Why stand release of Pirojpur district judge wouldn’t be declared illegal: HC

The High Court today issued a rule asking authorities to explain why the stand release of Pirojpur's District and Sessions Judge Abdul Mannan should not be declared illegal.

The High Court bench of Justice Tariq-ul-Hakim and Justice Iqbal Karim asked the law ministry and related authorities to reply within the next one week.

Prior to the issuance of the rule, several Supreme Court lawyers, including Barrister Abdul Qayyum Liton, brought into the notice of the court the news published in several national dailies regarding the stand release of Abdul Mannan.

Speaking to the media after the rule was issued, Abdul Qayyum said, "The court in its observation said the incidence of the stand release is unusual. Therefore, we are seeking explanation from the law ministry on this."

The court set March 11 as the next date for hearing on this.

A day after his bail in separate graft cases, former Awami League lawmaker AKMA Awal brought various allegations against Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, at a press briefing at the party office on Wednesday noon.

He alleged that the minister influenced Judge Abdul Mannan for not granting bail to him and his wife.

He also alleged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed three cases against him and his wife after being influenced by Rezaul Karim.

"Influenced by Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, the judge illegally cancelled our bail prayers although we had the legal right to secure it," he said.

After becoming the housing and public works minister, Rezaul bought 15 kathas of land in Pirojpur town in his and his brothers' names within seven to eight months, he added.

During his time, Rezaul took three cars as gift from GK Shamim and gave him project contracts amounting to Tk5,000 crore from the public works department, the former lawmaker alleged. 

When contacted, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim termed the allegations against him false and fabricated.

On Tuesday, Pirojpur District and Sessions Judge Abdul Mannan was stand-released on charges of corruption hours after he sent local former lawmaker AKMA Awal and his wife Laila Parvin to jail after rejecting their bail pleas in three graft cases.

After the order was passed, supporters of Awal started protests on the court premises.

Later, acting District and Sessions Judge Nahid Nasrin granted them bail for two months following a review petition filed by the accused.

Judge Abdul Mannan has been attached to the law ministry.

A High Court bench has advised the lawyers to draw the attention of the chief justice about the matter of unusual bail to Pirojpur's former lawmaker AKMA Awal and Judge Abdul Mannan's stand release.

Justice Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mustafizur Rahman gave the advice to two Supreme Court lawyers when they placed news reports on the matter.

The court said it did not have any jurisdiction regarding the matter, only the Chief Justice can decide on it.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq today told reporters the judge has been transferred to control the situation for his misconduct with lawyers not for rejecting bail to Awami League leader AKMA Awal and his wife.

Former law minister Shafiq Ahmed told The Business Standard, "The matter of Judge Abdul Mannan's stand release is very upsetting. As far as I remember, such incident did not happen in the last two decades. The freedom of judiciary has been questionable to some extent because of this incident."

The ACC filed three cases with the commission's integrated district office in Barishal on December 30 last year over leasing khas land using fake documents.