Dist judge, SP apologise to higher courts
The Supreme Court yesterday accepted the unconditional apology sought by Narayanganj Joint District Judge for not disposing of a civil suit filed over faulty meter and extra electricity bill.
Meanwhile, the same day, the High Court accepted the unconditional apology sought by superintendent of police (SP) in Habiganj for releasing a man who was arrested with a pistol and live bullets in February last year at the Dhaka airport.
Narayanganj Joint District Judge Shafiqul Islam unconditionally apologised to the SC for not disposing of the civil suit. The apex court then exonerated him from personal appearance before the court and ordered him to finish the proceedings of the case by April 15.
The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after hearing a statement from Judge Shafiqul Islam.
The chief justice told him that the court concerned of Narayanganj did not settle the case although the High Court had directed it to dispose of the case around 10 years ago.
The judge told the bench that he got involved in the case around one year back; he could not dispose of the case as he was busy with around 7,000 cases.
In 2006, MAQ Paper Industries Ltd, a private company filed the civil case with a Narayanganj court praying it to declare illegal the 12 months' electricity bill that Titas Gas claimed from it.
The company argued that the meters were faulty and Titas Gas claimed extra money, and prayed to be allowed to pay Tk 3 lakh per month as electricity bill. The court rejected the prayer in 2007.
The company, subsequently, moved a revision petition before the HC challenging the lower court's rejection order.
On July 4, 2008, the HC ordered the claimant to pay Tk 17 lakh per month as due electricity bill and Tk 7.5 lakh as monthly electricity bill. The court also ordered the joint district judge of Narayanganj to settle the case by November 30, 2008.
During hearing an appeal filed by Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd against the HC verdict, the apex court on February 7 this year summoned Shafiqul Islam, the joint district judge of Narayanganj, to appear before it yesterday to explain his conduct over the case.
HC accepts apology of SP
Bidhan Tripura, currently the superintendent of police (SP) in Habiganj, yesterday offered his unconditional apology to the High Court for releasing a man who was arrested with a pistol and live bullets in February last year at the Dhaka airport.
SP Bidhan, who was the deputy commissioner (DC) of police at Uttara Zone in Dhaka at the time of the incident, yesterday appeared before the HC in line with its earlier directive.
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Farhad Ahmed told The Daily Star that the SP has admitted his mistake before the court.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim accepted Bidhan's apology and exempted him from personal appearance before it in connection with the matter.
The court also warned the SP of not repeating similar mistake in future.
Bidhan Tripura, while serving as the DC of police at Uttara Zone, had verbally ordered the Biman Bandar Police Station to release the arrestee, Azmat Rahman, who had been detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on February 15 last year while leaving the country with a licensed pistol and eight bullets.
During the hearing of a suo moto (voluntary) rule, the HC bench on January 30 this year summoned Bidhan to appear before it on yesterday's date to explain his action following the arrest.
In line with the December 12 order of the HC bench, Biman Bandar Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Noor-a-Azam Miah and its sub-inspector Sukanto Saha already appeared before it on January 24 and offered their unconditional apologies to it for releasing Azmat from their custody.
They told the court that they had released Azmat after being instructed by the then Uttara Zone DC, Bidhan Tripura.