A Dhaka court on Sunday (October 8, 2023) sentenced disgraced director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL) Proshanto Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder to 22 years’ of imprisonment in a case over amassing wealth and money laundering. Thirteen other accused in the case were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment each. Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-10 Mohammad Nazrul Islam delivered the judgment. The 13 convicts included Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Avantika Baral, Shankh Bepari, PK Halder's mother Lilavati Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistri, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Som, Subrata Das, Anang Mohan Roy and Swapan Kumar Mistri. Read: Court fixes October 8 to deliver verdict in graft case against PK Halder, 13 others Of them, Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Avantika Baral and Shankh Bepari were present on the dock during the delivery of the judgment. Earlier on October 4, the court set October 8 for delivering verdict upon ending arguments from the both the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the defendants. Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury, assistant director of Dhaka Integrated District Office of the ACC, filed the case against PK Haldar for acquiring around Tk 275 crore illegally on January 8, 2020. According to the case statement, PK Halder acquired wealth worth almost Tk 275 crore beyond known sources of income through illegal activities and kept them in his possession. Read: India to hand over PK Halder to Bangladesh? The ACC investigated the case and submitted a charge sheet to the court. In the charge sheet, the anti-graft watchdog accused Halder of laundering CAD 1.17 crore to Canada through illegal means. A Dhaka court framed charges against the accused on September 8, 2021. On May 13 this year, India's federal economic offences police arrested PK Halder and his two associates from the eastern state of West Bengal. He is now in an Indian jail. Read more:Trial of graft case against PK Halder begins

The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of Cyber Security Act 2023 with the provisions of maximum Tk 25 lakh in fine for publishing defamatory information through digital media, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq. “There will be no provision of jail sentence and the government will impose fine after abolishing the jail term in the Act,” he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat. He said that related provisions for cyber security included in the Digital Security Act will be retained in the Act without making any changes. Law minister questions citizenship of those who defy constitution According to the Section 29 of the Digital Security Act, if any person publishes or transmits any defamatory information as described in section 499 of the Penal Code through Website or in any other electronic format, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 (three) years, or with fine of Tk 5 lakh. As per the Cyber Security Act-2023, the government has planned to scrap jail terms and impose fines in this section, he said. “From now on the only punishment is fine in this section. But if anyone fails to pay the fine he would have to serve in jail for three-six months.” No dialogue with BNP over unrealistic proposals: Law Minister Earlier on Monday, the Cabinet decided to replace the Digital Security Act with the Cyber Security Act 2023, in which sections of the existing law will be amended. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting in the morning. The name of the law has been changed, and some sections of the law have been amended, the minister added. On May 3, the law minister said that the Digital Security Act will not be repealed but necessary amendments will be made. Govt has plans to modernise Air Force, Navy: Law Minister The DSA was enacted on October 8, 2018 with the aim of preventing the spread of sectarianism, extremism, terrorist propaganda, and hatred against religious or ethnic minorities through social media, print media or any other electronic media. But, since its inception, the DSA has been criticized heavily for its widespread misuse, especially against journalists.  

A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced five people including, Helena Jahangir, expelled leader of an  Awami League sub-committee, to two years imprisonment in a fraud case filed with Pallabi Police Station. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain handed down the judgment. The court also fined them Tk 2000 each, in default, to suffer two months more imprisonment. The four other convicts are-- Hazera Khatun, general manager of Helena Jahangir's IPTV Joyjatra television, its coordinator Sanaullah Nuri, chief news editor Quamruzzaman Arif and staff reporter Mahfuz Shahrier. Also Read: Court fixes Mar 20 for delivering judgment in case against Helena Jahangir, 4 others The court also issued warrants for the arrest of Helena and Hazera for not to appear before the court during the hearing. On March 14, the court fixed March 20 for delivering the judgment in the case after concluding the law-point arguments from both the defense and state counsel sides. Abdur Rahman Tuhin, Bhola district correspondent of Joyjatra television, filed the case against Helena and four others with Pallabi Police Station on August 2, 2021. Also Read: Helena Jahangir gets bail in DSA case, may walk out of jail soon According to the prosecution, Helena Jahangir took Tk 54,000 from Tuhin for appointing him as a district correspondent of the television. After joining the television, he did not get any remuneration for several months. On the other hand, the television authorities used to take Tk 3,000 from him every month. On November 21, 2021, inspector Shahinur Islam of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted chargesheet against Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. On July 29, 2021, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Helena Jahangir, 49, from her residence in the city’s Gulshan-2 area. The elite force members "seized foreign liquor, illegal walkie-talkie sets, casino equipment and deer skins" from her possession. Four separate cases were filed against Helena.      

A tribunal in Barishal on Monday sentenced a man in absentia to life imprisonment in two cases for abducting and raping a girl in 2012. The convict was identified as Babul Matabbar, resident of Bahadur village under Mehediganj Upazila in the district. Judge Yarab Hossain of Barishal Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal announced the verdict in the absence of the convict on Monday afternoon. However, the court also imposed a Tk 20,000 fine on the accused and issued an arrest warrant as he was absent during the pronouncement of the verdict. According to the prosecution, on 8 June 2012, accused Babul Matabbar entered the victim's house forcefully breaking the door and abducted her as the victim's family refused Babul’s wedding proposal to the victim. On 10 June, the victim's father filed a case with Mehediganj Police Station. On September 5 of the same year, the investigating officer of the case filed a charge sheet accusing Jasim and 5 accused persons. After the testimony of 8 people, the judge gave the verdict.

A Rangamati court on Thursday sentenced a music teacher to eight years imprisonment for sexually harassing a female student for two years. Rangamati Women and Children Tribunal Judge AEM Ismail Hossain also handed the teacher a Tk5 lakh fine, Md Saiful Islam, the public prosecutor of the court, said. The court asked the district's deputy commissioner to give the fine to the student after taking it from the convict, he added. Read: 3 get life imprisonment for ‘gang rape’ of 2 girls in city According to the case statement, Ranajit sexually harassed his 18-year-old student at least three times from April 2020 to March 2022 while teaching her at her home. Later, the girl's father filed a case accusing the teacher under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 at the local police station.

A Cox’s Bazar court has sentenced 101 self-confessed drug peddlers to one and a half years of rigorous imprisonment. It also fined them Tk 20,000 each. Judge Mohammad Ismail of district and sessions judge court pronounced the judgment Wednesday noon. However, the accused were acquitted from another arms case as allegations against them were not proved. Among the convicts, only 17 were present at the courtroom while 84 others tried in absentia, said Md Faridul Alam, Public Prosecutor (PP) of the court. Read: Drug peddler snatched from police custody in Ctg; woman shot dead “In its observation, the court said that the verdict will play an important role in preventing others from joining the illegal trade in the future,” said Faridul. According to the PP, the court in its observation said that a total of 37 yaba dealers died during shootouts with law enforcers in 2019. On February 16, 2019, 3,50,000 yaba pills  and 30 firearms were recovered, which the surrendered drug dealers identified as theirs. A total of 34 witnesses gave testimonies in the arms case, the court said. Some influential people who have been convicted in the drugs case include four brothers of former Member of Parliament (MP) Abdur Rahman Badi -Abdul Amin, Abdur Shukkur, Shafiqul Islam and Foysal Rahman, current chairman of Teknaf Sadar Union Ziaur Rahman Jihad, his elder brother Abdur Rahman and Didar Mia, son of former Teknaf upazila Chairman Jafar Ahmed.   Read: 5 members of drugs gang sentenced for 2014 attack on Rab According to court sources, a total of 102 drug dealers surrendered before law enforcement agencies at Teknaf Pilot High School field on February 16, 2019. Later, two separate cases were filed in this regard by ABMS Doha, then Officer In-charge (OC) of Teknaf Model Police Station.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday sent general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal Sultana Ahmed to jail after expiry of her two-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA), on charges of making derogatory remarks about the prime minister. Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal is the women front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain passed the order turning down her bail plea in the case. Read: BNP women’s front leader sent to remand in case under DSA Sultana Ahmed was placed on a two-day remand on Sunday after arrest from her residence in the city’s Gulshan. On the same day, Abdul Hamid, former president of Gopalganj District Chhatra League, lodged a complaint at Paltan police station.

A court in Khulna on Sunday sentenced 17 people including an incumbent Union Parishad (UP) chairman to life imprisonment in a sensational double murder case. Khulna Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Md Nazrul Islam Hawlader also fined the convicts Tk 5,000 each, in default, they will have to serve one more year in jail.  The court handed down the judgment in presence of all the accused. According the case statement, all the accused equipped with sharp weapons stormed into the house of Piru Sheikh, a resident of Pahardanga village in Terokhada upazila of the district, and stabbed him at the instruction of Abdur Rahim over previous enmity on August 6, 2019, leaving him injured. The killers also hacked Piru’s son Nayem to death on the spot when he was desperately trying to save his father, the statement said. Piru Sheikh succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka around two months after the incident. Later, Piru’s wife filed a murder case against 17 named people and 12 unnamed ones at the local police station. Read: 2 to die, 2 get life term jail for killing businessperson in Ctg Police pressed the charge sheet accusing 19 people at the court on January 29, 2020. The court acquitted two accused from the charges as allegations brought against them were not proved, Md Ahaduzzaman, public prosecutor, told UNB. He said they are satisfied with the verdict delivered by the court and demanded immediate execution of it. Rejecting the judgment, plaintiff Mahfuza Begum said they will appeal to the High Court seeking capital punishment of the convicts.

A Jamalpur court on Sunday sentenced a man to life imprisonment unto death for killing his 16-month-old sister in 2017 The convict was identified as Indrajit Ghosh, son of Poritosh Chandra Ghosh of Shimla Gopinath village in Sarishabari upazila. The court also sentenced him one year jail under a separate section and fined him Tk 20,000. Also read: Gold smuggling case: 3 get life terms in Ctg court Generally, life imprisonment in Bangladesh law means 30 years in prison unless specifically mentioned in the judgement, as was here. According to the prosecution, Indrajit picked Prapti, daughter of Poritosh from the room of his elder brother and threw her in a pond near Shimla Bazar over previous enmity on January 22, 2017. Police recovered the body of Prapti from the pond on the following day Poritosh lodged a complaint with Sarishabari Police who registered a case later. Police arrested Indrajit and his uncle-in-law Ananda Mahanta in this connection. Police submitted a chargesheet against them. Also read: Narayanganj 7-murder: Nur Hossain gets life term in arms case After examining records and witnesses, Jamalpur District and Session Judge Zulficker Ali Khan handed down the punishment and acquitted Mahanta as allegations brought against him could not be proved.

A court in  Rangpur has sentenced two men to life imprisonment for raping a woman in front of her husband in 2004. Rangpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 judge M Ali Ahmed handed down the punishment to Ekramul Haque and Abul Kalam Azad, both residents of Pirganj upazila, after holding them guilty of the crime on Thursday. According to the prosecution, the convicts waylaid the couple in Pirganj upazila while they were returning to their home from their relative’s place around 11pm on September 2, 2004. Subsequently, they tied up the woman's husband to a tree and violated her at gunpoint. Also read: ACC appeals to HC to increase sentence of 45 Destiny executives Based on the couple's complaint, an FIR for rape was lodged at Pirganj police station later and the two men, then accused, were arrested from different parts of the district. Iqbal Bahar, then sub-inspector of Pirganj Police Station, submitted the chargesheet against the duo in the rape case.