The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to submit before it probe reports on police firing on the students of Rajshahi University.
The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarker asked the inspector general of police, the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the OC of Matihar police station to come up with the reports within one week.
It also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned asking them upon what authority the police opened fire on the agitating students. The rule also wanted to know why they should not be directed to submit the reports already submitted to the higher authorities as per the Police Regulations of Bengal, 1943.
The home secretary, the IGP, the RMP commissioner and the Matihar OC were made respondents to the rule.
The court orders came upon a writ petition challenging the legality of the police firing on the students. Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua filed the petition on behalf of 14 university teachers and several rights organisations on February 18.
On February 2, police and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists swung into action while the agitating students were demonstarting on the campus in protest against fee hike and evening master’s programmes.
Police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas canisters as they refused to disperse, leaving over 50 injured. Besides, the BCL men joined the police during the attacks on the students.
