Dhaka lower court judge suspended

The law ministry yesterday suspended Dhaka's Additional District and Sessions Judge Md Juel Rana for “gross misconduct by making arrogant, discourteous, indecent, and unrestrained allegation” against the chief justice in a letter to the president.

ASSM Zahirul Haque, secretary to the Law and Justice Division of the law ministry, issued a gazette notification, suspending Juel Rana based on advice from the Supreme Court. Rana was also attached to the ministry.

The notification said allegations have been raised against Rana for making arrogant, discourteous, indecent, and unrestrained accusation against the chief justice and misconduct by undermining the members of General Administration (GA) committee of the SC.

Filing of a departmental case against the judge was under process.

Talking to The Daily Star, SC Registrar General Syed Aminul Islam said two probes were conducted by Dhaka's District and Sessions Judge Kuddus Zaman and Gazipur's Woman and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Syed Zahed Mansur into alleged corruption of Juel Rana. The probe reports have been placed before the GA committee, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

The committee had asked the law ministry to launch departmental proceedings against Juel Rana and to attach him to the ministry, he added.

Rana recently sent a letter to the president through the district and sessions judge of Dhaka and the SC registrar general's office, alleging that the “chief justice influenced” the four-member GA committee against him.

Three other members of the GA committee are Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain, Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Obaidul Hassan of the High Court, said Aminul.

Contacted, Rana told this correspondent that the two judges submitted “false reports” against him.