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
Last Year’s Dengue Outbreak: HC hearing in limbo
The High Court is yet to deliver any order over the “partial negligence” of Dhaka city corporations regarding last year’s dengue outbreak in the capital, although a judicial inquiry report on the issue was submitted to the court two months back.
17 May 2020, 18:00 PM
Nusrat Jahan Rafi Murder: Case hearing delayed for coronavirus
Though a High Court bench was ready to hold hearing on the sensational Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case, it cannot start the proceedings as the court functions are closed due to ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
8 May 2020, 18:00 PM
Ahsanullah Master Murder Case: 16 years on, justice yet to be served
Final justice is yet to be delivered to the family members of the then Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master, who was brutally killed in 2004, as the appeals in connection with his murder case are still now pending with the apex court.
7 May 2020, 18:00 PM
It’s now a gag on the media, free speech
Legal experts and rights activists have expressed grave concern over continuous filing of cases and subsequent arrests of journalists under the Digital Security Act, saying that the law was formulated and now being enforced to “gag the media and freedom of expression”.
6 May 2020, 18:00 PM
War criminal Azharul’s review petition ready: Defence lawyer
Convicted war criminal ATM Azharul Islam's lawyers have prepared a 26-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.
3 May 2020, 09:29 AM
Legal aid for those who can’t afford it
Shah Alam and Jahanara got married seven years back in Cumilla, and they were living peacefully with their two children despite struggling with finances. But as time went on frequent disputes among family members ultimately led to the two getting divorced.
25 April 2020, 18:00 PM
Ramna Batamul Carnage: Justice in legal tangle
Some legal tangles have caused an unusual delay in hearing and disposal of the 2001 sensational Ramna Batamul carnage case at the High Court for nearly six years, as two separate HC benches have refused to deal with them for different reasons.
13 April 2020, 18:00 PM
Tenure of Life Imprisonment: Over 5,000 prisoners’ fate in the balance
Around 5,000 prisoners, who have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, are yet to know how long they will have to serve in jails, as the Supreme Court has not delivered its verdict on the long pending review petition involving the dispute over the tenure of life imprisonment.
7 April 2020, 18:00 PM
BDR Carnage Case: SC appeal delayed by closure of court
The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has caused a delay in filing appeals with the Supreme Court challenging its High Court verdict in the sensational BDR carnage case.
30 March 2020, 18:00 PM
Clearing Case Backlog: Judges of SC, HC to work extra hours
Judges of the Supreme Court’s appellate and high court divisions have decided in principle that they will work extra time after their office hours in two days a week to reduce the backlog of pending cases.
13 March 2020, 18:00 PM
Cheque Dishonour: Mix-up had man serve over 4 years, instead of 1
On August 5, 2015, a man was arrested because five cheques he gave to his business partner bounced -- a criminal offence as per the law. This offence carries one year’s jail term as punishment.
9 March 2020, 18:00 PM
What’s the point then?
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday expressed disappointment that the 2003 High Court verdict, barring police from making arbitrary arrests on suspicion and torturing people during remand, have not been executed in 17 years.
13 February 2020, 18:00 PM
HC bans all sorts of gambling
Declaring gambling in any form, involving cards or roll of the dice or luck and through games like bingo, a criminal offence, the High Court yesterday asked the government to stop these nationwide.
10 February 2020, 18:00 PM
BDR Mutiny Case: Certified copy of 29,000-page HC verdict in limbo
Neither the defence nor the state side in the 2009 BDR mutiny case have yet received the certified copy of the High Court verdict, which is necessary for them to move appeals before the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, challenging the HC judgement.
7 February 2020, 18:00 PM
Stop recurrence of scams in banking sector
The High Court has stressed the need for preventing financial scams in the banking sector.
17 January 2020, 18:00 PM
SC upholds death sentence of Qaiser
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the death sentence of former Jatiya Party leader Syed Mohammad Qaisar, for his involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes -- including killing and rape -- during the 1971 Liberation War.
14 January 2020, 18:00 PM
2009 Pilkhana Carnage: Intent was to dislodge the AL govt
The intention of the massacre and atrocities at the BDR Pilkhana headquarters in 2009 was to depose the newly formed Awami League-led government, create a political crisis, and damage democracy, said the High Court in the full text of the BDR mutiny case verdict.
8 January 2020, 18:00 PM
Lower court to get 200 new assistant judges
The government has taken an initiative to appoint 100 assistant judges to lower courts, in addition to another 100 whose appointments are now under process.
26 December 2019, 18:00 PM
Allegations Against Cops: HC for quick probe, action
The inspector general of police needs to take necessary measures to ensure quick probe into allegations against law enforcers and actions against those found guilty, the High Court has observed in the full text of a verdict.
25 December 2019, 18:00 PM
BDR Mutiny: High Court may release full 28,000-page verdict soon
The High Court is likely to release, within a week or two, the full text of its verdict that confirmed death penalty for 139 accused and upheld life imprisonment of 185 others for their involvement in the massacre during the BDR mutiny in 2009.
8 December 2019, 18:00 PM