Don't mock the nation by dining with those in custody

 
The High Court (HC) has criticized the Detective Branch (DB) for its handling of the coordinators of the quota reform movement who were pictured eating at the DB office while in police custody.

The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon made the remarks during the hearing of a writ petition addressing the state on Monday. Advocates Manzur Al Matin and Ainun Nahar filed a writ petition seeking a court order not to open fire on protesters and the release of the six coordinators of the quota reform movement who are currently in DB custody.

At the hearing on Monday, Additional Attorney General Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury said: "Six coordinators of the quota reform movement are in the DB's custody for their own safety. Pictures of them eating with forks are being published in the media."

After this, the senior judge remarked: "They take whoever they want to the DB office and then make them sit at a dining table. Don't make a mockery of the nation like this."

According to Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Tushar Kanti Roy, the court said this during the preliminary hearing of the writ on Monday.
"An order in this regard will be issued," he added.

Advocates Sara Hossain and ZI Khan Panna appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
The state was represented by Additional Attorney General SM Munir, Additional Attorney General Sheikh Md Morshed, Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy and Assistant Attorney General Selim Azad.

On Jul 26, three coordinators of the movement - Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Majumder - were taken to the DB office in the capital's Minto Road from the hospital.

The following day, coordinators Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Nusrat Tabassum were also taken into DB custody.
On Sunday, DB chief DIG Harun Ur Rashid posted several pictures of himself dining with some of the coordinators of the quota reform movement on Facebook.

His caption read: "Coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement for the quota reform movement were not safe. So I brought them to the DB office and spoke to them."

>>Agency