Mobile courts get another time extension

Executive magistrate-run mobile courts today received another time extension, until October 10.

The Supreme Court extended its earlier stay order on the High Court verdict, which declared the on-the-move courts illegal, until the stipulated time.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order following a prayer moved by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam seeking adjournment of the hearing on the leave to appeal petitions against the High Court verdict.

The bench adjourned the hearing on three leave to appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the High Court verdict.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star that the executive magistrates run the mobile court till October 10 following the Supreme Court order.

Previously, the stay order on High Court's ban was extended on multiple occasions.

SC orders testing Spirulina

Meanwhile, the apex court ordered the formation of an expert body, led by a Dhaka University food and nutrition professor, to examine food supplement Spirulina.

The probe report has been asked by two weeks.

The apex court passed the order during hearing an appeal filed by the government challenging a High Court order that directed the government to release the 7,33,980 pieces of Spirulina.

The spirulina was imported by Jesan Group Pvt Limited from Malaysia in 2015.

A mobile court of drug administration seized the spirulina February 4, 2016 saying that it was a drug. Though Jesan Group imported it as food supplement.

The mobile court also fined the Jesan Group Tk 2 lakh and jailed its managing director Faisal Bin Ilias for three months in default to pay the fine.