HC summons Special Tribunal Judge for defying its stay

Dhaka, June 26 –The High Court on Wednesday summoned the judge of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 for defying its stay order on proceedings of a murder case.
The HC bench comprising Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan asked the judge to appear before it on July 3 to explain why he continued the trial proceedings of the case despite the stay order.
The HC also ordered the assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 to appear before it on July 3 for explaining his position over continuing the trial proceedings of the case despite the HC’s stay order.
Deputy Attorney General KM Zahid Sarwar Kazal told reporters that the HC bench came up with the summon order during hearing a writ petition challenging the legality of the proceedings of the case.
The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station 18 years back against one Rabeya Khatun, who is now more than 100 years’ old, and two others — Julhas and Masud on charge of possessing illegal arms and bullets.
The trial court framed charges against Rabeya and long time case proceedings, Julhas and Masud in the case and started the trial on March 24, 2003. Earlier, Rabeya suffered in jail for six months in connection with this case.
Following the media report over the aged Rabeya Khatun, a Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Md Ashraful Alam filed a writ petition seeking its directive over the matter.
The HC bench had on April 30 this year stayed the trial proceedings of the case for three months and called for the record of the case after hearing on the writ petition.
But later on, the judge of Dhaka’s metropolitan special tribunal-2 continued the trial proceedings of the case for four days in violation of the HC’s stay order.
Rabeya Khatun, who is now on bail, appeared before the HC yesterday during the hearing on writ petition, but the HC bench said that she need not come before the HC in next hearing.
However, the HC asked her to submit her national identity card before the bench by this time. – Staff Reporter