Writ against 4 Govt Officials' Posting including Ex-Kurigram DC

A writ petition has been filed in the High Court against the posting of four people, including former Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kurigram Mst Sultana Parveen, accused in the criminal case. The writ petition sought the validity of the posting of one person and instructions not to post the other three.

Journalist Md Ariful Islam Reagan filed the writ petition in the concerned branch of the High Court on Monday (August 23).

Lawyers for the writ petition are Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu and Advocate Ishrat Hasan. In the writ petition, the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and others have been made defendants.

The petitioner's lawyers said that a criminal case was pending against the four. They have not yet taken bail in that case. As a result, they are still fugitives in the eyes of the law. One of them has been posted without dismissal even after they were convicted in a criminal case and attempts are being made to post three others, which is illegal. That is why a writ has been filed in the High Court.

The writ petition will be heard by a High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mostafizur Rahman.

Ariful Islam Regan, a Kurigram correspondent of online news portal Bangla Tribune, was beaten up and taken away from his house in the name of a mobile court by some district administration officials at midnight on March 13, 2020 (March 14) after the district administration named a pond after former Kurigram DC Sultana Parveen.

He was then stripped naked, taken to the district administration and threatened with crossfire. He was later sent to jail at midnight on a charge of possession of half a bottle of liquor and 150 grams of cannabis. When this incident came in the media, strong reactions have been showed across the country.

Rangpur Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Abu Taher Md Masud Rana went to the spot the next day under the direction of the Cabinet Division.

Based on his report, Deputy Commissioner Sultana Parveen, RDC Nazim Uddin, Assistant Commissioner Rintu Bikash Chakma and NDC SM Rahatul Islam were withdrawn and assigned to the Ministry of Public Administration.

Later, the Ministry of Public Administration started departmental proceedings against the accused. Following this, the Ministry of Public Administration decided to suspend the increment of Sultana Parveen for two years, cut three increments of NDC Rahatul Islam, demote RDC Nazim Uddin and dismiss Rintu Bikash Chakma.

However, no notification has been issued yet regarding the issue of Rintu Bikash Chakma. However, notification has been issued about others. Among them NDC Rahatul Islam has been posted in Barisal DC office.