Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday directed the government to appoint physicians in the 117 vacant posts of prisons as soon as possible.
Director General of the directorate general of health services has been asked to comply with the order and to submit a progress report within a month.
The High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
Advocate Md J R Khan Robin and Advocate Shammi Akter took part in the hearing on behalf of the writ petition, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar stood for the State.
Advocate J R Khan Robin filed the writ petition with the High Court on February 17, 2019 seeking directives to appoint the required number of physicians in the prisons and for ensuring standard accommodations for the inmates.
After hearing, the same High Court bench on June 23 last year asked the inspector general of prisons to submit the list of the vacant posts of physicians at all prisons across the country within six weeks.
The HC also wanted to know the receptivity of the accused in prisons, number of prisoners and physicians of the prisons across the country.
In a compliance report, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha on November 5, 2019, said, 9 doctors only are working to look after the health issues for the 86,998 prisoners in 68 jails across the country though prisons department has 141 approved posts for the physicians.
The report also said that the public administration ministry on December 28, 2018 transferred 20 doctors to the 20 prisons on deputation, but only four of them joined their new respective offices.
Later the High Court wanted to know from the authority by November 11, 2019, as to why the other 16 physicians did not join their new offices.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the government’s counsel placed a report of the jail authorities in the court saying that show-cause notices were issued on the 16 physicians. Among them, 5 physicians only gave satisfactory replies. They were on education leave. But the rest 11 physicians’ replies were not satisfactory and that departmental proceedings have been filed against them.
The counsel also said that 9 physicians were already working and 15 more have been added recently. But the 117 posts are still vacant.
The High Court on Wednesday directed the government to appoint physicians in the 117 vacant posts of prisons as soon as possible.
Director General of the directorate general of health services has been asked to comply with the order and to submit a progress report within a month.
The High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
Advocate Md J R Khan Robin and Advocate Shammi Akter took part in the hearing on behalf of the writ petition, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar stood for the State.
Advocate J R Khan Robin filed the writ petition with the High Court on February 17, 2019 seeking directives to appoint the required number of physicians in the prisons and for ensuring standard accommodations for the inmates.
After hearing, the same High Court bench on June 23 last year asked the inspector general of prisons to submit the list of the vacant posts of physicians at all prisons across the country within six weeks.
The HC also wanted to know the receptivity of the accused in prisons, number of prisoners and physicians of the prisons across the country.
In a compliance report, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha on November 5, 2019, said, 9 doctors only are working to look after the health issues for the 86,998 prisoners in 68 jails across the country though prisons department has 141 approved posts for the physicians.
The report also said that the public administration ministry on December 28, 2018 transferred 20 doctors to the 20 prisons on deputation, but only four of them joined their new respective offices.
Later the High Court wanted to know from the authority by November 11, 2019, as to why the other 16 physicians did not join their new offices.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the government’s counsel placed a report of the jail authorities in the court saying that show-cause notices were issued on the 16 physicians. Among them, 5 physicians only gave satisfactory replies. They were on education leave. But the rest 11 physicians’ replies were not satisfactory and that departmental proceedings have been filed against them.
The counsel also said that 9 physicians were already working and 15 more have been added recently. But the 117 posts are still vacant.
