A group of lawyers raised a demand for formation of an independent commission to investigate allegations of misconducts brought against members of the police and other law-enforcement agencies.
They sought an order from the High Court in this regard. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, a lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court, filed a writ petition on the issue on behalf of 102 lawyers of the Supreme Court.
The hearing of the writ petition came to an end on Tuesday. The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah has fixed Sunday (November 28) for the order.
Advocate Shishir Manir took part in the hearing for the petition, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state.
On February 26, the lawyers filed writ petition seeking an order for the formation of the independent police commission comprising retired judges, former inspector general of police, retired secretaries, law teachers and members of civil society. The commission should be able to submit their views directly to the court in the form of a report.
The law secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police were made respondents in the writ petition.
Alongside Advocate Shishir Manir, the lawyers who filed the writ petition, include Advocate Md Asad Uddin, Barrister Redwan Ahmed, Barrister Md Saiful Islam, Advocate Sikder Mahmudur Razi, Shyam Sundar Das, Barrister Fayez Uddin Ahmed, Barrister Mohammad Sajjadul Islam, Advocate Md Morshed Mir, Jamilur Rahman Khan, Sheikh Nasser Waheed (Simon), Md Al-Amin, Al-Reza Md Amir, Imrul Kayes, Advocate Golam Sarwar, Md. Shahabuddin Khan , Md Dulal Mia, Md Zakir Haider, Md Abdul Alim, Md Humayun Kabir, GM Mujahidur Rahman and Md Matiar Rahman.
Earlier on September 10, a legal notice was sent to the authorities concerned asking for formation of the independent police complaint investigation commission. The authorities concerned did not respond to legal notice, prompting the filing of the writ petition.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir on behalf of 53 Supreme Court lawyers sent the legal notice to the senior secretary of the Public Security Division, secretaries to the Legislative and Parliamentary affairs Division, Law and Justice Division and Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The 908-page legal notice annexed a total of 500 incidents of 18 types of offences conducted by police from 2017 to 2020, according to reports published in various newspapers.
The reports included crossfire, custodial death, torture in custody, disappearance, kidnapping, rape, eve- teasing, women repression, extortion, drug dealing, taking bribe, negligence to record FIR and investigation, taking bribe and torture on journalists.
The lawyers in the legal notice had requested the recipients of the notice to take steps to form the commission within four weeks.
Advocate Shishir Manir said that they filed the writ petition as they did not receive any response from the authorities concerned.
He said that they provided 1667-page document in the form of attachment with the 145-page writ petition.