The High Court has halted the transfer of a case from special tribunal to military court filed against the Army’s Maj Nazir Uddin over torturing his wife for dowry.
The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice AKM Zahirul Hoque yesterday also stayed the case proceedings as the victim’s father has questioned whether a case lodged under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act could be tried in a military court.
Victim’s father retired Krishi Bank official Md Nurul Islam Bhuiyan filed the petition on Monday.
The victim, Dhaka University’s MBA first-semester student Nusrat Jahan Tushti, was rescued from her in-law’s house in Tangail’s Kalihati in critical condition and admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on March 30.
She was tortured for dowry allegedly by her husband and father-in-law Idris Ali, also a retired army officer. They also assaulted Tushti’s mother Shahnaz Akter and brother Muyeed Hasan when they tried to stop them. The case was filed with the special court in Tangail on April 2.
Maj Nazir was a platoon commander at the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong’s Bhatiari during the incident and brought back to Dhaka after the allegations surfaced.
“The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in two weeks as to why the letter should not be declared illegal,” he said adding that Court Martial does not have the jurisdiction to try any case filed under the special acts.
The defence secretary, law secretary, area commander, chief of army staff, Tangail’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal judge and advocate general of the Army Headquarters have been made respondents to the rule.
