The High Court on Tuesday ordered the confiscation of properties, freezing of bank accounts and passports to be seized of Proshanto Kumar Halder, director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL) as well as former managing director of NRB Global Bank Ltd, and 19 others.

The lone bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by two depositors of ILFSL.

The HC also appointed Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled, Former Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, as independent director and chairman of the company.

Advocate Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury, who stood for the petitioner, said the two depositors filed the petition after they failed to get back their deposited money.

The other accused are also officials of ILFSL.

It is alleged that while performing his duties as director at ILFSL, Halder amassed Tk 3,600 crore and laundered the money abroad.

Besides, on January 8, Anti-Corruption Commission also filed a case against Halder for acquiring wealth of approximately Tk 274,91,55,355 (almost Tk 275 crore) beyond any known income sources and money laundering.

The High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition of Aysha Siddika Minni seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings against her in a case filed over the murder of her husband Rifat Sharif.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman dismissed the appeal stating that it was not pressed.

Advocate ZI Khan Panna and Makkia Fatema Islam stood for Minni while Deputy Attorney General FR Khan represented the state.

Fatema said Minni filed an appeal with the HC seeking cancellation of trial proceedings against her in the murder.

Rifat Sharif was hacked to death in broad daylight in the district town of Barguna on June 26 last.

He was attacked with sharp weapons near the main gate of Barguna Government College while his wife Minni appeared to be trying to protect him from the attackers.

Twenty-four people were accused in the murder case filed by Rifat’s father. The young man’s wife, Minni, initially named as a witness, was later arrested on July 16, and made an accused in the case.

The main accused, Sabbir Ahmed alias Nayon Bond, was killed in a reported gunfight with law enforcers on July 2.

The High Court on August 29 granted bail to Minni on conditions that she would remain in her father’s custody and refrain from talking to the media.

A tribunal here on Monday sentenced six people to life imprisonment for killing a local businessman in Botiaghata upazila in the district in 2007.

The convicted six are: Moniruzzaman Ghorami, Humayun Sardar, Jahangir Sardar, Enamul Sheikh, Quader Sheikh, and Pintu Sheikh.

The court acquitted two other accused as allegations brought against them could not be proved.

According to the prosecution, the accused intercepted Ripon Roy, 19, a CD shop owner, while he was on his way home at Goriadanga in Botiaghata upazila on April 1, 2007 and slaughtered him with sharp weapons over a prevailing feud.

They left the grievously injured Ripon‘s body on the road and fled, said the court’s bench clerk Md Sayedul Haque Shahin.  

Victim’s father filed a murder case with Botiaghata Police Station, he added.  

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police on July 20, 2010 submitted a chargesheet against eight accused in the case.

The High Court on Monday asked the Department of Environment (DoE) to shut 231 factories established along the Buriganga River without environmental clearance.

Passing the order following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah asked the DoE to submit a compliance report by February 22.

It also asked Water Supply and Sewerage Authority ((Wasa), Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited and Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) to sever utility connections after receiving letters in this regard.

The court directed the DoE to submit another report in details within three months if there are any industries in areas around Dhaka without environmental clearance.

Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Abu Yahia Dulal represented the state and Amatul Karim argued for the DoE.

On Sunday, the department submitted a report mentioning that 231 industries were established along the Buriganga without environmental clearance.

A court here on Monday sentenced four people, including a couple, to death for their involvement in the killing of an eighth grader in Kamrangirchar area of the capital in 2012.

The convicts are—Altaf Hossain, his wife Farida, Jamir Ali, and Md Shahajahan Hossain.

Dhaka Seventh Additional Metropolitan Session’s Judge Md Nazrul Islam handed down the verdict.

According to the prosecution, the convicts abducted Kawser, son of Ibrahim, and demanded a ransom of Tk 50,000 over mobile phone in May 2012.

Although Ibrahim gave the ransom money to the criminals, they did not return his son back to him, it said.

Victim’s father filed an abduction case on May 26 later it was handed over to the Detective Branch of Police.

Some of the accused were arrested in the case but secured bail and demanded a ransom of Tk one lakh from the victim’s father again.

Later Jamir Ali was arrested on August 15 and three other suspects were also held. According to their statement, Kawser’s remains were recovered from a place near his house on August 18.