New task force, same old delay
The high-powered task force, led by Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) chief Additional Inspector General Md Mustafa Kamal, has failed to submit any report to the High Court in connection with the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, despite the six-month deadline given by the court expiring over two weeks ago.
19 April 2025, 18:19 PM
Abolish mobile court’s power to impose jail sentence
The Judicial Reform Commission has recommended abolishing the mobile court’s power to impose jail sentences on people for committing offenses, saying that the imposition of imprisonment by such a court is contradictory to the constitution.
18 April 2025, 21:15 PM
Increase lower court judges to 6,000
The Judiciary Reform Commission has suggested increasing the number of lower court judges to at least 6,000 by appointing around 4,000 additional ones in order to bring the backlog of pending cases to a tolerable level.
12 April 2025, 21:41 PM
Ramna Batamul bombing: 24 years on, justice still eludes victims
Twenty-four long years have passed since the bomb blasts at Ramna Batamul during Pahela Baishakh celebrations, yet justice remains out of reach for the victims.
11 April 2025, 20:09 PM
‘Treat political ties of judges as misconduct’
The Judiciary Reform Commission has recommended that any judge showing political allegiance or expressing political views be considered guilty of misconduct and face disciplinary measures under the relevant code of conduct.
3 April 2025, 23:08 PM
Case filings increase, so does backlog
To this day, several high-profile criminal cases, like the BDR mutiny, Narayanganj seven-murder, and the killings of Bishwajit Das and Awami League lawmaker Ahsan Ullah Master, remain pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
29 March 2025, 18:00 PM
Release full text of SC verdicts in 6 months
The Judiciary Reform Commission has proposed new provisions requiring the full text verdict of Supreme Court judgements to be signed and released within six months of the delivery of a verdict.
15 March 2025, 19:57 PM
Commission for fair probe, attorney services
The Judiciary Reform Commission has proposed the formation of a separate Independent Criminal Investigation Service and a permanent Government Attorney Service to ensure proper investigations and prosecution of criminal cases.
21 February 2025, 18:00 PM
HC Order to Give 5,000 PPE: Shikder brothers yet to deliver
Sikder Group Managing Director Ron Haque Sikder and his brother Dipu Haque Sikder are yet to comply with the July 20 High Court directive that asked them to give 5,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) each as fine to the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund.
20 October 2020, 18:00 PM
New AG’s Appointment: ‘Disappointed’, two top law officials quit
Three days after the appointment of senior lawyer AM Amin Uddin as the new attorney general for the state, two additional attorney generals -- Murad Reza and Momtaz Uddin Fakir -- yesterday resigned without citing any specific reasons.
11 October 2020, 18:00 PM
Magistrates Running Mobile Courts: SC yet to decide if it’s legal
The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division is yet to settle whether executive magistrates can operate mobile courts legally, although the issue has been pending with it for over three years.
6 October 2020, 18:00 PM
Extrajudicial Killings: No hearing on HC rules yet
The High Court could not issue any directive, guideline or observation on extrajudicial killings in law enforcers’ custody as no final hearings were held on two separate petitions and three rules over the last 14 years.
2 October 2020, 18:00 PM
Eight Years of Ramu Attack: Buddhists still wait for justice
Justice is yet to be delivered for the mindless communal attacks on the Buddhist community in Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu upazila in 2012 although three separate probe reports identifying the attackers and inaction of nonchalant local officials were placed before the High Court seven years ago.
28 September 2020, 18:00 PM
Aug 21, Holey Artisan, Nusrat Murder: Three sensational cases await HC hearing for disposal
Although the paper books of sensational August 21 grenade attack, Holey Artisan Bakery attack and Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder cases have already been prepared, the High Court is yet to start hearing on their death references and appeals for different reasons, delaying justice.
25 September 2020, 18:00 PM
Custodial deaths: Law there, victims afraid to file cases
Although the government enacted a law to prevent torture and death in custody of different law enforcement agencies seven years ago, not many cases have been filed under the act.
8 September 2020, 18:00 PM
Arrest of 81 migrant workers against law
Eighty-one migrant workers were recently arrested under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), in violation of the law and Supreme Court directive, as there is no specific allegation against them, some legal experts and rights activists have observed.
8 September 2020, 18:00 PM
Legal remedy never found
A legal remedy is yet to come forth from either the court or law enforcement about incidents of enforced disappearance due to a lack of persistent protests and legal fights.
29 August 2020, 18:00 PM
BDR Carnage Case: Delay in delivery of verdict copy halts final disposal
Neither the defence nor the state could file appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict in the 2009 BDR carnage case, although HC verdict’s full text was released seven months ago.
24 August 2020, 18:00 PM
Aug 21 Case Verdict: Waiting for HC hearing on appeals
The High Court is yet to start the hearing on the death references and appeals against the verdict of the sensational August 21, 2004, grenade attack case, although it accepted the appeals of the convicts more than a year and a half ago.
20 August 2020, 18:00 PM
Efforts on to bring back fugitives
The government has moved another step forward in ensuring justice for the August 15 bloodbath by executing a convicted killer this year while it expects to bring back at least one of the five fugitives from abroad within the Mujib Borsho.
14 August 2020, 18:00 PM
Govt’s legal aid helpline now open round the clock
Md Abdul Hamid Khan (44) from Fulbaria in Mymensingh was detained in Mymensingh jail since March 4 in a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
7 August 2020, 18:00 PM
HC can’t ask JS to enact or amend law
The High Court does not have the jurisdiction to ask parliament to enact or amend any law, said the Supreme Court in the full text of a verdict regarding river grabbing and pollution.
5 August 2020, 18:00 PM
Virtual court: New dimension in the judiciary
A laptop and a smartphone with internet access.
28 July 2020, 18:00 PM
War Crimes Trial: ‘Azhar may file review petition today’
Convicted war criminal ATM Azharul Islam’s lawyers have prepared a 23-page review petition containing 14 grounds for seeking reconsideration of the Supreme Court verdict, that upheld his death penalty for his involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
18 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Holey Artisan Case: HC yet to start hearing on death reference
The High Court is yet to start hearing on the death reference and appeals of the sensational Holey Artisan Bakery attack case, although the trial court has finished the case proceedings and delivered the verdict seven months ago.
30 June 2020, 18:00 PM
United Hospital Fire: Isolation unit had no Rajuk approval
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) yesterday submitted a probe report to the High Court saying that there was no approval for the coronavirus isolation unit at United Hospital, where five people were killed in a fire on May 27.
14 June 2020, 18:00 PM
Underage Accused in Criminal Cases: 880 children detained in 3 centres
A total of 880 children are still detained in three “Shishu Unnayan Kendra” (children development centres) in connection with different criminal cases, even after 489 were granted bail in last 20 working days.
12 June 2020, 18:00 PM
CJ readministers oath to 18 HC judges in person
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has further administered oath to 18 High Court judges on Saturday night, hours after they were virtually sworn in.
31 May 2020, 18:00 PM