Supreme Court
SC extends all HC bail orders for next 2 weeks
The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday extended tenure of bails and other interim orders passed by the High Court (HC) for the next two weeks due the surge of Covid-19 cases across the country.
A notification signed by the High Court Division registrar Md Golam Rabbani of SC confirmed the matter.
The High Court orders that had granted bail to accused for specific periods or granted interim bail to accused on condition of their surrender to lower courts have been extended for the next two weeks, the notification said.
And other HC interim orders that were passed for specific periods have also been extended two more weeks, it added.
Earlier on April 4, the HC registrar's office had issued a similar notification which is scheduled to expire soon.
India's top court dismisses plea to scrap 26 verses from Quran
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
Legal notice seeks implementation of 14-day mandatory quarantine
A legal notice was sent to the authorities concerned seeking implementation of a High Court (HC) order to make 14-day quarantine mandatory for all foreign returnees.
The notice also sought an explanation on why the progress report on implementing HC’s four-point directive was not submitted to the court.
Also Read: Lockdown is only way to tackle coronavirus
Health Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali and five others were made respondents to the notice issued by Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand.
The notice asked the respondents to reply within 24 hours and warned that a contempt of court case will be filed against them if they don't respond.
On March 19 last year, the HC issued a rule along with a four-point interim directive after an initial hearing on a writ petition filed by Akhand.
It also issued a rule seeking an explanation why airports and seaports won’t be directed to ensure 14-day quarantine and health examination.
Covid-19 would not have spread to this extent had the authorities concerned followed the directive on mandatory quarantine of foreign returnees, the lawyer said.
The cabinet secretary is yet to file the progress report which was scheduled to be submitted within April 16 last year, he said.
Also Read: HC wants to know steps taken to prevent coronavirus
Covid-19 situation
Bangladesh posted its highest single-day death count from the virus for the third consecutive day on Monday.
The health authorities confirmed 83 deaths in the afternoon, surpassing Sunday’s figure of 78. The number was 77 on Saturday.
Fatalities from Covid-19 rose to 9,822 as the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for the fourth consecutive day, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a handout.
Appellate Division to operate virtually 3 days weekly from Apr 12
The Appellate Division of Supreme Court (SC) will operate virtually for three days weekly from April 12, to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus.
Directed by the Chief Justice Appellate Division registrar Md Badrul Alam Bhuiya issued a circular on Sunday in this regard.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
The directive will remain in action until further notice.
The Appellate Division will operate on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12 pm on limited scale.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
Appellate Division remained closed from April 5 during the nationwide lockdown.
Only virtual Chamber Bench operated on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am during the lockdown.
Also read: Virtual court a new chapter in law: Anisul
Navy officer assault case: SC stays HC bail to Irfan Selim
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday stayed for four weeks the bail of Irfan Selim, son of Awami League leader Haji Selim, granted by the High Court in a case filed over assaulting a Navy officer in October last year.
Vacation chamber bench of the Appellate Division, Chamber judge Justice Obaidul Hassan stayed the bail after hearing a petition.
On March 18, the High Court granted bail to Irfan Selim in the case.
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Badruzzaman granted the bail.
Advocate Syed Ahmed Raza stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Dr Mohammad Bashir Ullah represented the state.
Also read: Navy officer assault case: HC grants bail to Irfan Selim
On January 27, the High Court rejected the bail of Irfan Selim in the case.
The court also issued a rule asking why Irfan should not be granted bail. The state has been asked to respond to the rule within two weeks.
According to the case statement, a private car hit Bangladesh Navy’s Lieutenant Wasif Ahmed Khan’s motorcycle near Labaid Hospital at Dhanmondi on October 25, 2020 when he and his wife were returning to their Mohammadpur residence from Nilkhet.
Later, some people including Irfan came out of the car and physically assaulted Wasif and verbally abused his wife.
The Navy officer later filed a case with Dhanmondi Police Station, naming four people including Irfan.
The three other accused are AB Siddique Dipu, 45, Md Zahid, 35, and Md Mizanur Rahman, 30. All of them are behind bars now.
Also read: Irfan Selim relieved from narcotics case
On October 26, 2020, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained Irfan from his father’s Devdas Lane residence in Old Dhaka.
Two firearms, 38 walkie-talkies and liquor were seized from Irfan’s house during the drive.
Meanwhile, the government suspended Irfan from the post of councillor on October 27, last year. The Awami League leader’s son has been facing four more cases.
Also read: Assault on Navy officer: High Court denies bail to Irfan Selim
He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for keeping walkie-talkies illegally and another six months for possessing illegal liquor on October 26, 2020 by a mobile court led by Rab.
Murdering parents: Appeal challenging Oishee’s life term rejected
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday dismissed an appeal challenging the life term sentence of Oishee Rahman, who murdered her parents in 2013.
S. Korean-born Olympic short track champion applies for Chinese citizenship
Lim Hyo-jun, who won South Korea's first gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in short track speed skating, has applied for Chinese citizenship, a source close to the athlete said Saturday.
Rakib murder: SC upholds life-term of 2 convicts
The Appellate Division of Supreme Court on Monday upheld the life term imprisonment of two convicts for killing Rakib Hawlader, a minor boy of Khulna city, in 2015.
Supreme Court launches translation software ‘Amar Vasha’
The Supreme Court on Thursday unveiled ‘Amar Vasha’ software which will use artificial intelligence to translate orders and judgments of the Supreme Court into Bangla.
Chattogram: Appellate Division makes shutting down of illegal brick kilns easier
The Supreme Court's Appellate Division on Wednesday made the shutting down of all illegal brick kilns – running without a valid licence in Chattogram's Lohagara upazila – easier for the government.