Four boys who were being held at a Jessore juvenile correctional centre on charges of rape have been released on bail and returned home after the High Court issued an order on Thursday.
The boys are aged 7-9 years old.
“Officer-In-Charge of Bakerganj police station Abul Kalam called me at 8:30am [on Friday] and informed me that, following a High Court order, the four children have been handed over to their parents from the Jessore Pulerhat Children’s Development Centre,” Supreme Court Special Officer Saifur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune on Friday.
The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim issued the order to release the children at a rare Thursday night court session, after learning of the incident through the media.
According to Nazma Begum, member of parliament in the reserved seats for women, and Bashir Uddin, chairman of Rangashree Union Parishad of Bakerganj Upazila, the plaintiff and defendants’ families are relatives and there is a dispute between them regarding a 15-decimal property.
OC Kalam was ordered to make sure the children are with their parents by the end of Thursday night and to report to the special officer of the High Court the next day to confirm the children had reached home safely.
The court ordered the deputy commissioner of Jessore to release the four children into the custody of their parents within the night and the judicial magistrate concerned of the district to appear before it on October 11.
The OC of Bakerganj police station, the four children and their parents have also been ordered to be present at the court along with the judicial magistrate, Saifur said.
Furthermore, the court ordered the director of Barisal Medical College Hospital to send the medical reports of the girl to the High Court by 10:30am on October 11.
On Sunday, the four boys were playing with a girl. On Tuesday, the girl’s father filed a case with Bakerganj police station accusing the boys of raping his daughter.
Following the directive of the court, the High Court special officer telephoned the judge of Barisal Children’s Court, the deputy commissioner of Barisal, the director of Barisal Medical College Hospital, the chief judicial magistrate, the senior judicial magistrate concerned, and the OC of Bakerganj police station, to inform them of the matter.
The judge of Barisal Children's Court also granted bail to the children.
