The High Court observed on Tuesday that all deaths that occurred during the quota-reform movement are tragic for all of us.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice S M Masud Hossain Dolon made this observation during the hearing of a writ petition filed seeking directives to not use live rounds on the protesters.
During the hearing, the writ petitioner's lawyer, Barrister Aneeq R Haque, presented a report to the court regarding the death of a six-year-old girl, Riya Gope.
She had sustained a bullet injury on Friday afternoon while playing on the roof of her family's four-storey building.
At one point during the hearing, the HC bench remarked, "All these deaths are sorrowful to all of us."
The lawyer responded, "Yes, of course. When a life passes away, it doesn't belong to any party. And this is the death of a six-year-old child."
Addressing the lawyer, the court then said, "We will not entertain any emotional arguments in the court. We are very sorry."
Lawyer Aneeq R Haque then presented the legal points on the issue to the court. Barrister Sara Hossain also made submissions on behalf of the writ petitioners.
On the other hand, Additional Attorney Generals S M Munir, Sk Md Morshed, and Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury represented the state during the hearing. lawyers Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Nurul Islam Sujan, Azharul Ullah Bhuiyan, and Shah Monjurul Hoque also participated in the hearing.
The HC adjourned the hearing until Wednesday.
Barrister Sara Hossain said, "It is admitted that six coordinators of the quota reform movement have been kept under the custody of the Detective Branch (DB) of police. It has been said that the family members had visited them.
However, other people who went to meet with them were not allowed. It means there is a restriction."
Agreeing with the argument, the court said, "If you want to detain someone, you must follow the proper procedure and produce them in court after detention."
Additional Attorney General S M Munir informed the court that the coordinators were under death threats, which is why the DB kept them in custody. The court then remarked, "It should be stated by the coordinators themselves that they were under death threats. They did not seek refuge with you."
Additional Attorney General Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury mentioned that law enforcers have the authority to use lethal force on protesters in certain unavoidable circumstances. "But who determines what situations are unavoidable? That decision must be made by the law enforcers," he added.
Two Supreme Court lawyers, Manzur-Al-Matin and Aynunnahar Siddiqua, filed the writ petition on Monday seeking directives from the government not to use live rounds on protesters in various parts of the country and to immediately release the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement.
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