Dhaka, April 23 – The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to release Md Arman, a technician at a Benarasi Palli in Dhaka’s Mirpur area, who has
allegedly been suffering in jail for more than three years in a drug case in place of the real accused.
The HC bench comprising Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam issued the following a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab seeking the release of Arman, whose story is identical to Jaha Alam who languished in jail for three years in place of the real accused in 26 corruption cases.
The HC bench also fixed on May 5 for further order on the petition.
In its rule, the HC bench also asked the authorities concerned to explain why the detention of Arman should not be declared illegal and why they should not be ordered to give adequate compensation to Arman.
The HC also asked the authorities to explain why it should not be directed to produce Arman before this court to satisfy it (court) that he was not arrested illegally.
Besides, it ordered the metropolitan sessions judge of Dhaka to send the record of the case in which Arman was arrested before the HC in seven days.
The petition alleged that Arman has been languishing in jail for three years in place of the real accused Shahabuddin Bihari in connection with a drug case.
According to the documents, Arman was arrested by police because his father’s name matched with the name of drug trader Shahabuddin Bihari’s father of Pallabi.
Police produced Arman before a lower court as Bihari and the court sentenced him 10-years imprisonment. Whereas the drug trader Shahabuddin Bihari is still at large and is running his business as
usual.
Earlier, the same incident happened with Jaha Alam, who was arrested on February 6, 2016, after he was mistaken for Abu Salek; who is the original accused in 26 cases that ACC had filed in 2914, over the loan
fraud and embezzlement of Tk18.5 crore from Sonali Bank Limited.
However, Jaha Alam was finally released from jail in February this after the High Court order following the newspaper reports over the matter. – Staff Reporter
