'No requisition except in public interest'
Monday, 24 May 2010
The High Court (HC) Sunday asked the government and police not to requisition vehicles unless it was in public interest, reports bdnews24.com.
The police have also been asked why section 103 (A) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, that allows vehicles to be requisitioned, should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The bench of justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Mohammad Delwar Hossain gave the orders following a public interest petition filed by rights organisation, the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
It also ordered authorities not to harass the owner or the driver during requisition and pay them compensation within seven days in case of any damage to the vehicles.
The bench also asked government officials not to use requisitioned vehicles for personal purposes.
The Bangla language daily 'Jugantar' on May 14 had published a report on clashes between police and a taxicab driver whose vehicle was being requisitioned. There was a photo of three police personnel along with the report.
The court ordered the DMP commissioner to submit to the court details of the policemen along with the driver within three days.
The next date for hearing has been set for June 7.
The court appointed seven lawyers as amicus curie to assist at the hearing.
The lawyers are Rafique-ul-Huq, Rokanuddin Mahmud, M Amir-ul-Islam, Ajmalul Hossain, Mahmudul Islam, Supreme Court Bar Association president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and former SCBA president AFM Mesbah Uddin.
Deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukder represented the government at Sunday's hearing.
The police have also been asked why section 103 (A) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, that allows vehicles to be requisitioned, should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The bench of justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Mohammad Delwar Hossain gave the orders following a public interest petition filed by rights organisation, the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
It also ordered authorities not to harass the owner or the driver during requisition and pay them compensation within seven days in case of any damage to the vehicles.
The bench also asked government officials not to use requisitioned vehicles for personal purposes.
The Bangla language daily 'Jugantar' on May 14 had published a report on clashes between police and a taxicab driver whose vehicle was being requisitioned. There was a photo of three police personnel along with the report.
The court ordered the DMP commissioner to submit to the court details of the policemen along with the driver within three days.
The next date for hearing has been set for June 7.
The court appointed seven lawyers as amicus curie to assist at the hearing.
The lawyers are Rafique-ul-Huq, Rokanuddin Mahmud, M Amir-ul-Islam, Ajmalul Hossain, Mahmudul Islam, Supreme Court Bar Association president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and former SCBA president AFM Mesbah Uddin.
Deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukder represented the government at Sunday's hearing.