Why cops shouldn't be punished?

The High Court yesterday asked the government and the police to show cause in two weeks as to why the law enforcers responsible for torturing Prothom Alo's Baufal correspondent ABM Mizanur Rahman should not be punished.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil also asked the authorities to explain why they should not be directed to compensate Mizanur from the salaries of those law enforcers. 

In its ruling, which came following a writ petition by Mizanur's father Abdus Salam, the HC ordered the government and the police to explain why inhuman physical and mental torture on the journo in police custody should not be declared illegal.

Meanwhile, Mizanur was once again denied bail by a Patuakhali court in a case filed by police.

Patuakhali District and Sessions Judge's Court rejected his bail prayer without showing any reason yesterday, two days after another Patuakhali court had rejected his bail prayer.

Judge Bimol Chandra Sikder fixed April 1 for further hearing in the case and asked the jail authorities to form a medical board led by Patuakhali civil surgeon to examine Mizanur's physical condition and submit a report to it by March 31.

Police brought Mizanur to the court from Patuakhali jail by a prison van around 10:00am. He was struggling to walk as a result of tortures inflicted on him.

Mizanur's father submitted the petition with the HC on March 23, saying police detained Mizanur on March 17 in connection with a case. In violation of the law, they tortured him physically and mentally, as he had made reports on corruption and irregularities by policemen.

During the hearing, petitioner's lawyer Rafique Ul Huq told the HC that police tortured Mizanur in custody which is illegal and unconstitutional.

Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas opposed the petition, saying the Patuakhali court can examine whether police tortured Mizanur in custody.

The respondents to the HC ruling are the home secretary, inspector general of police, superintendent of police (SP) of Patuakhali, in-charge of Kalaiya Police Box (naval police) in Baufal, Patuakhali ASP (Circle) Shaheb Ali Pathan, officer-in-charge of Baufal Police Station Naresh Chandra Karmokar, and assistant sub-inspectors (ASI) Halim Khan and Shafiqul Islam.

Our Patuakhali correspondent reports, police arrested Mizanur from Kalaiya Bazar area around 8:00pm on March 17 on charge of assaulting Halim, ASI of Baufal Police Station. Halim had filed the case the same day.

Talking to local journalists at the court on March 22, Mizanur alleged that policemen tortured him physically and mentally at night in their custody. At one stage, Mizanur lost consciousness.

Police then took him to Baufal upazila hospital that night. But they brought him back to the police station without any treatment, as some local journalists were present at the hospital, he said.

The following day, police produced Mizanur before the Baufal Upazila Judicial Magistrate's Court that sent him to jail.

Over the last few days, local journalists formed human chains, and held rallies and meetings, protesting the police torture on Mizanur.

They demanded punishment to the policemen who tortured Mizanur.

On March 22, Patuakhali Press Club set a seven-day ultimatum to the police to take action against the police personnel responsible.