Law-&-Order
Embattled Murad, wife hand over licensed firearms to police
Three licensed firearms of former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hassan, and his wife Dr Jahanara Ehsan have been handed over to Dhanmondi Police Station.
A day after the filing of a General Diary (GD) by Dr Jahanara against Murad, the couple handed over the firearms to the police station on Saturday night, Ikram Ali Mia, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dhanmondi Police Station told UNB on Sunday.
Read: Murad in hot water again as wife files GD against him
Among the three firearms, the OC said, one shotgun and one pistol belong to Dr Murad Hasan, while another shotgun belongs to his wife.
Replying to a question, Ikram said the couple deposited the arms at the police station willingly following the GD.
He said they will start an investigation into the complaint of Jahanara after getting permission from the court. “We’ve already sought permission from the court to carry out the investigation, but we’re yet to get the court order.”
On Thursday evening, Dr Jahanara registered the GD against her beleaguered husband with the same police station accusing him of torturing and issuing her a death threat.
She called 999, the National Emergency Service, seeking cooperation from the police to save her from her husband’s torture.
As police visited her residence, Jahanara told law enforcers that she has been subjected to physical and mental torture by her husband and even he threatened to kill her.
Read: Another case lodged against Murad and Nahid in Pabna
On December 7 last, Murad Hassan resigned from the cabinet following the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for his offensive and indecent remarks on women.
After the resignation from the cabinet, Murad had left the country in his desperate bid to hide amid widespread criticism at home, but his attempt to stay abroad went in vain as he had to get back home having failed to enter Canada and the UAE.
Govt to do everything to ease case backlog, says Law Minister
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said the government will do whatever is needed to ease the long-running backlog of cases in the country’s courts.
“We’ll follow all the methods practised in the world to minimise the backlog of cases in courts,” he told reporters after joining a programme at the city’s Judicial Administration Training Institute.
The Law Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the 43rd and 44th special founding courses for assistant judges and equivalent judges there.
Read: No scope now for law on EC formation: Law Minister
He said it is now a big challenge for judges to minimise the number of pending cases in the country’s courts. “If this challenge can’t be tackled right now, it’ll get even harder in the future.”
More than 34 lakh cases are pending with both the higher and lower courts across the country, according to a statistics placed in Parliament by the Law Minister in October last.
Of them, over five lakh cases are pending with the higher court and the rest with the lower ones.
Describing the judges as the driven force of the judiciary, Anisul Huq said the President would appoint judges to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court whenever he deems it necessary.
He said judges are being given different sorts of training at home and abroad. The capacity of the Judicial Administration Training Institute has been enhanced, he said.
Now70 participants can join two foundation training courses simultaneously at the institute, he said, adding that it has been possible due to the effective steps taken by the government.
Read: Law minister rules out urgent enactment of law on election commission
Earlier at the programme, the Law Minister said the government is constructing high-rise infrastructures at the district level for judicial purposes. The judges are receiving training in Australia, China, Japan and India alongside the local ones.
He said the government raised the salaries and allowances of the judges significantly in addition to ensuring car facility for them. The purpose of all this is to ensure timely justice and meet the public expectation.
Law and Justice Division Secretary Md Golam Sarwar also spoke at the function held with Director General of the training institute Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana in the chair.
Ex-SP Babul shown arrested in case filed by him
A Chattogram court on Sunday shown former Chattogram Superintendent of Police (SP) Babul Akter arrested in a case filed by him over the murder of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu in 2016.
Chattogram Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Abdul Halim accepted a petition filed by Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) inspector Abu Zafar Mohammad Omar Faruk to show Babul Akter arrested in the case filed with Panchlaish Police Station.
Read: Mitu murder case: Court rejects PBI’s final report
Babul himself filed the case soon after the murder.
On December 30, 2021, the PBI inspector filed the petition seeking its permission to show Babul arrested in the case.
On May 12, 2021, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) arrested Babul Akter in another case filed by Mitu’s father and since then he has been in prison.PBI in an investigation found Babul’s involvement in his wife's murder.
The case was transferred to the Police Bureau Investigation in 2019 after Mitu's father, himself a retired police officer, filed a complaint against the CMP's mishandling of the case.
Mitu's father had, in fact, accused Babul of being directly involved in the murder case.
On June 5, 2016, unidentified assailants gunned down Babul's wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu at the port city's GEC intersection while she was going to drop her son Mahir Akhter, 7, for a bus of Chittagong Cantonment Public School and College.
Soon after the crime, Babul filed a murder case at Panchlaish Police Station against three unidentified men.
Later, Chattogram Metropolitan Police arrested four men, including Abu Nasur Gunu, Shah Zaman alias Robin, Md Anwar and Md Motaleb Mia alias Wasim, from different places in connection with the murder.
Of them, Anwar and Wasim gave confessional statements before a magistrate, implicating seven people, including Musa who directly took part in the killing, Mohammad Rashed and Nabi.
During the course of the probe, police had also arrested "arms supplier" Ehteshamul Haque Bhola and his assistant Md Monir and seized a pistol from their possession.
Read:Mitu murder: accused Bhola confesses to supplying firearms
Cops had also arrested Musa's elder brother Saidul Shikder Shakur and Shahjahan for providing the motorbike that was used in the murder. But on July 4, 2016, Nabi and Rashed were killed in a gunfight with police in Rangunia.
Babul was called for questioning a number of times by the PBI since his transfer.
3 new Appellate Division Judges take oath
Three of the four newly appointed judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court took oath of office on Sunday.
Those who took oath are Justice Borhanuddin, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Krishna Debnath.
Read: Appellate Division gets four more judges
Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique administered the oath at the Supreme Court Judges Lounge around 10:30 am.
Earlier in the day, four judges of the High Court were appointed judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
About the absence of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan at the oath-taking ceremony, the Chief Justice said, “Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city as he was infected with Covid-19. I have talked to him and he said he will take oath once he gets well.”
Read:CJ, SC judges allowances raised; 2 Bills passed
The Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Sunday after President Abdul Hamid appointed them.
Currently, there are four judges in the Appellate Division --Hasan Foez Siddique (now Chief Justice), Muhammad Imman Ali, Md. Nuruzzaman and Obaidul Hassan.
Cop, 3 others arrested for raping woman in Noakhali
Police arrested four people, including a police constable, in a case filed over raping a woman in Sudharam police station compound.
The arrestees were identified as Traffic Constable Munshi Maqbul Hossain, 32, son of Abdul Wahab from Madla village in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria district, CNG driver Md Kamrul, 25, son of late Aman Ullah from Nazirpur village, Abdul Mannan, 49, son of late Mofiz Ullah of Dadpur village in Sadar upazila and Nur Hossain Kalu, 30, son of Abul Kashem of Anantapur village in Begumganj upazila.
Read: Section 144 imposed in B’baria
Investigating Officer Mizanur Rahman Pathan said the woman came to Noakhali from Dhaka on Thursday noon for personal work. “When she faced a financial crisis, the young woman met her familiar CNG driver Kamrul."
“But Kamrul and his two associates Mannan and Kalu took her to Sadar traffic police Constable Maqbul. The constable raped her inside chef Kalam’s room,” the inspector added.
Confirming the matter, Shahed Uddin, officer-in-charge of Sudharam Model police station, said the victim’s mother had filed a police complaint against four people on Friday.
The woman was raped inside cook Abul Kalam’s room on the police station premises on Thursday afternoon. Police arrested the four in the night and produced them before a court on Friday and sent them to jail, the OC added.
Read: 11 years of Felani Killing: wait for justice gets longer
“Victim's physical examination has been completed at Noakhali Medical College Hospital. The victim is now in police custody”.
Child dies after hospital authority 'refuses' treatment without money
Members of Rapid Action Battalion arrested the owner of 'Amar Bangladesh Hospital' on Friday over the death of a child in Dhaka's Shyamoli.
The arrestee is Mohammad Golam Sorowar, 57, son of Munshi Ishak Ali Sikder in North Manik Nagod area of Mugda, said a press release.
Earlier the child, who was one of twins, died on the road after 'Amar Bangladesh Hospital' authority forced their mother out of the hospital, refusing treatment at not getting money.
Read: UP polls violence: another dies in Chandpur
Later, the victim's mother filed a complaint at Mohammadpur Police Station against the owner and director of the hospital.
Based on the complaint, Rab-2, Rab-3 and the detective branch of Rab headquarters ran a drive on Friday and arrested Golam Sorowar from the capital's Mohammadpur.
According to the press release, the twins have been undergoing treatment in the hospital since January 2. But they were kicked out forcefully from the hospital on Thursday afternoon as their mother was unable to pay the due money.
Another child was admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.
The mother of the two children claimed that she was victimized by the brokers of the hospital authority.
Read: Navy man dies from electrocution in Ctg
During primary interrogation, the arrestee confessed that he has brokers in several public hospitals to bring the patients to his hospital, the release added.
The victim's mother said "I have paid Tk 40 thousand. Unable to pay the rest, I requested them but they did not listen and forced me out with my children."
Rangpur cop’s wife sent to jail in fraud case
A court here on Thursday sent wife of a police inspector to jail rejecting her bail plea in a case filed on charge of fraudulence.
Rangpur Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Raju Ahmed passed the order when lawyer of Kaniz Fatima Anisa, wife of Rangpur district police inspector Habibur Rahman, filed a petition before the court seeking her bail.
The court fixed January 12 for the next hearing, said court inspector Nazmul Quader.
.Earlier on Tuesday, Anisa was arrested from a rented house in Beacon Mor area of Rangpur city.
Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station (Investigation) Hossain Ali said RAB members detained Shahrukh Karim Anik,34, and his wife Asmani Akter,24, on Sunday night from their house in Grand Hotel Mor area of the city on charges of extorting money from people and torturing them.
Read: Defeated UP member candidate beaten dead in Shariatpur
Kaniz Fatima Anisa's name came after the couple gave confessional statement to the court.
Later, she was arrested from a house in Beacon area around 5:30 pm on Tuesday, he added.
Assistant Director of Rangpur RAB-13 Mahmud Bashir Ahmed said in a press release that Anik and his wife along with some others used to target people and develop intimate relationship with them.
They used to take their obscene photos tactfully and extort money by threatening them of spreading the photos on social media.
Following a complaint, RAB-13 members conducted a drive at Grand Hotel Mor area of Rangpur city on Sunday night and detained the couple, added the release.
Primary school headmasters to get grade 10 pay scale: SC
The appellate division on Thursday upheld the High Court’s order to upgrade the pay scale of primary school headmasters to grade 10.
The three member appellate division led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order rejecting the leave to appeal plea of the state against the HC order.
On February 25, 2019 the HC passed the order during the final hearing on a writ petition filed by 45 school teachers including Government Primary School Headmaster’s Association president Riaz Parvez.
Also read: Provide salary to pry school headmasters under grade-10: HC
The court ordered the government to notify the 45 petitioner headmasters’ (trained and untrained) names in official gazette as second-class government officers and upgrade their pay scale to 10th grade.
Petitioners’ lawyer Salah Uddin Dolon said though the headmaster post is gazetted as second class officers they are paid under grades 11 and 12.
Other government officials of second class get paid under grade 10 which means headmasters are being honoured as government officials but being deprived of their rights, he said.
On March 9, 2014, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced upgrading the government primary school headmaster’s post to second class.
Also read: HC orders appointment of 84 BCS successful candidates
The ministry of primary and mass education later set grade 11 pay scale for the trained headmasters and grade 12 pay scale for the untrained ones.
Abrar murder case: Death reference reaches High Court
The death references of BUET student Abrar Fahad murder case have reached the High Court for examining the lower court verdict.
The death reference reached the branch concerned of the Supreme Court on Thursday, said Mohammad Saifur Rahman, Special Officer of the SC.
Now further action will be taken as per rules, he added.
According to the law, if a convict is sentenced to death in a lower court, all the documents of the case are sent to the High Court for approval of the penalty. It is then included in the branch concerned of the High Court as a death reference case.
Read: Abrar’s mother also seeks death sentence for Amit Saha
Later, when the case ‘Paperbook’- file containing all the documents- is prepared, the hearing of the death reference is held following the serial.
On December 8 last year, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 young men to death and five others to life imprisonment for killing Abrar, 21-year-old student of Buet in October 2019.
According to the prosecution Abrar, the second-year student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Buet, was beaten to death by Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at Sher-e-Bangla Hall in 2019.
He was found dead on the staircase of the hall in the early hours of October 7, after he was taken to room No-2011 around 8pm on October 6 and beaten mercilessly.
Read: 20 to die for killing Buet student Abrar
On October 7, an FIR for murder was lodged at the Chawkbazar police station against 19 people, following a complaint from Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah.
On November 13, 2019, Detective Branch (DB) inspector and investigation officer of the case Wahiduzzaman submitted a chargesheet against the 25 accused.
On September 15, 2020, the court framed charges against the accused. The court recorded statements of 47 of the 60 witnesses in the case.
Shilpakala Academy DG asked to submit records to ACC
The Anti- Corruption Commission ( ACC) on Wednesday asked director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy to submit their expenditure records following allegations of embezzlement and abuse of power.
The ACC decided to launch probe on the allegations on January 2,2021.
A two member team led by ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Ibrahim is looking into the matter while other member is Afnan Jannat Keya.
READ: ACC case against policeman in Chattogram
ACC sought the records of the expenditure of the budget alloted for the academy of the fiscal 2019-2020, 2020-2021, extra TK 35 crore of the fiscal 2020-21, the records of the cost of organising virtual programme during corona period in 2020, various vouchers and bank statement of BSA at Sonali Bank till Dec 31,2021
The Commission asked the Shilpakala Academy to submit the necessary records and documents within January 11.
In the last few months, there have been some allegations against DG of Shilpakala Academy, including abuse of power and bribery. There is also a specific allegation of withdrawing Tk 26 crore.
READ: ACC snaps illegal gas link from Savar factory
According to the complaint received by the ACC, the director general of the academy tactfully removed Tk 26 crore by appointing a contract officer as the secretary without following the rules and regulations.