Mobile court: HC releases full verdict

The High Court has released the full text of its verdict declaring the mobile courts unconstitutional.

The court released the 62-page full text after its judges Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das signed it on Tuesday.

The judges delivered the verdict on May 11 following three separate writ petitions challenging the legality of mobile courts.

Later on, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed the High Court verdict till July 2. Following the order, mobile courts have been legalised until July 2.

On September 14, 2011, a mobile court sentenced Kamruzzaman to 30 days' imprisonment on charges of violating some provisions of the law on building construction. He got released from prison on bail on September 20 that year.

He filed a writ petition with the HC the following month, challenging the legality of some provisions of the Mobile Court Act.

Another writ petition was filed by Mojibur Rahman, owner of a multi-storey building in the capital, in December 2011. A mobile court convicted and fined him Tk 10 lakh on September 13 that year on charges of violating the building construction law.

He lodged the petition, challenging some provisions of the act and seeking refund of the fine.

The third writ petition was filed by 17 bakery owners, including Md Saifullah in Dinajpur, in May 2012. It sought HC directives on the government to formulate guidelines for ensuring that mobile courts have food experts and necessary equipment during drives against food adulteration.