Representing OC Pradeep: Rana Dasgupta’s resignation as ICT prosecutor demanded
Organising secretary of Cox's Bazar District Awami League Naznin Sarwar Kaberi yesterday demanded resignation of advocate Rana Dasgupta from his prosecutor post of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), over disrespecting the constitutional secularism through representing former Teknaf Police Station Officer-in-Charge Pradeep Kumar Das in court.
Kaberi also said the veteran lawyer's legal move -- for the prime accused in Maj Sinha Rashed murder case -- has been instigating communalism.
She made the demand from a press conference at a restaurant in port city's Cheragi Pahar area.
While reading out a written statement, the AL leader said, "According to the Legal Remembrancer's manual, there are two kind of law officials -- full-time salary-paid, and contractual. Rana Dasgupta is a salary-paid law official who is equivalent to a state minister rank. As per the state's warrant of precedency, his post is an Attorney General Category post. He cannot stand for a known criminal like Pradeep. If he wants, he should quit from his constitutional post."
Replying to a query, Kaberi said "Rana Dasgupta is a renowned lawyer and also a pro-liberation person. But he has intentionally stood for Pradeep as a lawyer, demeaning the secular spirit of constitution."
"He has committed a seditious act through fighting for a murderer. He should seek apology for his act," she added.
Thought there is no prior allegation against Pradeep over rape, the AL leader at the press conference claimed that Pradeep allegedly raped a number of women when he went for drives to arrest people in Teknaf.
Talking to The Daily Star, Rana Dasgupta said, "Prosecutor post of ICT is not a constitutional post and I am not paid salary, but an honorarium."
"I am neither the Attorney General nor the Additional Attorney General. The prosecutor post is created in the rank of additional attorney general's post," said the lawyer.
"Yes I am given police protocol by the government, but it is not given for my post but for my security, as ICT is a sensitive tribunal," he added.
The veteran lawyer said, "Pradeep is an accused in a criminal case. What is the relation between this case and spirit of secularism?"
"I think there is a conspiracy by a vested quarter who are using the AL leader. Neither do I care about any conspiracy, nor their baseless talks, as I am legally right on my track," said Dasgupta, who is also general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad.
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