<I>HC starts hearing </I>

The High Court (HC) yesterday started hearing on the eight-year long pending two writ petitions filed by journalist-writer Shahriar Kabir and Professor Muntasir Mamun challenging their arrest detention and remand during the BNP led four-party alliance government.
The petitions also prayed to the HC court to direct the government to pay Tk 5 crore to each of them in compensation for arresting them under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and causing them financial and reputation loss.
An HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain yesterday adjourned the hearing and fixed Wednesday (today) for further hearing on the petitions.
Kabir and Mamun were arrested in December 2002 on suspicion of anti-state activities. They were both freed later on High Court orders.
Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam argued for the petitioners.