Legal notice served to Postal Dept DG for meeting PM despite being Covid-19 positive

Two Supreme Court lawyers today served a legal notice to the authorities concerned of the government requesting to suspend Sudhangshu Shekhar Bhadra from the post of the director general (DG) of the country's postal department, as he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban even though he was tested positive for Covid-19.

Md Humayun Kabir Pallob and Md Kauser jointly sent the legal notice through email to the principal secretary to the PM's Office, and secretaries to the ministries of home, public administration and health; the director general of the directorate of health services, and the director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research.

The legal notice sought an inquiry into the incident and requested necessary steps to this effect in 48 hours.

In the legal notice, the lawyers said Shudhangshu went to Gono Bhaban and met the premier on August 14 to inaugurate a special commemorative stamp and data card on the occasion of the 45th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Shudhangshu was very close to PM Hasina during the event, they said in the legal notice, adding that, what Shudhangshu did was a crime under the section 26 of the Communicable Diseases (Prevention, Control, and Eradication) Act 2018.

They said Shudangshu had concealed his infected state, which was also a punishable offence.

They said the IEDCR reportedly collected Shudhangshu's samples on August 12 to check if he had come in contact with the coronavirus, and his report came back positive on August 13.

Shudhangshu concealed that information, went to the PM Office, and stood very close to the premier, they said in the legal notice.

This was not only illegal, but it also posed a serious risk to the personal safety and health of the PM, stated the legal notice.  

In the legal notice, they demanded the launch of an inquiry into whether there was any deficiency in ensuring the security and safety of the PM.

Contacted, Humayun Kabir Pallob told The Daily Star that they will move a writ petition before the High Court seeking directives if the respondents of the legal notice don't take necessary steps in response to the notice.