Staff Reporter :
A legal notice has been sent to the concerned government bodies on Monday demanding for complying with the High Court directives passed on March 22 this year to collect sufficient personal protective equipment (PPEs) and supply those to the doctors, nurses and staff in all the hospitals and clinics across the country to prevent spread of the coronavirus.The respondents have been requested to comply with the notice within three working days, failing which a contempt petition will be filed against them for violation of the said directions passed by the High Court Division, read the notice.
Advocate Manzill Murshid, a Supreme Court lawyer, sent the notice on behalf of a rights organization, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
Md Asadul Islam, Health and Family Planning Secretary, Md Shirajul Islam, Additional Secretary of hospital wing of Health and Family Planning Ministry, Prof Dr Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, Director General (DG) of Directorate General of Health Services and Brigadier General Shahidullah, Director of Central Medicine Store Department (CMSD) have been made respondents in the notice.
The notice said, “Many reports were published in print and aired by electronic media that doctors/health workers are complaining of shortage of PPE, surgical mask, gloves, shoe cover, gown, sanitizer and other necessary health medicine and equipment. Due to this problem, more than 300 doctors and health workers became sick of Coronavirus. If the order was complied fully they, did not face such situation. You cannot avoid this liability.”
Addressing the respondents the notice also said, “You did not take any proper steps as per the direction to give meaningful effect of such order and hence your action shows utter disregard and disrespect to the order passed by the High Court Division, and therefore it amounts to contempt of court.”
The High Court Bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir passed the order and issued a rule after holding hearing on a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh represented by three Supreme Court lawyers, Md Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan, Mahabubul Islam and Ripon Barai.
