Law-&-Order
No compromise on corruption: Chief Justice
Newly-appointed Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on Sunday said he will not compromise on corruption. “I won’t compromise on corruption. I’ll take stern action instantly against staff and officers once they’re found involved in any corruption,” he said.
Read:Bangabandhu in death much stronger than living Bangabandhu: Chief Justice Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique came up with the remarks while speaking at a programme arranged by the Attorney General’s Office and Supreme Court Bar Association at No 1 courtroom of the Supreme Court.
“I just want to convey the message to those involved in judicial activities and we won’t allow any evil force in the judiciary. Corruption is like cancer. If cancer is detected in any finger then it’s the best way to severe it,” he said. Welcoming the constructive discussion and criticism of the judiciary, the Chief Justice said, “We can’t let any evil force harm the right to justice of common people. If any branch of a state becomes weak, then it’ll be difficult to establish a strong state. All the departments and people concerned of a state must remember that democratic power will be defeated if we fail to ensure justice.”
Read: Hasan Foez new Chief Justice of Bangladesh Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, a judge of the Appellate Division, was appointed the Chief Justice (CJ) of Bangladesh on Thursday.
4 more held over torching, vandalising buses in Rampura
Members of Rapid Action Battalions (Rab) have arrested four more people in connection with the vandalism and torching of buses during protests over the death of student Md Mainuddin in a bus accident in Rampura.
The arrestees were identified as Monir Hossain, 54, Md Hridoy Hasan Parvez, 19, Md Alaudding Sifat, 25, and Md Naeem Hasan Mir, 24.
ANM Imran Khan, Assistant Director (ASP) of Legal and Media Wing of Rab, said the mastermind Monir and three of his associates were arrested from the capital's Rampura and Cumilla district on Tuesday night in a drives conducted by a team of the intelligence branch of Rab headquarters and Rab-3.
During primary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to their involvement with the crime.
Read: 3 arrested in city with 40,000 pcs of yaba
The arrestees deliberately plotted the sabotage using a possible incident in Rampura centering the Gazipur incident as per the direction of Monir. This gang was prepared for sabotage for the purpose of abusing the ‘half fare’ issue for running students.
There are seven cases of sabotage with explosives against Monir. He is an identified terrorist and an agent of anti-state conspirators, said a media release issued by Rab HQ.
Legal processes are underway in this regard, the release added.
Earlier, police arrested Swapan Reza ,25, and Shahid Bepari ,22, over the incident.
On November 29, an angry mob set fire to at least eight buses and vandalised several others in Dhaka's Rampura area after the student was killed on that day.
Passenger held with huge gold at Dhaka airport
Customs officials detained a man along with 44 gold bars and gold ornaments, weighing 5.180 kg, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday night.
The detainee was identified as Ataur Rahman of Habiganj district.
Md Toriqul, a surveillance officer of Dhaka Preventive Customs House, said a flight of Arabian Airlines from Sarjah landed at the airport around 9:10 pm.
Read: 4 held with 11 kg gold at Sylhet airport
Tipped off, a preventive team of customs house challenged Ataur while passing through the green channel of the airport and recovered gold from his luggage.
Later, the customs officials recovered 44 gold bars, five pieces of gold ornaments, worth 3.40 crore, from his luggage and body.
HC seeks probe report on launch fire within 30 days
The High Court on Tuesday directed all the probe committees formed to investigate the fire incident in Avijan-10 launch fire to submit reports within next 30 days.
It also sought the lists of those died and injured in the incident and asked the District Commissioners concerned to consider the applications seeking fund for treatment of the injured ones.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing on two writ petitions filed in this regard.
Read: Launch tragedy: Death toll climbs to 44
The court also asked the authorities concerned to submit fitness documents of all the vessels within 90 days.
The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why their inactivity to prevent launch accidents should not be announced illegal.
Secretaries to the Home Ministry, Shipping Ministry, Directorate General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) and the owner of the launch Hamjalal Sheikh and others involved were made respondents to the rule.
On December 27, Supreme Court lawyer Soumitra Sardar filed a writ petition with the High Court which sought a rule asking the government to explain as to why the authorities concerned should not be asked to submit statements about the condition of engines in water vessels and legal license permits. On December 26, another Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed a writ petition with the HC seeking its directives on the authorities concerned to ensure immediate payment of Tk. 10 lakh for the families of the dead and Tk 5 lakh for the injured in the launch fire.
Read: Writ on launch fire: Govt. must explain why the fire could not be prevented
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 44 on Tuesday. Besides, over 81 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Munia murder case: Probe report submission deferred again to Jan 16
A Dhaka court on Tuesday deferred to January 16 the submission date of the probe report in a case filed against Bashundhara Group MD Sayem Sobhan Anvir and seven others over the rape and murder of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Begum Yasmin Ara fixed the fresh date as Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) failed to submit the report on the day.
Read: HC rejects Bashundhara MD’s anticipatory bail plea over Munia death case
With this, the court deferred the submission of probe report in the case for six times.
On April 26, police recovered the body of the 21-year-old college student hanging from a ceiling fan of her bedroom in a Gulshan flat.
Munia's elder sister, Nusrat Jahan Tania, filed a case against Anvir that night accusing him of incitement to suicide.
According to Tania, her sister, Munia, was in a relationship with Anvir who regularly visited her at the Gulshan apartment.
On July 19, the investigating officer of the case Abul Hasan, also the officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, submitted a final report to the court giving a clean chit to Anvir.
On September 6, Munia's sister Tania filed a rape and murder case against the Bashundhara Group MD Anvir and seven others with Dhaka's 8th Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children's Repression.
Read:Munia rape and murder case: Bashundhara MD seeks anticipatory bail
The court, after recording the complaint, directed the PBI to submit a report on it.
The seven other accused in the case are: Bashundhara Group's Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Shah Alam's wife Afroza Begum; Anvir's wife Sabrina Sayem; Faria Mahbub Piyasha; Saifa Rahman Mim; landlord of the flat where the victim was staying, Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon and his wife Sharmim Akhter.
Writ on launch fire: Govt. must explain why the fire could not be prevented
A writ was filed with the High Court seeking its directives to the government to explain as to why the ineffectiveness of the authorities concerned to ensure measures to prevent the fire on MV Avijan-10 would not be declared illegal.
A Supreme Court lawyer Soumitra Sardar filed the writ petition on Monday, said Advocate Anisur Rahman.
The writ also sought a rule asking the government to explain as to why the authorities concerned should not be asked to submit statements about the condition of engines in water vessels and legal license permits.
Also read: Launch fire: Writ seeks HC directive on compensation for victims
Secretaries to the Home Ministry, Shipping Ministry, Directorate General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) and the owner of the launch Hamjalal Sheikh have been made respondents to the rule.
The writ also sought compensation of Tk. 50 lakh for the families of the dead and Tk. 25 lakh for the injured in last week’s launch fire.
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 42 on Monday. Besides, over 81 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Among the injured, 46 people are undergoing treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH), 22 people were sent to Dhaka and 16 people have returned home after recovery.
However, the exact number of passengers travelling by the launch and the missing passengers is yet to be known.
Also read: Fire likely from engine room caused launch tragedy: Probe committee
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested Hamjalal Sheikh, one of the owners of launch MV ‘Avijan-10’, in connection with the deadly fire incident in the launch.
ANM Imran Khan, Assistant Director (ASP) of Legal and Media Wing of Rab, said Hamjalal was held from Keraniganj early Monday.
Arms, ammo recovered from Habiganj Satchhari forest
The Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police recovered 15 grenades, 25 boosters and 510 bullets of machineguns from Satchhari forest in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj district on Monday.
District Intelligence Officer (1) Syedul Mostakim said a team of CTTC from Dhaka, led by its Deputy Inspector General Asaduzzaman, conducted the drive from 4 am on Monday.
Read: 54 arrested in DMP’s anti-narcotics drives
Earlier on Sunday, police arrested Tripura Amit, 33, son of Bishu Tripura of Khagrachchari district, along with a pistol from Jatrabari area of Dhaka.
Following the confessional statement of Amit, the CTTC team conducted the drive.
Launch fire: Writ seeks HC directive on compensation for victims
A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking its directions on the authorities concerned to ensure payment of Tk. 50 lakh for the families of the dead and Tk. 20 lakh for the injured in last week’s launch fire.
Advocate Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the writ petition to the office concerned of the High Court on Sunday.
The writ petition will be presented before the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman for hearing on Monday, said Eunus.
Read: Fire likely from engine room caused launch tragedy: Probe committee
At the same time, the writ also sought HC’s directions to form a commission for judicial inquiry to find out the reason behind early Friday’s blaze at MV Abhijan-10 launch on Sungandha River off Jhalakathi town.
Owner of ‘Abhijan-10’ Hamjalal Sheikh, secretary of the Shipping Ministry and Chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) have been made respondents in the petition.
The petition also sought a rule to explain as to why the respondents should not be directed to take necessary steps for giving the compensation.
At the same time, the petition prayed for an interim order on the respondents to give the families of the deceased Tk 10 lakh and Tk 5 lakh for the treatment of the fire injured immediately.
Read: MV Avijan-10 owner, 24 others sued over Jhalakathi launch fire
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 41 on Saturday night. Besides, over 81 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Among the injured, 46 people are undergoing treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH), 22 people were sent to Dhaka and 16 people have returned home after recovery.
However, the exact number of passengers travelling by the launch and the missing passengers is yet to be known.
Brahmanbaria AL leader murder: 13 to die, 8 get life term
A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced 13 people to death in a case over the murder of a local Awami League leader in 2016.
The court also sentenced eight other accused to life imprisonment.
Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Abu Jafar Kamruzzaman pronounced the judgment.
Read:9 to die, 22 get life term for killing BCL leader in Rajshahi
The condemned convicts are Basu Miah, Kabir Miah, Mokhles, Sachhu Miah, Jahangir Miah,Shahibur Rahman Shukki, Liakat Ali, Yunus Miah, Rahmat Ullah alias Fariaj Miah, Shithil Ahmed alias Fahim Ahmed, Saiful, Pavel and Ali Miah.
Among them, Fariaj, Shithil, Saiful, Pavel and Ali Miah were tried in absentia.
The lifers are Nurul Islam, Habibur Rahman, Russel, Maju Miah, Golap Miah, Sohel Miah, Shajahan and Borhan alias Ruhan. They were fined Tk 50,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment.
According to the case statement, on Nov 14, 2016, Zohirul Haque , a businessman and Natai Dakkhin Ward-5 Awami League (AL) general secretary, was returning home in Poyag from Paurtala bus stand in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.
Read:Madrasa teacher gets life term for raping student in Barguna
The convicts including Basu Mia, Habibur Rahman, Shahibur Rahman alias Shukki, Kabir Mia, Sachchu Mia, Mokhlech Mia, Ruhan alias Borhan, Shithil Ahmed alias Fahim Ahmed, Rahmat Ullah Fariyaz attacked Zohirul Haque on the way and stabbed him mercilessly
Locals caught two of them- Shithil and Fariyaz- and handed over to police.
Zahirul Haque died in the evening while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Kabir Hossain, younger brother of the deceased, filed a murder case at Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station in this regard.
The investigation officer of the case submitted a chargesheet against 21 accused.
Sagar-Runi murder case: Submission of probe report deferred for 84th time
A Dhaka court on Sunday asked the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to submit by January 24 the probe report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.
With this, the report submission in the case has been deferred for 84 times.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debdas Chadra Odhikari fixed the date after hearing.
Read: Sagar-Runi murder case: HC drops petition from cause list
On March 2 last year, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) submitted a progress report in Sagar-Runi murder case in affidavit form to the Attorney General’s Office.
According to the report, two unidentified people were involved in the murder.
Maasranga Television News Editor Sagar Sarowar and his wife ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Runi were found dead at their rented apartment in the city’s West Rajabazar area on 11 February 2012.
Nousher Ali roman, brother of Runi filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Police Station on the following day.
Police arrested Tanvir in connection with the murder case on October 1, 2012. Later, he secured bail in 2014.
Read: Rab trying to debunk Sagar-Runi murder case quickly: IGP
Law enforcers have so far arrested eight people, including Tanvir, in connection with the murder case.
The seven other suspects are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu alias Baggira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Quamrul Hasan alias Arun, security guard Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir and Palash Rudra Pal.