Under-trial prisoners need not attend court

The Supreme Court administration has directed jail authorities not to produce under-trial prisoners before the lower courts or tribunals concerned during case proceedings including hearing of their bail petitions till further order, as a precaution to Coronavirus outbreak.

Supreme Court's High Court Division Registrar Md Golam Rabbani yesterday issued a notification to this effect under the instruction of Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.

In the notification, he said producing under-trial prisoners before the courts during hearings of bail petitions and other case proceedings is very risky due to the prevailing situation.

In light of that, under-trial prisoners cannot be carried by prison vans or any other transport and cannot be produced before the courts during case proceedings.

The magistrates concerned can hold hearings on remand-related petitions through video conference in association with jail authorities, according to the notification.

Earlier on April 11, the chief justice after consulting senior judges of the Supreme Court decided to run the subordinate courts and tribunals for disposing of very urgent matters including bail petitions without physical presence in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.