It was 9:05am this morning (Monday). A large blue prison van drove up to the gates of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates (CMM) court, whistles blowing loudly.
Former education minister Dipu Moni emerged from the van. Women police escorted her into the court custody room.
Former member of parliament Haji Salim and others had already been brought earlier in the morning. Around 30 minutes after Dipu Moni arrived, Haji Salim was brought out by police. He was wearing a loose white panjabi.
Haji Salim smiled broadly at the press, while the police held him by the arms on either side.
Behind Haji Salim emerged former information and communication technology state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
After that, one after the other former law minister Anisul Huq, adviser to the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Salman F Rahman, Bangladesh Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtanktrik Dal (JASAD) president and former minister Hasanul Haque Inu and other were brought to the court room on the third floor of the CMM court.
The lawyers of the accused were waiting there from beforehand. The judge came towards the court room at 9:40 am.
A glum Haji Salim was placed in the dock and he started shouting. At one point the police asked that he be shown arrested in a murder case at the capital’s Jatrabari police station.
Haji Salim’s legal counsel Pran Nath Roy appealed to the court to grant his client bail.
He said his client could not speak and was unwell. He was arrested and put in jail for a long time. He had been at the Keraniganj central jail and received first division facilities as a member of parliament. However, he had recently been transferred to the Kashimpur jail.
Lawyer Pran Nath Roy went on to tell the court that his client was not receiving any division facilities at the Kashimpur prison. The prison authorities did not understand Haji Salim’s words. He was facing a lot of problems there, The lawyer said his client would be much benefitted if the court granted him division.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court public prosecutor (PP) Omar Faruqui opposed the bail appeal.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected the bail appeal. The court ordered to show him as arrested and send him to jail.
Dipu Moni writes letter in the dock
It was 10:00 am and in the crowded court room the hearing was on for the remand petition in two cases against Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman and others.
Dipu Moni was standing in the dock at the time. In front of her was former member of parliament ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury. Standing to her left was Hasanul Haque Inu.
At one point, Dipu Moni began writing with a pen in her right hand on a tissue in her left hand. Dipu Moni continued writing her “letter” for almost five minutes and then handed it over to a person in lawyer’s garb standing in front of the dock. He kept the tissue folded in his left hand and indicated to Dipu that’s he’s take a picture of it.
After handing over the letter, Dipu Moni started talking to Zunaid Ahmed. Dipu Moni was also seen smilingly talking to Salman F Rahman.
Public prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqui told Prothom Alo that he was taking part in the hearing and the dock was at a distance from there. There were many lawyers in the court and he had not spotted the matter of Dipu Moni writing a letter. If he had seen it, he would certainly have brought the matter to the court’s attention. After all, an accused is in custody of the court and cannot speak to anyone other than his or her lawyer.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dipu Moni’s lawyer Gazi Faisal Islam told Prothom Alo that he had not seen his client write any such letter as the court was crowded and he had been in the front of the court, busy with the hearing.
The court ordered Dipu Moni to be shown arrested in two murder cases at the Jatrabari police station and sent to jail.
Anisul quiet, former to IGPs talk
It was seen in court that when Anisul Huq was brought into the court room, he held his two hands in front. He stood gloomily in the dock. He only spoke for some time with his lawyer. After that he stood silent in the dock. Salman F Rahman was by his side but he did not talk to him.
Former IGPs Shahidul Huq and Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun stood close by Anisul Huq. They spoke to each other for 5-10 minutes.
Rashed Khan Menon was on one side of the dock and standing at a distance from him was Hasanul Haque Inu. They did not speak to each other. They spoke to their lawyers.
After the hearing, the court granted permission to take Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman, Hasanul Haque Inu, Rashed Khan Menon and Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on remand for a varying number of days.
Also, Zunaid Ahmed, Fazle Karim Chowdhury and Shahidul Huq were shown arrested in various cases.
prothom alo
