In May 2018, Hanna Legal commenced civil proceedings on behalf of our client against the Bangladesh Islamic Centre of NSW.  The statement of claim sought damages for the defendant’s failure to reimburse our client for numerous invoices that he had paid for building works at a mosque owned by the defendant.

In June 2020, the hearing took place in the Equity Division of the NSW Supreme Court.

On 31 August 2020, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in our client’s favour, ordering the defendant to pay him $314,055 plus interest. The Court also ordered the defendant to pay our client’s legal costs.  To read the Supreme Court’s decision, see: Elzamtar v Bangladesh Islamic Centre of NSW Inc [2020] NSWSC 1161.

The defendant then appealed the Supreme Court’s decision to the NSW Court of Appeal.  Hanna Legal also represented our client on the appeal, which was heard on 3 August 2021.

On 3 September 2021, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal handed down its decision.  The Court found in favour of our client, dismissing the appeal and ordering the defendant to pay our client’s legal costs for the appeal.  To read the Court of Appeal’s decision, see: Bangladesh Islamic Centre of NSW Inc v Elzamtar [2021] NSWCA 198.

In August 2020, our lawyers commenced separate proceedings in the District Court of NSW on behalf of our client for an unrelated claim against the Bangladesh Islamic Centre.  The claim sought damages for other buildings general caretaker invoices which our client had paid but not been reimbursed for.

In June 2022, the second claim was heard over six days in the District Court.  The District Court ruled in our client’s favour and awarded our client compensation in the sum of $156,303.48. The defendant was also ordered to pay our client’s legal costs.