HC orders IGP to produce BNP leader Habib
Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to find out BNP leader and former lawmaker Habibur Rahman Habib and produce him before the court, as he did not appear despite a summon order being issued against him in connection with a contempt of court charge.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order, and also set December 7 for passing further order on this issue, said Deputy Attorney General Kazi Maynul Hassan.
Earlier in the day, DAG Maynul informed the HC Bench that law enforcers did not know the whereabouts of Habibur Rahman.
On November 6, the High Court wanted to know the position of BNP leader and former lawmaker Habibur Rahman as he did not appear before the court complying with its summon order. The High Court asked the DAG to enquire about Habibur Rahman to the law enforcement agencies and inform to this court on November 8.
Earlier on October 15, the same High Court bench summoned the BNP leader for making a derogatory comment about the judge who sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two corruption cases in a party programme. Habibur Rahman, also an adviser of the BNP Chairperson, was asked to appear before the court on November 6.
The HC also issued a rule asking Habibur Rahman to explain as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for making the comment about Justice Md Akhtaruzzaman, now an HC judge, who sentenced Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust cases when he was a lower court judge. The HC bench issued the order and rule on a Suo Motu (on its own motion) move after Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan sent the matter to this Bench, said Deputy Attorney General Kazi Maynul Hassan.
The Deputy Attorney General further said, “It was seen in a video that went viral on social media that BNP leader Habibur Rahman is giving indecent statements about High Court judge Md Akhtaruzzaman.When the video clip was brought to the attention of the Chief Justice, he sent it to the High Court Bench.
After holding hearing on the matter the High Court Bench issued a rule and summoned the BNP leader.”Md Akhtaruzzaman was the judge of the Special Court-5 in Dhaka before five years.
He then sentenced the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). He also gave seven years’ jail to Khaleda Zia in Zia Charitable Trust case filed by the ACC on October 29 same year.
