A Dhaka court has scheduled February 20 as the date to announce the judgment in the high-profile murder case of Sagira Morshed, who was killed in 1989. The decision was made by the Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3, Mohammad Ali, according to Advocate Faruk Ahmed, representing the plaintiff. The individuals accused in this case are Dr. Hasan Ali Chowdhury, 71, Sagira's brother-in-law; his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda alias Shahin, 65; Mahmud Rezwan, 60; Maruf Reza, 60; and Mantu Mandal alias Mintu. Among them, Mahmud and Maruf are currently incarcerated, while the others have been released on bail. Brother-in-law among 4 indicted in Sagira Morshed murder case Sagira Morshed was fatally shot on Siddheswari Road, Dhaka, on July 25, 1989, while on her way to pick up her daughter from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, attempted to rob her of her gold bangle and shot her as she tried to escape, leading to her death en route to the hospital. The murder case was initially filed by Sagira's husband, Salam Chowdhury, at the Ramna Police Station. A chargesheet against Mantu was submitted on January 17, 1991. Subsequent orders from the High Court transferred the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). The PBI investigation revealed that the murder was not a simple mugging but involved a deeper family feud. On January 15, 2020, Inspector Rafiqul Islam of PBI Dhaka (South) Metropolitan submitted a new chargesheet. Later, on November 13, 2020, Dr. Hasan and his wife Shahin confessed to their involvement in Sagira's murder before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain. Sagira Murder: Court takes congnisance of charges against 4 accused Following these developments, the PBI arrested Dr. Hasan upon his return from abroad, presenting him before the magistrate's court as part of their ongoing investigation into the murder, which has now spanned over three decades.

Freedom fighter Abdul Halim, who was found dead at his residence in Maulabazar in Narayanganj on February 1, was killed by a person hired by his son, in a plot to embezzle Tk 30 lakh, said Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Manirul Islam, superintendent of police, came up with the information while speaking at a press briefing held at Narayanganj District Police office on Sunday. PBI found the evidence after recovering the hard drive of CCTV footage of the house. On February 1, Abdul Halim, with his hands and legs tied, was found dead at his residence. Halim’s only son, HM Masud, claimed that robbers killed Halim after tying up his limbs. They also looted valuables including cash and gold ornaments from the house, said Manirul. Jaher Ali, son-in-law of Halim, filed a case with Fatulla Police Station on that day. Halim along with his son Masud were at the house on that day as Masud’s wife and children went to the house of Masud’s father-in-law two days back, according to the complaint lodged with police. Also read: Ayat’s head recovered from Ctg canal, PBI says Later, the case was handed over to PBI. PBI arrested Md Rubel, a human hauler operator from Shanir Akhra in Jatrabari of the capital and he gave a confessional statement under section 164. Police also recovered Tk 4.43 lakh cash and hard drive of the CCTV footage from the house of Rubel. Following the confessional statement of Rubel, police came to know that Halim withdrew Tk 30 lakh from his bank two months before the murder and to capture the money, Masud hired a hitman at Tk 5 lakh to kill his father, said SP Manirul. Masud went into hiding and police are trying to arrest him, said Manirul.  

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) on Monday submitted an investigation report against Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Junaid Babunagari and 42 others in a case filed over the alleged murder of the group’s former chief Shah Ahmad Shafi.PBI Chattogram Police Superintendent Nazmul Hossain said the report was submitted to the Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Court in the afternoon. Also read: Case filed over Hefazat chief Shafi’s death, Mamunul among 36 sued Also read: Ahmad Shafi’s death: PBI investigators visit Hathazari MadrasaShafi, the rector of Hathazari Madrasa and chief of Hefazat, breathed his last at a hospital in the capital on September 18 last year at the age of 104.On December 17, a case was filed against 36 people including Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque over the death of Shafi.Md Mainuddin, the brother-in-law of Shafi, filed the case with Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Court-3, calling his death “a planned murder”.The court ordered PBI to file an investigation report within a month.

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday issued a rule seeking explanation as to why marriages and divorces should not be registered digitally and available online. The HC also asked why necessary steps, including establishment of a centralised website, a sort pf electronic register,won’t be taken in this regard. The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Molla issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed in the form of public interest litigation. Ex-husband of Tamima Sultana, who recently wed cricketer Nasir Hossain, and three others including an organization filed the writ petition on March 4. Advocate Ishrat Hasan stood for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Md Rasel Chowdhury represented the state. Also read: PBI asked to probe case against cricketer Nasir, his wife The writ said incidents of frequent fraudulence occurred as matrimony and divorce are not registered digitally, increasing number of marriage-related offences. Digitalization is essential to avoid the marriage-related crimes, it said. Meanwhile, Tamima Sultana’s former husband filed the petition as Tamima allegedly got married to cricketer Nasir without divorcing her husband Rakib Hasan. On February 24, a Dhaka court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate a case filed against Nasir and his wife. According to the case statement, Tamima got married to Rakib Hasan on February 26, 2011 and they have an eight year old daughter. Tamima, a cabin crew of Saudia Airlines, had been staying in Saudi Arabia due to Covid-19 situation since March, 2020. During this time, she contacted her family through mobile phone and social media. Tamima got married with the cricketer on February 14 while photographs of their marriage went viral on social media which drew the attention of Rakib Hasan. He then proceeded to reveal Tamima never divorced him, which put a cloud over the legal status of her union with Nasir. For Tamima's, or anyone else's for that matter, second marriage to be legal, the first has to be legally annulled. Tamima insists she divorced Rakib, and produced a document before the media in this connection. But the concerned municipal office, where the divore document is also supposed to be sent, has denied receiving a copy.

A Dhaka court on Sunday accepted a case filed by cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore over alleged torture on him in custody after his arrest under the Digital Security Act (DSA).

A Dhaka court on Wednesday asked the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to submit a report on February 3, after investing a sedition case filed against Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh chief Junaid Babunagari over his anti-sculpture comments.

Police on Tuesday filed before a court a chargesheet against 24 people for their alleged involvement in the murder of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Chattogram city unit leader Sudipta Biswas.

Members of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) visited the Hathazari Madrasa on Tuesday morning as part of their probe into the alleged killing of Hefazat-e-Islam founder Shah Ahmad Shafi.

Ninth-grader Tasfia Amin, who was found dead at Chattogram’s Patenga sea beach in 2018, killed herself.

A case was filed on Thursday against 36 people including Hefazat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque over the death of the coalition’s supreme leader Shah Ahmad