The High Court has stopped hearing a matter after feeling ‘uneasy’ by a minister’s phone call.
The bench by Justices Sharif Uddin Chaklader and AKM Shahidul Huq was hearing a case regarding bank loan on Monday.
“During the hearing of this matter, a minister has called one of us, therefore we are not inclined to hear this matter,” said the bench’s senior judge Justice Chaklader. “Let this matter be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders.” Following that, the case documents were sent to the Chief Justice for his orders. The judges however did not reveal the minister’s name. There have been several incidents of judges being ’embarrassed’ by irrational intervention in the judiciary system. Usually, a judge, once ’embarrassed’, refrains from hearing the relevant case. Justices Chaklader and Huq, however, did not say they were ’embarrassed’. According to the case detail, one SMA Muhith, proprietor of Barendra International, had taken a Tk 7 million loan from the Jamuna Bank in 2002. The bank says Barendra International owes Tk 21.7 million including interest.
But the borrower claims he owe the bank only Tk 8.4 million. The dispute led to multiple cases being filed at both lower and higher courts. “Jamuna Bank then sold off the mortgaged property for Tk 10.2 million which is actually worth Tk 40.5 million,” claims Md Asaduzzaman, the counsel for Barendra International.
The case landed at the High Court bench in the form of an appeal against a lower court order. “The bench heard the matter for a few days. But, the justices sent the hearing plea to the Chief Justice after it was presented today.”
