The High Court (HC) has issued a rule asking why the administration's failure to prevent attacks and the forced cutting of hair and dreadlocks of Bauls, Fakirs, and ascetics across Bangladesh should not be declared illegal, reports bdnews24.com.
The court also ordered authorities to investigate the incidents and submit a report within 60 days, naming those involved in the assaults.
The HC bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury passed the order on Jun 21, one of the petitioners confirmed on Saturday.
The rule asks six respondents -- including the secretaries of home, religious affairs, and cultural affairs ministries, the inspector general of police (IGP), the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner, and the Additional IGP of CID -- to explain why their inaction in ensuring constitutional protection for Bauls and ascetics should not be declared outside legal authority.
Moreover, the court questioned why four social media operators -- Mohammad Mahbub Sorkar, admin of Facebook page Mahbub creation 4 and YouTube channel Street Humanity of Bangladesh; Mufti Sohrab Hossain Ashrafi, admin of Humanity Fast BD; joint admin Mohammad Afsar Ahmed; and KM Reaz, admin of KM Reaz channel -- should not be brought to justice for violating fundamental rights.
The BTRC chairman has also been made a respondent.
The respondents must reply within four weeks.
Concurrently, the IGP, DMP commissioner, and Additional IGP of CID have been directed to investigate the attacks on Bauls, shrines (mazars), and prayer halls (khanqahs), identify the perpetrators, and submit a compliance report within 60 days.
