HC seeks judge’s explanation over granting bail to suspended DIG of prisons

The High Court has sought written explanation from a trial court's judge for granting bail to Partha Gopal Banik, a former deputy inspector general (prisons) for Chattogram range, who was sacked after being arrested with Tk80 lakh.

Judge Iqbal Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-5 has been asked to explain the matter within seven days.

A High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order on Monday after hearing an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the appeal.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to submit before it a video clip of a report aired on Channel-24 on Partha Gopal Banik's bail.

ACC Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the court that the same bench on 2 November 2020 rejected Partha's bail asking the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Special Judge-5 Md Iqbal Hossain to dispose of Partha's trial within six months.

On 25 January this year, another bench led by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder also refused to grant bail to Partha and directed the special judge's court 5 to dispose of his trial within one year.

As he did not get bail in the High Court, bail order by trial court is questionable, the lawyer added.

Earlier on Sunday, an appeal was filed in the relevant branch of the HC seeking cancellation of bail granted to Partha Gopal Banik.

In a virtual hearing on 17 June, Judge Iqbal Hossain granted Partha bail. Later, he was freed from jail.

Khurshid Alam Khan said the court had ordered to begin trial against him on 4 November last year by framing charges. Testimony in the case began on 15 December.

Charge-sheet was submitted on 24 August last year.

On 28 July, 2019, the commission arrested Partha Gopal Banik after interrogating him at the commission headquarters and seized Tk80 lakh from his Kalabagan flat in Dhaka.