Staff Reporter :
Barrister Mainul Hosein has been given Division-1 status in jail after the High Court had ordered the jail authorities to provide the facility, said Mahbub Islam, Jailer of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.
The court order was sent to the jail authorities yesterday afternoon soon after it (order) was delivered Advocate Masud Rana, a counsel for Barrister Mainul, said.
The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the government to give Division-1 status to Barrister Mainul Hosein in the jail.
The Bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Barrister Mainul’s wife Saju Hosein asking for division-1 status for Mainul.
According to the facilities, Mainul Hosein will get a separate room, a bed, a table, a newspaper and some other facilities in the jail.
‘We have provided Div-1 facilities to Barrister Mainul Hosein with effect from 5 PM on Monday,’ confirmed Jail Super Iqbal Kabir Chowdhury. The High Court also issued a rule upon the government as to why Barrister Mainul Hosein should not be granted Division-1 facility in the jail.
Pending hearing of the rule, Barrister Mainul would be provided Division-1 status in the jail, the court said in its order.
Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Inspector General of Prison, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, and Jailer of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj have been asked to comply with the rule within four weeks.
Saju Hosein, wife of Barrister Mainul Hosein, on Thursday filed the writ petition seeking Division and medical treatment for Mainul.
After concluding the hearing, the HC on Sunday fixed Monday to pass order on the writ petition filed for Division facility in the jail and medical treatment for Barrister Mainu who was sent to jail in a defamation case sued in Rangpur.
Dr Kamal Hossain and Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain appeared for Barrister Mainul Hosein, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the State.
Supreme Court Bar Association President Advocate Zainul Abedin, Advocate Masud Rana were also in the court during the hearing.
In the hearing, Dr Kamal said, “Barrister Mainul Hosein is a former Member of the Parliament and former Advisor to the Caretaker Government which is equivalent to Minister. He is also the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). As per jail code, he is eligible to get the Division.”
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, “The High Court is not the proper place to seek the Division. The petitioner has to go to the trial court for this and the trial court will decide whether Division will be given or not.”
Then Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, “We prayed to the trial court for the Division. But the court did not pass any order after the hearing. So, we have come to the High Court and the HC has the jurisdiction to pass an order on the matter. This is the petitioner’s fundamental right.”
A woman, Mili Maya Begum, on October 22, filed the defamation case in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Rangpur against Mainul Hosein on charge of passing ‘malicious comment’ about a woman on a television talk show. Judge Arifa Yasmin Mukta issued arrest warrant against him after taking the charge into cognizance.
The same day, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of Police detained former Adviser to the Caretaker Government Barrister Mainul Hosein in the case from in front of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rab’s Uttara residence in the city.
The following day Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Kaisarul Islam sent him to jail rejecting his bail plea after hearing.
According to the case statement, Barrister Mainul was connected via video link to a live talk show programme hosted by Mithila Farzana on private channel Ekattor TV, where Masuda Bhatti was a studio guest. “He tarnished the image of Masuda,” the statement says.
The filing of cases continue and a total of 18 cases have so far been filed in different parts of the country against Barrister Mainul in the same offence.
