Jesmine’s death in RAB custody HC unhappy with high-level probe body report

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday observed that the probe report submitted by the government-formed high-powered committee on the death of Naogaon land office employee Sultana Jasmine in Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) custody is not satisfactory.

The HC said, “The report is unclear and have lacking of specific findings.

It did not include anything regarding the process of detaining Sultana Jasmine.

The report also failed to say whether her relatives were informed after her (Jasmine) detention. Therefore, the court is not satisfied with the report.”

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the observation after hearing on the report.

Later the court said that it is ready to hold hearing on the rule issue in this regard. It also fixed November 29 for hearing the rule.

Earlier on August 20, the probe body formed complying with a HC order submitted the report to the court.

The court on that day fixed October 15 for holding hearing on the matter. Accordingly the matter came into the cause-list on Sunday.

Lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmick, who also filed the writ petition, appeared in the court hearing in support of his petition, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Samarendra Nath Biswas represented the state.

The RAB picked up Sultana around 10:00am on March 22 this year when she was on her way to Chandipur Union Land Office in Naogaon Sadar upazila, where she was an office assistant.

She died at 10:00am on March 24 at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

A day after her detention, she was sued under DSA in Rajshahi on charge of “siphoning off money from job seekers using a Facebook account”.