Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday directed the chief metropolitan and judicial magistrates of Cumilla, Noakhali, Chandpur, Feni, Chattogram and Rangpur to investigate the incidents of violent attack on the Hindu Community people, property and their worship places during the Durga Puja festival since October 13 to 18.
The chief metropolitan and judicial magistrates of the six districts have been asked to submit a report in the High Court within 60 days.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by two Supreme Court lawyers, Anup Kumar Saha and Mintu Chandra Das, seeking necessary directives on the issue.
The court also issued a ruling asking the concerned bodies of the government and other respondents to explain in four weeks as to why their inaction and failure in providing protection to save the Durga Puja pandals, temples, houses, lives and properties of the Hindu Community people in the affected areas should not be declared illegal.
In the ruling the court also wanted to know as to why the respondents should not be directed to take appropriate action to protect the life, worship places and property of the Hindu Community people in Bangladesh. It also asked the respondents to explain as to why the concerned chief metropolitan and judicial magistrates of Cumilla, Noakhali, Chandpur, Feni, Chattogram and Rangpur should not be directed to investigate the incidents of attack on Hindu Community people, property and worship places during the Durga Puja festival since October 13 to 18 in the above districts and submit a report to this court.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared in the hearing for the writ petitioners, while attorney general AM Amin Uddin and Additional Attorney General Sk Md Morshed represented the state.
During the hearing Barrister Jyotirmoy said in the last 20 years since 2001 to 2021, there have been many incidents of violence against the Hindu and Buddhist communities in Bangladesh. But no incident has been tried so far.
The lawyer also said, “From these experiences, we have an apprehension that such incidents are not going to be stopped just by arresting some innocent people. Those who are truly involved in the incidents have never been given punishment. As a result, the perpetrators are encouraged and the same thing happens again and again.”
