Bangladesh News

Transfer order of the judge of a fast-track special graft court has stimulated curiosity among different quarters dealing with trial and investigation.

The special court-4, one of 10 such courts set up at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar MP Hostel of the National Parliament complex, has so far delivered verdicts in 23 graft cases since its inception in May last year.

Fourteen more cases against high-profile corruption suspects are now pending with the court. But the law ministry has suddenly decided to transfer Judge Shamsunnahar Begum to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, Tangail.

Questions have been raised regarding the transfer order as there were no specific reasons or allegations against her to that end. She has rather disposed off quickly many cases including those against many high-profile graft suspects.

She was even dealing at least a dozen cases where many bigwigs, including ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia’s adviser Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, are accused.

Shamsunnahar is to be replaced by Judge Jesmin Anwar, who is learned to be a relative of Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff.

Sources say Shamsunnahar was transferred to the special court last year from a Narayanganj court and, according to rules, was supposed to serve there for three years.

Some law ministry officials however told The Daily Star it is not necessary to have any reason to transfer any judge at any moment, even if the three-year term is not completed.

Some officials of the ministry say there is nothing wrong with the transfer decision. But some sources in the judiciary allege the move is an attempt to accommodate the law adviser’s relative.

The law ministry first took the initiative and issued an order to transfer Shamsunnahar to the Tangail district court and Jesmin Anwar to the special court-4 in April. The decision was taken as per an advice of the Supreme Court, it reasoned.

The sources add before April, Judge Shamsunnahar in some of her judgments asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman to take effective action against the complainants and investigation officers, which caused embarrassment and resentment among officials of the anti-graft body.

However, following an application from Judge Shamsunnahar with a request for not transferring her, the law ministry kept the order withheld till June.

On July 31, the law ministry again issued a stand-release order asking her to join the Tangail court on August 3.

Shamsunnahar repeatedly requested the law ministry to cancel the transfer order to let her work with the Special Court-4.

As a result, the law ministry again stayed the transfer order till tomorrow.

The sources say the order has not been cancelled, which means she must join the Tangail court.

Contacted yesterday, officials of the special court-4 and the law ministry did not agree to comment on the issue, terming it “sensitive”.

Some of the cases still pending with the court were filed against the big fish like Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, ex-BNP ministers Mirza Abbas, Amanullah Aman, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, ex-BNP MP MAH Selim, ex- Awami League state minister Obaidul Kader, and ex-CBA leader Bakir Hossain.

Sources say Judge Shamsunnahar also informed the law ministry and the Supreme Court registrar that she has been dealing such cases.

Different quarters involved with the anti-corruption drive and graft cases also informed the government offices concerned and the judiciary that it would be difficult for a new judge to conduct the cases against such high-profile figures, the sources add.