The High Court has fixed January 5 to pronounce verdict on the legality of granting remand of Dhallywood actress Shamsunnahar Smriti, who is commonly known as Pori Moni, multiple times in a narcotics case.
The HC bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice ASM Abdul Mobin was scheduled to deliver the verdict on the petition, which challenged the legality of two judges’ granting remand for Pori Moni for second and third times, on Thursday (November 25).
However, the bench deferred the date till January 5. The bench said that they (judges) could not prepare the judgement by Thursday and therefore, they will deliver the judgement after reopening of the court following its upcoming annual vacation.
Both the Appellate Division and High Court Division of the Supreme Court will go for vacation from December 19 and will reopen on January 2 next year.
Lawyer Abdul Alim Mia Jewel stood for the two judges in the court, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman represented the state. Lawyers ZI Khan Panna and Mujibur Rahman were in favour of Pori Moni.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Pori Moni from her residence at Banani in the capital on August 4. Later, a case was filed against her under the Narcotics Control Act.
On August 5, Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid granted remand for Pori Moni for four days for the first time.
On August 10, Metropolitan Magistrate Debabrata Biswas granted police two days to grill the actress for the second time. On August 19, Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqul Islam granted another one-day remand for the actress for the third time.
Following the High Court’s intervention, another Dhaka court finally granted bail to Pori Moni on September 1 and she walked out of jail the following day.
On August 29, a lawyer filed a petition before the High Court seeking an order on the legality of taking Pori Moni in multiple remands in the case defying an earlier order of the Supreme Court.
On September 2, the two metropolitan magistrates were summoned to explain why they allowed a second and third round of remand in the narcotics case.
On October 31, two lower court judges offered an unconditional apology to the High Court for placing Pori Moni on remand for the second and third time.