The Supreme Court administration has directed the jail authorities not to produce under-trial prisoners before the lower courts or tribunals concerned during case proceedings, including hearing of their bail petitions, till further order -- as a precaution to coronavirus situation.

The SC's High Court Division Registrar Md Golam Rabbani today issued a notification to this effect under the instruction from Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.

In the notification, he said, producing prisoners -- under trial -- from the jails before the courts during hearings of bail petitions and other case proceedings is very risky due to the prevailing situation.

The under-trial prisoners cannot be carried in prison vans or any other transport and cannot be produced before the courts during case proceedings.

The magistrates concerned can hold hearings on the remand related petitions through video conference keeping the under trial accused in jail in association with the jail authorities, according to the notification.

Yesterday, the chief justice after consulting senior judges of the SC decided to run the subordinate courts and tribunals for disposing of the very urgent matters including bail petitions without physical presence to curb the worsening Covid-19 situation.