Staff Reporter :Law Minister Anisul Huq on Friday asked the deputy commissioners (DCs) to contact the ministry’s cell tasked to monitor the cases against militants if it appears that the prosecution is not properly assisting the judiciary in conducting trial in the cases.”If deputy commissioners think that the prosecution is not properly assisting the judiciary in conducting trial in the cases (militancy-related cases), they can inform the cell of the matter,” he said. The minister came up with the remarks while talking to newsmen at the Secretariat on the concluding day of the 4-day annual deputy commissioner conference. The DC conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at PMO on Tuesday.Different ministries held sessions with the DCs at the conference room of Cabinet Division at the Secretariat. Anisul said the government has decided to introduce attorney service at the district level in the wake of widespread criticism about negligence of the state-appointed lawyers in the lower courts across the country. “The premier is working for overall development of the country and all of us should participate in her efforts from our respective position,” the minister told the media.Anisul also called on the DCs to remain alert in implementing the 19-point directives given by the prime minister to them on the opening day of the conference. In reply to a query, the law minister said that the proposed mobile court act is hanging in the balance due to a writ petition pending with the High Court. At the closed-door meeting, some DCs complained to the law minister that judges of the lower courts in their respective areas remain absent in their workplace during working hours. They (judges of district courts) leave their workplaces before 12 noon on Thursday and join their offices on Sunday after 12 noon, a DC said. Some DCs also alleged that some judges in Dhaka demands fuel cost from the heads of districts when they visit the districts. “The key message is that DCs will have to raise public awareness against militancy and terrorism in their respective districts. This menace will have to be rooted out along with people through sensitising them,” he said. Eighteen sessions were held under the conference over the last four days, when the DCs submitted 288 proposals, officials said.
