As the world watched the FIFA World Cup 2022 – hosted by Qatar – opening ceremony full of entertainment and anticipating a whole month of high-octane football action, I had a twinge of doubt. Are the ethical and moral circumstances surrounding this latest edition of the World Cup Ok? A couple of days back I was watching the recently released Netflix documentary, “FIFA Uncovered”.  It is a documentary exposing all the dirty laundry of the governing body of the most loved and followed sport on earth. Some of the revelations put an end to any doubt of FIFA’s love for corruption. The ex-co members of FIFA deeming Qatar worthy of hosting the 2022 World Cup is the shining jewel at the top of FIFA’s corruption crown! Qatar beat the USA and Canada to become the hosts of the 2022 World Cup, defying all logic as at the time of the voting, Qatar had next to no infrastructure worthy of hosting an event of this magnitude in comparison to their opponents vying for the same project.  Despite all this, Qatar was able to “buy” their way into becoming the hosts as the documentary shows. Read: Qatar ready to open Mideast’s first FIFA World Cup before leaders, fans A segment shows the immense Qatari investment in French ventures following the ensuring of Michel Platini’s (former UEFA president and FIFA ex-co member) vote going for Qatar’s bid. Interestingly, Qatar’s investment in Paris Saint Germain, the biggest club in France and the club Lionel Messi plays for now, is a part of Qatar’s investment in France following Platini’s tilt. Sports washing has long been an issue plaguing the world of sport. It’s basically a bid to use sports to improve reputations and brands damaged by wrongdoings of many kinds. What better sport than the most famous one known to mankind?  So, an investment of USD 12 billion to host this World Cup was worth it. This included building stadiums, hotels and even entire cities from scratch. Qatar’s bid to sportswash their country’s image of human rights violation (let’s not get into the details) was just the latest in a long run which included the 1936 “Nazi Olympics”. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Things you need to know As a football romantic, I am cynical of the credibility of the 2022 World Cup and its shenanigans, but as Morgan Freeman said during his speech at the opening ceremony in what according to me was the highlight of the evening, “What unites us here is so much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer?” I do hope the most emotionally stirring game in the world does take center stage amidst all this controversy, and if not anything else, we as a world community can enjoy our heroes fighting it out far away from the dirt that touched the hands of FIFA officials and celebrate the ultimate glory anyone related to football can dream of!

The High Court has reconstituted the board of directors to administer scam-ridden Destiny Multipurpose Co-Operative Society Ltd. Retired Justice of the High Court Mainul Islam Chowdhury has been made the chairman of the board. Bench of Justice Mhummad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order on Thursday during a hearing on the petition filed by 16 shareholders of the company including director Bikash Shil. Former district judge Hasan Shahed Ferdous, barrister Margub Kabir, FCA Fakhruddin Ahmed and former MPO trader Md Iqbal Zaman has been made members of the new board of directors. On May 31, 16 shareholders of the company appealed seeking permission to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to the High Court. The petition said, from 2012 to 2021 no AGM of the company was held as several directors including Managing Director of Destiny Rafiqul Amin remained in jail in criminal cases. In 2018, an appeal was made seeking to liquidate the company at the High Court but an order in this regard was stayed by the appellate division of the Supreme Court later, said the petition. However, the order did not ask to refrain from holding AGM or directing the company. Barrister Mainul Hossain represented the petitioner’s side while advocate Ujjwal Kumar Bhowmik represented the opposition on behalf of Destiny MD Rafiqul Amin during the hearing today. Barrister Mainul Hossain said the High Court has asked to keep five members in the new board and it will take decisions considering the interests of the shareholders. Also read: Issue red alerts for arrest of 39 fugitives in Destiny scam case: HC

The High Court Thursday granted permanent bail to Regent Hospital Chair Mohammad Shahed in a corruption case filed on charge of nearly Tk2.75 crore embezzlement from Padma Bank (formerly Farmers Bank). The bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kazal gave the order. Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while lawyer Masudul Haque stood for Shahed. In 2020, ACC Deputy Director Md Shahjahan Miraj filed a case against four people, including Shahed. The ACC will appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order, Khurshid said. Also, Shahed, who was arrested in several other criminal cases, cannot be released from jail, he added. Also read: SC suspends bail order by HC to Regent’s Shahed in arms case

A Dhaka court on Sunday framed charges against six people including former director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad, in a case over Regent Hospital’s fake Covid test report scam. Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 Asad Mohammad Asifuzzaman framed the charges and fixed July 4 recording testimonies of the witnesses. The trial in the case started formally with the framing of charges. On June 6, the court fixed June 12 for charge framing hearing. The five other accused are--- Regent chairman Md Shahed alias Shahed Karim, former DGHS director Aminul Hasan, deputy director Yunus Ali, assistant director Shafiur Rahman, and research officer Didarul Islam. Of them, five including former DGHS DG Azad secured bail while Regent Group chairman Shahed is in jail now. READ: Regent Hospital scam: Charge sheet hearing against ex-DGHS DG, 5 others on Feb 22 On September 30, 2021, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted a charge sheet to the court against six people, including Abul Kalam, in the case. Azad was not initially named in the charge sheet but his name was added later following an investigation. On September 23 of 2020, Deputy Director of the anti-graft commission Farid Ahmed Patwary lodged the complaint against five people with Dhaka Coordinated Office-1 for embezzling Tk 1.37 crore by issuing fake Covid test certificates from Regent Hospital. On September 24, 2020, the court accepted the statement of case and directed ACC deputy director to investigate the case and submit a report. On February 22, a Dhaka court accepted the chargesheet and shifted the case to Dhaka Spcial Judge Court-6.

The committee formed for safeguarding rights of scammed e-commerce consumers will submit a report with recommendations within one month to restore discipline in the sector. “According to the mandate we will determine a method for recovering the lost money of consumers in e-commerce and will send it to the cabinet”, said Additional secretary of the Commerce Ministry AHM Shafiquzzaman on Monday He said this to journalists on Monday after attending a meeting held in this regard at the secretariat. Also read: Money laundered by e-commerce firms to be recovered: Murad Hassan “Arrangements will be made according to the cabinet’s decision. For Evaly the High Court itself is appointing administrators which can be followed for others too,” he said. From June 30 an escrow system has been introduced where a third party holds the payment money until the product is delivered properly, said the additional secretary. “The report will include recommendations on bringing all the e-commerce sites under one payment gateway and bringing them under VAT, TAX.” he said. A total of eight recommendations will be sent to the cabinet within a month for securing the consumer rights, said Shafiquzzaman. According to which policy makers will be able to make a digital commerce guideline or a way to bring e-commerce under discipline, he added. The additional secretary said, the incidents regarding e-commerce have definitely caused damage which has to be repaired for taking it forward. Also read: HC wants to know steps taken to prevent money laundering by e-commerce firms Regarding the registration of e-commerce, the official said a format has already been made and the committee is working on the online registration process now. “A meeting will be held next week in this regard,” he said.

Police arrested popular radio jockey Humayun Kabir Nirob alias RJ Nirob, head of sales (communications and public relations) of E-commerce platform Qcoom in a case filed over fraud. Confirming the information, Hafiz Al Faruq, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division told UNB that Nirob was arrested  early hours of Friday  from his house at Nobodoy Housing in Adabor after a customer of Qcoom filed a case against six people, including Nirob, at Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station,." Read: Owners of e-orange.shop sent to jail over fraud case A Dhaka court  placed him on one-day remand for police quizzing, Hafiz  added. On October 4, police arrested  Qcoom's chief executive officer Ripon Miah on charges of fraudulence and embezzlement. Read: Evaly CEO, chairman arrested from Mohammadpur residence Later on the day, a Dhaka court placed him on two days' remand, in connection with the case filed at Paltan Police . These arrests come at a time when the country’s e-commerce sector has been rattled by a plethora of scams of different nature, most infamously that of Evaly. 

Two top Bengal Ministers and two other politicians have been charged by the country's premier economic intelligence agency for their alleged role in a cash-for-favours scam, more than three months after their arrests. The four politicians named in the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate are serving ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, and former ministers Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee, an official told the media in state capital Kolkata on Wednesday. While Firhad and Subrata are Urban Development and Panchayati Raj Ministers, respectively, Madan is a legislator of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's ruling Trinamool Congress party. Sovan, on the other hand, is Kolkata's former Mayor. He left the Trinamool in 2019 to join India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, but quit the outfit just before the assembly polls. The four were caught accepting bribes on tapes in a sting operation some seven years ago. In May, all the four politicians were arrested by the country's premier probe agency -- the Central Bureau of Investigation -- after Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar approved a plea to prosecute the four accused in the Narada tapes scandal. Read: Mamata slams Modi govt as nephew summoned over coal scam "Governor accorded sanction for prosecution... being the appointing authority of ministers @MamataOfficial under article 164 and thus competent authority," Dhankhar  tweeted on May 9. The Narada scandal was a sting operation carried out by a journalist that caught on tape several ministers and senior officials of the Mamata government accepting cash bribes in exchange for doling out favours to a private firm looking to set up business in Bengal. Earlier in May, Mamata scripted history by single-handedly pulling off an astounding win in the assembly election. She had not only defied anti-incumbency but also staved off a huge challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP had asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after years of Communist and Trinamool rule.

A court here on Tuesday sent two accused to jail after rejecting their bail petitions in a case filed in connection with Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) curtain purchase scam.