Staff Reporter :
A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Tuesday seeking its directives on the authorities concerned of the government to remove the iron cages from the courtrooms throughout the country.
Ten 10 Supreme Court lawyers filed the petition with the related branch of the High Court, which will be mentioned before the bench comprising Justice Md Atabullah and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam for hearing.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, on behalf of the 10 lawyers, submitted the petition as a public interest litigation.
The petition also asked for re-establishment of wooden cages in the courtrooms.
The petitioners said the use of iron cages at the courtrooms is inhumane and contradictory to the law and constitution.
Earlier on October 16, a legal notice was served to concerned bodies of the government asking them to remove the iron cages from courtrooms across Bangladesh.
It was sent to the secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the senior secretary of the Public Security Division, and the inspector general of police. The notice asked the concerned officials to take a step within four weeks.
The authorities concerned did not take any step in accordance with the legal notice till the date.
Hence, the writ petition was filed with the HC seeking its directive in this regard. The iron cages inside the courtrooms are where the accused individuals stand during legal proceedings.
The notice stated that employing iron cages in courtrooms is deemed to be inhumane and runs counter to both legal principles and the Constitution.
Article 35 (5) of the Constitution says: “No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment.”
