Law-&-Order
HC stresses accessibility of DCs to the people during contempt hearing
The High Court on Monday ordered the Kushtia deputy commissioner to keep his doors and windows open for the public so they can easily meet him.
The HC bench of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan came up with the observation while hearing a petition.
“Keep your doors open so people can easily get a chance to meet you with their complaints. You must take action after getting a complaint as a deputy commissioner is considered the heart of the government. The image of the government depends on your work,” said the court in its observation.
Also read: HC asks ACC to complete investigation against Ramna OC within 3 months
On August 11, the High Court summoned five people including deputy commissioner of Kushtia Saidul Islam in a contempt of court case.
On Sunday (yesterday), four of them including the Kushtia DC, Brac Bank Md Selim R F Hossain, Superintendent of Kushtia Police Khairul Alam and a businessman named Abdul Rashid appeared before the court.
The court also rejected the petition of Kushtia DC and SP filed seeking exemption from physical appearance before the court.
Also read: Legal notice served seeking FM Momen’s resignation in 48 hrs
Later, they appeared before the court as per the court order on Monday (today).
The HC also exempted DC Kushtia for physical appearance before the court.
The HC also fixed October 24 for hearing on the contempt of court rule. SP Khairul, Brac Bank Md and Abdur Rashid and Sabbirul Alam, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Sadar Police Station, were asked to appear before the court on that day.
Advocate Ragib Rouf Chowdhury, a counsel for a businessman Shafiqul Islam said the property of his client worth Tk 133 crore was sold at an auction for just Tk 15 crore.
Shafiqul established his business structures on eight acres of land after taking Tk 42 core loan from the Brac Bank. He also paid Tk 90 crore towards paying off the loan with interest. But that was not enough, and his property was seized and an auction called.
A writ petition with the High Court was filed challenging the auction procedures.
On August 2, the High Court passed an order staying procedure of the auction and asked Shafiqul to pay Tk 20 crore in one month and Tk 6 crore annually to pay off the rest of his loan.
But violating the HC order, the property of Shafiqul was auctioned.
The contempt of court case was lodged in this connection.
4 held over Tongi businessman murder
Police Monday said they arrested four people from Gazipur's Tongi over the murder of a businessman – subjected to a "swift, bloody and merciless" attack in Auchpara of the district.
Mastermind of the murder Mobarak Hossain, 22, and his partners in crime Jahangir Alam alias Jahangir, 20, Sakib, 22, and Ismail Hossain, 38 were arrested from different areas of Tongi Sunday night, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Iltutmish told UNB.
Police arrested Mobarak first and his associates attacked the police at Kasai Bari Railgate to free him.
During this time, three policemen and Mobarak sustained injuries. However, the mastermind's associates managed to flee the scene.
Read: Death in custody: Police hands over Sumon’s body to father
Police seized two knives and one axe during the drives.
Legal steps are underway against the arrestees, Iltutmish said.
On Sunday, Sumon Mohammad Tanon, 30, and Salahuddin Tuhin, 28, suffered serious wounds after being repeatedly stabbed by several men over an old enmity.
It was not possible to say who delivered the fatal blows. However, all of the attackers shared a common intention: that Sumon and Salahuddin should die, or suffer very serious injuries.
Both were rushed to Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital where Sumon was declared dead upon arrival.
Later, Tuhin was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Death in custody: Police hands over Sumon’s body to father
The body of Sumon Sheikh alias Rummon, who died in Hatirjheel police custody early Friday, has been handed over to his family by police.
Police handed over the body on Monday a day after his family claimed that they did not receive the body as police gave them a condition to take it directly to their village home instead of taking it to anywhere else.
An assistant staff of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital morgue told UNB that police received the body from the morgue completing the formalities around 3 pm but none of his family members were present.
Faruque Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan police media wing said, “The body has been handed over to Sumon’s father and he will be buried at his ancestral home in Nawabganj or at Azimpur graveyard.”
Also read: Death in custody: Family fail to receive Sumon’s body as police attach condition
Meanwhile, Sumon’s wife Jannat Akter along with other family members went to Dhaka Metropolitan magistrate Court to file a case over his death in police custody.
Jannat’s brother Mosharraf Hossain said they did not receive the body and police might have handed it over to his father.
“My sister is ill. We went to court to take advice from the lawyer to file a case over Sumon’s death,” he said.
Sumon’s family members on Saturday claimed that they did not receive the body of Sumon as police gave them a condition to take it directly to their village home instead of taking it to anywhere else.However, police said the body was not handed over as they did not get appropriate guardian to receive it.Postmortem of Sumon Sheikh alias Rumman, the accused in the case of theft of Hatirjheel police station, was completed in absence of his family members at the mortuary of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night.Family members said after the autopsy, the police asked to take the body to Bhola, but they denied receiving it as they wanted to take the body to Sumon's residence in Rampura Mohanagar project first.
Also read: Youth arrested for stealing money dies in police custodyA General Diary (GD) has been logged by the police in this incident.Earlier talking to reporters at Hatirjheel Police Station on Saturday evening, Azimul Haque said a case was filed with Hatirjheel police station in connection with stealing of Tk 53 lakh from the office of Unilever's Pureit Company on August 15.Police arrested three people identified as Al Amin, Sohel Rana and Anik Hossain in connection with the incident. They are now in jail. Sumon Sheikh was identified by analyzing the CCTV footage of the place of occurrence and also interrogating the three arrestees.
Later, police arrested Sumon from his house in Rampura Mahanagar project area on Friday afternoon and recovered Tk 3,13,700 from his possession. Then he was kept in police custody around 11 pm, he said.Rumman Sheikh, aka Sumon, was supposed to be sent to the court on Saturday morning. But he hanged himself from an iron grill with the trousers he was wearing at around 3:32 am on early Saturday.
It was seen in the CCTV footage and this footage was also shown to the deceased's wife and relatives, said policeSI Hemayet Hossain, who was Duty Officer on Friday night, and constable Md. Zakaria have been suspended for negligence of duty.Besides, a three-member inquiry committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADC) Tejgaon Industrial Zone Hafiz Al Farooq has been constituted.
6 ‘members of question leak gang’ held in city
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have detained six people, including the principal of a nursing college, in connection with leaking questions of nursing exams from different parts of the capital.
The arrestees are Farida Khatun, 51, wife of Mirza Md Shamim from Palong, Shariatpur, Monoara Khatun, 52, wife of Md Abdul Awal from Jafarpur, Chuadanga, Nargis Parvin, 47, , Sirajganj, Kohinur Begum, 65, wife of Md Shafiqur Rahman Sadik from Saghata, Gaibandha, Md Islamil Hossain, 38, son of late Safar Ali from Ghatail, Tangail and Md Ariful Islam, 37, son of Md Riaz Uddin from Kalihati, Tangail.
According to a media release of Rab Headquarters, a team of Rab’s Detective Branch detained them after conducting drives in the capital’s Mohakhali, Azimpur and Dhanmondi areas on Sunday night.
Also read: Question paper leak in primary school teachers exam is rumour: State Minister
The ring used to leak questions of BSc in Nursing exams of DU-affiliated nursing colleges. Their illegal activities were exposed after they leaked the question of Comprehensive Nursing and Pathphysiology exam on August 13.
Farida, Monoara, Nargis and Kohinoor have been the instructors of a nursing college in Dhaka for the last 10 years. Previously, they were members of question paper preparation committees of DU-affiliated nursing colleges.
In 2016, Kohinoor joined a private nursing college as a principal.
Arif is a first year student of a nursing college. Earlier, he was arrested and sent to jail for leaking the question of a Nurse recruitment test in 2017.
Also read: Upazila vice-chairman, 9 others held over ‘govt job question paper leak’ in Dhaka
Farida used to supply questions to Monoara and Nargis who used to provide the questions to Kohinoor. Kohinoor then used to sell the questions with the help of Ismail and Arif.
Legal steps are underway against them, said the media release.
2 boys tied to pole and tortured by cops in Ctg
Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) has withdrawn three police constables in Lalkhan Bazar area of Chattogram city, after a video of two children being abused by the cops went viral on social media.
The withdrawn police constables are Md Mehedi, Md Mazhar, and Md Ahsan.
They were attached to CMP's Mansurabad Police Lines, said Md Shahadat Hussain, additional deputy commissioner (Media) of CMP.
"A probe committee was formed and action will be taken after investigation," the police official added.
The incident took place on Friday noon and the video went viral on Sunday.
Read: Death in custody: Family fail to receive Sumon’s body as police attach condition
In the video, it was seen that two 13-year- old boys were tied to a pole and physically abused and at one point one of the boys had his head shaved by the policemen.
The victims use to live with their parents in Motijharna area of Lalkhan Bazar. Among them, one is a student of class seven.
Locals said, thefts occur occasionally in Lalkhan Bazar Magistrate Colony, Motijharna and its surrounding areas.
On Friday, police were patrolling the area and they came to know that three children including the two victims were chitchatting near Lalkhan Bazar Government Primary School.
Later, the three constables chased the children and detained two of them and took them nearby Jilapi Pahar. They were tied to an iron pole and one's head was shaved off.
When contacted, Santosh Kumar Chakma, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khulshi Police Station said he was on vacation that day so he is not aware of the incident.
Death in custody: Family fail to receive Sumon’s body as police attach condition
The body of Sumon Sheikh alias Rummon, who died in Hatirjheel police custody on early Friday, has been lying in the hospital morgue amid a standoff over his burial. Family members on Saturday claimed that they did not receive the body of Sumon as police gave them a condition to take it directly to their village home. However, police said the body of Sumon was not handed over as they did not get appropriate guardian to receive it. Postmortem of Sumon Sheikh alias Rumman, the accused in the case of theft of Hatirjheel police station, was completed in absence of his family members at the mortuary of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night. Family members said after the autopsy, the police asked to take the body to Bhola, but they denied to receive it as they want to take the body to Sumon's residence in Rampura Mohanagar project before taking it to Bhola.
Read: Make dope test mandatory for crane operators: DNCC Mayor Contacted, Shahnaj, a sister-in-law of Sumon, said when they went to the Hospital morgue on Friday night, they came to know that the postmortem was completed without their presence. When they wanted to take the body home, police said they would only hand over the body if it is taken directly to the village. “We denied to receive the body as we want to take it to Sumon's residence in Rampura Mohanagar project area,” she said. The family will register a case before the Dhaka CMM against the policemen responsible for the death of Sumon, she said. Meanwhile, briefing reporters at the office of Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon division) in Shyamoli on Sunday evening, Deputy Commissioner(DC- Tejgaon Division) HM Azimul Haque said since the post-mortem on Saturday (August 20) night, Suman's body has been kept at the mortuary to be handed over to the family. But it was not possible as there was no proper guardian in the family.
Suman Sheikh's wife, brother and brother-in-law were called throughout the day but none of them came, he said. Referring to the delay in taking the body for unknown reasons, Azimul Haque said that the family members are trying to create a mystery about this. It is believed that someone is fueling from behind. The DC said that Sumon Sheikh's body will be kept in the mortuary of Suhrawardy Hospital until a suitable guardian is found to take it. If this takes too long, then action will be taken later by talking to the authorities. A General Diary (GD) has been kept by the police in this incident. Earlier talking to reporters at Hatirjheel Police Station on Saturday evening, Azimul Haque said a case was filed with Hatirjheel police station in connection with stealing of Tk 53 lakh from the office of Unilever's Pureit Company on August 15.
Read: Man sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing 16-month-old sister Police arrested three people identified as Al Amin, Sohel Rana and Anik Hossain in connection with the incident. They are now in jail. Sumon Sheikh was identified by analyzing the CCTV footage of the place of occurrence and also interrogating the three arrestees. Later, police arrested Sumon from his house in Rampura Mahanagar project area on Friday afternoon and recovered Tk 3,13,700 from his possession. Then he was kept in police custody around 11 pm, he said. Rumman Sheikh, aka Sumon, was supposed to be sent to the court on Saturday morning. But he hanged himself from an iron grill with the trousers he was wearing at around 3:32 am on early Saturday.
"It was seen in the CCTV footage and this footage was also shown to the deceased's wife and relatives," he added. SI Hemayet Hossain, who was Duty Officer on Friday night, and constable Md. Zakaria have been suspended for negligence of duty. Besides, a three-member inquiry committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADC) Tejgaon Industrial Zone Hafiz Al Farooq has been constituted. Meanwhile, local residents and relatives brought out a procession on Sunday evening at Palasbagh Chattar of Rampura, reaching the main road and interfering with vehicular movement till police came and sent them back. Syful Islam, brother-in-law of the deceased Sumon Sheikh, said that they demanded punishment of the police members who tortured to death Sumon in police custody.
Housewife gang raped in Thakurgaon: 3 held
A 28-year-old woman has been allegedly gang-raped by five people after being abducted in Ranishankoil upazila of Thakurgaon district.
The crime occurred at Chapdha Bazar in Ranisankail upazila on Friday afternoon.
Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Haripur Police Station, said a complaint was lodged against five people on Saturday.
The arrestees were identified as Risad, 21, son of Karimul Islam of Chapdha Pipla village, Fazlur Rahman, 22, son of Saleman Ali of Hatpukur village and Akash, 22, son of Shahjahan Ali of Chapdha Pipla area. Police are trying to arrest two more accused of the case identified as Rakim and Laskar.
Read: Gold smuggling case: 3 get life terms in Ctg court
According to the complaint, the woman, a mother of two children, of Dakkhin Paria area along with her seven-year-old son was going to her sister’s house at Ruhiya on Friday afternoon.
When she reached Chapdha Bazar, the accused abducted her and took her to a mango orchard of one Anwar Master.
Later, they kept the son of the woman at knife point and raped her in turns.
Around 12 am, local people managed to catch one Fazlur red handed while they were trying to flee the scene.
Later, police arrested Risad and Akash from the area.
Police are trying to arrest the other accused, said OC.
Gold smuggling case: 3 get life terms in Ctg court
A Chattogram court on Sunday sentenced three people to life in prison for bringing 120 gold bars into Bangladesh in June 2015.
The lifers are Zakir Uddin Munna, Md Zaheer and Md Faruk.
Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Begum Jebunnesa handed down the judgment in presence of one of the convicts on Sunday afternoon, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor (PP) Advocate Md Fakhruddin Chowdhury, said.
The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each, in default, to suffer three months more rigorous imprisonment.
Read: Youth arrested for stealing money dies in police custody
On June 23, 2015, police arrested the three with 120 gold bars kept inside the oil tank of a private car in Bayazid Bostami police station area of the city.
Later, a case was filed at Bayazid Bostami police station.
Police submitted the charge sheet to the court on November 13, 2015.
On April 18, 2016, the court framed charges against the accused and passed an order to begin the trial.
HC asks ACC to complete investigation against Ramna OC within 3 months
The High Court on Sunday asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to complete the investigation within three months about the allegation against the officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station Manirul Islam of amassing illegal wealth.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition.
Advocate Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman filed the writ petition seeking investigation into the wealth of the Ramana OC on August 10 after attaching a report which was published in a vernacular daily on August 5 headlined ‘Ramna OC has eight-story building and huge wealth’.
Also read: Legal notice served seeking FM Momen’s resignation in 48 hrs
The petitioner filed an appeal to ACC seeking investigation into allegations brought against the OC on August 11.
On August 17, the ACC decided to conduct an inquiry against the allegation, said ACC counsel Advocate Khurshid Alam.
Advocate Syed, Advocate Khurshid appeared for the petitioner and the ACC respectively while Advocate Mahbub Shafique stood for the OC and deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin represented.
Also read: Why inaction to remove Wasa MD form his post should not be declared illegal: HC
According to the report, OC of Ramna police station Manirul is the owner of an eight-story building and a duplex house is under construction. An allegation was brought against him that he grabbed a house of a freedom fighter at Mohammadpur Housing Society.
Legal notice served seeking FM Momen’s resignation in 48 hrs
A legal notice has been sent to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen asking him to step down within 48 hours for violating the constitution through giving controversial statements.
Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Md Ershad Hossain Rashed sent the legal notice on Sunday.
“You can’t request the Indian government to prop up Sheikh Hasina’s government in power. The Bangladesh constitution says that people are the source of all power. Through your statement, you’ve violated the constitution. Thus, you’ve lost the eligibility to remain as a Minister,” the notice reads.
Ershad said that the FM’s remark is an attack on the sovereignty of Bangladesh.
“Through the legal notice, I’ve requested the FM to resign. Otherwise, legal steps will be taken against him,” said the lawyer.
Read: Momen explains what he meant by 'heaven'
Earlier at a Janmashtami programme in Chattogram on Thursday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen reportedly said that he urged the Indian government to back Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina so that she can stay in power.
After much criticism over this statement, the FM provided an explanation the next day, saying that he had requested the Indian government to help the PM to maintain stability of her government.