Law-&-Order
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.
ACC official Sharif’s termination: Writ petition filed seeking probe
A writ petition was filed before the High Court seeking probe into the termination of Sharif Uddin, an officer of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Ten lawyers of the Supreme Court filed the writ petition in the HC bench concerned on Wednesday.
The ten SC lawyers are Mohammad Sishir Monir, Rezwana Ferdous, Jamilur Rahman Khan, Uttam Kumar Banik, Mustafizur Rahman, Tarequl Islam, Ahmed Abdullah Khan, Syed Mohammad Raihan, Saiful Islam and Noab Ali.
Read:TIB urges ACC to clear the air about Sharif Uddin's removal
Advocate Sishir Monir, said, “We did not file any writ petition on behalf of any person. We just filed the writ petition seeking fair investigation into the termination of the ACC official and the ACC statement about him as it can clear everything.”
Besides, the writ petition also sought formation of committee for fair investigation and submission of the report by the committee, he said.
ACC Chairman, secretary, commissioners, directors, sacked deputy assistant director of ACC Sharif were made respondents to the writ petition.
On February 20, 10 Supreme Court lawyers sent a letter to the High Court seeking its directives to issue a show-cause notice to the ACC demanding explanation from it about the termination and ensure security of sacked ACC official Sharif.
The ACC issued a gazette notification on February 16 sacking Sharif Uddin from the post of deputy-assistant director of ACC, Patuakhali ,post.
He also served as the ACC officer in Chattogram for three years and when he was in Chattogram, Sharif recommended submitting a chargesheet against 155 officials including police, admin cadre officials and political persons for embezzling Tk 3.5 crore by acquiring land in Cox’s Bazar.
Read: Fired ACC officer Sharif fears becoming disappearance victim
Sharif also filed a case against Chattogram City Corporation Ward Councillor, Union Parishad chairman of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar and police officers for providing National Identity Cards to Rohingyas and inserting them in the voter list.
ACC officer Sharif also filed a case against some people including high officials concerned of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), former Minister Nurul Islam’s son on June 10, 2021 for providing gas connections illegally.
Later, Sharif was transferred to Patuakhali from Chattogram.
He also received death threats from someone for his role.
Former ACC director Basir gets 8 yrs in jail in bribery case
A special court in Dhaka on Wednesday sentenced two top disgraced Bangladesh government officials to eight and three years in jail, respectively, in a high-profile bribery case.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam handed down the judgment after holding suspended Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Khandaker Enamul Basir and suspended DIG Mizanur Rahman guilty in the case.
While Basir was sentenced to eight years in jail, Mizanur has been ordered to undergo three years imprisonment in the same case. A fine of Tk 80 lakh was also imposed on Basir in the case.
Earlier this month, the Dhaka court had fixed February 23 to pronounce the judgment in the bribery case against the two disgraced officials.
On January 3, the two pleaded "not guilty" in the case.
Three weeks later, ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol concluded his arguments in the case and demanded capital punishment for both the accused.
Sishu Bokta Rafiqul, another indicted in DSA case
A Dhaka court on Tuesday framed charges against two people including Rafiqul Islam Madani, popularly known as Shishu Bokta, in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for delivering ‘anti-state and provocative’ speeches.
Dhaka Cyber Tribunal Judge Ash Shams Jaglul Hossain framed the charges against them and fixed March 30 for recording testimonies.
Read: Court accept charges against 'Shishu Bokta' Rafiqul in DSA case
The other accused of the case is Mahmudul Hasan alias Martuza.
On February 2, the tribunal accepted charges against them in the case.
Rafiqul is currently in jail while Mahmudul secured bail.
On January 26, a Dhaka court framed charges against Rafiqul Islam Madani in another DSA case filed with Gaccha police station in Gazipur.
RAB members arrested Rafiqul from his home in Netrakona district on April 7 last year on charges of making anti-state and provocative remarks and creating chaos.
On April 8 last year, a case was filed against Rafiqul under the Digital Security Act at Gachha police station in Gazipur.
Later on April 11 of the year, another case was filed under the Digital Security Act at Basan Police Station in Gazipur.
However, Rafiqul Islam was granted bail by the High Court in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act at Kotwali Police Station in Mymensingh on September 30.
Read: ‘Shishu Bokta’ Rafiqul indicted in DSA case
Earlier, Madadi was arrested on March 25 in 2021 from Motijheel area during a demonstration protesting the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Independence and later he was freed.
Rafiqul, also director of Saoatul Hera Madrasha at Paschim Bilashpur in Netrakona district, reportedly delivered ‘provocative’ speech in a Waj Mahfil at Gachha.
He is also assistant vice president of Jubo Jamiat, a wing of Jamiat-e-Ulama- Islam, of Netrakona.
HC refuses to suspend charges against journo Kajol
The High Court on Tuesday turned down a plea seeking suspension of charges framed by a lower court against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in three cases filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
A division bench of justices ASM Abdul Mobin and Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order as barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Kajol and deputy attorney general Sujit Chatterjee represented the state.
On February 1, barrister Jyotirmoy filed the plea in the High Court seeking a stay on the framing of charges against Kajol in the three DSA cases.
On November 8 last year, the Cyber Tribunal in Dhaka framed charges against Kajol in three cases filed under the stringent law.
Kajol went missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed a case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury.
Read: Death row convict arrested in Ctg
They were sued under the act for publishing and sharing an article on various social media platforms about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against Kajol at Kamrangir Char and Hazaribagh police stations, respectively, under the same act on March 10 and 11 last year.
After his 53 days of disappearance, Kajol was detained by Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) near the Benapole border on May 3, 2020, and produced in a Jashore court the same day.
Although the court granted him bail in the case, he was sent to jail as the Kotwali police brought another charge against him under Section 54 of CrPC.
On November 24, 2020, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the stringent act.
On December 17 that year, the High Court granted him bail in the remaining two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release. He was freed from Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year.
Death row convict arrested in Ctg
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has arrested a death row convict in a murder and robbery case who had been on the run in disguise of different places for six years.The arrestee was identified as Md Ishak, 27, son of Md Kamal Hossain of Chattogram's Hathazari who was sentenced to death along with 3 others in 2021 for killing a woman after rape in March 2016.
Read: Death row convict on the run for 20 yrs arrested in CtgBesides, there are three other fugitives who were sentenced to death in this case.They are: Md. Yasin, Md. Abu Tayyab Prakash Rana ,24, and Md. Mansur, 25.The accused was arrested from Sultanpur area of Raozan in Chattogram early hours on Monday, said Nurul Absar, senior assistant director (Media) of Rab-7 of Chattogram.
3 remanded for slicing woman’s body after rape inside pharmacy in Sunamganj
A Sunamganj court on Sunday placed the accused pharmacy owner and two others on eight-day remand each for gang raping a woman, killing her and later slicing her body into pieces to hide their crime.
Judicial Magistrate Abdur Rahim passed the order after Inspector (CID) Liton Dewan, investigation officer in the case produced the accused before court and sought 10-days in remand for each.
After the court granted the remand, accused pharmacy owner Jitesh Chandra Gop,30, Anjit Chandra Gop,38, and Ashit Gop, 36 were taken under Criminal Investigation Department’s custody, said Sunamganj court Inspector Md Badrul Alam Talukdar.
Also read: Sunamganj pharmacy owner, 2 others sliced woman’s body after rape: CID
On February 17, six body parts of Shahnaz Parvin Jyotsna,35, wife of an expatriate, were recovered from the pharmacy named Ovi Medical Hall in Jagannathpur municipality area in Sunamganj.
The same day, a case was filed at Jagannathpur police station against Jitesh following a complaint lodged by Shahnaz’s brother Helal Ahmed.
On February 18, CID arrested the three accused from Dhaka and Sunamganj.
During primary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to killing Shahnaz after rape and then cutting her body into pieces to hide their crime, said CID.
Also read: Gang rape of Thakurgaon school girl: 2 arrested
According to the accused, Shahnaz, mother of three children, had a good relationship with Jitesh as she used to buy most of her family’s medicines from his pharmacy.
On Wednesday afternoon, Shahnaz went to Jitesh’s pharmacy as he assured her of suggesting some medicines for her confidential medical issues.
He kept her waiting in the room behind the shop and later with the help of two more shop owners- Anjit and Ashit -made her unconscious by swallowing sleeping pills.
They raped her in the late hours of night and strangled her to death when Shahnaz said she will inform her family about the incident.
Later they cut her body into six pieces with a sharp knife and packed those in boxes.
They were planning to dump the boxes into a pond, said CID.
HC directs immediate steps to control mosquitoes at Shahjalal Intl Airport
The High Court on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to control mosquitoes at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Fatema Najib passed the order during a hearing on a supplementary petition submitted in this regard.
The court asked the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) chairman to submit a report in this regard within the next 10 days.
Read: 319 illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, 4 surrounding districts, DoE DG reports to HC
Advocate Tanvir Ahmed appeared for the petitioners during the hearing.
The petition was submitted attaching a recently published report in this regard on a national daily newspaper, said advocate Tanvir.
On February 26, 2019, the lawyer sent a legal notice to the authority after spotting some local and foreign passengers being menaced by mosquitos during his visit to the airport at night.
He asked the authority to take steps in this regard within three days of receiving the notice as it will degrade the country's reputation.
Read:HC allows Evaly’s Rassel, Shamima to transfer 50 % of their shares to relatives
On March 3, that year he filed a writ petition to the High Court in this regard after receiving no reply to the notice.
On March 12, 2019, the High Court issued a rule questioning the negligence of the authority in killing mosquitoes at the Shahjalal International Airport.
Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, CAAB Chairman, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor and commissioner of the ward adjacent to the airport were made respondents to the rule.
HC allows Evaly’s Rassel, Shamima to transfer 50 % of their shares to relatives
The High Court on Thursday granted permission to former Evaly CEO Md Rassel and its chairman Shamima Nasrin , also his wife, to transfer half of their shares in the troubled company to three of their relatives.
HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order amending the previous order putting bar on asset transfer during a hearing on a petition filed by those three relatives in this regard.
The three relatives are Rassel’s father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law.
However, three of them will not be allowed to transfer the shares without the High Court’s permission, said the court in its order.
Also read: Evaly’s 7 cars sold auctioned at Tk 2.90 crore to pay customers
They will be liable to the new Board of Directors of the company formed by HC regarding the shares.
The court directed the Inspector General of Prisons to assist in the transfer process as it will be conducted when both Rassel and Shamima remain behind bars.
The court also asked Evaly office building owner Sheikh Salhuddin to appear before court on February 24.
Otherwise, the court directed police to arrest him and produce before court.
Lawyer Shamim Ahmed Mehedi appeared for Rassel and Shamima’s relatives in the court while lawyer Syed Mahsib Khan, presented the writ petitioner’s side and Taposh Kanti Bal appeared for the Ministry of Commerce.
Lawyer Syed Mahsib said the relatives of the former executives of Evaly appeared before court and said they are working to reform the company.
The court passed the directions after they said they want to take steps to return the products and money to the affected consumers of Evaly and assist the Board in this regard, he said.
Also read: HC moves to confiscate bank accounts of Evaly bosses and relatives
On last September 22, the High Court ordered a ban on the sale and transfer of movable and immovable property after an application submitted by an affected customer seeking dissolution of the company and direction on forming a board of directors for the company.
On October 18, the High Court formed a 5-member board, led by former justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, to manage, control and assess the liabilities of shuttered e-commerce platform Evaly.
Other members of the board are former secretary Mohammad Rezaul Ahsan and additional secretary Mahbub Kabir Milon, chartered accountant Fakhruddin Ahmed and lawyer Barrister Khan Mohammad Shamim Aziz.
ACC’s graft case: Recording testimony of ex-OC Pradeep suspended
A Chattogram court on Thursday suspended recording the testimony of Ex-OC Pradeep Kumar Das, a death row convict in Major Sinha (retired)murder case, in a case over acquiring wealth illegally.
Chattogram Divisional Special Court Judge Munshi Abdul Mazid passed the order during a hearing on a petition submitted by Pradeep’s lawyer.
However, the court said recording testimony of Pradeep’s wife Chumki will continue.
Earlier in the day, the court recorded statements of Mohammad Riaz Uddin, plaintiff of the case and Assistant Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Pradeep Kumar Das was taken to the Chattogram court on Thursday amid strict security from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur.
“The court fixed January 17 to record the testimonies but it began today. Pradeep’s lawyer appealed for suspending recording of testimony of Pradeep until the High Court’s hearing on his petition seeking the cancellation of the indictment order in the case which the court granted,” said Mahmudul Haque Mahmud, ACC lawyer.
On January 30, ex-OC Pradeep submitted the petition to the HC seeking cancellation of indictment order and judicial proceedings in this case.
On December 15 last year, a Chattogram court indicted Pradeep in this case.
Earlier on September 1, the court accepted a charge sheet in the graft case against the sacked OC and his wife Chumki.
ACC Chittagong Assistant Director Md Riaz Uddin submitted the charge sheet on July 26.
On August 23 in 2020 ACC filed the case against Pradeep, and his wife for amassing wealth worth Tk 4 crore.
ACC sources said the anti-graft watchdog’s investigation against Pradeep started in 2018.
On April 20 last year, Pradeep and his wife were asked to submit their wealth statement and they submitted their wealth statements in June that year.
After a long investigation, the ACC found evidence that the couple acquired assets worth more than Tk 4 crore illegally.