Dhaka, Oct 25 (BDNEWS) – The High Court Tuesday ordered the government not to arrest or harass the Ekushey Television (ETV) chairman Abdus Salam till November 20 in a women repression case with Kafrul police station filed by his divorced second wife Farjana Shilpy so that he (Salam) can surrender before the court on November 20.
The High Court also issued a rule upon the Home Secretary, Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Officer in Charge (OC) and Sub-Inspector (SI) of Kafrul police station and Farjana Shilpy to show cause through the lawyers within 24 hours after receiving the order as to why the police action against Salam and his relatives should not be declared illegal.
After hearing two separate petitions filed by Abdus Salam, also the Managing Director (MD) of the Ekushey Television, two High Court benches passed the orders.
Farjana, on October 7, filed a case against Abdus Salam and his five relatives, including his brothers Ashraful Alam Tutul and Manzurul Alam, with Kafrul police station accusing them of torturing her and attempting to rape her at her DOHS residence on October 6.
In the petitions Abdus Salam submitted that Farjana returned Dhaka from abroad on October 6 and came to his DOHS residence. At the instigation of some influential and interested persons, she filed a false case against him and his relatives to harass them. Those persons are pressing the petitioner to sell the shares of the ETV to them, he submitted.
He also submitted that earlier the police, on October 6 night raided his DOHS residence thrice and arrested eight of his relatives in this connection. They were released later on bail.
In the petition, Abdus Salam, who is now in abroad for business purpose sought a direction to the court so that police don't arrest or harass him after his arrival in Dhaka.
The division bench comprising Justice MA Rashid and Justice ATM Fazle Kabir asked him (Salam) to surrender before the trial court on November 20 and ordered the government not to arrest or harass the petitioner by this time.
Abdus Salam also filed a writ petition challenging the police action against properties and his relatives without due process of law.
Another division bench of the High Court comprising Justice M A Matin and Justice Rezaul Haque issued a rule upon the government authorities and Farjana Shilpy.
The government on April 12 this year issued license to the closed down Ekushey Television (ETV) enabling the most popular private channel to resume its operation.
The television channel, which was closed down by a court order on August 29, 2002, was the first TV channel in the private sector with both satellite and terrestrial facilities to beam programmes.
After a prolonged legal battle, the channel got back its license and is likely to come into operation shortly. Abdus Salam, an expatriate Bangladeshi, is now owned the lion shares of the channel.
On September 25, a vacation bench of the High Court comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastgir Husain and Justice Nirmalendu Dhar ordered and issued a rule upon the government to show cause as to why direction should not be given not to arrest the petitioner without due process of law.
Advocate TH Khan and Dr Kamal Hosain assisted by Barrister Sarah Hossain moved for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Adilur Rahman Khan stood for the government.
BDNEWS/1833 hrs
