High Court orders government to stop the violence

The High Court has ordered the government to take effective steps to stop the violence that has been going on across the country in the name of blockade and hartal.

The court also asked the government to ensure holding of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations in a safe environment and take stern actions against those who have been creating obstruction to the SSC and equivalent exams.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman passed the order after hearing two petitions.

One of the petitions was filed by Shafqul Azam Khan Borko, president of the managing committee of the Ispahani High School in Keraniganj near Dhaka. The other was filed by Md Sahenur Islam Saheen, a businessman.

Passing the two interim orders, the bench issued separate and almost identical rules asking the respondents, including the government, to explain why violence, anarchy and subversive activities during hartal and blockade should not be declared illegal.

The secretaries to the Ministries of Home and Law, inspector general of police, directors general of Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion, all police commissioners, deputy commissioners of all districts and all superintendents of police were made respondents to the order.

Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru moved both the public interest litigations.

Today is the 42nd day of the BNP-led alliance’s non-stop blockade and first day of the third phase of the hartal enforced by the alliance.

More than 70 people have so far been killed and hundreds injured in across the country in violence staged by the supporters of the BNP-led alliance. More than half of those killed in the violence died of burn injuries that they had sustained in arson on vehicles.

When contacted, Khandakar Mahbub Hossain, adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The High Court issued a similar rule two years ago, but the government never responded.”

He also said: “Some time ago, the Indian supreme court ordered that hartal could not be banned, but anybody creating mayhem in the name of such action programmes could be brought under law.”

He claimed that the BNP always calls peaceful hartals but some people with the government’s backing create unrest during these programmes.

“The manpower of the law enforcement agencies has been increased in recent times with the idea that they would be able to tame these miscreants. But for some mysterious reasons, they have not been able to do that,” Mahbub said.

Regarding the public interest litigations, the pro-BNP lawyer said: “There are chances that these litigations will be scrapped after hearing at the Supreme Court because the apex court does not step out of the scope of the constitution.”

When contacted, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said yesterday: “The people of the country have been pushed back to the wall. Saving people’s lives is more important than preserving democratic rights. That is why I think the ruling could not be more time befitting.”