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29 March 2024


Business Insider Bangladesh

HC orders release of woman serving jail instead of convict

BI Report || BusinessInsider

Published: 20:33, 7 June 2021   Update: 21:01, 7 June 2021
HC orders release of woman serving jail instead of convict

Photo: Collected

The High Court on Monday ordered release of Minu Akhter, who has been languishing in jail since 2018 instead of convicted Kulsuma Akhter in connection with a case filed for killing one Kohinur Begum, from jail immediately.

The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim came up with the order after hearing an appeal filed by a Kulsuma Akhter, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case, challenging her conviction handed by a lower court.

The HC bench also summoned the public prosecutor of Chattogram Women and Children Court-2 and four others including lawyers Bibekananda and Nurul Anwar to appear before it on June 28 to explain their position over the matter.

Minu Akhter, now 33, of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram, has been languishing in jail since 2018 instead of convicted Kulsuma Akhter from Lohagora upazila of the same district.

In its observation, the HC bench said an innocent person serving jail sentence instead of a convicted one for the sake of money is unfortunate.

Attorney general AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Dr Bashir Ullah appeared for the state while Advocate Shishir Manir moved for Kulsuma Akhter during the court proceedings.

Earlier on Sunday, Minu Akhter’s lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir prayed to the HC to direct the authorities concerned to conduct a judicial enquiry in order to find out how Minu Akhter was allowed to serve a jail sentence instead of convicted Kulsuma Akhter and who are responsible for the incident.

Shishir Manir also urged the HC to order the law enforcers to arrest Kulsuma Akher immediately and to ask the jail authorities to introduce biometric fingerprint test to identify the real convicted or accused persons.

The case documents reached the HC from the Chattogram court on March 24 for its decision over the issue.

Earlier on March 22, the 4th Additional Metropolitan Session Judge of Chattogram court Shariful Alam found Minu Akhter has been serving in jail since 2018 instead of convicted Kulsuma Akhter.

Kohinur, an apparel worker, was killed in her rented house in the port city’s Rahmatganj area on July 9, 2006 following an altercation over a mobile phone.

A case was lodged with Kotwali Police Station in this connection and police arrested one Kulsuma Akhter and sent her to jail in 2007. She later walked out of jail on bail.

On November 30, 2017, a court in Chattogram sentenced her (Kulsuma) to life-term imprisonment in absentia after trial.

Nagad
Walton