Brahman cows imported by Sadeeq Agro: HC upholds customs’ decision to seize them
The High Court today upheld the customs officials' decision to seize 18 cows of Brahman breed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on July 5, as those were imported without prior permission from the authorities concerned of the government and without opening letter of credit (LC).
It refused to order the government to hand over the cows to the importer -- dairy farm Sadeeq, a concern of Sadeeq Agro Limited.
The HC, however, directed the customs authorities to dispose of -- in 15 days -- the application submitted by the dairy farm for releasing the cows to its custody.
The court also asked the government to file a case against the dairy farm under the money laundering prevention law if it had imported the cows from the US with laundered money.
It issued the order for filing money laundering case as Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas told the court that the cows were imported through money laundering.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim came up with the directives after hearing a writ petition filed by Md Imran Hossain, owner of the dairy farm Sadeeq, seeking its directive on the authorities to release the 17 imported cows (one of them died).
Lawyers Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Mehdi Hasan appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney Generals Samarendranath Biswas and Bipul Bagmar represented the state and lawyer Omar Farouq argued for customs authorities.
Md Imran Hossain submitted the writ petition to the HC on August 2 challenging the legality of customs officials' action of seizing the cows.
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