Upazila Parishad Association and Dumki upazila chairman Harun-or-Rashid, its general secretary Upazila Chairman Saiful Islam Khan Biru, Upazila Chairman Rina Parveen, Vice chairman Selim Ahmed and Vice Chairman Rasheda Akter filed a writ petition challenging the UNOs’ role.
Advocate Minhaduzzaman Liton also filed a writ petition in this regard.
In 2011, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the section 33 of Upazila Parishad Act should not be declared illegal and contradictory to the Articles 7, 59 and 60 of the constitution.
Fifteen secretaries including the secretaries to the Cabinet Division and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry were made respondents to the rule.
HC orders formation of high-powered body to probe Jesmine’s death
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to form a high-powered body to investigate the death of Sultana Jesmine in the custody of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).
The court also ordered inclusion of a judicial official of the rank of district judge and a chief judicial magistrate in the committee.
The committee will submit its report within 60 days.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the orders after hearing a writ petition in this regard.
The Cabinet secretary was asked to execute the directives. The court asked the authorities concerned to withdraw those Rab personnel from duty who who arrested Jesmine.
The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why detaining Jesmine is not illegal.
Read more: Death in RAB custody: Rajshahi police receives Jasmine’s postmortem report
Defendant counsel Manoj Kumar Bhowmick stood for the petitioner while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state during the hearing.
Earlier on March 22, 45-year-old Jesmine, an office assistant at Chandipur union land office of Naogaon Sadar upazila, was detained from Muktirmor area of Naogaon city by Rab and she died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital two days on March 24.
Following widespread criticism over the death of Jesmine, lawyer Manoj drew attention of the HC after submitting newspaper reports regarding the issue on March 27.
Later on March 28, a petition was submitted in connection with the custodial death following an HC directive.
Suspended DIG Bazlur Rashid granted HC bail
The High Court on Wednesday granted bail to suspended deputy inspector general (DIG) of Prisons Bazlur Rashid till April 30 in a case filed over illegally amassing wealth worth Tk 3.14 crore.
The court also fixed April 30 for hearing on the appeal against his sentence.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order.
Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab and lawyer Masudul Haque stood for Bazlur Rashid during the hearing.
Earlier, on October 23, 2022, a Dhaka court sentenced Bazlur Rashid to five years imprisonment in the case.
On October 20, 2019, the ACC summoned the suspended DIG and his wife for interrogation and showed him arrested on the same day after filing the case against.
ACC Deputy Director Md Nasir Uddin pressed chargesheet against the ex-DIG on August 26, 2020. The court framed chagres against Bazlur Rashid on October 22.
Ex-BCL leader stabbed to death in Lalmonirhat; 1 detained
A former leader of Awami League’s (AL’s) student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was stabbed to death allegedly by miscreants in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat on Tuesday evening.
A youth named Palash Miah was detained from the spot in this connection.
The deceased was identified as Abu Musa Chhotan, former vice president of the upazila unit BCL and son of late Abul Kashem of Shrutidhar Hajji School area.
Locals and police said some unidentified people called him to come to the field of Shrutidhar Jamidarbari Government Primary School after the Iftar.
The victim and the miscreants locked into an altercation over a matter and at one stage they stabbed him with sharp weapons leaving him critically injured.
Hearing screams, locals rushed to the spot and first took him to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) when his condition worsened.
The physicians at the RMCH declared him dead upon arrival, they said, adding that the mob detained the youth from the spot.
ATM Golam Rasul, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj police station, confirmed the incident saying that the reason for the murder will be known after an investigation.
OC among 5 sued for torturing log trader in Natore; PBI directed to investigate
A case was filed against five people including an Officer-in-Charge (OC) of police and two other cops on charges of torturing a log trader in Bagatipara upazila of Natore district on Tuesday.
Businessman Nizam Uddin filed the case at Natore Amali Court’s Jude Md Abu Sayeed on Tuesday afternoon bringing the allegations of physical torture.
Taking the allegations into cognisance, the court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation to investigate the matter and submit a report.
The accused are Bagatipara police station’s OC Sirajul Islam, Sub inspectors (SIs) Rabiul Islam and Shakil Ahmed, Anjana Begum, wife of an assistant SI Abdul Karim, and Anjana’s house caretaker Abul Bashar.
According to the case statement, victim Nizam, a resident of the upazila’s Jogipara, used to transport logs by hiring a power trolley owned by the accused Anjana. Her husband Karim is now working at Khulna industrial police but he built a house when he was posted at the Bagatipara police station.
Anjana tortured Nizam taking him to the police station three times and took his signature on a non-judicial stamp by using her husband’s power.
Turning down the allegations of torture, OC Sirajul claimed that he suggested the both sides work for mutually resolving the matter.
People who attacked fire service headquarters to be brought under law: IGP
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on Tuesday said those who attacked the fire service and civil defence headquarters following the fire at Banglabazar market will be brought under the law.
The IGP came up with the remark in response to a question from reporters at the west gate of the police headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.
Regarding the attack, he said, "You saw there were thousands of people. Getting information about attack on the fire service headquarters, we brought the law and order situation under control. Those who were involved in the attack will be identified and then brought to justice,” the IGP said.
“Two lakh liters of water was supplied by police. Around 2000 police members were present at the spot to maintain the law and order in the surrounding areas,” he added.
Besides, members of RAB, Army, Air Force, Navy, BGB and Ansar forces also joined, the IGP said.
In response to another question he said that a barrack on the 5th floor of the police headquarters was burnt but no one was injured
Aggrieved traders attacked the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters saying that firefighters failed to quickly douse the fire at Bangabazar market fire. Several fire fighters were injured in the attack.
Members of law enforcement agencies then brought the situation under control.