Judge accused of beating driver

Sohel Rana, a judge of Dhaka's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal No. 7, has been accused of beating his own driver, Md Ali Hossain Bachchu, after calling him into his chamber. The driver claims the judge punched him in the eye and slapped him over the ear during an argument over a time entry in the car's logbook.

Bachchu alleged the incident took place on Sunday morning, after which he received initial treatment at National Medical College Hospital, where his eye was bandaged.

According to Bachchu, the judge's peon called him around 9:30am and summoned him to the chamber. He took the vehicle's logbook with him, where the judge asked why one entry showed 7am.

Bachchu said he told the judge, "Sir, you get into the car at eight. If the car doesn't arrive by seven, how will I wash and clean it?"

Bachchu alleged that the judge then punched him in the eye and slapped him over the ear. He claimed the judge's peon then pulled him away and he was also verbally abused.

Bachchu said his eye began watering and swelled up after he left the chamber, following which he went to the hospital for treatment.

He further alleged that he has been working as a driver there for about one year and 10 months, but the judge dislikes him and has been using a gunman to drive the car instead of him.

Bachchu questioned why he was physically assaulted when administrative action could have been taken if there had been any lapse in his duties.

However, Ishtiaque Hossain Joni, an official of the tribunal concerned, denied the driver's allegation of assault. He claimed Bachchu had not been cleaning the judge's car for several days, and he was called to the chamber to ask about it.

Ishtiaque Hossain Joni said the judge scolded Bachchu and sent him out of the room after he said he would not be able to clean the car, adding that the judge did not beat him.

When contacted regarding the allegation, Judge Sohel Rana declined to comment. As a result, no direct statement from the judge could be obtained regarding the driver's allegation of assault.