Auto requisition only for public interest

The High Court issues a guideline to particularly protect drivers and owners of vehicles from being unnecessarily and arbitrarily harassed or prejudiced by police members in the name of requisition.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner can only requisition vehicles under the DMP Ordinance-1976 for public purpose and in the public interest, and not for personal or other purposes, reads the guideline.

No vehicle, owned by a private individual, company or organisation, should be commandeered without giving a prior notice in writing to the owner thereof stating the reason or purpose for such requisition.

Under no circumstances, the police should requisition any vehicle carrying any patient, disabled person or airport-bound passengers who are travelling outside Bangladesh, according to the court.

The set of guidelines were mentioned in the full text of a verdict released on Wednesday.

The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury delivered the short verdict on 31 July 2019 after hearing a writ petition.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the petition as a public-interest litigation annexing some press cuttings for protection of the interest of innumerable number of people who had been regularly suffering for the misuse of power of requisition conferred by the ordinance.

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