Case Against UNO: Law ministry recommends transfer of magistrate

The law ministry yesterday sent a proposal to the Supreme Court for transferring Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Barisal Md Ali Hossain who had dealt with the defamation case against Barguna Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tariq Salman.

“The proposal has been sent to the Supreme Court as there are complaints about his [Ali] role in that incident,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told The Daily Star.

The law ministry recommended transferring Ali to Jamalpur as an additional district and sessions judge, said an SC source. 

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, now examination controller of the Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission, has been suggested for the post of chief metropolitan magistrate of Barisal, the source added.

Requesting anonymity, a law ministry high official told The Daily Star that the ministry sent the proposal to protect the image of the judiciary. The official said it was reported in the media that there was a hue and cry in his courtroom over his activities, and that he had not paid for his stay at a circuit house and had not paid a bus fare as well. The official said those might raise questions about his acceptability and neutrality as a judge.

The proposal called for a probe into the allegations.

Sabbir Faiz, additional registrar of the SC's High Court Division, said the proposal would be placed before the SC's general administration committee led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha for a decision.

But Sabbir could not say when the general administration committee would make a decision.

Barisal CMM Ali informed the SC administration on Sunday that he did not refuse Tariq bail and that he was not sent to jail, Sabbir told this correspondent on that day.

Despite the claim, Tariq's name was seen on the top of a list of accused in the court's custody register on July 19. This paper obtained a copy of the list titled “Hajatkhanar Asami Grohon Register”.

Sabbir declined to comment on the list, saying that they did not get any such lists from the Barisal CMM.