The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the authorities concerned to keep the district and sessions judge of Narail, Sheikh Abdul Ahad, away from discharging judicial duties in criminal cases for one year for exempting the principal accused of a murder case. The HC bench, comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman, issued the order in response to a writ petition.

Nazmul Huda, brother of Enamul Haque, who was shot dead in the Barnail Bazar area under Kalia police station in Narail on February 10, 2015, filed the writ petition with the HC, seeking an order against Sheikh Abdul Ahad for exempting the principal accused in his brother's murder case. Nazmul had filed a murder case with the Kalia police station following the murder of  Enamul Haque in front

of Chondinagar Government Primary School on February

10, 2015.

A total of 67 people were accused in the case, in which Mallick Majharul Islam was the prime accused. But the judge exempted Mallick from the charge.

On June 10 this year, Sheikh Abdul Ahad accepted the charge sheet in the case from which the name of Mallick was dropped.

Later, Nazmul filed a petition with the HC, challenging the district and sessions judge’s order. He prayed to the HC to order the trial court judge to include the name of Mallick in

the case. In continuation of the petition, the HC on July 7 ordered Abdul Ahad to explain why his judicial power should not be curtailed for exempting Mallick from the murder case.

On July 10, Sheikh Abdul Ahad sent a letter to the HC, offering unconditional apology to the court for exempting Mallick from the case.

Deputy attorney general Mohammad Sarwar Hossain represented the state, while Mohammad Hossain Lipu and Abdul Alim argued for the plaintiff.