The High Court on Sunday ordered the health ministry to investigate the allegation over keeping 28 medical diagnostic equipment unused for long at 16 government hospitals. The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition filed in the form of Public Interest Litigation.   Read: Private school, college, madrasa teachers can’t be suspended for above 6 months: HC The Health Services Division Secretary has been asked to execute the order and submit a report on it to the court.   The court also issued a rule seeking explanations as to why the negligence of the defendants for keeping those equipment unused for long should not be declared illegal. Twenty-one officials concerned, including the health secretary, the director general of DGHS, and the directors of 16 hospitals, have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.   On August 24, a report was published in a national daily saying 28 medical equipment remained unpacked at 16 government hospitals. Later, Manoj Kumar Bhowmik filed the writ petition with the High Court on August 26.   Read: HC orders verification of prisoners, accused through biometric systems In the report, 28 diagnostic devices including X-ray, ultrasonogram (USG) and ECG machines and ventilators are left packed in 16 government hospitals of the country. And some of those have already gone out of order while some more are about to get damaged. Thirteen X-ray machines, six ventilators, four ultrasonography machines, an ECG machines, a laparoscopy, a culture incubator, a hot air oven and an autoclave machine have been lying unpacked in various medical college hospitals, district hospitals and upazila health complexes.

India's Supreme Court Monday (April 12, 2021) dismissed a petition seeking removal of certain verses from the Muslim holy book of Quran for allegedly "preaching violence against non-believers". The apex court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner, Syed Wasim Rizvi, a former head of the Shia Waqf Board in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, for filing the "absolutely frivolous" petition. "We have heard the counsel and dismiss the petition as it is absolutely frivolous,” said Justice RF Nariman, who led a three-judge bench hearing the plea. He also asked the petitioner's counsel to deposit the fine of Rs 50,000 as court expenses.  Read Hill Cutting: CDA contractor fined Tk 5.23cr In his public interest litigation (PIL) plea, Rizvi, alleged that as many as 26 verses in the holy book “promote violence”, and were not part of the original Quran, but added in later revisions. The verses in question were: Verse 2 Surah 191, Verse 3 Surah 151, Verse 4 Surah 56, Verse 4 Surah 89, Verse 4 Surah 101, Verse 5 Surah 51, Verse 5 Surah 14, Verse 5 Surah 57, Verse 8 Surah 65, Verse 8 Surah 69, Verse 9 Surah 5 and Verse 9 Surah 14. Others included Verse 9 Surah 23; Verse 9 Surah 28, Verse 9 Surah 29, Verse 9 Surah 37, Verse 9 Surah 58, Verse 9 Surah 111, Verse 9 Surah 123, Verse 21 Surah 98, Verse 32 Surah 22, Verse 33 Surah 61, Verse 41 Surah 27, Verse 41 Surah 28, Verse 48 Surah 20 and Verse 66 Surah 9. Also read: No evidence of disrespecting Quran found: Probe body As per the petition, Islam is based on concepts of equality and tolerance but is “drifting away from its basic tenets” due to “extreme interpretation of the said verses … and is now identified with militancy, fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism". The petitioner also asked for the federal government and Madrasa Boards across the country to be “called upon to ensure what steps are taken to avoid literal teaching of the verses advocating violence". Last month, police in Uttar Pradesh's  Bareilly town booked Rizvi under the Indian Penal Code for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Muslims by filing the petition in the Supreme Court. Read Quran recitation, prayers to stop coronavirus in Ramadan: Hefazat Ameer