High Court orders judicial probe into communal violence
The court also issued a rule asking the deputy commissioners (DC) and superintendents of police (SP) of the concerned districts as to why their inability to provide security to the minority communities would not be declared illegal
The High Court has directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate and Chief Metropolitan Magistrates of six districts, including Cumilla, to probe the recent incidents of communal violence.
The court also asked them to submit a report within the next 60 days.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order on Thursday after hearing a writ petition seeking removal of provocative posts from social media and formation of a judicial inquiry committee into the recent communal attacks.
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The court also issued a ruling, asking the deputy commissioners (DC) and superintendents of police (SP) of the districts concerned as to why their inability to provide security to the minority communities would not be declared illegal.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state during the hearing while Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the plea.
Earlier, on 26 October, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua and Advocate Anup Kumar Saha filed the writ petition seeking directives to remove all provocative posts and videos posted on social media that created tensions between communities and incited incidents of communal violence in several districts including Chandpur, Noakhali, Chattogram, Rangpur and Feni.
The petition called for a judicial inquiry to find those responsible for the attacks on Hindu community households, places of worship and minority communities across the country. The writ petition also sought rehabilitation and compensation for the victims of attacks, and directives to bring the officials who failed to provide security to the Hindu community to justice.
Secretaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, Ministry of Social Welfare; Inspector General of Police (IG), Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication (BTRC), DCs and SPs of Cumilla, Chandpur, Noakhali, Chattogram and Rangpur were made respondents in the writ petition.
