The High Court (HC) on Monday fixed March 3 to deliver its order on the bail petition of cartoonist Kabir Kishore in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for ‘anti-government posts’ on Facebook.

The bench of Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman passed the order.

The court also sought affidavit over the circumstances of writer Mushtaq Ahmed’s death in police custody on February 25, as his name has been dropped from the same chargesheet.

Also read: Cartoonist, writer land in jail over facebook posts

Advocate Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the accused while Deputy Attorney General Md Sarowar Hossain represented the state.

Warrant Officer Md Abu Bakar Siddique of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) filed the case on May 5, 2020, under the Digital Security Act against 11 people including Minhaz Mannan Emon, Dhaka Stock Exchange director, cartoonist Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtak Ahmed.

Also read: Court: Interrogate cartoonist Kishore, 3 others at jail gate

According to the case statement, the accused misled people by spreading rumours.

Meanwhile, on February 23, police sought a three-day remand to interrogate writer Mushtaq Ahmed, and cartoonist Kishore in the case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Mohammad Jasim rejected the remand petition on Sunday.

Also read: Permission sought to interrogate Didarul, Minhaz

Earlier, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTCU) of police on Monday sought permission to interrogate two other accused Didarul Bhuiyan and Minhaz Mannan Emon in the case.

CTTCU filed the petition with the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique and the court fixed March 10 for hearing the petition.

Irfan Selim, son of Awami League leader Haji Selim and former ward councillor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), was relieved on Monday from a case filed with Chwakbazar Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahinur Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by investigation officer of the case inspector Mohamamd Delwar Hossain.

Also read: Rab finds ‘torture cell’ of Irfan Selim

On October 28, four separate cases were filed against Irfan Selim, the suspended Councilor of Ward no 30 of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), and his bodyguard Zahid under the Arms Act and the Narcotics Control Act.

 Delwar Hossain, inspector (operation), of Chwakbazar Police Station filed two cases each against them for possessing illegal firearms and drugs.

On October 26, last year, a mobile court of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) sentenced Irfan and his bodyguard to one year in jail for possessing illegal walkie-talkies and drinking liquor.

Rab said Irfan and Zahid were given six-month jail each for drinking liquor and another six months for the illegal possession of walkie-talkies.

Two firearms, 38 walkie-talkies and liquor were seized from Irfan’s house during a Rab drive.

Irfan was arrested from his father’s residence on October 26, 2020  at Devdas Lane in Old Dhaka for "attacking" Lieutenant Wasif Ahmed Khan of Bangladesh Navy.

Also read: Assault on Navy officer: High Court denies bail to Irfan Selim

Wasif filed a case over the assault at Dhanmondi Police Station naming four people and several unnamed accused. The three other accused are -- AB Siddique Dipu, 45, Md Zahid, 35, and Md Mizanur Rahman, 30. All four are now behind bars.

According to the case statement, a private car hit Wasif's motorcycle near Labaid Hospital at Dhanmondi  when he and his wife were returning to their Mohammadpur residence from Nilkhet.

Later, some people came out of the car and physically assaulted the navy official and verbally abused his wife.

Meanwhile, the government has suspended Irfan from the post of councillor for assaulting the Navy official.

On January 5, a Dhaka court granted bail to Irfan Selim in the case.

On February 18, a Dhaka court relieved Irfan from an arms case filed over the incident.

Also read: Irfan Selim to be removed from councilor post: LGD secy

The High Court on Sunday sought a list of people who have laundered money from Bangladesh.

It also asked the authorities concerned to inform the court about steps taken to bring back laundered money.

Apart from these, the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim also issued a ruling seeking explanation from the authorities concerned on why it should not order investigation against those named in the Paradise and Panama papers.

Also read: High Court asks for list of Bangladeshi ‘money launderers’ with dual citizenship

It also asked why the inactivity of the authorities concerned to bring back laundered money should not be declared illegal.

The ruling came after the court heard a writ petition filed by lawyers Abdul Qaiyyum Khan and Subir Nandi Das. 

Khan took part in the hearing on behalf of the petitioner. Advocate Khurshid Alam represented the Anti-Corruption Commission while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik stood for the dtate.

Also read: File report on money launderers by Feb 28: HC

March 30 has been fixed as the next date of hearing.

Fifteen people, including secretaries to Prime Minister’s Office, finance, commerce, foreign affairs, home, and law; the Attorney General, Anti-Corruption Commission, Bangladesh Bank governor, and police chief, have been asked to respond to the ruling.

In the ruling, the court asked why it should not order forming a separate team to investigate money laundering and issue order to bring back laundered money or recommend formulating new law to this end.

Also read: Money laundering: ACC opens probe against RMG owners

ACC lawyer Khurshid told the court that the authorities concerned are investigating those whose names appeared in Panama and Paradise papers. Abdul Awal Mintoo and Moosa Bin Shamsher are among these people, he said.

The authorities concerned – including the foreign and home ministries, immigration police, Bangladesh Finance Intelligence Unit (BFIU) – have been informed about bringing back laundered money from the Swiss Bank, he said.

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday fined Aziz Co-operative Commerce and Finance Credit Society Limited Tk 10 lakh, for wasting the HC’s time by not operating a writ petition after filing it.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order.

Aziz Co-operative has been asked to pay the money within three months, said Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik, who stood for the state.

In 2017, Aziz Co-operative chairman Md Tajul Islam filed the writ petition seeking directives for no cases to be filed against the entity without the approval of the Cooperative Department registrar.

On May 8, 2017, HC did issue a rule to this effect, directing that no case should be filed against Aziz Co-operative, for the writ petitioner to be spared any harassment and that no  negative news on them be published without proper investigation.

The HC was scheduled to hear the writ petition on Wednesday as it was on the cause list; but the petitioner said he was not willing to operate the writ any further.

Advocate Md Tariqul Islam stood for the Aziz Co-operative, Advocate Khurshid Alam represented the Anti-Corruption Commission and advocate Ajmalul Hossain for the Bangladesh Bank.

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a rule seeking an explanation as to why a policy should not be formulated for the state to provide rehabilitation facilities as well as compensation to rape victims across the country.

The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in the form of public interest litigation.

The rule asked why rape victim three children-(one from Dinajpur, four years old from Rangpur and another nine years old from Khulna) should not get adequate compensation.

Secretaries to the Home Ministry, the Women and Children Affairs Ministry and Health Ministry were made respondents, and asked to respond within four weeks.

Advocate Abdul Halim stood for the writ petitioner.

Children Charity Foundation filed the writ petition on January 2.

Abdul Halim said around 97 percent accused in rape cases get acquittal as the state fails to  adequately prosecute them based on evidence and testimonies.  

Children who suffer rape see their childhoods disrupted severely, while their studies also go off track. 

Rehabilitation facilities for rape victims enjoys universal approval, and when it comes to compensation, the writ mentioned the precedence of the Indian Supreme Court directing a state government to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to a destitute woman who was raped, Halim said.

Several newspaper reports over violation of children were attached with the writ petition.