No handcuff, no fetters

The High Court yesterday cautioned two prison officials against producing prisoners in court in fetters and handcuffs.

Prisoners can be brought to court premises in fetters and handcuffs for security, but those must be taken off before they are produced in courtrooms, the court said. 

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A bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath passed the ruling after Deputy Inspector General of prisons in Dhaka Touhidul Islam and Senior Jail Super of Keraniganj Jahangir Kabir appeared before it and explained why four under-trial prisoners had been sent to the court on February 23 in fetters.

During the hearing on a suo moto rule, the bench that day summoned the prison officials to appear before it and give an explanation for the action.

The prisoners were Habibur Rahman, Moniruzzaman, Nasiruddin and Giasuddin who have been suffering in jail for more than 10 years in separate criminal cases including murder cases.

DIG-Prisons Touhidul yesterday told the court that he was sorry for what police had done the other day, and promised that such thing would not be repeated.

Jail Super Jahangir told the HC that police had produced the under-trial prisoners in fetters since they had links with banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

The HC on February 23 passed different orders in cases against the four prisoners, including granting them bail.