DHAKA: The High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to withdraw the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lohagara Police Station in Chittagong for penalizing a man through mobile court.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan issued the order on Monday (January 29) after Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Lohagara, the OC and two other police officials appeared before the court and sought unconditional apology for their role.

UNO Md Mahbub Alam, OC Md Shahjahan and Sub-Inspectors Helal Khan and Wasim offered the apology in swearing affidavit. They sought unconditional apology for jailing the man who was already in custody on October 14 in 2016.  

Accepting apology, the court exempted them from personal appearance. But the higher court directed the government to transfer the OC to any other police station.

On October 14, a mobile court led by UNO Mahbub Alam sentenced one Belal Uddin of Lohagara upazila to eight months' imprisonment on charge of possessing cannabis.

Later, Belal filed a writ petition with the High Court, alleging that police arrested him on October 13 in a criminal case and produced before the court on October 14. The mobile court sentenced Belal to eight months on October 14 when he was in police custody.

On January 14, the HC summoned the UNO, OC and the two sub-inspectors to explain their role. The HC had also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the jail sentence should not be scrapped and why legal action should not be taken against the officials responsible for sentencing him.

BDST: 1340 HRS, JAN 29, 2018
EHJ