Law-&-Order
Fake magistrate held in Jashore
A 20-year-old woman who posed as a magistrate to dupe local shopkeepers was attested in Jashore on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
Suraiya Akter Misti, daughter of Abdur Rahim of Putni village in Satkhira district, was nabbed from the Ulashi Bazar area of Jashore's Sharsha upazila.
Jamal Uddin Pipul, president of Ulashi Bazar Committee, said that Suraiya came to the market and started inspecting shops after identifying herself as a magistrate.
Read: Raze all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka & adjoining districts in 15 days: HC
The shopkeepers got suspicious and informed the cops, he said.
On information, a team from the local police station rushed to the spot and arrested Suraiya. A diary, a notebook and an identity card issued by an NGO were seized from her possession.
Mamun Khan, officer-in-charge of Sharsha Police Station said that an FIR was filed against the accused. "She will be produced in a local court on Wednesday," he added.
Drug case against Pori Moni: HC stays trial proceedings for 3 months
The High Court on Tuesday stayed for three months the trial proceeding of a case filed against Dhallywood actress Pori Moni under the Narcotics Control Act.
The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Salim passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Pori Moni.
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the order of charge framing against Pori Moni should not be revoked.
Read: Raze all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka & adjoining districts in 15 days: HC
Advocate Zahirul Islam Khan Panna, Advocate Syeda Nasrin and Advocate Shaheenuzzaman Shaheen stood for Pori Moni while Deputy Attorney General Abu Yeahia Dulal represented the state.
On January 30, Pori Moni appealed before the High Court for quashing the case and subsequent indictment by the trial court.
On January 5, judge of Dhaka Special Judge of Court-10 Md Nazrul Islam indicted Pori Moni and two others in the case.
Pori Moni and two others secured bail in the case.
On November 15 last year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Emrul Kayesh took into cognizance the charges framed by police against the accused.
Read: HC accepts appeal challenging suspension order of DSA case against Nasir’s wife Tamima
On October 4, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet against them.
Pori Moni was arrested on August 4, following a raid by RAB on her Banani residence. A case was filed against her under the Narcotics Control Act the following day.
On August 31, 2021, a Dhaka court granted bail to Pori Moni in the narcotics case. She had walked out of jail the following day.
Raze all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka & adjoining districts in 15 days: HC
The High Court on Tuesday ordered the demolition of all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and four other neighbouring districts within 15 days.
The court asked the deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj and Gazipur as well as the director general of the Department of Environment (DoE) to submit an action taken report.
Read:319 illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, 4 surrounding districts, DoE DG reports to HC
A division bench of justices Md Ashfaqul Islam and Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order in the wake of a plea by environmental NGO Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking directions on the shutting of illegal brick kilns.
“There is no more chance to remain ignorant as environmental pollution has increased at an alarming rate," the judges observed.
The court also questioned the department's efforts in curbing pollution.
On February 16, the department told the court that a total of 319 illegal brick kilns were running in Dhaka and the four neighbouring districts, while 95 had been closed on the orders of mobile courts.
Read: HC seeks lists of illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, 4 other districts
Petitioner’s lawyer Manzil Murshid said that after the High Court ordered the closure of all illegal brick kilns on November 26, 2020, their owners challenged the order. "But the appellate division rejected the appeal."
Following a slew of recent media reports on Dhaka’s deteriorating air quality, the green NGO submitted a supplementary petition.
SC gets new registrar general
Sylhet District and Session Judge Bazlur Rahman has been appointed as the registrar general of the Supreme Court.
The law ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Monday.
Also read: HC to hear opinion of amici curiae on Hindu inheritance law
According to the notification, Bazlur Rahman was made the registrar general of the Supreme Court as per the directives of the chief justice.
The current registrar general of the Supreme Court Ali Akbar is scheduled to go on retirement on February 28.
Also read: ACC official Sharif’s termination: Writ petition filed seeking probe
HC accepts appeal challenging suspension order of DSA case against Nasir’s wife Tamima
The High Court on Sunday accepted the appeal challenging the order to suspend a Digital Security Act (DSA) case filed against Bangladesh national team cricketer Nasir Hossain’s wife Tamima
The division bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Md Atwar Rahman accepted the appeal filed by Tamima’s ex-husband Rakib against the order passed by the Cyber Tribunal.
On April 4, last year, Rakib filed the case against Tamima at the Cyber Tribunal.
According to the case complaint, on March 29 last year, in an investigative report broadcast by a private television channel Tamima gave an interview.
In her interview statement Tamima made questionable and defamatory comments against Rakib.
The clips of the program went viral on social media later.
Rakib in his case statement said, “The accused has hurt my religious values, insulted my relationship with my eight-year old daughter and defamed my family through her statement which is an irreparable loss for us.”
Rakib filed the complaint to file a case under section 25,38, and 29 under the Digital Security Act, 2019.
On June 13 the Cyber Tribunal rejected the case appeal.Later, Rakib appealed to the High Court against the order.
HC to hear opinion of amici curiae on Hindu inheritance law
The High Court on Sunday sought to hear opinions of amici curiae (friends of the court) on the provision of a law barring Hindu women from inheriting paternal property.
The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order during a hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The amici curiae of the court are Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, senior advocate Prabir Niyogi, senior advocate Subrata Chowdhury and senior advocate Md Kamrul Haque Siddiqui.
Apart from them, the court will also hear the opinions of lawyer Tapan Chakraborty, who conducts civil cases on inheritance of followers of Sanatan religion and journalist Pulak Ghatak, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Law Reform Committee.
The court also made five human rights organisations complementary petitioners for the writ to hear their opinion in this regard.
Also read: ACC official Sharif’s termination: Writ petition filed seeking probe
The organisations are- Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Manusher Jonno Foundation, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Naripokkho.
As there are constitutional questions involved with the writ, HC sent the documents to the Chief Justice requesting to form a larger bench to hear it.
The larger bench will hear the opinions of amici curiae and the five organisations, said barrister Khayrul Alam Chowdhury, lawyer presenting the petitioner’s side.
On February, 13, Ananya Das Gupta, daughter of late Ashok Das Gupta filed the writ petition at the High Court challenging the legality of the provision on Sanatan Hindu religion follower women not receiving any share of inherited assets from father.
Also read: Sishu Bokta Rafiqul, another indicted in DSA case
On February 14, the court issued a rule in this regard.
Eight respondents including the Cabinet Division secretary, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs secretary, Religious Affairs secretary and Hindu Religious Welfare Trust were asked to reply to the rule within a week.
Cartoonist Kishore, 6 others indicted in DSA case
A tribunal on Sunday framed charges against seven people including cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA) on charges of spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities.
Dhaka Cyber Tribunal Judge Ash Shams Jaglul Hossain framed the charges and fixed April 7 for starting the trial.
Read:Cartoonist Kishore to file no-confidence petition against PBI report
Six other accused are ‘Rastrachinta’ activist Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, Shamiul Islam Khan alias Zulkarnain Saer Khan, former managing director of BLE securities Minhaj Mannan Emon, Netra News Editor Tasneem Khalil, Ashik Imran and Wahidun Nabi.
Police on June 14, last year, submitted a supplementary charge sheet against seven people, including Kishore in the case.
Afchhar Ahmed, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) sub-inspector and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court.
However, Afchhar dropped the names of four others including US-based journalist Shahed Alam, Germany-based blogger Asif Mohiuddin, and some Philip Schuhmacher due to lack of enough evidence against them in the case.
Read: No evidence of torture on cartoonist Kishore found: PBI
The name of writer Mushtaq Ahmed, the main accused in the case, was dropped following his demise.
In February, police submitted a charge sheet against three of the accused, dropping the names of eight others.
Later, a Dhaka court ordered the DMP CTTC unit to further investigate all the 11 accused in the case.
May 6 last year, RAB filed the case against the 11 people with Ramna police station under the DSA.
Fired ACC officer submits application for withdrawal of termination order
Sharif Uddin, sacked deputy assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has submitted an application before the ACC seeking withdrawal of his termination order.
Sharif submitted the application addressing the ACC Chairman on Sunday and sought reinstatement in the job.
Read: ACC official Sharif’s termination: Writ petition filed seeking probe
On February 16, the ACC issued the termination order of Sharif under section 54 (2) of the ACC (staff) Rules, 2008, signed by its Chairman Md Moinuddin Abdullah.
Until his termination he served at the coordinated district office of ACC in Patuakhali.
Protesting the order, officials and employees of the ACC formed a human chain. It also drew flak across the country.
Read: TIB urges ACC to clear the air about Sharif Uddin's removal
According to the application, Sharif said, “He conducted investigation into different graft cases from 2014 till February 2022 with reputation. He also played a vital role in the corruption cases over land acquisition in Cox’s Bazar, issuing NID to Rohingyas, passport graft case, Karnaphuli Gas distribution Company Ltd corruption case and Mymensingh land office graft case in a bid to keep the country corruption- free. During investigation in the cases, he also received threats but did not compromise.”
He was sacked from his job wrongfully and before termination no one heard his statement, which is contradictory to the constitution, the letter wrote.
St Martin cruise ship fire: 3-member probe body formed
The Mercantile Marine Office of the Department of Shipping formed a three-member committee to investigate the fire incident in Saint Martin-bound luxury cruise ship MV Bay-1 on Friday midnight.
Giashuddin Ahmed, principal officer of the Mercantile Marine Office, told UNB on Saturday.
The committee was formed with Captain Sheikh Md Jalal Uddin Gazi, Nautical Surveyor, as its head, he said adding the committee has been asked to submit a report within the next three days.
The other two members of the committee are Rafiqul Alam, engineer and ship surveyor and Mohammad Hossain, field unit coordinator of the Department of Shipping.
Read: Cruise ship stuck in mid sea 'safely returned'
The committee head said the report will be submitted after completing the survey and will make recommendations after identifying the reason of the accident.
Earlier on Friday, nearly two hours after the ship leaving the Patenga terminal in Chattogram carrying around 800 passengers to the island was forced to anchor mid sea as the crews noticed thick smoke in the engine room.
The crew of the ship managed to shut the engine and control the fire within half an hour and fortunately none of the passengers were harmed.
Later , a tugboat named Kandari-10 managed to drag the ship with passengers to shore from 17 nautical miles away from Patenga.
Zakia murder in Gopalganj: Husband, 3 others get death penalty
A Dhaka Court on Thursday sentenced four people to death for torturing Zakia Mollik to death over dowry in Gopalganj in 2016.
The death-row convicts are --Zakia’s husband Morshedayan Nishan, his brother Ehsan Sushan, brother-in-law Hasan Sheikh and their employee Anisur Rahman.
Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 Judge Md Jakir Hossain handed down the judgment.
The court also fined Zakia’s husband Morshedayan Tk 5 lakh and the others Tk 3 lakh each.
Also read: Sinha murder: Ex-OC Pradeep, Liakat sentenced to death; 6 get life term
According to the case, Zakia was tortured to death at Bedgram in Gopalganj district on February 5 in 2016 as she failed to bring money from her father’s house as dowry.
Later, Zakia’s father Jalal Uddin Mollik lodged a complaint at Gopalganj Police Station against four including Zakia’s husband.
The investigating officer in the case submitted a chargesheet against the four accused to the court on June 9 in 2016.
Also read: Khulna man sentenced in absentia to life for raping, killing minor
On September 7 of the same year, the court framed charges against the accused.