Staff Reporter :
Surrender in the lower courts in the criminal cases has been reopened throughout the country, which was stopped for a certain period as the courts were operating on a limited scale in view of government’s restriction.
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has directed the judges of Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal, Human Trafficking Offence Prevention
Tribunal and Cyber Crimes Tribunals to hear and dispose of the bail applications of the accused in their physical presence.
A notification was issued on Saturday in this regard. Judges have also been instructed to strictly follow the social and physical distances and health guidelines on the court premises and court rooms, according to the notification.
The lawyers of the lower courts have welcomed the decision of the Chief Justice. They said cases are being filed in the police stations across the country every day. The accused in these cases are harassed in different ways. Now, by surrendering in person, the accused will be able to seek bail from the lower courts and will be protected from harassment and misery.
Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, former President of Dhaka Bar Association, said, now the accused would be able to surrender in the courts and seek bail.
The surrender process was stopped for a certain period in the lower courts as the courts were running functions through virtual process following the government imposed restrictions to prevent the infections of the coronavirus. But the physical appearance is mandatory to surrender in a court which was not possible in a virtual court.
Meanwhile, the lawyers of the Supreme Court and lower courts across the country were demanding to reopen the surrendering as the thousands of justice-seekers have been affected over the closure of the surrendering process.
Senior jurist Khandker Mahbub Hossain earlier said, “Many criminal cases have been filed everyday in the country. Most of them are controversial. Many people are made accused in these cases only to harass them. These accused will face harassment by the law enforces as surrendering is stopped.”
The regular activities of all the courts across the country, including the Appellate Division and High Court Division of the Supreme Court remain suspended due to ongoing surge of Covid-19 cases. Now the courts are running functions on a limited scale through virtual system.
During the hearing the courts have been instructed to hear the urgent matters only. But the Chief Justice is reopening the court functions of different jurisdictions step by step.
