High Court seeks docs on Kurigram journo conviction

The High Court on Monday asked for all the documents related to the conviction and jail sentence of Bangla Tribune's Kurigram correspondent Ariful Islam.

At the same time, the court also asked the ministry of public administration to inform the court about the steps taken over the incident.

The concerned authorities of the government have to submit the documents by March 23. The court has also fixed the same day for passing a further order.  

The bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Md Rashed Jahangir issued the order on Monday.

The president of the Supreme Court Lawyers' Association, AM Aminuddin, and advocate Ishrat Hassan stood for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Debashish Bhattacharyya represented the state.

Earlier, on March 13, a mobile court under a taskforce of the Kurigram district administration raided Ariful's home at around midnight.   

The mobile court sentenced Ariful to one-year imprisonment on the charge of possessing half a bottle of liquor and 150 grams of hemp.

After the incident, Harun ur Rashid, executive editor of Bangla Tribune, filed the writ petition at the High Court seeking a review of the legality of the conviction. 

HC verdict on mobile court sentencing against minors stayed

Meanwhile, the Appellate Division has issued an eight-week stay-order on a High Court order that discards the conviction and jail sentence of minors through mobile courts.

Justice Md Nuruzzaman of the Appellate Division passed the order based on a petition by the government. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state in the hearing.

Earlier on March 11, the High Court scrapped the convictions and jail sentences by mobile courts on minors. At the same time, the court also cancelled the convictions of 121 children given by mobile courts.