The High Court has directed the police chief to instruct his force not to present crime suspects before the media until they are produced in court.
The court’s observation came during the delivery of its verdict on the case regarding a militant who had exploded bomb during a media briefing in Gazipur. In 2009, Jamaat’ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) activist Mamunur Rashid alias Jahid blasted a bomb during a press conference at the SP’s office.The trial court verdict ordered death sentence for him. On Thursday, the High Court commuted his sentence to life in prison following an appeal.
The High Court also observed the investigating officer of the case was ‘indifferent to his duty’. The police chief was ordered to take departmental action against him. According to the case details, police arrested Jahid and three other members of the militant outfit from Tongi on Feb 20, 2009.
They seized five locally made grenades and huge amounts of explosives from them.
The law enforcers organised a media call later on that day before arraignment to publicise the arrest.
Jahid, handcuffed, was produced before the media at the office of the Gazipur SP.
The grenades and explosives were also on display on a table in front of the journalists.
Immediately after the senior officials left the room, Jahid jumped onto the table and charged a grenade.
The blast left 13, including journalists and policemen, critically injured.
Police later filed a case against Jahid. Dhaka’s Fourth Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced him to death on Mar 13, 2012. Jahid appealed against the death sentence at the High Court. The death reference also came to the High Court for hearing.
