The High Court has sought details on what punitive actions had been taken against 13 policemen who were found responsible for a clash at Tangail’s Kalihati upazila that left four people dead.
The inspector general of police and the DIG of Dhaka Range have been asked to submit a progress report on this regard by March 7.
Following submission of two probe reports, which were prepared on an earlier court order, the High Court bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order yesterday.
On September 18 last year, four people were killed and 50 others were injured when police allegedly opened fire and charged truncheons on some people demonstrating against the torture of a youth and his mother in Kalihati upazila.
On September 21, Advocate Salma Ali, executive director Bangladesh Mahila Ainjibi Samity, filed a writ petition over the incident. After hearing the petition, the court asked that all probe reports conducted in the incident be submitted before the court within 60 days.
The court also wanted to know if police had dispersed the agitating people in accordance with the law.
Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju said the police had formed two probe committees which submitted their reports to the Police Headquarters on December 5, which were then submitted to the High Court after ten days.
The reports were placed before the High Court bench yesterday.
Motahar said the probe committees recommended in their reports that various departmental actions including suspension be taken against the 13 policemen.
Those who were found responsible for the incident include then acting SP of Tangail district police Sanjay Sarker, Tangail (North) Additional SP Mohammad Sharifur Rahman, constable of DSB Md Mahtab Uddin, ex-OC of Kalihati police station Md Shahidul Islam, SIs Md Abul Bashar and Md Salim Uddin, and Constables Md Aminul Islam, Ziaul Haque and Tamal Chandra Deb.
Other policemen include Ghatail police station’s ex-OC Md Mokhlesur Rahman, ASI Md Harun-or-Rashid, SI Md Omar Faruk and SI Monsup Ali.