HC summons National Museum president, DG

The High Court yesterday summoned four officials of the national museum including president of its board of trustees, director general and secretary to appear before the HC on March 21 over not complying with its order regarding submission of some documents.

During hearing writ petitions, the HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman asked them to appear before it to explain their roles in this regard.

Petitioners' counsel Shah Mohammad Ahsanur Rahman told The Daily Star that the museum authorities issued a recruitment advertisement for 35 vacant posts in 12 categories on August 5, 2013.

The selection committee of the board of trustees recommended for recruitment of 35 qualified candidates for those posts on March 8, 2014 after holding relevant tests.

Later, the board at a meeting proposed to issue a new circular for the recruitment to the same posts by mentioning a case in this regard filed with New Market Police Station. Then the museum authorities issued a new circular for three posts on April 30 last year.

Subir Shikder and Sushmita Biswas, who had been qualified and selected for the posts of movie cameraman and assistant keeper for world civilisation respectively, filed two separate writ petitions with the HC challenging the legality of museum authorities' decision to issue the second circular.

Following the petitions, the HC on June 2 last year stayed the effectiveness of the new recruitment circular and issued two rules upon the authorities concerned of the museum and government to explain the legality of the new circular.

Then the museum authorities filed two petitions with the Appellate Division of the SC for staying the HC orders.

The apex court on December 13 and 15 last year rejected their stay petitions and asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rules.

The writ petitioners on January 18 this year submitted two separate supplementary petitions to the HC praying to it to order the museum authorities to submit papers relating to the recruitment before the HC. After hearing on January 20, the HC ordered them to submit the papers by February 3.

But, the authorities did not submit the the papers, the lawyer added.