In a remarkable turn of events, legal action has been initiated in Gazipur following a proxy court appearance, in which one individual appeared in court on behalf of another. On Wednesday, 10 December, at noon, the case was formally lodged at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court by Assistant Rafiqul Islam, representing the bench of Gazipur Judicial Magistrate Court-2 (Forest Court).
The case names Chattar Mia and Saiful Islam, both residents of Mothajuri village in Kaliakair, as the accused. Additionally, the court has directed Chattar Mia’s legal counsel, Haji Shyamal Sarkar, to provide an explanation within seven working days as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.
The incident first came to public attention on 8 December, when the online edition of Kaler Kantho published a report titled “Youth Appears in Court as Proxy in Gazipur.” The report detailed the unusual circumstances surrounding the proxy appearance and the subsequent judicial scrutiny.
According to court sources, on 9 September, a case was filed against Chattar Mia and eight to ten others from Mothajuri village, Kaliakair, in the Kachaghata Beat area of Gazipur, for allegedly cutting trees on government forest land. Instead of appearing in court personally on 7 December, Chattar Mia sent Saiful Islam in his place in exchange for a monetary arrangement. During the hearing, their lawyer, Haji Shyamal Sarkar, petitioned for bail.
The presiding magistrate refused to grant bail to Saiful Islam, sending him directly to custody. The following day, after media coverage of the incident, authorities conducted biometric verification and discovered that the individual in custody, Saiful, was not in fact Chattar Mia. The discrepancy was formally reported to the court on Tuesday.
The details are summarised in the table below:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Case Lodged | 10 December 2025 |
| Court | Gazipur Judicial Magistrate Court-2 (Forest Court) |
| Plaintiff | Assistant Rafiqul Islam |
| Accused | Chattar Mia, Saiful Islam |
| Legal Counsel | Haji Shyamal Sarkar |
| Allegation | Illegal cutting of government forest land, proxy court appearance |
| Original Incident | 9 September 2025 |
| Proxy Appearance | 7 December 2025 |
| Court Directive | Lawyer to explain within 7 working days why action should not be taken |
Legal analysts suggest that proxy appearances in court are treated as a serious violation of judicial protocol and can lead to stringent penalties. Local residents have expressed concern over the incident, noting that such actions undermine the integrity of the legal system and potentially threaten the protection of government property.
The court is expected to scrutinise the explanation from the accused’s legal counsel in the coming week, while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the proxy appearance and the financial arrangements allegedly involved.