Court
GK Shamim: Court sets Sept 25 for verdict in arms case
A Dhaka court on Sunday set September 25 to pronounce its verdict in a case filed under the Arms Act against eight people, including GK Shamim a disgraced government contractor who gained infamy during the 'casino raids' of late 2019.
Third Additional Metropolitan Session Court Judge Sheikh Samidul Islam fixed the date after hearing the arguments in this case.
Assistant Public Prosecutor of the case, Salahuddin Howladar said the court recorded statements of ten of the 19 witnesses named in the case.
Also read: ACC approves chargesheet against GK Shamim
The other seven defendants in this case are all GK Shamim’s bodyguards: Md Zahidul Islam, Md Shahidul Islam, Md Kamal Hossain, Msd Shamsad Hossain, Md Aminul Islam, Md Delwar Hossain, and Md Murad Hossain.
GK Shamim, who was known as an influential contractor of Sabujbagh, Basabo and Motijheel areas of the capital, was arrested on September 20, 2019.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members seized illegal firearms and Fixed Deposit Receipts worth Tk 165 crore, Tk 1.8 crore in cash and foreign currencies from his house and office at Niketan.
The elite force filed three cases – one under narcotics control, one under money-laundering prevention and other under arms acts – against Shamim with Gulshan Police Station on September 21.
In October 2019, Rab filed a charge sheet against the accused in the arms case.
Also read: GK Shamim indicted for money laundering
The official trial proceeding in the case began last February 28, after the court framed charges against the eight accused rejecting an appeal for acquittal.
Natore college teacher's death: Husband sent to jail
A Natore court on Monday sent the husband of college teacher Khairun Nahar, who was found dead at her flat in Natore, to jail in a case filed over the death.
The accused is Mamun Hossain, a second year student Bachelor Degree of Arts (B.A. Pass Course) of Nawab Siraj-Ud-Dowla Government College.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Moslem Uddin passed the order after turning down his bail plea, said Investigation Officer (IO) AJ Mintu, sub-inspector of Natore Sadar police station.
Earlier in the day, Mamun was arrested under the Special Powers Act and handed over to the court police.
A case was filed at Natore Sadar police station on Sunday night, said the SI.
The college teacher Khairun Nahar, 42, who married Mamun last year, was found dead at her rented flat in Boladipara area of the district town on Sunday morning.
Read: Natore college teacher who married student found dead
The deceased was an assistant professor of Philosophy department of Khubjipur Mozammel Haque Degree College in Gurudaspur upazila of the district.
Police detained Mamun immediately for interrogation in this connection.
Mamun claimed that Khairun committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan with her scarf. Later he brought down her body by setting fire to the scarf as he found nothing to cut it off, said Abul Kalam Azad, inspector (investigation) of Natore Sadar Police Station.
Besides, caretaker of the house Khalil told the police that Mamun left the house around 2:00am and returned after an hour.
Then in the morning he called the caretaker informing that his wife Khairun committed suicide.
Subsequently, the caretaker informed the matter to the house owner, putting Mamun under lock and key in the flat till police arrived .
Tangail Bus Robbery & Rape: 6 accused remanded
A tangail court on Tuesday placed six accused in a case filed over the robbery incident after hijacking a Chattogram-bound bus in Tangail when a woman commuter was raped, on a three-day police remand.
The remanded accused are- Sohag Mondol, 20, Khandakar Md Hasmat Ali alias Dipu, 23, Md Babu Hossain alias Julhas, 21, Md Jibon, 21, Md Abdul Mannan, 22, and Md Nayeem Sarkar Munna, 19.
Tangail Senior Judicial Magistrate Farzana Hasanat passed the order after police sought a seven-day remand to interrogate the accused, said court inspector Tanbir Ahmed.
Besides, the four other accused gave confessional statements in the court under section 164. They are- mastermind Ratan Hossain, 21, Md Alauddin, 24, Russell Talukdar, 32, and Md Aslam Talukdar alias Raihan, 18.
On Sunday, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained ten more people, including the ‘mastermind’ after conducting drives in Dhaka, Gazipur and Sirajganj.
So far, 13 people have been arrested in this case.
On August 3, the spine-chilling crime occurred in Raktipara area of Tangail's Madhupur upazila.
When the bus took the busy Dhaka-Tangail Highway in the Natiapara area, the seven robbers whiffed out guns, hijacked the vehicle, and drove it towards Madhupur upazila.
Read:Robbery & rape in Tangail moving bus: Mastermind among 10 held
Posing as passengers, the seven boarded the bus in two groups in a span of 10 minutes around 11pm after it resumed its onward journey following a stopover at a hotel in Sirajganj district.
Twenty-four people, including 22 passengers and two staffers, were on board the bus of ‘Eagle Paribahan’ at the time.
On a desolate stretch, the armed gang robbed 24 people, including 22 passengers of cash, jewellery and mobile phones.
They then blindfolded the passengers and raped a woman commuter on board.
The passengers' ordeal continued for over three hours till the seven criminals forced them to get off the bus and drove the heavy vehicle towards Raktipara's Jam-e-Mosque, where they abandoned it and fled with the booty, police said.
An FIR was lodged in connection with the robbery and rape.
On Thursday, Raza Mia, 32, was arrested from the Deula area of Tangail district town, said police. Raza is a driver of ‘Jhatika Service’ bus in Tangail and lived in a rented house in Tangail new bus terminal area.
During interrogation, Raza told cops that he was the one who drove the bus while others held the passengers and staff hostage at gunpoint, said Sarkar Md Kaisar, superintendent of Tangail Police.
Sexagenarian to serve life for violating fourth-grader in Chattogram
A Chattogram court Wednesday sentenced a sexagenarian to life term imprisonment for violating a fourth grader in Mirsharai upazila of the district in 2019.
It also fined the convict Tk 3,00,000, in default of which he will have to serve one more year in jail.
Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Jude Begum Ferdous Ara handed down the verdict in presence of the accused.
The convict was identified as Md Akramul Hoque, son of late Sadik Rahman at Dakkhin Azamnagar village in Hinguli union of the upazila. He was a CNG run-auto rickshaw driver by profession.
Khandakar Ariful Alam, public prosecutor (PP) of the court, said that the accused used to lure the class-four student by offering chocolate and other things to get on his vehicle on her way to school and home.
The accused raped the minor girl taking her to an isolated place when she was returning home from school on August 5, 2019.
Though the vicious man threatened the girl not to share the matter with anyone, she disclosed it to family members.
The victim’s mother filed a case against the accused with the local police station two days after the incident.
Police pressed a charge sheet against the accused before the court on December 7, 2019, while the court framed the charge sheet on October 12, 2020.
Also read: UP chairman sued over rape attempt in Kurigram
Two get life in jail for raping woman in Rangpur
A court in Rangpur has sentenced two men to life imprisonment for raping a woman in front of her husband in 2004.
Rangpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 judge M Ali Ahmed handed down the punishment to Ekramul Haque and Abul Kalam Azad, both residents of Pirganj upazila, after holding them guilty of the crime on Thursday.
According to the prosecution, the convicts waylaid the couple in Pirganj upazila while they were returning to their home from their relative’s place around 11pm on September 2, 2004.
Subsequently, they tied up the woman's husband to a tree and violated her at gunpoint.
Also read: ACC appeals to HC to increase sentence of 45 Destiny executives
Based on the couple's complaint, an FIR for rape was lodged at Pirganj police station later and the two men, then accused, were arrested from different parts of the district.
Iqbal Bahar, then sub-inspector of Pirganj Police Station, submitted the chargesheet against the duo in the rape case.
Chattogram brother, sister get life imprisonment for acid attacks on cousins
A Chattogram court Wednesday sentenced a woman and her brother to life imprisonment for attacking their two cousins with acid in 2010.
Convicts Sharmin Farzana Latif Saki, 33, and her brother Muhammad Iftekhar Latif, 30, were also fined Tk30,000 and Tk50,000.
In case of non-payment, they will receive an additional prison sentence of one year.
Chattogram Fifth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Nargis Akhter passed the order.
Iftekhar and Sharmin were taken to jail after the judgment was delivered, Advocate Taslim Uddin, an additional prosecutor at the court, told UNB.
They threw acid on their cousins Muntaha Karina, 31, and Salsabil Tasnim, 27, at their residence in Chawkbazar's Joynagar area in Chattogram city.
Muntaha and Salsabil's father Anwarul Mubin filed a case over the incident.
On December 14, 2010, the police filed a charge sheet against Iftekhar and Sharmin.
Also read: Man throws acid on ex-wife for divorcing him
Woman, her lover to die for killing husband in Sirajganj
A Sirajganj court on Tuesday sentenced a woman and her lover to death for killing her husband in 2019 following an extramarital relationship.
Sirajganj District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Mohammad Nazir handed down the judgment.
Also read:Six to die for killing minor in Cox’s Bazar
The condemned convicts are --Mukti Khatun, 22, daughter of late Mukta Sheikh of Shaktipur village in Shahjadpur upazila and Saidul Islam Tushar alias Tuhin.
According to the prosecution, Mukti Khatun, wife of Monirul Haque Pramanik , had love affair with Tuhin before her marriage and it continued after the marriage.
Thinking Monirul an obstacle in the way of their relationship, Mukti along with Tuhin strangled him to death in her grandfather's house on June 3, 2019.
Also read: Man to die for killing wife over dowry in Pirojpur
Monirul’s son Jailhaq Pramanik filed a case in this regard.
After examining the records and witnesses, the judge pronounced the judgment in the presence of the accused.
Money laundering case: 11 including brothers Enamul, Rupon get 7 years jail
A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced 11 people including expelled Awami League (AL) leaders Enamul Haque Enu and his brother Rupon Bhuiyan to seven years' imprisonment in a money laundering case.
The other convicts are- their three brothers Shahidul Haque Bhuiyan, Rashidul Haque Bhuiyan and Merajul Haque Bhuiyan, Joy Gopal Sarkar, Tuhin Munshi, Nabir Hossain Sikder, Saiful Islam, Sunny Mostafa and Pavel Rahman.
Also read: HC rejects bail petitions of ex-AL leaders Enu, Rupon
Special Court-5 Judge Iqbal Hossain delivered the judgment.
The court also fined the convicts Tk 4 lakh each, in default, to suffer another year of imprisonment.
Among the convicts, Shiplu, Rashedul, Sahidul and Pavel are on the run since the beginning of the case while Tuhin secured bail. The other six convicts are in jail now.
Earlier, the court fixed April 6 for delivering the judgment. However, the judgment was not delivered on that day as Judge Iqbal Hossain was on leave. Later, Acting Judge Monir Kamal fixed April 25 for the pronouncing the judgment .
According to police, Enamul was the director of Dhaka Wanderers Club and vice-president of the Awami League's Gendaria unit, while his brother Rupom was the joint general secretary for the same area. They were expelled after the incident.
Both were involved in the casino business at Wanderer’s Club, according to the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).
According to the case, Rab members conducted an anti-casino drive at the house of Abul Kalam Azad, an employee of Wanderers Club, on Lalmohan Saha Street in Wari and seized Tk 2 crore on September 24 in 2019.
Ziaul Hasan, police inspector (City & Vehicle) of Rab-3, filed a case at Wari police station in this regard on September 25 of the year.
Also read: Casino crackdown: Enamul, Rupon indicted for money laundering
As per the case, Enamul and Rupon earned billions by operating casinos for a long time. During the anti-casino drive, they kept illegally earned money in Kalam's house to cover up their misdeeds which is a crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
After the investigation on July 11 in 2020, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Inspector Mohammad Sadek Ali submitted the chargesheet against 11 accused.
Later on January 5 in 2021, the court framed charges against the accused.
Life sentences awarded to trio in absentia for 2003 murder in Pabna
A Pabna court sentenced three people to life imprisonment for killing an ‘extremist’ leader named Abu Musa in 2003.
Judge Ahsan Tareq of Pabna Special District and Sessions Judge's Court passed the order on Monday.
The lifers are Mohammad Ali, 40, of Pabna Sadar upazila, Khokon, 42, of Ataikula and Jahangir Hossain, 45, of Santhia upazila. All the convicts have been absconding, sources said.
The court also fined Tk 25,000 and sentenced one more year non-payment imprisonment to each of them.
READ: Father gets life sentence for violating daughter in Rangpur
Twenty people were acquitted from the case as their involvement in the killing wasn't proved.
According to the case statement, on August 13, 2003, 10-12 miscreants stabbed Abu Musa Khan, a resident of Santhia upazila, in Hatbaria-Boailmari area leaving him seriously injured. Locals rescued him but he died on the way to the hospital.
Rahima Khatun, wife of the deceased, filed a murder case against 10-12 unidentified people at Santhia police station.
After an investigation, on September 9, 2004, the police submitted a charge sheet to the court accusing 23 people.
Govt using courts to subdue opponents: BNP
BNP on Monday voiced deep concern over the conviction of its seven leaders and activists in a ‘politically motivated’ case in the capital and accused the government of using the court as a tool to extract political vengeance.
“Everything, including the law of the land, the court, is being run at the behest of the government,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
In a statement, he also alleged that the country is now under complete fascist rule.
Earlier on Sunday, a Dhaka court sentenced seven leaders and activists of BNP to two years in jail each in a case filed for blasting a crude bomb and setting fire to a car at Mugda in the capital on March 18, 2013.
The convicted are Nabi Hossain Khairul, Muktar, Wasim, Swadhin, Rubel, and Kamal.
Fakhrul said the government has continued a repressive rule to eliminate the leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies from politics by convicting them in fake, fictitious and politically motivated cases.
READ: Govt completely failed to control market ahead of Ramadan: BNP
He said the government has become desperate to keep the BNP leaders and activists in jail in fabricated cases to hush up its unprecedented failure to deliver on all fronts.
As part of this, Fakhrul said the seven BNP leaders and activists were convicted by the court in a similarly 'false, fabricated and politically motivated case' filed with Mugda Police Station in the capital.
He warned that people's anger over the government's misdeeds and terrible misrule is intensifying with the passage of time.
Fakhrul demanded the government release the jailed BNP leaders and activists after withdrawing the ‘fabricated’ case filed against them.