Tuesday, 2 October 2012

The Daily Star Tuesday, October 2, 2012


Police inaction during Ramu violence challenged

Law enforcers rescue AK Nazibul Islam, the then OC who took refuge at a house, from Merong Roapara of Ramu during a sectarian violence in Chittagong on September 30. Photo: STAR
A Supreme Court lawyer on Tuesday filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the ‘inaction’ of police administration in protecting the Buddhist temples and houses of local people of Ramu in Cox’s Bazar.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, also an inhabitant of Ramu, in the petition sought directive from the HC to summon the deputy commissioner (DC) and superintendent of police (SP) of Cox’s Bazar and officer-in-charge (OC) of Ramu Police Station before it for explaining their roles regarding the incident.
On October 1, a mob destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses in Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar. The violence was apparently triggered by a Facebook posting of a photo defaming the holy Quran.
Jyotirmoy stated in his petition that he himself and local people of Ramu informed the local DC, SP and OC about the arson and vandalism before and during the incidents, but the officials did not take any action to protect the temples and house at that time.
The DC, SP and OC have failed to discharge their constitutional duties to protect the communal harmony and they should explain their conducts in this regard before the court, he said.
Jyotirmoy told The Daily Star that the HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo fixed Wednesday for hearing the petition.
Earlier, another bench of Jstice M Moazzam Husain and Justice Md Habibul Gani refused to hear the same petition, saying that this bench would not interfere into the government steps over the incidents, as it has already taken some actions, he added.

SHARE ON

No comments:

Post a Comment