HC
Hearing on rule for identifying plotters against Padma Bridge Tuesday
The High Court will hold hearing on Tuesday on a rule on whether a commission be formed to identify the people who made up fake stories of corruption over the Padma Bridge Project.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo delivered the order on Monday.
The HC also commented that the people who made up fake stories of corruption over the Padma Bridge Project should be identified.
Also read: Padma Bridge is a befitting reply to conspirators, PM tells a huge rally after its opening
The High Court said, “The Padma Bridge is our national asset. It is our pride.”
“Those who are against such national interests and development, they are the enemies of the nation, the enemies of the country, they must be identified.”
Deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state in the court while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
On February 15, 2017, the HC issued a rule asking the government why it shall not be directed to form an inquiry committee or commission for identifying the plotters to bring them under justice referring several newspaper reports.
The Cabinet Division, Home, Law and Communications Secretary, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were made respondents to the rule and asked to reply in four weeks.
Also read: CID detains youth who removed nuts, bolts of Padma Bridge
On March 20 of the same year, the state asked for eight weeks to respond to the rule and report and HC granted it till May 7.
HC directs not to bar BNP leader Alal from going abroad
The High Court on Sunday directed the Department of Immigration and Passport to not prevent BNP joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal from going abroad.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzzaman passed the order during a hearing of a writ petition filed in this regard.
The court also issued a rule questioning why barring the BNP leader’s visit abroad will not be announced illegal and unconstitutional.
Also read: Derogatory remarks on PM: HC orders removal of Alal’s videos from social media
Advocate Tajul Islam appeared for Alal assisted by advocate Parvez Hossain and advocate Md Omar Faruq while Deputy Attorney General Abul Kamal Khan Daud represented the state.
Advocate Tajul said, the writ petition was filed after Alal was sent back from the airport without showing any reason when he went to take a flight to India on June 12 this year.
On December 12, last year Alal was sued under the Digital Security Ac for his alleged derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by Khulna District Lawyers’ Association President Saiful Islam.
According to the case statement, Alal made disparaging remarks on Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a discussion on October 1.
Also read: Alal apologises, retracts comment on PM
Two days later, the BNP joint secretary general apologisedun for his remarks.
In a statement, he also withdrew the controversial and offensive comments that went viral on social media.
Why Tk 1 cr should not be given to Kabir as compensation: HC
The High Court on Wednesday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why Tk one crore should not be given to Kabir Hossain, who lost his leg after being hit by a launch in Sadarghat, as compensation.
Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the rule after hearing a writ petition.
Advocate Tanvir Ahmed stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.
Secretary to the Shipping Ministry, Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and owner of Pubali-12 Launch Azgarh Khalashi and five others have bene made respondents to the rule.
Advocate Tanvir filed a writ petition seeking Tk one crore as compensation for Kabir, a resident of Khilgaon area, on June 9.
On May 18, a report headlined ‘How would I maintain household expenses?" says Kabir wife’ was published in vernacular daily and the report was also attached to the writ petition.
READ: HC asks for update on graft case against AB Bank officials
According to the report, Kabir Hossain, 28, a worker who used to work at a fan shop in Nababpur of the capital.
On May 1, Kabir along with his wife, daughter and three sisters went to Sadarghat Launch to go to go to their home district on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Kabir fell in the middle of Pubali-12 launch and platoon while he was trying to board the launch amid crowd and got injured.
Kabir’s left leg from below the knee got severed during the accident.
Publish list of pollutants: HC
The High Court on Monday ordered to publish the list of the organisations or persons responsible for polluting the environment within one week through a press release and on the website of the Department of Environment (DoE).
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order and asked the authorities concerned to submit a progress report on it within two weeks after implementing the court order.
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the ineffectiveness of the responsible persons in publishing the names of people involved in pollution should not be declared illegal.
The HC issued another rule asking why directives should not be given to publish the names of the responsible persons involved in polluting the environment.
Secretaries to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, Information Ministry, Directorate General of the Director General of the Department of Environment (DOE) and four others were made respondent to the rules which is returnable in four weeks.
Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner.
READ: HC grants 6 months bail to accused Sylhet cop in custodial death case
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ petition following a report published in different media that the authorities concerned will refrain from making the names of the organisations and persons involved in pollution in public.
The DoE must publish the names of those people or organisations involved in polluting the environment, said Manzill.
But the DoE has taken their stance on behalf of those involved in the pollution which is illegal, he said.
ACC appeals to HC to increase sentence of 45 Destiny executives
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has appealed to the High Court (HC) to increase the tenure of the sentence of 45 executives including Lt Gen (retd) Harun-Ar-Rashid of Destiny Multipurpose Co-Operative Society Ltd. and Destiny Tree Plantation Project in a money embezzlement case.
ACC counsel Khurshid Alam Khan pleaded for a hearing before the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo on Sunday.
Khurshid Alam said,” Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin has been awarded 12 years imprisonment and the other 45 executives have been given lower punishment. But this is an organised crime. There is no chance of a difference in punishment. That is why we have appealed to the court to increase their penalty term except for Rafiqul Amin. The court has directed the individuals concerned to include this appeal on the cause list on Monday. I Hope, the hearing will be held this week.”
Also read: Issue red alerts for arrest of 39 fugitives in Destiny scam case: HC
On May 12, a Dhaka court sentenced all 46 accused, including Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin and Destiny-2000 president Lt Gen Harun (retd), to different terms of imprisonment in the money laundering case and fined Tk 2,300 crore.
On 31 July 2012, two separate cases were filed with the Kalabagan police station against Rafiqul and other officials of Destiny on the allegation of embezzling money from the investors in the name of Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Destiny Tree Plantation Limited and laundering it.
Also read: HC passes split order on granting bail to Destiny Group director
On Thursday last, the HC directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to bring to justice 39 fugitives convicted in the case filed for embezzling Tk 4,000 crore from Destiny Group subscribers.
Requisition: HC bars police from keeping vehicles for over 7 days
After a requisition, the police cannot keep any vehicle for more than seven days, the High Court said Wednesday in the full text of an earlier ruling.
A HC division bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury passed the order with an 11-point direction on July 31, 2019, following a writ petition filed in the public interest.
The full text of the verdict was released today, said Advocate Manzill Murshid, who argued for the writ petition.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner has been asked to send the guideline in the form of a notification to the station officials concerned within 90 days of receiving the order.
Vehicles requisitioned under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance 1976 will only be used in the public interest, not in any way for personal use.
No police officer or his or her family can use requisitioned vehicles for personal purposes, according to the HC order.
READ: Mitu murder case: Record statements of Babul's children, says HC
For the requisitioning of vehicles of an individual, company or organisation, the owner has to be given prior notice with explanations.
A committee should be formed through DMP to determine the compensation and daily allowance of the requisitioned vehicles and should be paid within 15 days of the requisition.
Any complaint regarding requisition will have to be investigated and action should be taken by the authorities.
Also, vehicles carrying patients, disabled persons, and passengers at the airport cannot be requisitioned, the HC order said.
In 2010, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ petition challenging the validity of the provision of police vehicle requisition under Section 103 (A) of the DMP Ordinance.
The court issued a rule on May 23 of the same year regarding the preliminary hearing of the petition.
HC grants anticipatory bail to Square group MD Anjan in hoarding rice case
The High Court on Monday granted six-weeks anticipatory bail to Square Group Managing Director Anjan Chowdhury in a case filed over illegal stockpiling of rice.
HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Shahed Nuruddin passed the order after he appealed for bail appearing before the court.
Senior advocate Shafik Ahmed and barrister Mahbub Shafique presented the petitioner's side while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi appeared for the state.
On June 1, administration seized 5,124 tonnes of atap rice from the warehouse of Square Food and Beverage in Dinajpur sadar upazila.
READ: HC orders to set up information centre at SC within 60 days
As the mill had only approval of stocking 312 tonnes of rice, in-charge of the mill Zayed Hossain was shown arrested in a case filed during a mobile court conducted by Mortuza Al Moyeed, executive magistrate and Dinajpur sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
Biplab Kumar Sinha, upazila food controller filed the case complaint against Anjan Chowdhury and Zayed Hassan in this regard.
The market price of the seized rice was around Tk 41 crore, which was too huge amount to be trialed by the mobile court so the complaint was handed over to kotwali police station for lodging as a regular case, said Mozaffar Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali police station.
Children’s death from adulterated syrup: HC orders DGDA to pay Tk 15 lakh to 104 victims’ families each
The High Court on Thursday ordered the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to provide Tk 15 lakh as compensation to 104 children’s families each who died between 1982 to 2009 taking adulterated paracetamol syrup.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik Al Jalil passed the order after hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard in 2010.
The court directed DGDA to collect the compensation money from individuals and organisations concerned complying with the order.
Senior advocate Manzil Murshid represented the petitioner’s side along with advocate Ripon Baroi, advocate Eklas Uddin Bhuiyan, advocate Sanjay Mol and Advocate Shahin Ara Laily while advocate Md Asaduzzaman appeared for the accused.
From 1982 to 1992, a total of 76 children died after drinking adulterated paracetamol syrup and in 2009, 28 more died after taking pracetamol syrup produced by Rid Pharmaceuticals.
In 2010, human rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) submitted a writ petition in public interest attaching the reports published in different newspapers.
READ: BCL-JCD clashes at DU: HC grants 35 JCD men anticipatory bail
The court held the final hearing on a rule issued over this writ petition on Thursday, said Manzil Murshid.
The court also announced DGDA’s inaction to control adulterated medicines illegal and asked it to take action against the crimes of adulterating medicines under the Special Power Act, he said.
Md Shafiqul Islam, then supervisor of DGDA, filed a case against five people including the owner of Rid Pharma over the death of 28 children in 2009 at Dhaka Drug Court. But the court acquitted all of the accused in this case after trial.
The death of 76 children between 1982 to 1992 due to kidney failure sparked huge outcry. Later lab test and probe revealed presence of toxic element Diethylene Glycol in paracetamol syrup produced by Polycam Laboratories and four other companies.
In 1993, DGDA filed a case against five people including owner of Polycam Laboratories Abdur Rab but the trial in the case came to a halt after the accused moved High Court.
After 26 years, the court sentenced Abdur Rab one year imprisonment in the case.
HC orders inquiry into harassment of students wearing burqa, hijab
The High Court on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to investigate the allegation of harassment of students wearing hijab and burqa in eight educational institutions.
The HC bench of Justice Mozibur Rahman and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order.
The court also asked the Education Secretary, the Home Secretary and DG of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to submit a report within 60 days stating what action has been taken against those involved in the incidents.
The eight educational institutions are Barbarpur High School in Mahadevpur of Naogaon: Brojendraganj RC High School in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj; Bhadeswar Nasir Uddin High School in Golapganj of Sylhet; Department of Management in Kushtia Islamic University; Sher-e-Bangla High School in Senbagh of Noakhali; Joarganj Buddhist High School in Mirersarai of Chattogram; Satbaria High School in Chandlaish of Chattogram, And Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj.
READ: BCL-JCD clashes at DU: HC grants 35 JCD men anticipatory bail
The court has declared August 11 as the next date for hearing.
In 2019, Allama Mohammad Mahbub Alam, editor of the daily Al Ihsan and monthly Al Bayyanat, filed a writ petition with the HC attaching media reports on harassment of students and parents for wearing hijab and burqas.
On July 1 that year, the court issued a rule after preliminary hearing.
Mahbub Alam filed a supplementary petition last month citing media reports over harassment of students at educational institutions wearing burqa and hijab.
HC stays trial against journo Kajol in 3 cases under DSA
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday stayed for two months the trial proceedings of three cases filed against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol under the Digital Security Act .
The HC bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Atowar Rahman passed the order after hearing on Kajol’s petition.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Kajol and deputy attorney general Sujit Chatterjee represented the state.
At the same time, the HC sought all the documents of these cases from the lower court.
The High Court also fixed July 28 for hearing on these appeals.
On February 1, barrister Jyotirmoy filed the petition with 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.
READ: HC grants three more months for converting to digital set-top boxes
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.
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 DSA.
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.