Law-&-Order
Chuadanga fugitive arrested in Dhaka after 8 years
A man who was sentenced to one year jail in a check fraud case in 2013 has been arrested at Banani in Dhaka.
Jainul Abedin Johnny alias Tawfiq, 39, of Belgachhi area in Chuadanga district was arrested on Sunday morning from a Bananii residence in the capital.
Read:Detectives arrest fugitive drug dealer in Natore
Chuadanga Sadar Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mohsin said Tawfiq was handed over to a court at 4.30 pm on Sunday,
Tawfiq’s unpaid loans stood at Tk 2.5 crore in 2013 after he incurred huge losses in old vehicles and motor parts businesses in 2010 and 2012.
Several cases were filed against him in Dhaka and Chuadanga courts.
Read:Biswajit Das murder case: Fugitive convict held in Faridpur
In one of them, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment in a case over check fraud in 2013. He remained fugitive since then.
OC Mohsin said he was convicted in six cases and there are a total of 10 arrest warrants against him.
Free Fire-maker Garena applies to be party to legal fight
Garena Online Pvt Ltd of Singapore, the maker of the Free Fire game, has appealed to the High Court to join the hearing of the rule on banning harmful games, including PUBG and Free Fire from online platforms of Bangladesh.
The petition was heard for the third day on Sunday. The court has fixed October 26 as the date for their attending the hearing.
HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order.
Barristers Junaid Ahmed Chowdhury and Tanvir Quader were present on behalf of Garena's application and Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab was present at the hearing on behalf of the writ petition.
Earlier, on August 16, HC asked the authorities concerned to take steps to remove harmful games including PUBG and Free Fire from online platforms in Bangladesh.
The court also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why all types of online games and apps like Tiktok, Bigo Live, PUBG, Free Fire Games and Likee should not be banned.
Read: Garena Free Fire Battlegrounds Game Tips and Tricks for the Beginners
On 24 June, Law and Life Foundation, a human rights organization, filed the writ petition with the High Court seeking directives to ban Likee, TikTok, Bigo Live apps, and PUBG and Free Fire games in Bangladesh.
Secretary to the Post and Telecommunication Division, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Education, Home, Law and Health secretaries, and the Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh Bank, bKash, Nagad and 18 other individuals and organizations were asked to respond to the rule within 10 days.
Garena Online Pvt Ltd of Singapore earlier applied to the HC to take part in the rule hearing. According to the application, there are many players of Free Fire in Bangladesh. For the link backing of Free Fire in Bangladesh, Garena has been facing direct financial losses and that’s why they want to take part in the hearing.
However, Barrister Pallab said Garena is a registered company of Singapore. They have no legal registration or office in Bangladesh. So, legally they do not have the opportunity to apply for taking part at the hearing.
On June 24, Supreme Court lawyers Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab and Barrister Mohammad Kawshar filed the writ petition on behalf of the human rights organization Law and Life Foundation.
Appellate Division suspends HC order staying BFUJ election
The Appellate Division on Sunday suspended the High Court’s 2-month-stay order on the elections of Bangladesh Federal union of Journalists (BFUJ).
Chamber judge Justice Obaydul Hasan passed the order during a hearing on the writ petition filed seeking a stay on the HC order.
With this order, there remains no bar to holding the election which was scheduled for October 23, said petitioner’s lawyer Nure Alam Ujjal.
On September 23, Mohammad Hasan Ferdous, former general secretary of Chattogram Journalist Union, sought the stay until his name was included as a voter.
Also read: HC stays BFUJ election after complaint by an aggrieved member
On September 28, following the petition the High Court issued a rule and ordered a two-month stay on the election of BFUJ.
On October 7, Candidate for Director General’s position in the election Dip Azad filed a petition to participate in the case and sought a stay on the High Court’s order.
Senior lawyer AM Amin Uddin (Attorney General), Sheikh Md Morshed (Deputy Attorney General), Nure Alam Ujjal and Rafsan Alvi presented the petitioner’s side in the court today. Meanwhile, lawyer Shah Manjurul Haque, Tirtha Shalil Paul and Nurul Karim appeared for the earlier petition.
On September 25, BFUJ published the names of candidates in different posts for the election.
BFUJ election commission has published a final list of 33 valid candidates out of 34 nominations filed.
Also read: BFUJ demands implementation of 9th wage board
According to BFUJ about 4,000 members have been declared eligible to vote in the election.
Senior Journalist Shahjahan Sardar will conduct the polls as the Chief Election Commissioner.
Pori Moni granted permanent bail in narcotics case
A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to film actress Pori Moni and Ashraful Islam Dip in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sattabrata Shikder passed the order when Pori Moni’s counsel submitted a petition seeking bail for his clients.
The court also accepted the chargesheet and sent it to Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge for trial.
Also read: CID submits charge sheet against film actress Pori Moni
Dip was an associate of Raj Multimedia owner Nazrul Islam Raj.
Earlier on October 4, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet against film actress Pori Moni and two others in the case.
CID inspector and also the investigating officer of the case Kazi Mostafa Kamal submitted the charge sheet to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Pori 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.
Also read: HC asks 2 lower court judges to explain further on Pori Moni’s multiple remands
On August 22, she was sent to jail after inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Kazi Golam Mostafa produced her in a court on the completion of a one-day remand, her third.
On August 31, a Dhaka court granted bail to Pori Moni in the drugs case until submission of chargesheet.
She walked out of jail the following day.
Absconding rapist sentenced to life imprisonment in Rangpur
A Rangpur court on Wednesday sentenced a man to life term imprisonment for the rape of a minor girl in 2018.
Judge of Woman and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Zabid Hasan passed the verdict in absence of the absconding convict Mehedi Hasan.
The court also acquitted four others accused in the case, as the prosecution could not prove charges brought against them, said the public prosecutor Advocate Khandaker Rofique Hasnain.
According to the statement of the case, Mehedi Hasan used to stalk the girl on her way to and from the school.
On July 7, 2018 he abducted the girl, a student of class nine, and took her to Dhaka where he raped her.
Following a case filed by the father of the victim, police rescued the girl from Ashulia in Dhaka after seven days of her abduction.
One to die, 5 get different jail terms for carrying cocaine in Khulna
A Khulna Court on Thursday sentenced a man to death and five others to different terms in a case over possessing cocaine in 2017.
The condemned convict is Bikash Chandra Biswas. He was also fined Tk one lakh.
Read: Trading, using 200 grams of Yaba to invite death sentence
Khulna District and Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury handed down the verdict in presence of two convicts.
Besides, Sohel Rana was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Tk one lakh, Arifur Rahman alias Sagir sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk one lakh, in default, to suffer another two years more RI.
The court sentenced Bikash Chandra Mandal, Ershad and Fazlur Rahman Fakir to 10 years imprisonment and fined Tk 25,000 each, in default, to suffer another year of imprisonment.
According to the case statement, tipped off, a team of Khulna Rab-6 arrested Sohel Rana conducting a drive at Moylapota crossing of Khulna city on August 11 in 2017. They also seized 230 grams of cocaine worth Tk 2.30 crore from Sohel’s possession.
Based on Sohel’s information given during interrogation, Rab men arrested five others conducting different drives in the city. Later, they seized 20 more grams of cocaine worth Tk 2.20.
Rab official Md Rabiul Islam filed a case under the Narcotic Control Act at Rupsha Police Station against the six arrestees.
10 fishermen jailed in Chandpur for violating fishing ban
Ten fishermen were jailed by a mobile court for a year in Chandpur on Thursday for catching hilsa flouting the ongoing fishing ban.
The mobile court led by Chandpur Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Helal Uddin Chowdhury handed down the verdict.
Read: Kitchen markets in Dhaka take the heat from 22-day Hilsa ban
Chandpur Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Sudip Bhattacharya said they detained the fishermen conducting a drive in the Meghna River in the early hours of Thursday.
They also seized two trawlers and one lakh meters of banned current nets.
The seized nets were destroyed by setting fire and the two trawlers were kept under the custody of the Coast Guard and the Fisheries Department, the officer said.
Read: Hilsa ban: 5 injured in attack during drive in Bhola
The 22-day Hilsa ban took effect on Sunday midnight aimed at ensuring the safe spawning of the popular fish during its peak breeding period. The ban will remain in place till October 25.
Fisheries Department, upazila and district administrations, police and coast guard personnel will carry out regular drives to make sure that the ban is implemented strictly.
Former DGHS chief gets bail in Regent Hospital scam case
A Dhaka court on Thursday granted interim bail to former director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in the Regent Hospital scam case.
Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge KM Imrul Kayes granted the relief to Azad till November 2 on a bond of Tk 20,000 after the ex-DGHS surrendered in the court this morning.
Read: Regent Hospital scam: ACC approves chargesheet against ex-DGHS DG, 5 others
On September 20, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved a chargesheet against six people, including Azad, in the corruption case.
Azad was not initially named in the chargesheet but his name was added later following an investigation, Deputy Director of ACC's Public Relations Office Md Arif Sadeq told UNB.
Deputy Director of the anti-graft commission Farid Ahmed Patwary lodged the complaint against five people at Dhaka Coordinated Office-1 in September last year for embezzling Tk 1.37 crore by issuing fake Covid certificates from Regent Hospital.
The five others accused in the case are Regent Group Chairman Shaheduzzan, former DGHS Director Aminul Hasan, Deputy Director Yunus Ali, Assistant Director Shafiur Rahman, and Research Officer Didarul Islam.
Read: Regent's Shahed denied bail in money laundering case
Last year, numerous cases of mismanagement and irregularities in the health sector got exposed when physicians of some government hospitals, including Mugda General Hospital, complained of receiving low-quality masks and protective equipment.
The issuance of fake Covid-19 certificates by some hospitals triggered huge criticism at home and abroad. In fact, the scan came to light during a drive at Regent Hospital on July 6.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Regent chairman Mohammad Shahed from the Komorpur border area in Debhata upazila of Satkhira district on July 15 on charges of issuing fake Covid certificates.
Kanak Sarwar’s sister Raka remanded in 2 cases
A Dhaka court on Wednesday put Nushrat Shahreen Raka, sister of US expatriate journalist Kanak Sarwar, on a five-day remand in two cases-one filed under the Narcotics Control Act and another under the Digital Security Act(DSA).
Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique put her on a 3-day remand in the DSA case while Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nivana Khayer placed her on a 2-day remand in the Narcotics case when police produced her before their courts with a 7-day remand prayer in each case.
Read: Journo Kanak Sarwar's sister held for spreading anti-state prpaganda
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested Nushrat Shahreen Raka Tuesday from the city’s Uttara area for spreading anti-state propaganda through online platforms.
Rab members seized a mobile phone set, a passport and some Ice or Crystal Meth from her possession during the arrest.
During primary interrogation of Rab, Raka confessed that she is an active member of a group which is involved in anti-state propaganda, said a Rab press release.
Raka used to spread false, misleading and defamatory information about the state and important personalities of the state through social media to destabilize the country, according to Rab.
According to her statement, several members of the group are involved in various anti-state propaganda from abroad through social media.
She also said she used to assist her brother Kanak and other equal-minded people in such activities.
HC grants bail to five day-labourers arrested over a controversial graft case
The High Court on Wednesday granted one-year bail to five day-labourers of Phulbari upazila in Kurigram district over three months after their arrest on charge of embezzling government money even though they denied any knowledge of the funds.
The five day-labourers are—Phulmoni Rani, an widow, Ranjit Kumar, Prabhash Chandra, Kamal Chandra Roy and Nikhil Chandra Barman.
Read:All rivers are living entities: HC
The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order during a virtual hearing.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir stood for the petitioners for free, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Dasgupta represented the state.
Advocate Shishir drew the attention of the court after attaching a newspaper report in this regard.
According to the report, one Swapan approached the five labourers of Naudabas village in Phulbari upazila offering to help them in getting the government’s Covid-19 incentive money. He asked them to open bank accounts with Sonali Bank to get the assistance.
Read:HC sends two children to a support centre as parents fightover custody
Duped by Swapan, the five poor workers opened bank accounts at Nageshwari branch Sonali Bank.
Later, Swapan took them to Dhaka on the pretext of taking some signatures of them on some documents .Having signed the documents without knowing the contents.
After some days, Tk 48.45 lakh was deposited to the account of Ranjit, Tk 65.72 lakh to Prabhas, Tk 40.71 lakh to the account of Subol, Tk 42.49 lakh to the account of Kamal and Tk 48.70 lakh to the account of Phulmoni.
But the day-labourers had no information about the deposited money.
On July 1, a case was filed against nine people including the five day-labourers for embezzling Tk 2.46 crore through submission of a fake advice of Sreepur upazila Accountant's office in Gazipur district.
Manager of Sreepur headquarter branch of Sonali Bank lodged the complaint at Sreepur Police Station for embezzling the money.
The other accused of the case are—Bazlur Rashid, accountant officer of Sreepur upazila office, office auditor, Arifur Rahman, Tanvir and Shahena Akter.
On July 2, police arrested the five day-labourers from their respective homes.
A lower court earlier denied bail to the five labourers.