Law week
Former detective official testifies
against Tarique, Mamun
A prosecution witness told a court on December 8 that the Tk 20.41 crore which BNP Senior Vice-President Tarique Rahman and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun laundered to a Singapore bank was extorted from a construction firm. Mir Alimuzzaman, the then inspector of the Detective Branch of police, disclosed the information while testifying before the Special Judges' Court-3. Khadiza Islam, chairman of Nirman Construction Limited, was forced to pay the money, the detective told the court. Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain adjourned the day's hearing fixing January 3 for cross examination of the witness by the defence lawyers.- The Daily Star online edition December 8, 2011.
Mirsarai trucker gets 5-yr jail
A Chittagong court on December 8 handed five-year imprisonment to the truck driver responsible for the road accident that killed 44, mostly school students, in Mirsarai of Chittagong. Mofizur Rahman, the truck driver, is now in police custody. He was arrested on July 21, 10 days after the tragic accident, at Batna village in Barisal. Magistrate Farida Yasmin of Senior Judicial Magistrate Court of Chittagong announced the verdict in a crowded courtroom almost five months after the accident. The court handed Mofizur three years' imprisonment and a fine of Tk 10,000 for killing the people by reckless driving. The trucker will have to serve six months more in jail if he fails to pay the fine, the court added.-The Daily Star online edition December 8, 2011.
Sayedee helped violate women
A freedom fighter told the International Crimes Tribunal on December 8 that Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee had assisted Pakistani army in violating women and converting 50 to 60 Hindu people to Islam in Pirojpur during the 1971 Liberation War. Unable to accept the insult, some “converts” of Parer Haat area in Pirojpur fled to India, Ruhul Amin Nabin said while testifying before the ICT in connection with charges of crimes against humanity Sayedee is now facing. Second prosecution witness Nabin informed the tribunal that some Hindu people who fled to India returned to Bangladesh after independence and were following their own religion, Hinduism. On conclusion of his deposition, the ICT fixed December 11 for cross-examination of first witness Mahabubul Alam Hawlader and Nabin by the defence. - The Daily Star online edition December 8, 2011.
HC banned advertisement
The High Court on December 7 banned advertisement of unauthorised housing projects in print and electronic media. The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Salim also directed the government to take immediate legal actions against the publicity, earth filling and other activities of the projects. The directives came in response to a petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, and Paribesh Banchao Andolan on June 16 this year. The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab) was then holding a fair in the capital promoting a good number of projects that were earlier declared illegal by the court. The petition said a number of housing companies that were sponsoring the fair have unauthorised projects. - The Daily Star December 8, 2011.
DU 'Ga' unit fresh test Dec 20
A fresh admission test of Dhaka University 'Ga' unit for 2011-2012 academic sessions will be held on December 20. The DU authorities took the decision in accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court to hold the test by December 21. In the direction, the SC stayed the High Court's December 1 verdict which directed the DU authorities to re-evaluate the answer sheets. It issued an order barring Prof Jamal Uddin, the dean of Faculty of Business Studies, from being involved in the admission test process. However, the apex court upheld the HC order that directed the DU authorities to investigate into the anomalies in the question paper of the earlier tests and ordered to identify the people responsible for the anomalies. - The Daily Star December 8, 2011.
HC asks govt to explain fuel price hike
The High Court on issued a rule upon the government, asking it to explain in four weeks why its latest move raising fuel prices should not be declared illegal. The rule came following a writ petition filed by three lawyers -- Redwan Ahmed Runjib, Chowdhury Redwan-e-Khuda and Shoyeb Uddin Khan -- challenging the government's decision made on November 10 to increase the prices of fuel by Tk 5 per litre. Secretary to the power and energy ministry, chairmen of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission and Petrobangla have been made respondent to the rule. The lawyers filed the petition as public interest litigation on November 29 saying that the government increased the fuel price on November 10 violating the rules of Energy Regulatory Commission Act-2003.
After holding hearing on the petition, the HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Md Khurshid Alam Sarker issued the rule. - The Daily Star December 6, 2011.
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