law-order
HC cancels bail of expelled JL leader Samrat
The High Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat in a graft case.
A two-judge bench of justices Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order in the wake of a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the bail order of a lower court on May 11.
The court also asked Samrat to surrender before a lower court within seven days, said deputy attorney general AGM Amin Uddin.
Read: India's top court orders release of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi's assassin
Earlier, on May 16, the ACC filed a petition before the High Court seeking cancellation of the bail of Samrat in the graft case.
On May 11, the Dhaka court granted bail to Samrat in the graft case, paving the way for his release from judicial custody.
Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 passed the order but with riders — Samrat can't leave the country without the permission of the court, has to submit his passport and also his health reports on the designated date.
Earlier, the same court turned down his bail plea in the corruption case filed by the ACC twice -- on April 28 and April 13.
Samrat secured bail in a drugs case on April 11 and in an Arms Act case and a money laundering case on April 10.
The expelled Jubo League leader has been undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital since November 24 last year.
On October 6, 2019, Rab detained Samrat and his associate Enamul Haque Arman from Chauddagram in Cumilla.
Rab raided his Kakrail office later that day. Huge quantities of foreign liquor, pistols, and two hides of kangaroo were seized from his office.
He was later sentenced by a mobile court to six months in prison under the Wildlife Conservation Act.
Read: Global pollution kills 9 million people a year, study finds
On October 7, Abdul Khaleque, deputy assistant director of Rab-1 lodged two complaints against Samrat at Ramna police station under the Arms and the Narcotics Act. Arman was also made an accused in the narcotics case.
On November 4, Shekhar Chandra Mallik, a sub-inspector, submitted a chargesheet against Samrat in the Arms Act case.
On November 12, the ACC lodged a complaint against him for acquiring assets worth Tk 2.94 crore beyond his known sources of income.
On September 12, 2020, Rashedur Rahman, sub-inspector of CID, registered a case against him at the Ramna police station for laundering Tk 195 crore to Malaysia and Singapore.
Lastly, on November 26 last year, the investigating officer in the case, Jahangir Alam, submitted a chargesheet in the court.
HC asks for list of closed brick kilns around Dhaka
The High Court on Tuesday ordered the Directorate General of the Department of Environment and deputy commissioner of five districts adjacent to Dhaka to submit a list of the closed brick kilns, which were listed as illegal, within two weeks.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after hearing a petition.
Earlier, on April 20, the HC asked the deputy commissioners of five districts, Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj and Gazipur district and Directorate General of DOE to appear before the court today (May 17) for not fully complying with its order to raze illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and its adjacent districts to check air pollution .
Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while Amatul Karim stood for the DOE. Deputy Attorney General Mainul Islam represented the state while Advocate Anik R Haque stood for the brick kiln owners.
“After appearing before the court, the five deputy commissioners said they were able to close 95 % brick kilns while DoE director General provide a list of 411 illegal brick kilns in the five district, of them 65% were closed. But actually it is seen that the unauthorised brick kilns are still operating,” said advocate Manzill Murshid.
READ: HC issues rule on extending former ACC director Enamul Basir's sentence
On January 21, 2019, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a human rights organisation filed a writ petition seeking steps to close the unauthorised brick kilns.
On January 13, 2020, the High Court issued nine directives and asked to implement them.
Manzill Murshid, said the authorities concerned started to take steps against illegal brick kilns from February last year and after going into operation, the air pollution started to decrease from the country.
But nowadays, Dhaka is again identified as the most polluted city, he said.
On January 30, a supplementary petition was submitted on behalf of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh seeking order to close illegal brick kilns.
On February 1, the HC summoned the deputy commissioners of five districts and Directorate General of DOE as they failed to comply with the court order.
Recently, a journalist in an investigative report said many brick kilns in Savar are still continuing their operation but the DCs said they had taken steps to stop their operation, said Manzil.
HC issues rule on extending former ACC director Enamul Basir's sentence
The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule questioning why the sentence of suspended Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Khandaker Enamul Basir in a bribery case should not be extended.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Kazi Md Ezarul Haque Akunnd issued the rule during a hearing on a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Also read: Former ACC director Basir gets 8 yrs in jail in bribery case
Senior advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission.
On February 23, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam sentenced suspended DIG Mizanur Rahman and suspended ACC director Basir to three and eight years (three years for passing information and five years for bribery) in jail, respectively in the case.
Later Mizan and Basir moved the High Court against the order.
The ACC appealed to the High Court on Monday for extending Basir’s jail term.
On April 13, HC granted two-month bail to Mizan against which ACC appealed to the Appellate Division.
The corruption case dates back to June 24, 2019, when ACC director Manjur Morshed lodged a complaint against the disgraced DIG, his wife Sohelia Anar Ratna, nephew sub-inspector Mahmudul Hasan and younger brother Mahbubur Rahman.
According to the case statement, Mizan accumulated wealth worth Tk 32.8 million beyond his known sources of income. On the other hand, he had declared wealth worth Tk 37 million in his tax statement.
Then director of ACC, Basir, was made the investigating officer in the case.
During the probe, Mizan had accused Basir of demanding Tk 4.0 million as bribe for setting the case, prompting the Commission to appoint director Monjur Morshed as the investigating officer in the case.
Also read:Suspended DIG Mizan, ACC director Enamul Basir indicted
At the same time, a three-member probe body was formed, led by ACC director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafillah, to look into the allegations of bribery.
On July 16, 2019, Fanafillah lodged a complaint against both Mizan and Basir. And on April 16, 2020, a Dhaka court indicted the two and directed the official beginning of the trial in the case.
Woman, her lover to die for killing husband in Sirajganj
A Sirajganj court on Tuesday sentenced a woman and her lover to death for killing her husband in 2019 following an extramarital relationship.
Sirajganj District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Mohammad Nazir handed down the judgment.
Also read:Six to die for killing minor in Cox’s Bazar
The condemned convicts are --Mukti Khatun, 22, daughter of late Mukta Sheikh of Shaktipur village in Shahjadpur upazila and Saidul Islam Tushar alias Tuhin.
According to the prosecution, Mukti Khatun, wife of Monirul Haque Pramanik , had love affair with Tuhin before her marriage and it continued after the marriage.
Thinking Monirul an obstacle in the way of their relationship, Mukti along with Tuhin strangled him to death in her grandfather's house on June 3, 2019.
Also read: Man to die for killing wife over dowry in Pirojpur
Monirul’s son Jailhaq Pramanik filed a case in this regard.
After examining the records and witnesses, the judge pronounced the judgment in the presence of the accused.
HC to hear rule on bringing PK Halder back on June 12
The High Court on Tuesday fixed June 12 as the date to hear a rule issued on bringing back businessman PK Halder to Bangladesh from India.
A bench of justices Nazrul islam Talukder and Kazi Md Ezarul Haque Akunnd passed the order.
Deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin appeared for the state during the hearing and senior lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The High Court also asked the ACC to keep it posted about the latest developments on the investigation in a case filed over money laundered to different countries by Halder.
On May 13, India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Halder and his two associates in the eastern state of West Bengal. The next day, a court remanded him in ED's custody for three days.
"PK Halder has been posing as an Indian citizen by the name of Shibshankar Halder after having managed to fraudulently obtain various government identities...," the Directorate had said in a statement.
Also read: India's federal agency may seek extension of PK Halder's remand
According to the Directorate, the three managed to float companies in India on the basis of the fraudulent documents.
On May 16, the DAG brought the matter to the HC's attention and on Tuesday, the self-initiated rule was taken into the cause list of the court for hearing.
Halder, the former MD of NRB Global Bank, had been on the run since being charged by the ACC for money laundering and amassing ill-gotten wealth.
In cases filed by the ACC, Halder is accused of embezzling and swindling multiple non-banking financial institutions of more than Tk 10,000 crore.
On January 19, 2020, the High Court directed to seize passports and freeze bank accounts of 20 people, including Halder, following a petition by investors.
Also read: India deserves thanks for arresting PK Halder: HC
But before that, on October 23, 2019, Halder managed to cross the border through the Benapole land port, according to the immigration police.
On November 19 , 2020, the High Court wanted to know the steps taken to bring back Halder and arrest him and issued a rule questioning why a direction in this regard should not be given.
India's federal agency may seek extension of PK Halder's remand
India's federal economic intelligence agency may seek an extension of remand of Bangladeshi businessman PK Halder when he will be produced in a court in Kolkata on Tuesday.
The three-day remand of Halder and his two associates, who were arrested by India's Enforcement Directorate in West Bengal state on Friday, ended on Tuesday.
Read: India deserves thanks for arresting PK Halder: HC
Sources told UNB that the Enforcement Directorate would like to hand over Halder to the country's premier probe agency -- the Central Bureau of Investigation -- for further interrogation in case of a remand extension.
Halder, the former MD of NRB Global Bank, had been on the run since being charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh for money laundering and amassing ill-gotten wealth.
His two aides have been identified as Pritish Kumar Halder and Pranesh Kumar Halder.
The three were nabbed by the Enforcement Directorate, the economic offences agency of the Indian Home Ministry, during multiple raids across North and South 24 Parganas districts of Bengal on Friday.
Read: We will do everything regarding PK Halder, says Momen after fugitive businessman's arrest in India
"PK Halder has been posing as an Indian citizen by the name of Shibshankar Halder after having managed to fraudulently obtain various government identities...," the Directorate said in a statement on Saturday.
The three managed to float companies in India on the basis of the fraudulent documents, according to the Directorate.
49 suspected Jamaat-Shibir activists held in Ctg
Police on Tuesday detained as many as 49 suspected members of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir in Chattogram.
Officers said the suspects were detained from a hotel in Terry Bazar of Chattogram metropolitan area around 1am.
Read: Man gets death sentence for killing wife over dowry in Tangail
"The detainees are being questioned on their links with the banned outfits, at the Kotwali police station,” Muzahidul Islam, assistant commissioner of Kotwali zone, told UNB.
A leader of the metropolitan unit of BNP, on condition of anonymity, said, “Some current and former leaders of Tery Bazar Traders’ Association are among the detainees.”
Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said that some people were detained during a drive but refused to give further details.
Read: India deserves thanks for arresting PK Halder: HC
Meanwhile, Jamaat leaders of the port city remained unavailable for a comment on the detention of the suspected activists.
India deserves thanks for arresting PK Halder: HC
The High Court (HC) has observed that Bangladesh should extend thanks to the Indian government for arresting fugitive businessman PK Halder.
An HC bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo made the observation when Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik brought the issue before the court on Monday.
The court also said, “Our message is clear. We have taken a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and money laundering. None will be spared whoever they are. We are very serious about this matter.”
On May 13, India's federal economic offences police arrested PK Halder and his two associates in the eastern state of West Bengal.
Halder, the former MD of NRB Global Bank, had been on the run since being charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh for money laundering and amassing ill-gotten wealth.
READ: We will do everything regarding PK Halder, says Momen after fugitive businessman's arrest in India
The disgraced director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL), has been posing as an Indian citizen by the name of Shibshankar Halder after having managed to fraudulently obtain various government identities.
In cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), PK Halder is accused of embezzling and swindling multiple non-banking financial institutions out of more than Tk 10,000 crore.
Man gets death sentence for killing wife over dowry in Tangail
A Tangail court on Monday has sentenced a man to death for killing his wife, demanding dowry.
Judge Khaleda Yasmin of the Tangail Women and Child Abuse Suppression Tribunal passed the order.
Special Public Prosecutor (PP) Ali Ahmed of Women and Child Abuse Suppression Tribunal, said that Riaz Uddin, 35, resident of Garobazar area of Tangail’s Ghatail upazila, brutally tortured his wife Liza Akter, 20, demanding a dowry of Tk 10,000, on August 10, 2009.
She was later admitted to a local hospital where she died on August 26 while undergoing treatment.
READ: 2 workers killed in Tangail mini landslide
Meanwhile on August 19 that year, Liza's brother Azahar Ali filed a case against Riaz.
On November 20, the police submitted a charge sheet to the court but Riaz was out on bail and has been on the run ever since.
Be vigilant against arson in the name of political programs: DMP commissioner
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Monday directed his officials to be extremely vigilant so that no one can commit any acts of arson in the name of political program in the city.
The DMP commissioner gave the directive as political programs have increased ahead of the elections while addressing a monthly crime review meeting of the DMP. The crime review meeting for the month of April this year was held at Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh presided over by the DMP Commissioner.
Addressing the meeting, the Commissioner gave thanks to the officers and forces at all levels of the DMP for keeping law and order at a satisfactory level during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.
Also read: DMP Commissioner asks city police to step up vigilance during Eid shopping
He also asked them to continue the regular campaign against theft and drug trafficking. "The crime division and the traffic department of the DMP have to work together to keep the footpaths free from occupation," he said.
Everyone should keep a watchful eye so that law and order does not deteriorate, he said, adding that the real culprit must be brought under the law. "Everyone in charge has to fulfill their responsibilities properly."
The DMP commissioner also directed that everyone should work more relentlessly to prevent crime in Dhaka city.
In this monthly crime review meeting, the DMP Commissioner awarded the best police officers in recognition of their good work including maintaining law and order and public safety in Dhaka City.
Also read: Tetultala playground land aquired through legal process:DMP
Among others, Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations)of the DMP Krishna Pad Roy, Additional Commissioner (Detective) AKM Hafeez Akter, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md Munibur Rahman, Additional Commissioner (CTTC) Md Asaduzzaman, Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and other senior officers were present in the meeting.