A Khulna court on Thursday cleared eight accused of charges in the 2003 death of two policemen in a bomb attack. Khulna Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Judge Mahmuda Khatun gave the order during a hearing. The acquitted are Abdur Rashi Malitha Tapan, Milan, Kamal, Biplab, Sheikh Sahadat Hossain Raju, Asaduzzaman Tipu, Ekram Hossain, and Rafiqul Islam Milton, lawyer KM Iqbal Hossain, who represented the state, said. Read: HC summons 3 Khulna lawyers to face contempt charges According to the case complaint, on March 3, 2003, policemen Shariful, Ramesh Chandra, Nizam Uddin and Maniruzzaman were on duty at the Power House intersection of Khulna city. Around 7:50pm some unidentified people hurled a bomb at them which blew off Maniruzzaman's legs completely and left Shariful and Ramesh severely injured. Later, Shariful and Ramesh were declared dead after being rushed to the hospital. Sonadanga Police Station Sub-Inspector Ashraful Islam filed two cases under the Explosive Substances Act 1908 against unnamed people. Read: Police press chargesheet within 24 hrs of murder case in Manikganj On September 4, 2004, police submitted a charge sheet to the court against nine people. Of the accused, Riazul Islam Masud died; of the acquitted, Raju was in jail. Milton, Tipu, and Milan were out on bail; Ekram, Kamal, Biplab and Malitha remained absconding.

A Dhaka court on Thursday framed charges against vehicle and gold trader Monir Hossain alias Golden Monir in a narcotics case. Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge Sheikh Samidul Islam framed the charges rejecting Monir’s plea for exemption from the case and ordered to begin trial in the case. The court also fixed November 2 for recording testimonies of the witnesses. Read: HC rejects bail to 'Golden Monir' in money laundering case On November 20, 2020, Rab members surrounded Monir's house in the capital's Badda. During the eight-hour operation, almost 7 Kg gold jewelry, foreign pistols, liquor, huge amount of foriegn currencies from 10 countries and Tk 1.9 crore cash were seized from the house. On December 10 of the same year, Golden Monir was sent to jail after being remanded for 27 days in three separate cases under the arms, special powers and narcotics laws. On January 26, 2021, Inspector of Detective Brunch (DB) Abdul Malek submitted a chargesheet against Golden Monir in two separate cases under the Narcotics Control Act and the Arms Act.

A Dhaka Court on Tuesday accepted the charges against expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat in a graft case. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh accepted the chargesheet in the case in presence of Samrat and ordered the transfer of the case to Dhaka Special Judge's Court-6. The court also fixed March 31 for hearing on charge framing  and his bail petition. Read: Court sets Jan 10 for framing charges against Samrat in graft case Earlier in the morning, Samrat was taken to the court from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for different ailments. On March 7, Samrat’s lawyer Ehsanul Haque Samaji appealed for his bail. The court then fixed today for hearing on charge framing and bail. According to the case, Samrat was accused of acquiring assets worth Tk 2.94 crore beyond his known sources of income. A Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against him on November 12 in 2019. On November 26 last year, the investigation officer of the case, Jahangir Alam, submitted a charge sheet before the court. Read: Court sets Nov 30 for framing charges against Samrat in arms, drug cases On October 6 in 2019, Rab arrested Samrat and his associate Enamul Haque Arman from Chauddagram in Cumilla. Rab later raided his Kakrail office on that day. A 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 and was sent to jail the same day.

A Dhaka tribunal on Wednesday accepted charges against two people including  Rafiqul Islam Madani who is popularly known as Shishu Bokta, in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for delivering ‘anti-state and provocative’ speeches. The other accused is Mahmudul Hasan Murtuza. Dhaka Cyber Tribunal Judge Ash Shams Jaglul Hossain took the charges into cognisance. Read: ‘Shishu Bokta’ Rafiqul indicted in DSA case The court also fixed February 22 for hearing on charge framing in the case, said the tribunal's counsel Shamim Al Mamun. After hearing both sides, the court rejected Rafiqul's bail plea, who is currently in jail, and granted permanent bail to Mahmudul. On January 26, a Dhaka court framed charges against Rafiqul Islam Madani in this case. RAB members arrested Rafiqul from his home in Netrakona on April 7 last year on charges of making anti-state and provocative remarks and creating chaos. Read: ‘Shishu Bokta’ Rafiqul sued under DSA; lands in jail On April 8 last year, a case was filed against Rafiqul under the Digital Security Act at Gachha police station in Gazipur. Later on April 11 of the year, another case was filed under the Digital Security Act at Basan Police Station in Gazipur. However, Rafiqul Islam was granted bail by the High Court in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act at Kotwali Police Station in Mymensingh on September 30. Earlier, Madadi was arrested on March 25 in 2021 from Motijheel area during a demonstration protesting the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Independence and later he was freed. Rafiqul, also director of Saoatul Hera Madrasha at Paschim Bilashpur in Netrakona district, reportedly delivered ‘provocative’ speech in a Waj Mahfil at Gachha. He is also assistant vice president of Jubo Jamiat, a wing of Jamiat-e-Ulama- Islam, of Netrakona.

Dhallywood actress Pori Moni on Sunday appealed to the High Court for quashing the case filed against her under the Narcotics Control Act and subsequent indictment by the trial court. The appeal was submitted according to section 561, A of Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 on saving the inherent power of High Court Division, Pori Moni’s lawyer ZI Khan Panna to UNB. On January 5, Dhaka Special Judge of Court-10, Md Nazrul Islam indicted Pori Moni and two others in the case filed under the Narcotics Control Act. The court fixed February 1 as the next date for hearing the testimonies of witnesses. Also read: Spl court frames charges against Pori Moni, 2 others in narcotics case On January 2, the same court set January 5 for hearing arguments on whether to press charges against the trio in the case. Pori Moni and two others are currently out on bail in the case. On November 15 last year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Emrul Kayesh took into cognizance the charges framed by police against the accused. On October 4, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet against Pori Moni and the two others in the case. CID inspector and also the investigation officer in the case, Kazi Mostafa Kamal submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. Pori Moni was arrested on August 4, following a raid by RAB on her Banani residence. A case was filed against her under the Narcotics Control Act the following day. Also read: Pori Moni-Raaz announces pregnancy On August 22, she was remanded in judicial custody again after she was produced before a court on the completion of a day's police remand, her third. On August 31, 2021, a Dhaka court granted bail to Pori Moni in the narcotics case until the submission of the charge sheet. She had walked out of jail the following day.

A Dhaka court on Monday accepted the charges against film actress Pori Moni and two others in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Emrul Kayesh took the charges into cognisance and fixed December 14 for hearing on charge framing. The two other accused are Ashraful Islam Dipu and Kabir Hossain. Earlier on October 26, a Dhaka court granted bail to the three accused in the case. The court also fixed November 15 for hearing on the acceptance of the chargesheet against them. On October 4, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a chargesheet against Pori Moni and the two others in the case. CID inspector and also the investigating officer in the case Kazi Mostafa Kamal submitted the chargesheet to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. READ: Multiple remands of Pori Moni: 2 magistrates seek unconditional apology to HC Pori Moni was arrested on August 4, following a raid by Rab on her Banani residence. A case was filed against her under the Narcotics Control Act the following day. On August 22, she was sent to jail after inspector Kazi produced her in a court on the completion of a day's police remand, her third. READ: Court fixes Nov 15 for hearing on chargesheet against Pori Moni On August 31, a Dhaka court granted bail to Pori Moni in the drugs case until submission of the chargesheet. She walked out of jail the following day.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday quizzed the chairman of BNS Group of Companies MNH Bulu in connection with grabbing of a government plot. ACC Director Sheikh Fanfillah and Deputy Director Subash Dutta questioned him at the ACC head office. According to ACC, the BNS Group chairman bought a plot in Gulshan from Anawar Alam. Anwar in collision with the officials of RAJUK and the Public Works Department illegally took many plots in Gulshan and Dhanmondi areas.     READ: Rajbari Regional Passport Office under ACC scanner  Earlier, the ACC received a number of graft allegations, including income tax dodging and construction of a building in the capital without the approval of city authority, against the BNS Group chairman. According to the allegations received by the ACC, Bulu built BNS Centre at the city’s Uttara Sector 7 without the approval of Rajuk, and swindled about Tk 22 crore of customers’ money by selling the properties.   READ: ACC probes allegation of loan embezzlement at Agrani bank

Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, just after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department over fraud charges and flew to China. The frenetic chain of events involving the global powers brought an abrupt end to legal and geopolitical wrangling that for the past three years has roiled relations between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa. The three-way deal enabled China and Canada to each bring home their own detained citizens while the U.S. wrapped up a criminal case against a prominent tech executive that for months had been mired in an extradition fight. The first activity came Friday afternoon when Meng Wanzhou, 49, Huawei’s chief finance officer and the daughter of the company’s founder, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China immediately. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the company’s business dealings in Iran. About an hour after Meng’s plane left Canada for China, Trudeau revealed that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were also on their way home. The men were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request. Many countries labeled China’s action “hostage politics.” “These two men have been through an unbelievably difficult ordeal. For the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance and grace and we are all inspired by that,” Trudeau said. News of Meng’s pending return was a top item on the Chinese internet and on state broadcaster CCTV’s midday news report, with no mention made of the release of Kovrig and Spavor. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reposted on social media a report on Meng having left Canada, adding “Welcome home.” Video was also circulated online of Meng speaking at Vancouver International Airport, saying; “Thank you motherland, thank you to the people of the motherland. You have been my greatest pillar of support.” The deal was reached as President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have sought to tamp down signs of public tension — even as the world’s two dominant economies are at odds on issues as diverse as cybersecurity, climate change, human rights and trade and tariffs. Biden said in an address before the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week that he had no intention of starting a “new Cold War,” while Xi told world leaders that disputes among countries “need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation.” “The U.S. Government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision by People’s Republic of China authorities to release Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention. We are pleased that they are returning home to Canada,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. As part of the deal with Meng, which was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against her in December 2022 — exactly four years after her arrest — provided that she complies with certain conditions, including not contesting any of the government’s factual allegations. The Justice Department also agreed to drop its request that Meng be extradited to the U.S., which she had vigorously challenged, ending a process that prosecutors said could have persisted for months. After appearing via videoconference for her New York hearing, Meng made a brief court appearance in Vancouver, where she’d been out on bail living in a multimillion-dollar mansion while the two Canadians were held in Chinese prison cells where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day. Outside the courtroom, Meng thanked the Canadian government for upholding the rule of law, expressed gratitude to the Canadian people and apologized “for the inconvenience I caused.” “Over the last three years my life has been turned upside down,” she said. “It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, a wife and as a company executive. But I believe every cloud has a silver lining. It really was an invaluable experience in my life. I will never forget all the good wishes I received.” Shortly afterward, Meng left on an Air China flight for Shenzhen, China, the location of Huawei’s headquarters. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of China’s progress in becoming a technological world power — and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms and stolen technology. The case against Meng stems from a January 2019 indictment from the Trump administration Justice Department that accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets and using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The indictment also charged Meng herself with committing fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the company’s business dealings in Iran. The indictment came amid a broader Trump administration crackdown against Huawei over U.S. government concerns that the company’s products could facilitate Chinese spying. The administration cut off Huawei’s access to U.S. components and technology, including Google’s music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei. The Biden White House, meanwhile, has kept up a hard line on Huawei and other Chinese corporations whose technology is thought to pose national security risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. government’s allegations and security concerns about its products. Meng had long fought the Justice Department’s extradition request, with her lawyers calling the case against her flawed and alleging that she was being used as a “bargaining chip” in political gamesmanship. They cited a 2018 interview in which then-President Donald Trump said he’d be willing to intervene in the case if it would help secure a trade deal with China or aid U.S. security interests. Last month, a Canadian judge held off on ruling whether Meng should be extradited to the U.S. after a Canadian Justice Department lawyer wrapped up his case saying there was enough evidence to show she was dishonest and deserved to stand trial in the U.S. Comfort Ero, the interim Vice President of the International Crisis Group, Kovrig’s employer, said they have been waiting for more than 1,000 days for the news. “Michael Kovrig is free. To Beijing: We welcome this most just decision. To Ottawa: Thank you for your steadfast support for our colleague. To the United States: Thank you for your willingness to support an ally and our colleague. To the inimitable, indefatigable, and inspiring Michael Kovrig, welcome home!” Ero said in a statement.

A cyber tribunal in Dhaka on Tuesday accepted charges against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA). Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal relieved 31 others from the charges after a hearing, and fixed October 20 for framing charges against Kajol in the case. Already enjoying bail from the High Court, the tribunal also granted him bail in the case. Also read: DSA case against journalist Kajol shifted to Cyber Tribunal On April 4, the case against Kajol was shifted to the Cyber Tribunal. Investigating officer Md Rassel Mollah submitted the charge-sheet on March 14. Jubo Mohila League central leader Sumaiya Chowdhury Bonnya filed the case on March 11 last year accusing Kajol of writing defamatory remarks on various MPs on his Facebook profile. He was freed from the Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year. On December 17, the High Court granted him bail in two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release. Also read: Digital Security Act: Charges pressed against Kajol On November 24 that year, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the DSA. Kajol had gone missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed the case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury. They were sued under the DSA for publishing and sharing an article on social media about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia. Two other cases were filed against Kajol with KamrangirChar and Hazaribagh police stations under the same act on March 10 and March 11. On May 3, Kajol was shown 'detained' by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along the Benapole border after 53 days of his disappearance and was produced in a Jashore court, which sent him to jail.

A court here on Tuesday accepted charges against five accused, including Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruq, land owner of the FR Tower, in a case filed over tower design forgery.