Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the law enforcers not to harass or arrest any BNP men in Khulna City Corporation (KCC) till the election.
In response to a writ petition, the HC bench comprising Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal also issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks as to why the mass arrest of BNP leaders, activists and election campaigners should not be declared contrary to the directions of the Appellate Division.
BNP leader Md Shahjahan on Sunday filed the petition with the HC challenging legality of the reported mass arrests of BNP leaders, activists and election campaigners in Khulna ahead of the city polls. The law enforcers arrested BNP men causing obstruction to the election campaigning of BNP-nominated candidate Nazrul Islam Monju, the petition said. Secretaries of Election Commission and Home Ministry, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Police Commissioner of Khulna and Superintendent of Police of Khulna have been asked to implement the HC order.
Later, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, counsel for the petitioner, told reporters that the law enforcers and plainclothes men have been arresting the BNP men in Khulna violating the Appellate Division verdict. The HC asked the authorities concern not to arrest or harass the BNP men till the election, he added. He said that as per the Appellate Division directives, police could not arrest people without specific reasons and police have to show their identity card during the arrest or detention. Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu told reporters that the High Court asked the law enforcers not to arrest or harass the people violating the Supreme Court verdict.
