HC forms body to probe mismanagement
The High Court today formed a three-member committee to probe the mismanagement in Gazipur Juvenile Correction Centre following suicide attempt by 20 adolescents.
The committee members are the director general of Department of Social Welfare and deputy commissioner and superintendent of police in Gazipur.
The court formed the body based on a report published in the Bangla daily Prothom Alo today under a headline 'Horrible protest by 20 adolescents'.
Issuing a suo moto rule, the court has asked the committee to find out the reason behind the mismanagement and the suicide attempt and submit a report before it in a week.
The daily reported that 20 adolescents of the correction centre, aged between 14 to 18, cut and bruised their bodies with sharp objects in protest of mismanagement and lack of care at the centre on Tuesday.
In a gruesome protest, they cut their forehead, arms and wrists, and were rushed to Tongi Government Hospital for emergency treatment.
However, sources at the correction centre refuted their claim, saying that the incident took place after a juvenile had two bottles of cough syrup provided by his brother in presence of police while returning from a hearing at Dhaka Judge Court.
An official of the centre observed the incident and scolded the adolescent and his brother, following which the juveniles staged the protest, the sources said.
In the rule, the HC has asked the committee to unearth the reason behind the juveniles' taking intoxicated cough syrup in the police custody.
The HC bench of Justice Kazi Rezaul Haque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain directed the authorities to explain in two weeks why their inaction to prevent the mismanagement in the centre should not be declared illegal.
The court fixed March 3 as the next date of hearing.
Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy placed the report before the HC judges for necessary orders about the reported incident.
SC lawyer Asaduzzaman told the court that the state has responsibility to ensure the security of the detained juveniles in the correction centre.
He said it should be investigated why the juveniles have taken intoxicated materials in the police custody.
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