HC suspends court official

The High Court has temporarily suspended Bench Officer Zakir Hossain over allegations of fraud involving the bail order of Shahedul Islam, the principal accused in a case linked to the seizure of garments allegedly produced for the Kuki Chin National Front (KNF).

The Supreme Court administration confirmed the development on Monday, stating that a show-cause notice has also been issued against the official alongside the suspension.

According to court sources, the Attorney General brought the matter to the attention of the Chief Justice on April 29, following which an order was issued to complete an inquiry within 48 hours.

Investigation-related sources said Shahedul Islam, owner of Ringvo Apparels in Chattogram, had applied for bail around seven months ago. The petition was heard on September 16, 2025, by a High Court bench comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Abdullah Yusuf Sumon. During the hearing, information from an unrelated case was allegedly presented, creating confusion as it contained no reference to the KNF-related matter.

Based on that hearing, the court granted bail and signed the order. However, it is later alleged that the bail order was tampered with, including changes to the case details such as the police station, applicable legal provisions, and insertion of a case number linked to the KNF garment seizure. Prison authorities reportedly released the accused after relying on the altered documents.

The matter came to light this week when another accused sought bail citing the earlier order as precedent, prompting scrutiny that uncovered inconsistencies.