New chief justice takes over

Mainur Reza Chowdhury has taken over as the new Chief Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court.

Published: 00:00 June 19, 2002

By A Correspondent
 

Mainur Reza Chowdhury has taken over as the new Chief Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
President A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury administered the oath yesterday. 
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, ministers, MPs and senior lawyers were present at the ceremony held at
Bangabhaban, the presidential house. 
Justice Chowdhury was appointed on June 13, replacing Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, who retired yesterday. 

He was born in the northern Chapai Nawabganj district in 1938. Justice Chowdhury joined the Supreme Court Bar in 1975 and was
appointed additional judge of the Supreme Court on January 29, 1990. He was promoted to the Appellate Division on November 8, 2000

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/new-chief-justice-takes-over-1.391186
Tribute

The Delightful Uncle: 

A Tribute to 
Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury

At 7:15am, I awoke to the sound of my mother crying upstairs. My khalu--or Alumoni as I have called him from childhood– Mainur
Reza Chowhdury, was no more.

To the outside world that knew him, he was a judge, and a kind and humble man. To his family who knew him better, he was really
much the same: a relative who would always deliver ethical advice, an uncle whose smile was always warm and inviting, and a man who
thought less of his own achievements and more of his nephews' and nieces' school grades. There is no doubt that in his death, the nation
lost a wonderful judge and an immaculate gentleman. We, as his near ones, have lost something a million times more valuable.

In the same way that one thinks of one's family as beginning with one's grandparents, it was difficult not to think of my khalu as a
"founding" elder. He narrated stories of my mother and her other siblings as if they were still children. Having married my  khala when
my own mother was 12, he was certainly not someone who married into the family but rather someone who constituted it. He was also
the head of his own extended family, serving as a father figure to many of his own siblings.

It is rather unclear how khalu became the person that he was, especially to those of us who dreamt of emulating him. But it was obvious
that in many ways, he was a gem. From the beginning of his career as a lawyer to his retirement as Chief Justice, he always seemed to see
his own accomplishments as gifts from Allah but others' as fruits of their labour deserving credit and applause. It is thus unsurprising
that under the umbrella of his warm love and persistent support, his wife my  khala became a stellar academic, and his daughters my
dear cousins are talented, confident, and extremely proficient. My khalu's legacy is bound up with law, but through his family, he has
had indirect contributions to academia and dentistry.

To his extended family, he was always a favourite. He somehow had a special nickname for virtually every nephew and niece--ranging
from Nagoy to Cinderella, which made us all feel as if we were Titans walking upon this Earth. After our SSC, intermediate, and O'level
examinations, we always were given applause, regardless of how well we had done. In his world, it was effort, not accomplishment,
merited the reward. He thought the best of everyone, he could not conceive of his nephews and nieces trying any less than their best. Of
course, our own parents rarely shared his point of view on these matters, much to our regrets.Khalu was a true intellectual and that
made him a superb conversationalist. Though my childhood passions lay elsewhere, he always found a way to interest me in questions of
law and ethics. It was never really a debate that one had with him, but more of a discussion. Despite the wealth of knowledge that he
brought forth to legal issues, he treated others as his equals even when they clearly were not. As such, when it came to law or politics, he
spoke with wisdom, enthusiasm, and a genuine openness to new ideas.

Lest it be forgotten, alongside his intellect lay cheeky mischief: a boy who once set his teacher's beard on fire certainly could not grow to
be serious all the time. When teasing others, he was as determined as ever, and my other uncles and aunts bore the brunt of his wit.
When my elder mama dislocated his shoulder, khalu developed a sudden strong urge to tickle his khala, and were it not for my khala,
may have very well yielded to such temptation. His eager playfulness also made him a huge hit with his young grandchildren, who
considered him their greatest friend.

I am not sure if being halfway across the world makes it easier or harder. It is difficult to be so far away from one's extended family at
such a pivotal moment. Life here at Stanford continues as it must, but it does inexorably slow down. Even though I have not seen
my khalu in about two years, these past couple of days without him have felt as long as years. The realisation that he shall not be there
during my next trip home emphasises the immense loss.

In the end, matters of life and death lie not in the choices we make. We pray that my khalu, Mainur Reza Chowdhury, has found a better
place in death, but we recognise that throughout his life, he has made our world a better place.

Syed Nageeb Mustafa Ali is a doctoral student in economics at Stanford University, USA.

http://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2004/07/02/tribute.htm
Ruling takes ETV off airwaves

Channel continues broadcasting on its satellite

By Bryan Pearson
Bryan Pearson

NEW DELHI — Bangladesh’s first terrestrial commercial TV channel, Ekushey Television (ETV), has gone off air after it lost a court
battle to keep its license on Thursday. However, it continued broadcasting on its satellite channel.

Petitions rejected

The Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury, rejected three petitions filed by ETV for a revision of the court’s
July verdict upholding an earlier high court rule canceling the license. “After this verdict, ETV has no lawful right to broadcast either on
satellite or in terrestrial channels,” Attorney General Hasan Arif told reporters. The future of the popular channel now depends on its
application to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission for a new license.

ETV broke decades of monopoly by state-run Bangladesh Television when it began broadcasting in 1999 under a licensing agreement
with the then-Awami League government.

In September 2000 two Dhaka U. teachers and a journalist who support the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which ousted the Awami
League after an election last year, filed suit alleging the agreement between the government and ETV was illegal and deprived other
qualified license seekers. ETV denied the allegation.

In March, the high court declared the license agreement illegal, leading to an appeal to the Supreme Court.

http://variety.com/2002/legit/news/ruling-takes-etv-off-airwaves-1117872051/
Bangladesh Court Rules Against Terminal

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, May 18, 2003

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court verdict declaring illegal a government deal with a United States-based
company to build a private container terminal in a southeastern port city, a court official said.

In November last year, the Bangladesh High Court had declared illegal a private terminal project that was to be built in Chittagong by

the Stevedoring Services of America, Bangladesh _ an affiliate of Seattle-based Stevedoring Services of America. The High Court ruled

that the government had approved the project without properly study. The government and the private company appealed the High

Court ruling to the Supreme Court.

But on Monday, a seven-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury, rejected their appeal,

Mohammad Ali, a government lawyer, said.

The government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the $438 million project in 1998. The container terminal was to be

constructed near the state-owned Chittagong Port. Chittagong is 135 miles southeast of Dhaka, the national capital. But construction was

stalled as the project came under criticism from experts and Chittagong Port officials, who feared the terminal would obstruct shipping

channels. Many port workers and local residents also objected, fearing loss of business and jobs.

Hasina's government had approved the private container terminal amid growing concerns over inefficient services, corruption and

frequent labor unrest at the state-run Chittagong Port.

After coming to power in October 2001, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's administration formed a committee to review the project.

https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Bangladesh-Court-Rules-Against-Terminal-9043456.php