Law-&-Order
CID detains youth who removed nuts, bolts of Padma Bridge
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) members detained a youth who removed nuts and bolts from the railing of Padma Bridge.
The detainee was identified as Bayezid Talha.
A team of CID conducted a drive in the city’s Shantinagar area on Sunday evening and arrested him, CID told UNB.
Jisan, additional superintendent of police (CID) said they will disclose details about the youth at a press conference on Monday at noon.
Read: Motorcycles banned on Padma Bridge from Monday
A 34-second long TikTok video went viral on social media where it was seen that the youth standing on Padma Bridge was removing nuts and bolts from its railing.
Earlier on Saturday, the much-awaited Padma Bridge was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina which opened for all this morning.
However, many were seen taking photos, and making TikTok videos – stopping vehicles on the bridge, and creating tailbacks on both sides of the long-awaited bridge.
HC directs not to bar BNP leader Alal from going abroad
The High Court on Sunday directed the Department of Immigration and Passport to not prevent BNP joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal from going abroad.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzzaman passed the order during a hearing of a writ petition filed in this regard.
The court also issued a rule questioning why barring the BNP leader’s visit abroad will not be announced illegal and unconstitutional.
Also read: Derogatory remarks on PM: HC orders removal of Alal’s videos from social media
Advocate Tajul Islam appeared for Alal assisted by advocate Parvez Hossain and advocate Md Omar Faruq while Deputy Attorney General Abul Kamal Khan Daud represented the state.
Advocate Tajul said, the writ petition was filed after Alal was sent back from the airport without showing any reason when he went to take a flight to India on June 12 this year.
On December 12, last year Alal was sued under the Digital Security Ac for his alleged derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by Khulna District Lawyers’ Association President Saiful Islam.
According to the case statement, Alal made disparaging remarks on Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a discussion on October 1.
Also read: Alal apologises, retracts comment on PM
Two days later, the BNP joint secretary general apologisedun for his remarks.
In a statement, he also withdrew the controversial and offensive comments that went viral on social media.
1994 assassination attempt: Fugitive death row convict held in city
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have detained a fugitive death row convict in a case filed over the attack on a train carrying the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina in 1994.
Zakaria Pintu, 50, of Ishwardi, was detained from Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar on Saturday night in a drive conducted by a team of Rab-2, said a press release from Rab Headquarter on Sunday.
During primary interrogation, Pintu confessed that he was a fugitive accused of carrying out bomb attack on a train at Ishwardi railway station with the intention of killing the now Prime Minister.
Pintu was convicted in two murder case in Ishwardi in 1994 and in 2009. He was later arrested along with arms by law enforcers in 2011 and sentenced to 17 years in jail in an arms case.
Also read: Kotalipara plot: 14 sentenced to death
Apart from the death sentence and imprisonment, there are six arrest warrants and 19 cases filed against him over various crimes, including terrorist activities, establishing dominance and extortion.
In 2015, he also took part in a local election in Pabna's Ishwardi as an independent candidate and lost it.
On September 23 in 1994, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was travelling to Syedpur from Khulna in a train and was attacked with bombs and gunshots at Ishwardi Railway station, as per the release.
A case was filed under the Explosives Act and Special Powers Act at Ishwardi GRP Police Station in Pabna in this regard.
Later, the investigating officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a chargesheet against a total of 52 people on April 3 in 1997, it added.
After long proceedings, nine accused, including Pintu, were sentenced to death while 25 to life imprisonment and 13 others to 10 years in prison on July 3, 2019.
He went into hiding soon after the sentence in the assassination attempt case was announced in 2019. He fled to India on the day following the judgment. After staying there for some days, he returned to the country and went into hiding in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, Rajshahi and Cox's Bazar.
Also read: PM Hasina assassination attempt: Fugitive death row convict held in city
He was last detained by RAB-2 while hiding at his friend's house in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar.
“Legal steps are underway against the detainee,” said the release.
70 held in anti-drugs drives across Dhaka
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Sunday claimed to have arrested 70 people on charges of selling and consuming banned drugs.
Sources at the DMP headquarters said Detective Branch sleuths and local police conducted drives across the city in the past 24 hours and arrested them.
Around 1,153 pieces of yaba, 119.43 kgs of cannabis, 11.5 grams of heroin and 34 bottles of Phensedyl, a codeine-based cough syrup that fetches a high price in the narcotics market of Bangladesh, were recovered from the possession of the accused, the sources told UNB.
Also read: Intensify searching in hotels, messes to prevent subversive acts: DMP commissioner
Thirty-nine cases were registered at local police stations against the accused under the Narcotics Control Act.
Also read: Those selling stolen mobile phone sets to be arrested: DMP
Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida: HC asks trial court to dispose of case soon
The High court on Sunday ordered the judicial court to dispose of as soon as possible the case against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida in a graft case filed by anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo also rejected the couple's writ petitions challenging the corruption case against them for acquiring wealth beyond their known sources of income and concealing wealth in their affidavits.
Read: Verdict on Tarique-Zubaida’s whereabouts on June 26
Khurshid Alam Khan, ACC lawyer said Tarique Rahman is a fugitive convict. So no lawyers can fight on behalf of him.
Besides, the Appellate Division recently declared Zubaida as a fugitive.
As both of them remained fugitive, the court rejected the writ petitions of the duo saying these are not acceptable, he said.
The court also withdrew the stay order on the trial proceedings of the case filed against them.
It also asked to send the documents of the case to the judicial court within 10 days and dispose of it soon.
On June 19, the High Court fixed June 26 for hearing the three writ petitions.
Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali stood for the petitioners while Advocate Khurshid Alam and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the ACC and state respectively.
Read: HC defers Tarique-Zubaida’s hearing in corruption case
On September 26, 2007, the ACC lodged a complaint with Kafrul Police against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing illegal wealth of 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.
On April 12, 2017, the HC rejected the rule and asked her to surrender before the court within eight weeks.
2 rape accused held by Rab in Cox’s Bazar
Rab on Friday arrested two men in connection with a case over an attempted rape of a Rohingya girl from Dulahazara area under Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
The arrestees have been identified as Md Mahbub, 32, of Chakaria’s Ringvong area and Shah Emran, 35,of Rajghat area under Chattogram’s Lohagara upazila.
According to Rab, the girl is a Rohingya refugee from Kutupalong Camp No 1 in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar. She fled from the camp and arrived in Chattogram city in search of work on February 5, 2022.
Also read: Man wanted for triple murder held in Sherpur
Failing to find work, she was returning to the camp by a bus on February 11, 2022. The supervisor of the bus ditched her at the Chakaria Bus Terminal as she couldn’t pay the fare.
There, staff from another bus agreed to take her to the camp. She was taken to Batakhali Bridge area under Chakaria municipality in an empty bus and an attempt was made to rape her by the driver, the supervisor and the helper of the bus.
Also read: Driver among 4 held for raping a girl in Chattogram
Locals rescued the girl after hearing her scream and apprehended the helper of the bus while the driver and the supervisor managed to flee. Later, the girl lodged a case with Chakaria police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, based on which today’s arrests were made.
The arrestees have confessed their crimes and they’ve been handed over to the local police for further legal procedures.
Court rejects Tk132 crore embezzlement complaint against Dhaka WASA MD, 8 others
A Dhaka court Thursday rejected a complaint of Tk132.4 crore embezzlement filed against Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Managing Director Taqsem A Khan and eight others after hearing it.
Md Shahab Uddin Sarkar, secretary of Dhaka WASA Karmachari Bahumukhi Samabay Samity, filed the complaint at the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate Ashekh Imam.
Other accused in the complaint were Dhaka WASA engineer Sharmin Haque Ameer, former revenue inspector Md Mizanur Rahman, engineer Md Akteruzzaman, revenue inspector Md Zakir Hossain, engineer Md Badrul Alam, Janata Bank former DGM Shyamal Biswas, deputy secretary Sheikh Enayet Ullah, and deputy-chief accountant Md Salequr Rahman.
Also Read: Rajshahi double murder: SC acquits two death-row convicts, commutes sentence of another
According to the complaint, Taqsem A Khan and others embezzled over Tk132.4 crore from the fund of Dhaka WASA Karmachari Bahumukhi Samabay Samity from six banks through various cheques in the fiscal year 2017-2018.
They were also accused of stealing movable and immovable properties, including cars of the association, worth Tk200 crore.
An audit report of the Department of Cooperatives shows that the claims of irregularities are true, the complaint says.
Rajshahi double murder: SC acquits two death-row convicts, commutes sentence of another
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted two death-row convicts and commuted the sentence of another in a case for killing a woman and her daughter in 2008.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order and asked the authorities concerned to free the convicts from the condemn cell as soon as possible.
Those acquitted are Ismail Hossain Babu and Sonadi.
The SC also commuted the death sentence of Tariqul Islam to life imprisonment in the case.
Read:SC suspends bail order by HC to Regent’s Shahed in arms case
Advocate Helal Uddin Molla stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Bashir Ahmed represented the state.
Miliara Khatun and her daughter Parveen of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district were killed on October 10, 2006.
In 2008, a court in Rajshahi sentenced Ismail, Sonadi and Tariqul to death in the double murder case.
Later, the convicts filed separate appeal petitions before the High Court.
In 2014, the High Court upheld the death sentence of the convicts.
Intensify searching in hotels, messes to prevent subversive acts: DMP commissioner
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam ordered his charges to intensify searches in residential hotels and messes in the capital to avert any subversive activity ahead of the Padma Bridge inauguration and during the Hindu religious festival Rath Yatra.
The DMP Commissioner gave the directive while addressing the monthly Crime Review Meeting of the DMP held at its headquarters on Sunday.
In his speech, the top official of the DMP thanked all the police members as no untoward incident took place in the capital in May.
The DMP commissioner asked the police officers to work wisely to ensure the safety of the people. On the occasion of inauguration of Padma Bridge on 25th June, proper movement and safety of VIPs and VVIPs should be ensured, he added.
Read: PM urges high alert to foil plot against Padma Bridge opening
"In order to prevent any kind of sabotage activity on the occasion of the inauguration of Padma bridge, upcoming rath yatra and reverse rath yatra, search operations of residential hotels and messes have to be intensified," he added.
He further said that on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, the makeshift cattle markets have to fulfill their responsibilities with utmost importance. All concerned should be careful so that no untoward incident including any kind of extortion takes place in the markets.
The DMP Commissioner awarded the best police officers in recognition of their good work in maintaining law and order and public safety in the Dhaka metropolitan city.
Senior police officers of the DMP headquarters also attended the meeting.
AD sets Jun. 28 to hear appeal against HC's declaration of commercial spots in Hatirjheel as illegal
The chamber judge of the Appellate Division has not stayed a judgment of the High Court declaring all hotels and restaurants allotted in the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project area illegal.
The leave to appeal filed by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) against the High Court judgment will be heard before a bench of the Appellate Division on June 28.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order to this effect on Sunday.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for Rajuk, while senior lawyer Manzil Morshed represented the writ petitioner.
Earlier, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organisation, filed a writ petition with the High Court as public interest litigation annexing a news report published on 1 August in 2018.
Read: Publish list of pollutants: HC
Later, the High Court bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Rajik Al Jalil declared the operative part of the verdict disposing of a rule in this regard on 30 June 2021.
The same court released a 55 page verdict with four directives and nine recommendations, including the eviction of all commercial establishments from the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project area within 60 days.
In the full text verdict, the HC declared the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project in the capital a 'public trust property' and all commercial establishments there, including hotels, restaurants, and shops, in the project area, illegal.
The court cancelled the allotment of all hotels, restaurants, and other commercial establishments in the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project area and asked the authorities to remove all kinds of commercial establishments from the project area within 60 days of receiving a copy of the verdict.
Read: 4,000 medical teams ready to provide health care in 11 flood-hit districts
In the full-text verdict, the High Court suggested forming a 'Hatirjheel Lake Preserve, Development and Management Authority' under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in order to preserve, develop, and operate the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project.
It also suggested appointing BUET's engineering department and the 24th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army as permanent consultants for the project.
It asked that international standard underground public toilets and potable water be arranged in the project area for people to use.
The court also directed that the water taxi service currently in operation be stopped and recommended to create side roads, bicycle lanes and separate lanes for the physically challenged. To make the lake a fish sanctuary. The Hatirjheel-Begunbari project is named after Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, the famed Bengali scientist who was a contemporary as well as a collaborator of Albert Einstein.
The High Court also recommended that the cost of conservation, development and operation of the entire Hatirjheel and Begunbari projects be allocated from the revenue budget.