The government has ordered the Rangpur Divisional Commissioner to submit a report within 24 hours after investigating the jailing of Dhaka Tribune journalist Ariful Islam by a mobile court in the dead of night.
Additional Secretary A Gaffar Khan of the Cabinet Division, responsible for district and field administration, confirmed the development on Saturday.
“An additional divisional commissioner is already in Kurigram to investigate the matter,” said Rangpur Divisional Commissioner KM Tariqul Islam.
The incident has embarrassed the government and the administration he said, adding: “I promise that there will be no injustice to Arif.”
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said a mobile court usually does not operate in this way.
When asked whether a mobile court can enter a house by breaking open the door or can operate at midnight, he termed it unusual. “I am unaware of the incident. I will check and see if there is any discrepancy,” he added.
State minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said: “The operation of a mobile court at midnight is illegal. The deputy commissioner is not above the law.”
If anything wrong was done to the journalist, the deputy commissioner will face administrative action, he added.
Ariful, Kurigram district correspondent for Dhaka Tribune and online news portal Bangla Tribune, was sent to jail soon after the mobile court, set up at the office of the Kurigram deputy commissioner, ended the trial proceedings on Saturday morning.
The mobile court, set up in the dead of night, has jailed the journalist for a year, after law enforcement led by magistrates picked him up from his house.
The mobile court brought an allegation against the journalist that drugs were recovered from his possession, which his family said was absurd.