Death in Custody

HC contempt rule against Ctg police commissioner

24 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a contempt of court rule against the police commissioner of Chittagong for not complying with its order that earlier asked him to submit a report to it on the steps taken against the recent incident of death in the police custody. In the rule the court asked Chittagong Police Commissioner M Muniruzzaman to explain why he should not be punished on charge of violating its order. Md Manik Mia, a security guard of Anjuman Market at Reazuddin Bazar in the city, also an accused in a theft case, died in police custody in Chittagong on May 11. An HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Md Delwar Hossain yesterday ordered Muniruzzaman to appear before this bench on June 1 for explanation in this regard. The bench also yesterday kept Mohiuddin Mahmud, officer-in-chare of Kotwali police station of Chittagong and its Sub-Inspector Yunus Miah, also the investigation officer of the theft case, standing before it for not appearing on May 23 for explanation on the incident as per its earlier order. In response to a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights organisation, the court on May 12 directed the police commissioner of Chittagong to submit a report to it by May 23 on whether the police have taken any step against the incident of death in accordance with the criminal procedure code or any other law. Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Nazrul Islam Talukder stood for the government.