Court embarrassed to hear journo Mizan's bail prayer

Patuakhali District and Sessions Judges' Court did not hear the bail petition of detained ABM Mizanur Rahman, Baufal upazlila correspondent of the Prothom Alo, on the scheduled day yesterday. 

Mizanur was brutally tortured allegedly in police custody on March 17 night.

The district and sessions judge, Bimol Chandra Sikder yesterday expressed 'embarrassment' to hear the petition at his court as a writ petition had been filed before the High Court (HC) over the matter, said advocate Lutfar Rahman Khokon, lawyer of Mizan.

The judge, however, ordered recording the bail petition, he said.

Earlier a judicial magistrate's court rejected Mizanur's bail prayer on March 22.

As per instruction of the district and sessions judge, the civil surgeon on March 24 formed a four-member medical board that examined Mizanur on March 29 at Patuakhali General Hospital and found marks of torture at different points on his body.

Local newsmen have continued different programmes demanding release of the Prothom Alo journalist, withdrawal of the 'false' case against him and forming a judicial inquiry committee to probe the torture on him.

Police arrested Mizanur from Kalaiya Bazar area around 8:00pm on March 17 on charge of assaulting Halim, ASI of Baufal Police Station.

Mizanur alleged that policemen tortured him physically and mentally in their custody at the night. At one stage, he lost consciousness and police took him to Baufal upazila hospital but they brought him back to the police station without any treatment, as some local journalists were present at the hospital.

The following day, police produced Mizanur before the Baufal Upazila Judicial Magistrate's Court that sent him to jail.

Meanwhile, the High Court on March 22 asked the government and the police to show cause in two weeks as to why the law enforcers responsible for torturing Mizan should not be punished.