RAB officials asked to appear before HC
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Two officials of the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been asked to appear before the High Court (HC) for their act on implicating a Satkhira businessman in a false arms charge, reports UNB.
An HC division bench headed by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury on Wednesday asked Maj Quamruzzaman and deputy assistant director Delwar Hossain to appear in person before the court on June 8 to explain their position.
Passing the orders following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, the HC bench also asked the government to close the two perpetrators.
Besides, the HC bench directed the Home Secretary to form an inquiry committee within ten days without incorporating security personnel to investigate the incident and submit its report to the court.
In addition the bench issued a rule asking the government to explain in two weeks why any direction should not be given to take legal steps against the perpetrators involved in Satkhira incident.
The HC further asked the respondents to ensure the security of the villagers of Natuardanga and ordered the Director General of RAB and Inspector General of Police to inform the court in writing what steps have so far been taken over the incident.
The PIL writ petition was jointly filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh and Society of Justice.
Citing the newspaper reports, Manzill Murshid, the counsel for the PIL petitioners, submitted that on May 22, a RAB team led by Maj Quamruzzaman had snooped around the house of Shafiqul Islam, owner of a shrimp enclosure, in village Natuardanga at Satkhira in a bid to implicate him in a false arms possession charge, but it was foiled by the villagers.
Agitating villagers confined the RAB team for over five hours following the incident, Manzill told the court, adding that the RAB team had to beg the apology of the villagers for their misdeeds.
Such incidents have tarnished the image of the elite force and that is why the persons involved in the matter should not go scot-free, the counsel argued.
During the hearing the HC bench sought the opinion of some lawyers present in the courtroom. Later the bench appointed a panel of amicus curiae to assist the court during rule hearing. They include Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Dr M Zahir, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud and Dr Shahdeen Malik.
An HC division bench headed by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury on Wednesday asked Maj Quamruzzaman and deputy assistant director Delwar Hossain to appear in person before the court on June 8 to explain their position.
Passing the orders following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, the HC bench also asked the government to close the two perpetrators.
Besides, the HC bench directed the Home Secretary to form an inquiry committee within ten days without incorporating security personnel to investigate the incident and submit its report to the court.
In addition the bench issued a rule asking the government to explain in two weeks why any direction should not be given to take legal steps against the perpetrators involved in Satkhira incident.
The HC further asked the respondents to ensure the security of the villagers of Natuardanga and ordered the Director General of RAB and Inspector General of Police to inform the court in writing what steps have so far been taken over the incident.
The PIL writ petition was jointly filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh and Society of Justice.
Citing the newspaper reports, Manzill Murshid, the counsel for the PIL petitioners, submitted that on May 22, a RAB team led by Maj Quamruzzaman had snooped around the house of Shafiqul Islam, owner of a shrimp enclosure, in village Natuardanga at Satkhira in a bid to implicate him in a false arms possession charge, but it was foiled by the villagers.
Agitating villagers confined the RAB team for over five hours following the incident, Manzill told the court, adding that the RAB team had to beg the apology of the villagers for their misdeeds.
Such incidents have tarnished the image of the elite force and that is why the persons involved in the matter should not go scot-free, the counsel argued.
During the hearing the HC bench sought the opinion of some lawyers present in the courtroom. Later the bench appointed a panel of amicus curiae to assist the court during rule hearing. They include Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Dr M Zahir, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud and Dr Shahdeen Malik.