law-order
Include Bangabandhu’s 7th March speech in curricula: HC
The High Court on Wednesday ordered the authorities concerned to include the 7th March speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the curricula of educational institutions.
It also ordered the formation of an Education Expert Committee to determine whether it would be included in SSC, HSC or the higher level of education.
Read: Bangabandhu's 7th March speech to ever-inspire people of Bangladesh: Envoy
Justice FRM Najmul Ahasan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Bashir Ahmed in 2017.
Attorney General AM Amid Uddin and Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah stood for the state.
Read: Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech translated to Irish, Scottish, Welsh languages
Lawyer Bashir Ahmed filed a writ petition in 2017 seeking necessary directives to declare the 7th March as National Historic Day and build a sculpture at the stage from where the speech was delivered.
On February 25 2020, the HC ordered the government to declare March 7 as "National Historic Day" and issue a gazette notification in this regard.
Anti-drugs drives: 43 people held in city
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested as many as 43 people for selling or consuming drugs in the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.
The arrests were made by officials of the local police stations as well as the detective branch during several anti-narcotics drives across the capital from Tuesday 6am to 6am on Wednesday, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Walid Hossain.
During the drives, police seized 4,491 Yaba tablets, 57.203 gram heroin, 16.10 kg hemp, 720 cans of beer and 150 bottles of Phensedyl from the possession of the arrestees.
Also read: 51 arrested in DMP anti-drug operations
Moreover, 28 cases have been filed against the arrestees at the police stations concerned under the Narcotics Control Act, officials said.
Also read: JS session: DMP bans arms, explosives, rallies around parliament
Sinha murder trial: Fifth witness testifies before court on day 3
The third day of second phase of testimonial statements in the murder case of Maj (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan concluded at a Cox’s Bazar court Tuesday with the testimony and statement of the fifth witness.
The court adjourned at around 5 pm after Hafeez Mohammad Amin’s testimony as an eyewitness and his interrogation by defense lawyers.
The statement was recorded before Cox’s Bazar district and session court Judge Md Ismail.
He was presented before the court amid tight security around 10 am on the day.
After the hearing, defense lawyer Rana Dasgupta told the media that Mohammad Amin is a Rohingya.
“He said that he saw the murder from atop a mosque and he used to work there. However, the president and the general secretary of the mosque informed us that they don’t know anyone by this name.”
Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam refuted the claim and said that the witness is a Bangladeshi citizen.
He went on to say that the national identity of the witness is irrelevant and the matter is being brought up to steer the conversation to a different direction.
Plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Mohammad Jahangir added that the aforementioned mosque does not have any committee.
READ: Sinha murder: Court warns against 'media trial'
“The concept of the president and general secretary not knowing the witness is ludicrous as the mosque doesn't have a committee in the first place,” he added.
Earlier, during the three-day testimonial statements recording from August 23 to August 25, plaintiff Sharmin Sahariya Ferdous, sister of Sinha, and witness Shahedul Islam Sifat’s statements were recorded.
On Sunday, third witness Mohammad Ali’s statement was recorded at the court on the first day of the second phase of testimonial statements.
On Monday the court heard from the fourth witness, CNG driver Kamal Hossain’s testimony .
The 11 other witnesses who received the court notice are scheduled to testify by Wednesday.
On July 31 last year, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.
Read: Sinha murder: Defence lawyers allegedly obstruct trial
On August 5, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, 2020, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case filed over Sinha's murder at a checkpost manned by APBn, where officers of the Teknaf police station intercepted Sinha's car.
All of the 15 accused in the charge-sheet are currently in jail. Of them 12 have given confessional statements before court except OC Pradeep Kumar Das, constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.
Other accused of the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
Court takes cognizance of charges against photojournalist Kajol
A cyber tribunal in Dhaka on Tuesday accepted charges against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal relieved 31 others from the charges after a hearing, and fixed October 20 for framing charges against Kajol in the case.
Already enjoying bail from the High Court, the tribunal also granted him bail in the case.
Also read: DSA case against journalist Kajol shifted to Cyber Tribunal
On April 4, the case against Kajol was shifted to the Cyber Tribunal.
Investigating officer Md Rassel Mollah submitted the charge-sheet on March 14.
Jubo Mohila League central leader Sumaiya Chowdhury Bonnya filed the case on March 11 last year accusing Kajol of writing defamatory remarks on various MPs on his Facebook profile.
He was freed from the Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year.
On December 17, the High Court granted him bail in two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release.
Also read: Digital Security Act: Charges pressed against Kajol
On November 24 that year, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the DSA.
Kajol had gone missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed the case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury.
They were sued under the DSA for publishing and sharing an article on social media about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against Kajol with KamrangirChar and Hazaribagh police stations under the same act on March 10 and March 11.
On May 3, Kajol was shown 'detained' by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along the Benapole border after 53 days of his disappearance and was produced in a Jashore court, which sent him to jail.
HC bans police sub-inspector from investigating any case
The High Court on Monday ordered that Bagura Sub-Inspector Nayan Kumar is barred from investigating any case as he falsely implicated a 12-year-old child in the murder of his brother in Sariakandi in 2015.
The order will remain effective until disposal of the murder case.
A bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Md Atwar Rahman passed the order during a hearing and said it will remain in force until the petition to review the accuracy and legality of the case is pending with the court.
The court also asked incumbent investigation officer of the case Natore CID Inspector Md Mansur Ali to submit medical report, recorded statement under section 164 of penal code and photocopy of the court order within September 27.
Also read: Sub-Inspector of police sent to jail in rape case
Advocate Shishir Monir presented the petitioner's side during the hearing while Deputy Attorney General Md Sarwar Hossain Bappy stood for the state.
On June 11, five Supreme Court lawyers filed a writ petition at the High Court challenging the juvenile court’s actions in this case attaching a news report on the issue.
Following the appeal, the court ordered first investigation officer of the case SI Nayan Kumar and current investigation officer Md Mansur Ali to be present before the court with the case documents.
On August 22, both the officers appeared before court and SI Nayan submitted an application seeking apologies for his mistake in the investigation.
The court then set the date of next hearing on the petition on September 6 Monday when the court observed that “What IS Nayan did was a crime, it was not a mistake out of negligence.”
On August 25, 2015, following the death of his eight-year old son Mahidul Islam filed a case with the Sariakandi police station.
Also read: Xulhaz-Tonoy murder: Six sentenced to death by Dhaka court
On November 29, police took Mahidul’s 12-year old son to the police station for questioning and he was produced before Bagura Senior Judicial Magistrate’s court the next day.
Petitioner’s elder son in court confessed he killed his younger brother out of jealousy and the court granted him bail as he was a minor.
But as a suspect the child had to appear before court during the every following hearing on the case.
Later SI Nayan submitted charge sheet of the murder case showing the 12-year brother as the main accused.
The case was transferred to Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in 2017 when Mahidul Islam gave no-confidence petition in the charge sheet.
After four years, the PBI declared the child innocent and arrested two other people as accused.
Current Investigation Officer of the case Mansur Ali then exempted the child from the charge and filed a new charge sheet against the two arrestees.
Sinha murder: Court warns against 'media trial'
A Cox’s Bazar court has asked all concerned to be careful not to turn the Sinha Murder trial into a 'media trial'.
Judge Ismail Hossain of the Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Court made the observation after completion of recording witness statements Sunday.
Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam and Defendant's lawyer Advocate Rana Das Gupta revealed the court's observation to the press.
Read: Sinha murder case trial: Court records testimonial statements for 2nd day
They said that the court asked the responsible authorities to avoid talking to the media about the details of the case, stating that it increases the chance of a media trial .
The court on Sunday morning started the second phase of testimonies in a case filed over the murder of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan.
The testimony of the third witness named Mohammad Ali was recorded during this time.
According to the case charge sheet, there are 83 witnesses.
The testimony of two others were recorded in the first phase between August 23-25.
Read: Sinha murder: Defence lawyers allegedly obstruct trial
They were plaintiff Sharmin Shahriar (Sinha's sister), and eyewitness Shahidul Islam Sifat.
Major (retd) Sinha was killed in police firing at Baharchhara police check-post on July 31.
Sharmin Shahriar filed the case at Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court, accusing 13 police members.
Journo Muzakkir Murder: Court stays bail order of three accused
Chamber court of the Appellate Division stayed the High Court’s bail order of three accused over the case of journalist Borhan Uddin Muzakkir murder amid political infighting in Noakhali's Companiganj.
Justice Obaydul Hasan stayed the bail order for six weeks after a petition was filed by the state side, said Deputy Attorney General Md Bashirullah.
On August 29, the High Court granted three-month bail to Yousuf Nabi alias Bahadur, Abdul Amin and Azizul Haque Manik, the three accused arrested in a case filed over the murder of journalist Muzakkir at Chaprashirhat in Noakhali's Companiganj.
Bench of Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after hearing separate bail pleas of the defendants.
On February 19, clashes and gunfight took place between the supporters of Bashurhat Municipality Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza and former Companiganj upazila chairman Mizanur Rahman Badal over territorial supremacy.
Read: Attack on UNO’s house: Nine people get bail in Barishal
Both groups used firearms in the clash and the law enforcers fired several rounds of tear gas and shotguns to control the situation.
Muzakkir, a Noakhali district correspondent of online news portal Barta Bazar and also Companiganj correspondent for The Daily Bangladesh Samachar, suffered bullet wounds and fell on the ground when he was taking pictures and filming the intra-party clash.
The critically injured journalist was rushed to Noakhali General Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to injuries on February 20.
On February 23, Muzakkir's father Nurul Huda Master filed a case with Companiganj Police Station accusing unnamed people. Later the case was transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation.
HC questions legality of demoting DU teacher Samia Rahman
The High Court on Sunday issued a rule questioning the legality of demoting Dhaka University teacher Samia Rahman on charges of plagiarism in research papers.
The court asked the DU Vice Chancellor and others involved to submit a reply to the rule within four weeks and instructed to submit all the documents against Samia within 21 days.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Mostafizur Rahman issued the rule after a hearing on the writ petition filed by Samia.
Barrister Hassan SM Azim stood for petitioner at the court while Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar for the state.
The DU syndicate committee demoted Samia from associate professor to assistant professor on January 28 as punishment for alleged plagiarism in a research paper.
In December, 2016, an eight paged article, “A New Dimension in Colonialism and Pop Culture: A Case Study of Cultural Imperialism” jointly authored by Samia and DU lecturer Syed Mahfuzul Haque Marzan was published in the DU Social Science Review Journal.
Following the publication of their article in the journal, Alex Martin, who introduced himself as an administrative assistant of Chicago Journal, sent a written complaint to the DU in 2017 claiming that the article copied from Michel Foucault’s ’The Subject and Power’.
Read: Tribunal orders CID to probe DSA case filed by Samia Rahman
The complaint of copying pages from Edward Said’s “Culture and Imperialism” was also brought against the two DU teachers.
Later, the DU authorities formed an investigation committee to look into the allegation on September 27, 2017.
The committee submitted a report in 2020 finding the accused guilty.
A panel was formed in October, 2020 making the Dean of DU Law Faculty and syndicate committee member Professor Md Rahmat Ullah the convener to recommend academic punishment for the accused.
However, Samia, in March this year, claimed that she neither wrote nor submitted the article for which she was punished. She said Syed Mafuzul Haque Marzan, a lecturer of DU’s Ccriminology department, wrote and submitted the article without her consent.
She said Marjan also gave a confessional statement in this connection.
Read: I’m victim of dirty teachers’ politics: Samia Rahman
“Indeed, the letter of Alex Martin of Chicago Journal based on which Dhaka University Syndicate formed an investigation committee and demoted me was totally false, fake and fabricated. No such letter was sent [to DU] from the Chicago Journal. I’ve been the victim of a conspiracy,” Samia said.
She claimed to have communicated with Craig Walker, the Editor of Chicago Journal, through social media and learned that there is no one with the Journal by the name of Alex.
Charges against Hefazat’s Mamunul in explosive case on Oct 10
A Khulna court Sunday set October 10 to frame charges against Mamunul Haque, former joint secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act.
Additional metropolitan session court judge SM Ashikur Rahman announced the date after Mamunul was brought before the court from Khulna district jail, said public prosecutor advocate KM Iqbal Hossain.
According to the charge-sheet of the case, on February 22, 2013 a demonstration of around 3,000 members of 12 parties including Jamaat-e-Islam, BNP and Hefazat took place in Khulna demanding abolition of International Crimes Tribunal, release of arrested war criminals and chanting anti-government slogans.
Also read: Mamunul sent to jail after remand
Headed towards the Gonojagoron Moncho in the city the procession at one point faced police obstruction and allegedly started attacking police with cocktail bombs and gun fires.
In self-defense police also fired 20 rounds of bullets in the air.
In the attack some members of police got injured by the blast and some 26 people were arrested from the spot.
Later in the day, Sub-Inspector of Sonadanga police station, Alamgir Kabir filed a case against 26 people including Maulana Mamunul Haque.
According to the charge-sheet of the case, Mamunul Haque directed his followers to vandalize Gonojagoron Moncho and attack police during an waz mahfil held at Moylapota mosque roundabout a day before the attack.
The charge sheet was submitted on April 21, 2015 by investigation officer of the case SI Md Moktar Hossain against 107 people.
On September 3, Mamunul was transferred to Khulna district jail from Kashimpur high security central jail in Gazipur.
A Narayanganj court on June 5, sent Mamunul to Kashimpur Central Jail on completion of his 18-day remand in six separate cases.
On April 18, a joint team of Tejgaon Division police and DMP's Detective Branch arrested Mamunul from Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasah in Mohammadpur.
Also read: ACC investigating Hefazat leaders Babunagri, Mamunul for graft, fund embezzlement
He was remanded for 18 days till June 5, in six different cases over rape, vandalism and Hefazat mayhem. Among them, three were filed by the district police, two by the CID, and one by the PBI.
The former Hefazat leader currently has 27 cases against his name.
Rifat murder: Absconding accused Musa Bond arrested
Police arrested Musa Bond, 23, the absconding accused of Rifat Sharif murder case on Friday night from Barguna Mach Bazar area.
Though Musa was acquitted from the charges in this case police are yet to receive any documents, said KM Tariqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Barguna sadar police station.
Musa will be shown arrested in Rifat murder case and four other cases as an arrest warrant was issued against him already during the trial of the case, added the OC.
Read: Barguna Rifat killing: Wife Minni, 5 others sentenced to death
After the murder incident Musa fled to India and remained fugitive during the period of trial, said the OC.
Musa was a close ally of Ahmed alias Nayon Bond, the main accused in the murder case who was killed in an alleged gunfight with police on July 2.
He was also an active member of the Bond gang in Barguna.
On Sept 30, Minni and five others were sentenced to death for killing Rifat in broad daylight last year. Four others were acquitted.
Read: Rifat Murder: Court indicts wife Minni, 9 others
On Tuesday, 11 juveniles were sentenced to different jail terms in the case. The court sentenced six of them to 10 years in jail, four to five years and one to three years’ imprisonment.
The court acquitted three others as charges brought against them could not be proven.
According to the prosecution, Rifat, 22, son of Dulal Sharif, was hacked to death in Barguna district town on June 26 last year.
He was attacked near the main gate of Barguna Government College. Surveillance camera footage showed his wife Minni apparently trying to save him.
Twenty-four people were accused in the murder case filed by Rifat’s father. Minni, initially named as a witness, was later arrested on July 16 last year and made an accused.