Law-&-Order
HC seeks explanation over delay in Pori Moni’s bail plea hearing
The High Court on Thursday issued a rule seeking explanation as to why a lower court order fixing September 13 for hearing the bail petition of Pori Moni in a case under the Narcotics Control Act should not be cancelled.
The court also asked why the bail application would not be heard within two days.
The respondents were asked to respond to the rule by September 1.
Also read: Investigation on Pori Moni and others in final stage, says CID chief
The virtual HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol issued the rule after hearing on a revision petition filed on behalf Pori Moni challenging the lower court order.
“ Why has the date of bail hearing been fixed after 21 days ? The decision curtailed the rights of the accused,” the HC observed .
On August 22, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Emrul Kayesh set September 13 for hearing on the bail petition of Pori Moni in the case.
Also read: Pori Moni: Hearing on new bail plea on Sept. 13
Later, she appealed to the High Court challenging its validity. The interim bail of the actress was also sought in the petition .
Lawyers ZI Khan Panna and Mozibur Rahman appeared for Pori Moni, while Assistant Attorney General Md Mizanur Rahman opposed the petition.
Sinha murder trial: Third day of trial concludes with Sifat's testimony
The third day of testimonial statements in the murder case of Maj. (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan concluded at Cox’s Bazar court Wednesday. The court adjourned at around 6:30 pm with Shahedul Islam Sifat's testimony and interrogation.
In the three-day testimonial statements recording August 23 to 25, plaintiff Sharmin Sahariya Ferdous, sister of Sinha, and witness Shahedul Islam Sifat’s testimony were recorded.
Read: Sinha murder case trial: Court records testimonial statements for 2nd day
The court on Wednesday ordered testimony of other witnesses of this case to record on September 5 to 8.
Fifteen accused of the murder case were presented to the court under intense security. Additional police were deployed after pictures of OC Pradeep talking on a mobile phone in the courtroom spread through social media in the morning.
Meanwhile, three policemen were suspended for their negligence in duty at the court after the photos raised questions about the court security. By afternoon a probe committee was formed in this regard.
During this time, various organizations formed human chain in front of the Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner's Office demanding a fair trial for Sinha's murder.
Public prosecutor advocate Faridul Alam, said after the three-day testimonial recording the court has announced September 5 to 8, four days for the testimony of the remaining witnesses.
Read:Sinha murder: Defence lawyers allegedly obstruct trial
While leaving the court premises in the evening, witness Shahedul Islam Sifat told reporters that Sinha was the victim of a premeditated murder. “Hopefully the court will do justice.,” he said.
On July 31 last year, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.
On August 5, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, 2020, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case filed over Sinha's murder at a checkpost manned by APBn, where officers of the Teknaf police station intercepted Sinha's car.
Read:HC refuses bail to another 3 accused in Sinha murder case
All of the 15 accused of the charge sheet are currently in jail. Of them 12 have given confessional statements before court except OC Pradeep Kumar Das, constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.
Other accused of the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
Court wraps up witness statements in graft case against ex-chief justice SK Sinha
A Dhaka Court on Tuesday concluded recording of statements of the witnesses in a graft case filed against former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others who are facing charges of misappropriating Tk 4 crore.
Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam wrapped up the statement recording after hearing from the last witness ACC director and investigation officer of the case Benazir Ahmed.
The court fixed August 29 for hearing from the accused defendants.
Also read: Ex-CJ SK Sinha cleared of graft charges
Of the accused, former MD of Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank) AKM Shamim, and other senior officers the bank Swapan Kumar Roy, Md Lutful Haque, Gazi Salahuddin and businessmen Mohammad Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha are now out on bail.
M Mahbubul Haque Chisti, former chairman of Audit Committee of the Farmers Bank is behind bars.
Shafiuddin Askari Ahmed, first vice-president of Farmers Bank, former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, his wife Sastri Roy and Ranjit Chandra Saha are absconding.
On July 10, 2019, the ACC filed the case accusing the former chief justice and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore.
On September 25, 2019, the anti-graft body summoned five officials of the Farmers Bank Ltd for interrogation over the deposit of Tk 4 crore in SK Sinha’s account with the Supreme Court branch of Sonali Bank Ltd.
On May 6, 2018, the ACC interrogated two businessmen – Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha – for allegedly taking Tk 4 crore in loan from the Farmers Bank using fake documents and depositing the money in the bank account of a VVIP.
Barrister Nazmul Huda, a former BNP minister, filed another case of misuse of power and corruption against SK Sinha with Shahbagh police station on September 27, 2018.
SK Sinha went on leave on October 2, 2017 before leaving for Australia 10 days later amid a row over some of his observations on the 16th amendment of the constitution.
Also read: Charges pressed against SK Sinha, 10 others in graft case
Just before his departure, he had told reporters that he was not sick, contradicting the government’s claim that he went on leave on health grounds.
A day after SK Sinha’s trip to Australia, the Supreme Court issued a statement, saying he was facing 11 charges, including graft, moral turpitude and money laundering.
On November 11, 2017, he resigned from his post of chief justice.
3 Dhaka-bound buses stopped in Chapainawabganj, passengers robbed
A group of armed men stopped three Dhaka-bound night buses in the district on Monday night and robbed passengers of cash, jewellery and other valuables, police said.
The alleged crime took place near Shonajaal point on Bholahat-Shibganj Road around 8.30pm. The robbers also thrashed 10 people for initially refusing to hand over their belongings.
According to police and the victims, the robbers had blocked the road and started hitting the buses with sticks. As soon as the drivers panicked, the armed men boarded the buses and robbed the passengers.
Read: Cases filed over torching of 9 buses in city
Officer-in charge of Bholahat Police Station Mahbubur Rahman said, "The three night coaches travelling to Dhaka were stopped and the passengers were robbed. The 10 people who were beaten up, have been given first aid at a medical facility."
Read:Out on joyride, woman raped by six on moving bus
Locals told UNB that the gang has been active in the area for some time now and have looted motorists many a time.
Sinha murder: Defence lawyers allegedly obstruct trial
On the first day of recording statements of the witnesses in the Maj. (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case trial, the defence plawyers allegedly tried to delay the proceedings at a Cox’s Bazar court.
Defendant’s lawyer advocate Rana Dash Gupta submitted 11 petitions praying to suspend the case but the court didn’t accept them, said Plaintiffs’ lawyer advocate Mohammad Jahangir and public prosecutor advocate Faridul Alam to media.
Meanwhile, the trial proceedings of the sensational murder case began with recording the testimonial statement of Sinha’s sister and plaintiff of the case Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous.
Also read: HC refuses bail to another 3 accused in Sinha murder case
HC sends two children to a support centre as parents fight over their custody
The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to keep the two children of Japanese woman and a Bangladeshi man at the Tejgaon victim support centre in a good environment until August 31 amid a legal battle over their custody.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by the Japanese mother of the two children.
The court also gives permission to the parents of the children to meet them at the Tejgaon victim support centre in a stipulated time.
Also read: HC orders probe into death of a school student due to bullying
On August 19, Nakano Eriko, a citizen of Japan, filed a petition with the High Court seeking its directives to return back her two daughters-- Jasmine Malika,11 and Laila Lina, 10---from their Bangladeshi father Sharif Imran.
The court than asked the authorities concerned to produce the two children before the court on August 31. It also asked Imran not to leave the country with his daughters for next one month.
On Sunday, a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police took the two children under custody.
On Monday, Advocate Fawzia Karim, a counsel of Imran drew the attention of the court about the custody.
Advocate Mohammad Sishir Monir represents the Japanese woman.
Also read: HC upholds death sentence to a couple for murdering a man in Jashore
Advocate Monir, said “Eriko, a 46-year-old woman and a physician by profession, filed a petition seeking custody of her two children. Eriko and Imran tied the knot on July 11, 2008, according to the law of Japan. They used to live in Tokyo and the couple has been blessed with three daughters.”
“Three daughters of the couple aged above, 11, 10, and seven are studying at a school in Tokyo. On January 18, this year, Imran appealed for the divorce and on January 21 he filed an appeal to the school authorities to take his one daughter but they refused following the objection of Eriko,” said Monir.
Later, Imran picked his two daughters from school bus to a rented building and on February 21 and he returned to Bangladesh with his two daughters.
On May 31 a court in Tokiyo handed over the custody of the two daughters to Eriko.
On July 18 Eriko came to Bangladesh to meet her daughters.
Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others placed on 5-day remand
A Dhaka court on Monday placed three people including the owners of virtual outlet e-orange.shop on a 5-day remand in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers.
Those remanded are its owner Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Masukur Rahman and Aman Ullah, Chief Operating Officer of e-Orange.
Read: Owners of e-orange.shop sent to jail over fraud case
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan passed the order after investigation officer of the case Aminul Islam produced them before it with a 10-day remand plea.
On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.
According to the case, on April 21, Taherul ordered a product from eorgance.shop and paid in advance. But the online shop failed to deliver the product on the promised date. Neither did it return the money.
The outlet has posted notice on its Facebook page many times seeking more time from the customers to deliver the products. But the products didn’t come.
Read:Travel ban imposed on Evaly chairman, MD
Besides, the gift vouchers the company provided to shop in different outlets were also not being honoured. They said the company didn’t pay them their money.
Taherul said he filed the case in fear of losing his money after he came to know the company’s ownership had changed hands.
Later on Tuesday last, the owner and her husband surrendered before the court seeking bail.
Read:Evaly is under ACC probe for alleged misappropriation
But, the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique rejected their bail plea and sent them behind the bars.
Besides, the CEO was arrested from Gulshan area on the evening of August 18. At the time, 24 credit cards, Tk 16 lakh and a car were seized from him.
Actress Eka gets bail in a case of torturing house help
A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to film actress Eka in a case of torturing a woman who worked as her house help.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid passed the order on a bond of Tk 10,000.
Also read: Film actress Eka held for torturing house help
Earlier on August 10, Eka also got bail in another case filed under the Narcotics Control Act but she couldn’t walk out of jail as the case over torturing the maid was pending.
On Aug 1, the court sent Eka to jail after rejecting bail in two cases filed against her for reportedly torturing her housemaid and having narcotics at her home.
Also read: Film actress Eka sent to jail in two cases
On July 31, Eka’s house help filed one of two cases against her for torturing and police filed another for keeping narcotic substances at her home. Both the cases were filed with Hatirjheel Police Station.
Police immediately arrested Eka from her Ulon apartment at Hatirjheel.
Pori Moni: Hearing on new bail plea on Sept. 13
A Dhaka court on Sunday set September 13 for hearing a plea seeking bail for jailed film actress Pori Moni being held in a narcotics case.
Dhaka Metropolitan session judge KM Imrul Kayesh set the date after her lawyer advocate Mojibur Rahman submitted the latest bail petition on Sunday.
Advocate Mojibur said his earlier bail petition filed with Dhaka Chief Magistrate’s court was rejected.
Read: Narcotics Case against Pori Moni: Hearing on bail, remand petitions Thursday
“For a long time Pori Moni has been behind bars and she is physically unwell. It’s hampering her professional commitments. Hopefully the court will consider all this and grant her the bail,” said the lawyer.
On Saturday Pori Moni was sent to jail after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspector Kazi Golam Mostafa produced her before the court on completion of a one-day remand. No bail petition was submitted on her behalf on this day.
The latest bail plea was filed a day after she expressed her anguish at her lawyers for not filing bail petition on Saturday.
Read: Shakib Khan at odds with acting association's stance on Pori Moni
Pori Moni has been remanded three times for interrogation by police since Rab arrested her on August 4 from her Banani residence.
Later a case was filed against the popular Dhallywood actress for illegal possession of alcohol and drugs in her house.
Pori Moni made headlines in June after she went on Facebook live accusing businessman Nasir U Mahmood and others of trying to rape and kill her at Boat Club on the city’s outskirts.
Take actions against Cumilla councilor for pushing Covid jabs: Probe
A probe committee formed over the controversial incident of administering the Covid vaccine jabs in a councilor's office found the ward councilor and supervisor of the vaccination center guilty and recommended taking action against them.
District Civil Surgeon Dr Mir Mobarak Hossain said the committee has recommended taking action against the involved Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) Councilor Nadia Nasrin and supervisor of the center Md Muzibur Rahman Saturday.
The investigation report was sent to Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Department Thursday through CCC and the Director General of the Health Directorate was informed about it, Dr Mobarak said.
Nadia Nasrin, the councillor representing wards 4, 5 & 6, has been accused of giving Moderna vaccine doses to 125 people without any authorisation from the health authorities.
Also read: Bangladesh to get 781,440 AstraZeneca doses from Japan Saturday
According to the Civil Surgeon office, on August 9, the vaccination drive was suspended at Harun Government Primary School in ward number 6 owing to some chaos and clashes.
Meanwhile councilor Nasrin took some vials of Covid shots and syringes from the center to her office, determined to carry on the vaccination drive, where people were being administered with the first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
On August 12, immediately after some photos of the councilor pushing jabs went viral on social media, a three member probe committee was formed convened by the coordinator of Civil Surgeon office Hasan Mahmud Iqbal.
Also read: Over 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses received from Japan
The committee was asked to submit the report by August 14, but it was submitted on August 18 after increasing the time.
Nadia claims that she is a certified vaccine pusher, and no one who received the jab from her has made any complaints and it caused no harm to any of the jab receivers.