HC questions provision of prior permission for arresting govt employee

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking why the provision for getting prior permission to arrest government employees should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

After the hearing of a writ petition, the bench of justice M Enayetur Rahim and justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the rule.

HC issued the rule asking the concerned authorities of the government to respond to the rule within four weeks.

HC also asked why they should not be directed to refrain from giving posting to Kurigram’s suspended deputy commissioner Sultana Parvin, and suspended executive magistrates Rintu Bikash Chakma and Nazim Uddin, who are alleged to have assaulted journalist Ariful Islam Regan last year.

On 14 March 2020, Ariful, Kurigram correspondent of Bangla Tribune, was abducted from his home by a group in the guise of a mobile court at midnight, threatened with crossfire and brutally tortured by the district administration for one of his reports.

He was later sent to jail on a charge of possessing half a bottle of liquor and 150 grams of cannabis.

Ariful this year submitted a writ petition challenging the legitimacy of the government officials’ postings.