The law ministry yesterday dismissed a former judge of Women and Children Repression Tribunal in Comilla (district judge), SM Aminul Islam, now attached to the law ministry, for committing misconduct and corruption. The law ministry yesterday issued a gazette notification in this regard. The ministry said that being directed by the Supreme Court, a departmental case was filed against SM Aminul Islam on charges of corruption and misconduct. Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Mohammad Johirul Huq told The Independent that judge Aminul Islam was found guilty in the inves tigation. After scrutinising all the documents submitted by Aminul Islam, he was found guilty of committing corruption and professional misconduct. After getting the president’s approval, the ministry dismissed him from service for graft.
Earlier, the Supreme Court in August last recommended to the law ministry to dismiss four trial court judges from their services for their involvement in corruption, misconduct and irregularities.
The ministry then sent relevant papers to the president at different times for his permission to issue notifications on their dismissals, law ministry sources said, adding that the ministry got approval from the president about these matters at different times.
Besides Judge SM Aminul Islam, the other three judges — former Thakurgaon district judge Ruhul Amin Khandaker, former Jamalpur additional district judge Md Sirajul Islam and former Khulna additional district judge Moinul Haque — have already been dismissed from service, law ministry sources said.
According to sources, judge SM Aminul Islam was involved in massive corruption as he issued bail to the accused in at least 20 non-bailable cases while serving as a judge in Dhaka.
Sources also said that judge Ruhul Amin Khandaker was involved in massive corruption including taking bribe in giving job at lower level when serving as the district judge of Thakurgaon.
Sources also said that judge Sirajul Islam was involved in corruption and irregularities, including illegal acquisition of a piece of land when he was the Jamalpur district judge.
Additional district judge Moinul Haque was also involved in corruption during his service tenure when he was an additional district judge of Khulna. A total of 68 lawyers filed complaints against him for issuing verdict after taking bribe. Haque kept 140 cases waiting for delivering verdict after completion of hearing in those cases.