Order violation: SC summons IG prisons, home secretary

The Supreme Court has summoned Inspector General of Prisons AMM Anisul Haque and Home Secretary (Safety Division) Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury on charge of violating its order for promoting six prison officials to the posts of senior jail superintendent.

They were asked to appear before the apex court at 9am on December 4 to place their explanations for not complying with its directives.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order on Monday, responding to five separate contempt of court petitions filed by five prison officials, who were not promoted despite its earlier order.

Petitioners' lawyer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil told Views Bangladesh that the Appellate Division in a verdict on April 7 last year directed the authorities concerned of the government to promote six prisons officials to the posts of senior jail superintendent under the Recruitment Rules of 1984.

The six officials are--Md Gias Uddin Bhuiyan, Iqbal Kabir Chowdhury, Md Anwaruzzaman, Munir Ahmed, Md Bazlur Rashid Akanda and Nurunnabi Bhuiyan.

As the authorities did not give promotion to the six officials in compliance with the SC directive, all of them, except Anwaruzzaman, filed separate contempt of court petitions with this court against the IG prisons and the home secretary concerned.

On November 6, the Appellate Division gave them two weeks' time to implement its directives.

The IG prisons and home secretary today submitted a compliance report through lawyer Shafiqul Islam to the Appellate Division, saying that there is no scope for giving promotion to the six officials, lawyer Ibrahim Khalil said adding that it is a contempt of court.