N'ganj cops seek 2 months for submitting reports

Narayanganj police have sought two months' time from the High Court for submitting reports on the incident of public humiliation of schoolteacher Shyamal Kanti Bhakta.

The superintendent of police in Narayanganj and the officer-in-charge of Bandar police yesterday sent separate applications to the attorney general's office to that end, Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Star.

He added the deputy commissioner of Narayanganj has also sent a report to the attorney general's office for placing it to the HC, expressing regrets for not making a detailed report over the incident earlier.

In the report, the deputy commissioner said two law and order protection committees have decided to take steps so that the law and order centring the humiliation of Shyamal does not deteriorate further.

The committees have held two meetings for maintaining law and order in the area, DAG Sazu said, adding that he would submit the applications of the police and the report of the DC before the HC today.

He further said the SP and the OC sought time from the HC saying that investigation into the incident was still going on.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir is set to pass an order on the issue today.

During hearing of a suomoto rule on May 29, the HC bench ordered the DC and the SP of Narayanganj and the OC of Bandar police to submit separate detailed reports specifying the steps taken against those involved in humiliating Shyamal to this court today.

The bench the same day also expressed dissatisfaction over their earlier reports, saying the reports submitted by the DC, the SP and the OC were not prepared in line with the rule and order.

On May 13, AKM Salim Osman, Jatiya Party lawmaker from Narayanganj-5 constituency, was seen instructing Bhakta to do squats holding his ears. Before that, Shyamal was beaten up by a mob.

On May 18, the HC bench issued the suomoto rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to take necessary legal actions against local lawmaker Salim Osman and others, who were involved in humiliating Shyamal Kanti Bhakta.

The court also directed the DC, the SP and the OC to submit separate reports on steps taken against the perpetrators responsible for the humiliation.

The education ministry had earlier submitted another probe report saying that the Piyar Sattar Latif High School committee forced Head Teacher Shyamal Kanti Bhakta to resign with unproven allegation that he had hurt the religious sentiment of the Muslims.

The allegation brought against Shyamal was not found to be true, the probe body said, adding that relevant rules were not followed in suspending him.

The probe body also recommended that he could be reinstated.