The High Court on Monday started the hearing on the death references and appeals of the convicts in a murder case over the August 21 grenade attack  on an Awami League rally in 2004. The hearing started at the HC bench of Justice Sahidul Karim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman in the morning. State counsel Attorney General Abu Mohammad (AM) Amin Uddin gave his statement on the death references at the court. Read more: ‘Should I hold dialogue with Khaleda, Tarique who wanted to kill me with grenade attack?’ A Dhaka court on October 10, 2018, sentenced 19 people, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, to death in the case. The others who were sentenced to death are then DGFI Director Major General (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, then NSI Brigadier General (retd) Abdur Rahim, Mohammad Hanif, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed, Maulana Shawkat Osman, Mahibullah alias Mafizur Rahman, Maulana Abu Taher, Maulana Abu Sayeed, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Abul Kalam Azad, Mainuddin Sheikh alias Abu Zandal, Ujjal alias Ratan, Hossain Ahmed Tanim, Sheikh Abdus Salam and Abdul Malek. All of the condemned convicts were also fined Tk 1 lakh each. Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and 18 others were sentenced to life in prison. On October 28, the same year, the case documents along with the judgment copy was sent to the High Court for it to approve the death sentence of the accused. The death reference wing of the High Court scrutinized and prepared the paper book of the respective case, which implies the case is ready for hearing. On August 16, last year, the paperbook of the grenade attack case reached the Supreme Court. Then the Attorney General applied to the Chief Justice for a speedy hearing of the death references and appeals. Read more: August 21 grenade attack planned in Hawa Bhaban: Joy August 21 grenade attack case trial On August 21, 2004, a grenade attack was carried out on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in office. Sheikh Hasina, then leader of the opposition, was apparently the target. Although Sheikh Hasina fortunately escaped the attack unhurt, her hearing was affected badly. At least 13 grenades were thrown from the rooftops of a nearby building soon after Sheikh Hasina had finished her speech at the rally. Then the two cases -- one under the Explosive Substances Act and another for murder -- were filed in connection with the grenade attack. The then BNP-led government formed a one-member investigation committee comprising of High Court Justice Jainul Abedin on August 22, 2004. As the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was later assigned to deal with the cases, they made a cooked-up story of Joj Mia and arrested him with 20 other people in connection with the incident in June 2005. During the remand period, CID collected a false confession from Joj Mia, in which he said that he had taken part in the grenade attack in exchange of Tk 5000 following the orders of his big brothers. Read more: Will seek Tarique’s capital punishment in grenade attack case: Quader On June 11, 2008, CID assistant police superintendent Fazlul Kabir submitted two separate charge-sheets in the two cases, accusing 22 people, including Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami operations commander Mufti Abdul Hannan and Abdus Salam Pintu, where Joj Mia was proven not guilty. A court on August 3, 2009 ordered further investigation into the cases following petitions filed by the prosecution after the Awami League came to power. In July, 2011, a supplementary charge-sheet was submitted accusing 30 more people, including Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, Abul Harris Chowdhury and the Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed. Of the charge-sheeted accused, Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, and militant leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan and Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul--were dropped from the cases as they had been executed after convictions in other cases.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) listened to over one hundred complaints lodged by people against services of 42 government agencies during a mass hearing at Chattogram Medical College auditorium on Wednesday. Attending the event as chief guest, ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Mohammad Mozammel Haque Khan said that in 70 percent of cases, the accused have been punished and the rest of the cases will be disposed of soon. “Not only petty criminals but ACC has arrested some very influential people who are still in prison. ACC won’t spare anyone who are involved in corruption. ACC will ensure that no one can embezzle government resources,” Mozammel said. Mozammel added that ACC doesn’t rush while filing cases. “Rather, we take time to file the cases. We file a case only when enough investigation is done. That’s why the possibility of mistakes in ACC cases remains very low,” Mozammel added. Read: ACC chair addresses Reporters Against Corruption Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chattogram Mohammad Mominur Rahman presided over the hearing.   Md Ashraf Uddin, Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram, AKM Sohel, Director General (DG) (Resistance) of ACC, Krishnapad Ray, Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and Md Mahmud Hasan, Commissioner of ACC’s Chattogram Divisional Office, among others, were present at the event. 

The High Court on Monday fixed Tuesday to hear a rule issued in 2012 on identifying the accused in the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi. Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Ahmed Sohel have decided to hear the writ petition demanding proper investigation and bringing the accused under law in the murder case. Advocate Manzil Murshid appeared for the petitioner before the court on Monday. “The court will hear the petition after it comes up on the cause list of the court tomorrow. We want the investigation to conclude soon so that real culprits are punished,” said Advocate Manzil Murshid. Also read: Sagar-Runi Murder: Govt urged to bring perpetrators to justice After the murder of Sagar and Runi, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ petition in public interest on probe and arrest in the murder case. On February 28, the High Court issued a rule in this regard questioning why a direction will not be given to bring the accused in Sagar-Runi murder case under law through proper investigation. After two months of issuing the rule the High Court transferred the responsibility of investigating the case to Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) from the Detective Branch (DB) of police. Lastly, on March 27, this year, the deadline for submission of the probe report in the case was deferred for the 87th time and Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debdash Chandra Adhikary fixed April 27 as the new date. Maasranga Television News Editor Sagar Sarowar and his wife ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Runi were found dead in their rented apartment in the city’s West Rajabazar area on 11 February 2012. Nousher Ali Roman, brother of Runi, filed a case with Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station on the following day. Police arrested Tanvir in connection with the murder case on October 1, 2012. Later, he secured bail in 2014. Also read: Sagar-Runi murder: DRU seeks PM's intervention to unravel probe Law enforcers have so far arrested eight people, including Tanvir, in connection with the murder case. The seven other suspects are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu alias Baggira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Quamrul Hasan alias Arun, security guard Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir and Palash Rudra Pal.

A Dhaka court on Sunday brought forward to August 31 the date to hear a plea seeking bail for film actress Pori Moni held in jail in a narcotics case. Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes announced the new date following an order of the High Court, said Additional Public Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal. On august 22, Pori Moni’s lawyer submitted the bail petition and the court set September 13 to hold a hearing, he said. Later, her lawyer Mozibur Rahman went to the High Court challenging  the lower court’s decision. He also sought interim bail for the actress in the petition.

The High Court is likely to hear on Sunday a petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking bail in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

A court here on Sunday fixed February 2 for further hearing on a petition seeking cancellation of Aysha Siddika Minni’s bail in a case filed over the murder of her husband Rifat Sharif.

The High Court on Sunday fixed Monday for hearing on the anticipatory bail petition filed by six people, including Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman and Associate  Editor Anisul Hoque, in a case filed over the death of Dhaka Residential Model College student Nayeemul Abrar Rahat from electrocution.

Lawyers for the man charged with killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts are asking a judge to throw out evidence discovered during a faulty interrogation, including the victim's body.