Law ministry dismisses lower court judge

The law ministry yesterday dismissed a lower court judge from his service for committing misconduct and corruption. 

The ministry issued a gazette notification on the dismissal of former Jamalpur additional district judge Md Sirajul Islam, now attached to this ministry, after the president approved the decision of his dismissal.

Law ministry sources said the Supreme Court authorities in August had decided to relieve four lower court judges, including Sirajul, of their service for their corruption, irregularities and incompetence and had asked the law ministry to implement the decision.

The ministry then sent the relevant papers to the president at different times for his permission to issue notifications on their dismissals, sources said, adding that the ministry got approval from the president about Sirajul on October 5.

The ministry will act about the three other judges upon getting the president's approval, according to the sources.       

Other three judges are former Comilla women and children repression tribunal judge SM Aminul Islam (district judge), former Thakurgaon district judge Ruhul Amin Khandaker and former Khulna additional district judge Moinul Haque. They have been attached to the law ministry.

Earlier, the ministry investigated allegations against the judges and found those to be true, ministry sources said, adding that the ministry then sent the probe report to the SC for action.

According to sources, Aminul Islam was involved in a massive corruption as he granted bail to at least 20 non-bailable cases when he was a judge in Dhaka. 

Ruhul Amin was involved in corruption, including taking bribes from people for giving them jobs at lower level, when he was the district judge of Thakurgaon.

Sources said Sirajul was involved in corruption and irregularities, including illegal acquisition of a piece of land, when he was in Jamalpur.

Additional district judge Moinul Haque was also involved in corruption when he was an additional district judge of Khulna. Sixty-eight lawyers filed complaints against him for delivering verdict after taking bribes. Moinul kept 140 cases waiting for announcing verdict after completion of hearing in those cases.

The chief justice took the decision for dismissal after consultations with all the High Court Division judges, who were present at the full-court meeting in August.