Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) will hold the hearing today (Sunday) 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 High Court Bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir fixed the date on November 13 after a short hearing from the State Counselor.
The Deputy Attorney General informed the court that the Attorney General will take part in the hearing but he was unavailable on that day as he was sick.
Saju Hosein, wife of Barrister Mainul Hosein, filed the petition on November 7, 2018 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 kept.
After hearing, the court fixed Sunday for further hearing on the petitions.
On November 11, the same HC bench issued a rule asking the government to explain within seven days as to why it should not be directed to admit Barrister Mainul Hosein to an appropriate hospital in Dhaka for his treatment.
Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Inspector General of Prison, Deputy Inspector General of Prison, Rangpur range, Civil Surgeons of Dhaka and Rangpur and other respondents have been made respondents.
Advocate M Masud Rana, a lawyer for Barrister Mainul Hosein, said, the court may hold hearing on the rule today.
Saju Hosein also filed the petition on November 7, 2018 with the High Court.
Meanwhile, on November 11, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman adjourned till today the hearing on the two petitions filed seeking quashment of the cases filed against Barrister Mainul Hosein in Rangpur Court and Jamalpur Court as the concerned Deputy Attorney General informed the court that the Attorney General will take part in the hearing but he was unable on Sunday as he is sick.
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 into 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.
