The government has appointed a new deputy commissioner (DC) in Kurigram after withdrawal of former DC Sultana Pervin following the questionable arrest, incarceration and torture of Bangla Tribune journalist Ariful Islam.
A circular from the Ministry of Public Administration was issued on Monday (Mar 16) in this regard.
Deputy Secretary of the ministry Mohammad Rezaul Karim will replace Sultana Pervin and the order will be in effect immediately, it said.
On Mar 14, a mobile court set up at the Kurigram deputy commissioner (DC)'s office in the dead of night, jailed the journalist for a year, after law enforcement led by magistrates picked him up from his residence.
The officials claimed to have recovered drugs and alcohol from his residence, which his family termed as absurd.
However, Ariful, who was hospitalized after getting bail on Sunday, said he was tortured before being picked up from his house.
The journalist was also stripped and tortured blindfolded during the time he was kept at the DC office.
Writ on Ariful’s conviction
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir has sought a copy of Ariful’s conviction upon hearing a writ petition seeking a court order to declare the conviction illegal on Sunday.
The court also asked the deputy attorney general to phone former Kurigram DC Sultana Pervin for all the information regarding the mobile court formed on Mar 14. The bench wanted answers to the following queries:
1. Was the drive conducted by a mobile court or a special taskforce?
2. There are some rules and regulations regarding entering anyone’s house at night (from sunset to sunrise). In this case, were these rules followed and what measures were taken?
3. A huge force of 40 people went to the journalist’s house to catch him. Did they go there to arrest a wanted terrorist? According to the journalist’s wife, 40 to 50 people took part in the raid. Surely, they must have considered the matter to be very important. Why did they consider the matter to be very important?
4. Before conducting any drive, an executive magistrate of a mobile court needs to take notes on the information source. Who informed the mobile court?
5. According to the Mobile Court Act, an incident needs to take place in front of the executive magistrate to warrant action. In this case, what kind of incident took place?
Also read
‘Say your prayers now, you’re about to be in an encounter’
Torture on Bangla Tribune journo: Three executive magistrates withdrawn from Kurigram
Journalists stage countrywide demo over justice for Ariful
Kurigram journo Ariful gets bail
Picked up from Kurigram home, Bangla Tribune journo jailed for 1 year
