Joint secy, 3 others jailed

The High Court yesterday sentenced four incumbent and retired government officials, including a joint secretary, to different terms of imprisonment for violating an injunction six years ago.
In March 2008, it ordered the Gazipur administration not to evict Abul Kalam alias Kaliullah and eight others from their West Lakhipura village in Joydevpur municipality of Gazipur.
But government officials led by the then Gazipur deputy commissioner Syed Mizanur Rahman drove away 40 families, including the nine land owners, and demolished 13 houses, saying that the pieces of land were khas land.
An HC bench of Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman came up with yesterday's verdict after hearing on a petition filed by the landowners.
The government officials at present -- Syed Mizanur Rahman, joint secretary and director (administration) of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre; Syed Abdur Rob, manager of Gazipur Court of Wards, and its Assistant Manager Sabbir Ahmed -- who were found guilty will lose their jobs according to the Government Servants (discipline and appeal) Rules, 1985.
The other convict is ex-chairman of the Land Reform Board Monirul Islam.
The court sentenced Mizanur to 30 days in jail. Rob was given 15 days' jail term and fined Tk 1 crore. Sabbir and Monirul were sentenced to five days in prison.
The Gazipur administration on April 23 handed over the possession of the land to the petitioners, said their lawyer Khalilur Rahman.
The HC exempted then superintendent of police of Gazipur Alamgir Alam, then executive magistrate Md Shahjalal, then officer-in-charge of Joydevpur Police Station Mizanur Rahman and then Ansar Adjutant Pabitra Kumar Kundu from violation charges after they offered apology to the court and said they had participated in the eviction under pressure from the higher authorities.