Abuse of power
HC makes observation about sentencing lawyer by AC (land)
The High Court yesterday said Assistant Commissioner (land) of Bhurungamari upazila in Kurigram Biroda Rani Roy has abused her power by sentencing a lawyer through a mobile court over a trifling matter.
Biroda has not only forced the lawyer, Nirod Bihari Roy, to leave her office, but also sentenced him through a mobile court; it is the abuse of her power, it said.
The bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice KM Kamrul Kader made the observation after the AC (land) appeared before the court yesterday and offered unconditional apology for the incident.
The HC bench fixed today for passing an order on this issue.
Biroda appeared before the HC yesterday after being summoned by the court on December 17, her lawyer Advocate Syed Mamun Mahbub told The Daily Star.
On December 12, Biroda asked lawyer Nirod to sit outside her office room as there was no place to sit inside, she told the HC.
Following that, Nirod shouted in the office, she said.
Then AC (land) Biroda fined Nirod, 60, a member of the Dinajpur Bar Association, Tk 500, in default of which he would have to stay one day in jail.
The incident at Birganj upazila land office in Dinajpur has triggered widespread rage among the lawyers in the district. Later, the AC (land) was transferred to Kurigram's Bhurungamari.
The incident was reported in the media.
On December 17, the HC bench issued a suo moto (voluntary) rule and summoned the AC (land) to appear before it yesterday, after Supreme Court lawyers Syed Mohidul Kabir and Kazi Helal Uddin placed the news reports before the HC bench for necessary order.