HC summons judge for running trial proceedings defying stay order

The High Court today summoned the judge of a Dhaka court to appear before it for running the trial proceedings of a criminal case defying its stay order on the case proceedings.

The judge of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 will have to appear before the HC on July 3 to explain why he continued the trial proceedings of the case despite the stay order, Deputy Attorney General KM Zahid Sarwar Kazal told The Daily Star.

The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the summon order during hearing a writ petition challenging the legality of the proceedings of the case.

The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station 18 years back against one Rabeya Khatun, who is now more than 100 years’ old, and two others -- Julhas and Masud on charge of possessing illegal arms and bullets.

The trial court framed charges against Rabeya, Julhas and Masud in the case and started the trial on March 24, 2003. Earlier, Rabeya suffered in jail for six months in connection with this case. 

Today, the HC also ordered the assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 to appear before it on July 3 for explaining his conduct over continuing the trial proceedings of the case despite the HC’s stay order.

DAG Kazal said following the writ petition filed by lawyer Md Ashraful Alam, the HC bench on April 30 this year stayed the trial proceedings of the case for three months and called for the record of the case.

But later on, the judge of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 continued the trial proceedings of the case for four days in violation of the HC’s stay order.

Rabeya Khatun, who is now on bail, appeared before the HC during hearing of the writ petition, DAG Kazal added.