Arrest of Two 8-yr-olds: Why not compensate families?

The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks as to why it should not be directed to give Tk 20 lakh in total as compensation to the families of two children of Kamrangirchar, who were arrested in connection with a murder case.

It issued the rule for the negligence of police in properly applying the law regarding the arrest of eight-year-old boys in the case filed for killing another child Alif Bhuiyan in Kamrangirchar of Dhaka.

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The Daily Start is not mentioning the boys' names as per its policy.

A bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by rights organisation Children's Charity Bangladesh Foundation seeking explanation about the detention of the two.

The organisation submitted the writ petition to the HC recently following a report published in the daily Prothom Alo headlined “Lasher Porichoy Meleni: Dui Shishu Greftar (deceased remains unidentified: two children arrested”.

In the rule, the HC also asked the authorities concerned of the government to explain as to why violation of the provisions of the children act in arresting the two children should not be declared illegal.

The HC also asked the deputy commissioner of police of Lalbagh zone and officer-in-charge of Kamrangirchar Police Station to submit a report explaining how the ages of the two boys were determined during their detention before this court by January 4 next year.

Petitioner's counsel Barrister Abdul Halim told The Daily Star that the two are less than nine as per their birth certificates.

Police cannot arrest any child, who is less than nine years old, as per the relevant provisions of the Children Act, 2013, he said, adding that the police have mentioned that the children are more than 12 years old in the case statement.

Barrister Halim said Alif Bhuiyan, son of an Uzzal Bhuiyan of Kamrangirchar, died on September 29 this year and his body was recovered on October 11 and the same day the police arrested the boys and tortured them in custody.

Home secretary, inspector general of police, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, DC of police Lalbabagh zone, OC of Kamrangirchar Police Station, director general of the social welfare department and its probation officer concerned and chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka have been made respondents to the rule, he added.