The High Court will deliver its order tomorrow on a bail petition filed by Zahirul Islam Zia, an accused of a rape case in Feni who married his victim at Feni jail gate in order to get bail in line with a directive from the High Court.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman today fixed the date for holding hearing and passing order on Zahirul's bail petition in the rape case.

Earlier in the day, Zahirul's lawyer Faruque Alamgir Chowdhury placed the bail petition before the bench and prayed to the court to grant bail to his client as he (Zahirul) married the victim in line with its conditional directive.

Read more: HC Terms for Bail: Rape accused marries victim in Feni jail

Meanwhile, authorities concerned of Feni jail submitted a report to the HC bench through its registrar's office, saying that accused Zahirul has married the victim at the jail gate on November 19 in presence of local officials and distinguished persons, Zahirul's lawyer Faruque Alamgir Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

Zahirul, the accused, son of a local union parishad member, raped the woman of Chardarbesh area in Feni's Sonagazi on May 27, according to the case statement.

He married his victim at Feni jail gate on November 19 in order to get bail in line with a directive from the HC.

On May 29, police arrested Zia, who later filed a bail petition with the HC.

Both the victim and the accused said they were involved in a romantic relationship and got intimate after Zia promised to marry her. As he refused to keep his promise, she filed a rape case against him, said court sources.

Forming a separate land commission for the indigenous people of the plains would be of little impact unless the land belonging to the communities are not marked, Rashed Khan Menon, minister of social welfare, said yesterday.

“A land commission is important, but marking the land of the indigenous people is necessary too,” he told a discussion jointly organised by Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous People and Research and Development Collective (RDC) in the capital's Cirdap auditorium.

Echoing the minister, Ramesh, a leader of the Coach community, said, “There is no alternative to marking the land of northern indigenous communities. Besides, conducting survey in that region to find out the exact number of indigenous people is important as well.”

Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University said once there were enough land for the indigenous people in the northern region. But now every 9.2 out of 10 indigenous persons are landless.

Indigenous communities in Tangail's Madhupur upazila are being accused in false cases and they are losing their land gradually, he said.

A total of seven indigenous persons died in Madhupur while fighting for their right to land, he added. 

Citing an example of Australia, Fowzul Azim, chief research officer of Law Commission, said Australian government did not use the land belonging to the “aboriginal people” for state purposes, although the areas were full of resources.

RDC General Secretary Zannat-E Ferdousi said the livelihood of indigenous people depended on land.

Many influential people had grabbed the communities' land in the past. A separate land commission would help them access legal support, she added.

She also urged the government to ensure land rights of the indigenous people through implementing an ILO convention that recognised indigenous people's traditional ownership of land. 

Other speakers noted that the indigenous communities' right to land could be ensured by a separate land commission.

The High Court today (June 2, 2022) directed the government to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of harassing Muslim female students for wearing burqa at eight academic institutions.

The court also directed the government to inform the court about steps taken against the persons responsible for the incidents.

The secretaries at the ministries of education and home affairs have been directed to conduct the enquiry and to submit a report in 60 days.

The eight institutions are Barbarpur High School at Mohadebpur in Naogaon; Brojendraganj RC High School at Dirai in Sunamganj; Bhadeshwar Nasir Uddin High School and College at Golapganj in Sylhet; Islami University in Kushtia; Sher-e-Bangla High School at Senbagh in Noakhali; Joarganj Bouddho High School at Mirsarai in Chattogram; Satbaria High Schhol at Chandanaish in Chattogram and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order following a writ petition filed by Allama Mohammad Mahbub Alam, editordof Daily Al Ihsan and monthly Al Baiyinaat seeking necessary directives to this effect.

The bench also fixed August 11 for hearing and passing further order on this issue.

Allama Mahbub recently submitted the petition as a supplementary one annexing some newspaper reports on harassment of female students for wearing burqa at the eight academic institutions.

Earlier in July 2019, the HC had issued a rule asking the officials concerned of the government to explain why harassment of female students for wearing burqa at the academic institutions should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

Lawyers Mohammad Ahsan and Ilias Ali Mondal appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state during hearing today.