It’s criminal offence against people: Lawyers

Lawyers at a human chain have said there have never been so many casualties for any non-political demand as it was during the quota reform movement. The constitution has given the right for holding meetings and rallies. However, the government is defying the constitution in every step. Opening fire during the clashes centering the quota reform movement is a criminal offence and it should be prosecuted.

The lawyers made the remarks at a human chain in the Supreme Court premises yesterday. The Ainjibi Samaj (lawyers’ community) organised the human chain under the title “We demand justice for genocide, stop fictitious case-arrest and torture”.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Z I Khan Panna said the government is portraying students as ‘saboteurs’.

He said, “It was the students who raised the flag of liberation for the first time on Dhaka University campus in 1971. It was the students who initiated the language movement from Bottala in 1952. Since the Pakistan period, we have never witnessed so many students being killed for an absolute non-political demand.”

Criticising the ‘block raids’ in the dead of the night, the senior Supreme Court lawyer further said, “Which law allows picking up people through block raids? Who gave them the right? We strongly denounce this.”

“At every step the government is defying the law which we achieved through bloodshed,” he added.

Z I Khan Panna also criticised Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) detective branch (DB) assistant commissioner Harun-Or-Rashid. Addressing the DB chief, he said, “I want to let you know that there are clear directives from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Defying the directives, you are holding six coordinators in your custody. You have to answer for that.”

Recently, a 17-year-old teenager was put on remand in a case filed on the allegation of killing a police member. Referring to that, Z I Khan Panna urged the judges to abide by the directives of the Appellate Division saying, “You are sending people to prison without even considering their age. You even put them on remand. One day you will have to answer for your activities.”

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sara Hossain mourned the students who were killed in the movement. She said, “We want to know why they (students and common people) were killed, how many have been killed, where they were killed and who killed them. Thousands of students and common people have been subjected to mass arrests. I heard yesterday that no one was granted bail in any of the Dhaka courts.”

Referring to the constitutional rights of freedom of speech, holding meetings and rallies and freedom of expression, Sara Hossain said, “We are not hearing that people have been killed. We are hearing only about the extent of damage at different government establishments. Tears are being shed for these government establishments and subsequent actions are being taken. However, we don’t even know whether we will ever learn how many died, why, when, and by whom, let alone the actions.”

Expressing condolences for “those who have been killed in arbitrary police firing” Supreme Court senior lawyer Tobarak Hossain said, “When the students were conducting a peaceful movement for a righteous demand, one of the ministers unleashed their student wing against the protesters which instigated all the clashes and unrest across the country the next few days. Followed by that is the police firing at whim killing hundreds of people. As a result, the government had to enforce curfew and deploy the members of Bangladesh Army and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh). These are non-constitutional, injustice and punishable offences. The people of the country are being subjected to criminal offences. All these incidents should be prosecuted.”

Terming the declaration to put an end to the movement by the coordinators in DB custody ‘another drama’, Tobarok Hossain said, “Had they really achieved what they wanted, they would have made the declaration on DU campus or in front of the press club. Why would they declare from DB custody? Don’t we understand anything? Are the people of the country so dumb?”

Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua demanded separate investigations into each incident of killings and bringing the liable persons to book. Supreme Court lawyer Manjur Al Matin said the Metro Rail or the over bridge have been built with the money from the tax paid by the people of the country. “The government must answer why so many people have been killed,” he said.

Lawyer Anik R Haque read out a written statement at the human chain saying, “The students involved in the movement are being tortured and arrested apart from being shot during the movement. There are obligations to investigate these matters, unravel the reason behind it and ensure justice for those who have been killed. As part of this, a national mass-investigating committee comprising eminent citizens of the country has been formed on behalf of teachers, lawyers, cultural workers and common guardians of the country.”