Law-&-Order
Indian national held in Lalmonirhat for illegal entry
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained an Indian national in Lalmonirhat for entering this country without valid travel documents.
The detainee has been identified as Rahim Mia, 28, son of Sukh Lal Mia of Gijalda village in West Bengal's Coochbehar district.
Zahul Islam, a BGB official from Hatibandha, Jaorani camp, said that Rahim entered Bangladesh from India illegally. "He was detained by us from the Velaguri area of the district's Hatibandha upazila on Tuesday evening. He is a cattle trader."
Later, the detainee was handed over to the Hatibandha Police, he added.
"A case has been filed against Rahim for trespass," said Ershadul Islam, officer-in-charge of Hatibandha Police Station.
HC moves to confiscate bank accounts of Evaly bosses and relatives
The High Court on Monday asked Evaly’s jailed executives Mohammad Rassel, his wife Shamima Nasrin and their close relatives to explain why their bank accounts won’t be confiscated.
The couple, their siblings, parents, parents-in-law and daughter have two weeks to defend them, according to the court’s order.
The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order during a hearing on an appeal from the new board of embattled e-commerce company Evaly.
The court also assigned a Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court to auction some cars owned by the company on February 10. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and the Rapid Action Battalion director general have been asked to provide security during the auction.
Lawyer Morshed Ahmed Khan appeared for the new Board of Directors while lawyer Syed Mahsib Khan presented the writ petitioner’s side.
Lawyer Morshed said the court has also asked Nijhum Majumdar who claimed to be legal coordinator of Evaly in different YouTube videos he published, to appear before court within two weeks.
Read: Nipun moves Supreme Court against HC stay on Zayed's disqualification
Otherwise, the court will order his arrest, the lawyer said.
On last September 22, the High Court ordered a ban on the sale and transfer of movable and immovable property after an application submitted by an affected customer seeking dissolution of the company and direction on forming a board of directors for the company.
On October 18, the High Court formed a 5-member board, led by former justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, to manage, control and assess the liabilities of shuttered e-commerce platform Evaly.
Other members of the board are former secretary Mohammad Rezaul Ahsan and additional secretary Mahbub Kabir Milon, chartered accountant Fakhruddin Ahmed and lawyer Barrister Khan Mohammad Shamim Aziz.
Sinha murder case: Death references reach HC
The death references of Maj (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case reached the High Court on Tuesday.
The death references reached the branch concerned of the High Court, said Mohammad Saifur Rahman, Special Officer of the Supreme Court.
According to the law, if a convict is sentenced to death by a lower court, all the documents of the case are sent to the High Court for approval of the penalty.
When the case ‘Paperbook’-file containing all documents- is prepared the hearing on death references is held as per serial.
On January 31, A Cox’s Bazar court sentenced former OC Pradeep Kumar Das and police inspector Liakat Ali to death and six others to life term imprisonment in the Sinha murder case.
The six lifers are constable Sagar Dev, sub-inspector Nandolal Rakkhit, constable Rubel Sharma, Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
The court, however, acquitted seven other accused.
Sinha murder
On July 31, 2020, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to the town after filming for a documentary.
On August 5, 2020, 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 former officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara Police Outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, the same year, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge-sheet against 15 people, including ex-OC Pradeep, police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in the case.
On June 27, 2021, the court framed charges against them.
END/UNB/Corr/MAS/FH
Nipun moves Supreme Court against HC stay on Zayed's disqualification
Actress Nipun Akter Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s stay on the cancellation of actor Zayed Khan's candidacy in the Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Association election over vote-buying allegations.
Nipun’s lawyer Mostafizur Rahman said her client had filed the appeal at the appellate division of the Supreme Court. "The court is likely to hear the petition in the afternoon,” the barrister said.
On Monday, a division bench of High Court justices Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman stayed the decision of the Election Appellate Board revoking the candidacy of Zayed.
The order was passed following a writ petition filed by Zayed challenging the validity of the decision of the Board.
Besides, the High Court had asked Zayed to continue with his activities as the general secretary, according to advocate Ahsanul Karim.
Also read:HC stays decision cancelling Zayed Khan's candidacy
The High Court had also issued a rule, asking the authorities concerned to explain by February 15 why the decision to cancel the actor's candidacy should not be declared illegal.
On Saturday, the Election Appellate Board decided to remove Zayed from the post of general secretary of the association over allegations that he had resorted to impropriety in the recent election.
Sohanur Rahman Sohan, chairman of the Board, announced the decision on Saturday evening. A day later, the newly elected committee of the Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association led by Ilias Kanchan and Nipun Akter took the oath of office.
The association election was held on January 28.
Also read: Zayed Khan loses gen secy post, Nipun back
Zayed was declared the winner for the general secretary post, after he defeated Nipun in a close contest. It was his third consecutive win.
Teen sodomises 3-yr-old in Sylhet, detained
A three-year-old boy was allegedly sodomised by a 14-year-old teenager in Doshghar union of Sylhet's Bishwanath upazila on Sunday afternoon.
"On Monday, we detained the accused after the child's father filed a police complaint," Ramaprasad Chakraborty, inspector (investigation) of the Bishwanath police station, told UNB on Tuesday.
Read: Life sentence by proxy: Lawyer of real convict remanded
According to the case statement, the teenager lured the child with some chocolates when the latter was playing at a neighbour's house on Sunday afternoon. The accused then took the child to a room and "sodomised him".
An application will be made to send the teenager to a correctional facility, the OC said.
The child is currently at the One Stop Crisis Center (OCC) of Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital for a medical examination, be added.
10 BNP activists remanded over clash with police at Naya Paltan
A Dhaka court on Monday granted three days in remand for BNP’s Dhaka Metropolitan South unit member secretary Rafiqul Alam and nine others each in a case filed over obstructing police on duty at Paltan police station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Shahidul Islam passed the order after police produced the accused before it and appealed for 7 days in remand to interrogate them.
The other accused are BNP leader Mohammad Ali Manna, Md Mofikul Islam, Sohel Shikder, Jahirul Islam, Kazi Imtiyaz Ahmed Tipu, Mintu, Farhan Ali Rachi, Monirul Islam Sajal and Sadekur Rahman.
READ: ‘Awami private committee’ formed in search committee’s name: BNP
Earlier on Sunday, police detained 23 BNP activists including Rafiqul Alam regarding a clash between Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and police in the city's Naya Paltan area.
Later a case was lodged at Paltan police station in this regard.
Elephant calves being tortured in the name of training: Court directs legal action
A Moulvibazar court on Monday directed the Forest Department to take legal action against what it described as the 'torture' of elephant calves under the guise of 'training' at Kchaital area in Juri upazila.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Muhammad Ali passed the order after studying video footage of torture on Youtube and news published in different newspapers.
Also raed:Two land in jail over killing Asian elephant in Sherpur
The court also issued a rule as to why inactivity of Officer-in-Charge of Juri police station and a divisional forest officer of Wildlife Management & Nature Conservation Division to prevent torture on elephants according to Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012, and Animal Welfare Act of 2019, should not be deemed illegal.
The court asked the respondents to submit a reply within 15 March on why proper legal actions will not be taken against them.
Also raed: Elephant killings must be stopped: Environment Minister
Elephant calves are domesticated following an age-old training process known as ‘Hadani’. During the training the calves are kept tied with a log apart from their mother. The cubs are mercilessly tortured and are not given foods regularly during the period.
HC: Grameen Telecom Workers’ union seeks liquidation of the company
The workers’ union of Grameen Telecom, a company owned by Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus , filed a petition to the High Court on Monday seeking its liquidation.
Mahmud Hasan Feroz, secretary of the ‘Grameen Telecom union of workers and employees’ filed the petition on behalf of the members.
HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar set April 3 to pass an order in this regard during hearing the petition, said Advocate M Yusuf Ali, petitioner’s lawyer.
Lawyer Yusuf said, according to labour law workers are supposed to get 5 per cent of the organisation’s profit and Grameen Telecom owes more than 2.5 billion to its workers now.
But the company has not paid it and appointed a lobbyist to avoid it forcing the workers to seek liquidation of the company, he said.
Also read: HC stays labour law violation case against Dr Yunus for 6 months
The petition also appealed to the High Court to appoint a liquidator for the company, he added.
A section of workers has long been agitating against lay-offs from Grameen Telecom.
In a notice signed by the company’s Managing Director Mohammad Ashraful Hasan a total of 99 workers were laid off at once without any prior conversation with the workers and employee’s union.
The High Court summoned Dr Yunus in this regard after 28 of the discharged workers filed a petition against that notice.
On April 4, 2021, the court directed the company to reappoint those workers.
On September 12, last year, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments filed a case with Dhaka third labour court against Dr Yunus and three others for violating labour laws.
Also read: BFIU seeks Dr. Yunus’ bank account details
Other accused in the case are Ashraful Hasan, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom, it's director Nurzahan Begum and Shahjahan.
According to the case complaint, in an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff who were supposed to be permanent were not made so.
No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five per cent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers following the law.
Upon the complaint a criminal case was filed under section 4,7,8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.
On October 12, the labour court granted bail to the all four accused.
Later on December 7, Dr Yunus filed a petition with the High Court seeking dropping of the case.
Gold import policy fails to stop smuggling, tax evasion: NBR Chairman
Smuggling of gold has not decreased despite allowing its import legally, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Rahmatul Muneem said on Saturday.
The head of National Board of Revenue (NBR) said this while addressing as the chief guest 13th round lottery draw at the conference room of NBR building in the city on Saturday.
He said the government has formulated a policy to encourage gold imports in the country through legal channels.
Despite that move, smuggling increased which seems very difficult to stop, he pointed out.
He said the government is working to restore stability in the country’s gold market to minimize smuggling.
"Gold is used not only to evade revenue but also for illegal transactions. I don't know whether the gold smuggling can be stopped completely. Because gold is smuggled in many ways all over the world, this is the reality,” Muneem said.
“Even then we are trying to figure out how to prevent smuggling. Measures will be taken in the next budget to facilitate gold imports,” he added.
He said, "There is dissatisfaction with the VAT machine EFD. The price of the product should be determined by including the price of VAT. Consumers are discouraged when it comes to collecting VAT separately.
Life sentence by proxy: Lawyer of real convict remanded
A Dhaka court on Friday placed Sharif Shahriar Siraj, the lawyer of a convicted criminal who arranged for a cousin to serve the life sentence awarded to him in a murder case, in remand for one day. He will be interrogated in relation to a case filed at the Kotwali Police Station after the elaborate ruse came to light.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Arfatul Rakib issued the remand order turning down the lawyer's bail plea, said Sub-inspector (SI) Mahmudur Rahman, General Registration Branch Officer of Kotwali Police Station.
Investigating Officer Abu Saeed Chowdhury, sub-inspector (unarmed) of Kotwali police station, produced the lawyer in court and sought a seven-day remand.
On Thursday, police arrested Sharif Shahriar Siraj from Roy Saheb Bazar area of Old Dhaka.
On Wednesday, the court placed Md Hossain, the cousin who assumed convict Boro Sohag's identity and surrendered himself to serve the life sentence handed down to Sohag in absebntia, on five-day remand.
Sohag and Hossain were presented in Speedy Tribunal-4 and Judge Jasmine Ara Begum ordered the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Dhaka to take legal actions against convict Sohag, Hossain and his counsel Sharif Shahriar Siraji and Ibrahim Hossain for the forgery.
Later, a case was filed against them in Kotwali Police Station in this regard.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested the absconding convict Sohag alias Boro Sohag from the capital on January 30, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 28, 2017.
Read: PBI nabs fugitive accused in 7 cases
Sohag shot a man named Humayun Kabir alias Titu in the Kodomtoli area of the city in November 2010 and got arrested in December in the same year. Four people including Sohag were made accused in the murder case. He secured bail in 2014, and soon after he jumped bail and has evaded law enforcement ever since. Eventually a Dhaka court sentenced him to life imprisonment in absentia.
Sohag has now confessed that he allured his 'drug addict' cousin Md Hossain to assume his identity and surrender before the court saying he would provide Tk 5,000 every month for serving his sentence. And the court ordered to send Hossain to jail, turning down the bail plea in 2018.
However, the court came to know about the forgery in 2021 following the report of a journalist about a 'Fake Sohag' in jail which was confirmed in a police report. The court later issued a warrant against Sohag.