A writ has been filed seeking a judicial probe into a recent fire incident that left a lawyer dead.
Advocate Polash Kumar Ray, 36, died in a fire inside Panchagarh jail on March 26.
The writ also seeks an order to upgrade security measures inside the jail.
A Supreme Court lawyer, Barrister Sayed Sayedul Haque Suman, filed the writ after receiving permission from the High Court bench of Justices Sheikh Hassan Arif and Razik-Al-Jalil.
The home secretary, inspector general of the prison, deputy inspector general of Rangpur division and jailer of Panchagarh jail are the respondents of the writ.
Advocate Polash Kumar Ray allegedly made contemptuous remarks about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a speech as he organized a human chain on March 25 to demand the withdrawal of a case filed against him by a private company.
Razib Rana, a local resident, later filed a case against Polash for his criticism of the PM.
On March 26, police arrested Polash and a court sent him to jail. The same day, Polash burned in the toilet of the jail’s medical centre.
He was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment, wheer he died on April 30.
Barrister Suman said: “A prisoner burned inside the jail. How is that possible? Where did the flammable materials come from? The jail authorities cannot conduct this investigation themselves. Hence, I have requested a judicial probe.”
Polash Kumar Ray was a Bangladesh Bar Council enlisted lawyer. He was the son of Pranab Kumar Ray of Barasingiya village in Atoari upazila, Panchagarh district.
