Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday deferred till Sunday the hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the government’s failure and inaction to prevent the recent attack on Barrister Mainul Hosein at Rangpur court compound.
The HC Bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order after a short hearing from the State counselor.
The concerned Deputy Attorney General informed the court that the Attorney General will take part in the hearing but he was unable on Tuesday as he is sick.
Saju Hosein, wife of Barrister Mainul Hosein, filed the petition on November 7, with the High Court.
In the petition, Saju Hosein challenged the government’s failure and inaction to prevent the recent attack on Barrister Mainul at Rangpur court compound.
She sought a rule from the court as to why the government’s failure to provide adequate security to Barrister Mainul should not be declared illegal, her lawyer Advocate M Masud Rana told The New Nation.
After primary hearing on the petition the same High Court bench on November 8, 2018, asked the authorities to provide adequate security to Barrister Mainul if he is transferred to another jail from Rangpur, where he is being held now.
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Advocate M Masud Rana appeared in the court for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Kazi Jinat Huq stood for the State. Advocate Bipul Bagmar, Advocate Abdur Rahim, Advocate Tajul Islam, Advocate A K Khan Uzzal and Advocate Monjur Kader were also present in the court on behalf of the petitioner.
In the hearing, Advoate Khandker Mahbub said, “The ruling party men attacked on Barrister Mainul Hosein on the Rangpur court premises on November 4. He is under custody. It was a failure of the law enforcing agencies that someone under their custody was attacked. So, we pray to the court to issue rule on their failure.”
Then the Deputy Attorney General told the court that the Attorney General would take part in the hearing on the two petitions. So, they need time.
After hearing, the court fixed Sunday for further hearing on the petitions.
A team of Detective Branch (DB) of police on October 22 arrested former Adviser to the Caretaker Government Barrister Mainul Hosein from Dhaka in a defamation case filed in Rangpur court. But some other cases were sued against him before and after his arrest.
Now Barrister Mainul is in Rangpur jail. He was lodged in the jail on November 3.
A Rangpur court on November 4 rejected a bail petition filed by Barrister Mainul Hosein in a defamation case. But he was attacked in the courtyard by the ruling party men as he was being brought to the court on the day.
On October 16, Mainul Hosein was connected to a talk show programme, ‘Ekattorer Journal’, through a video-conference aired on a private TV channel, Ekattor TV, hosted by Mithila Farzana, and made an ‘offensive comments’ against Masuda Bhatti.
During the talk show, Masuda Bhatti told Mainul Hosein, “You say that you are with the Jatiya Oikya Front as a citizen of the country, but in social networking sites, many people are saying that you are there as a representative of Jamaat-e-Islami.”
Angered by the comment, Mainul Hosein said, “I’m thanking you for your audacity and I want to believe you as ‘characterless’. There’s no question about Jamaat link’s with me and what question you have asked is embarrassing for me.”
After such comments, there was a storm of criticism in the social media.
At least 21 cases have been filed so far in different parts of the country against Barrister Mainul Hosein on the charge of using indecent language against journalist Masuda Bhatti on a live television talk show on October 16.
