Withdraw Madaripur OC, SI for detaining 2 breast feeding mothers: HC

The High Court today ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to withdraw the officer-in-charge and a sub-inspector of Madaripur Police Station for detaining two breast feeding mothers and keeping them away from their children for 13 hours.

The court also ordered the police chief to investigate the incident and submit a probe report to it by May 8. The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order during hearing a writ petition.

The court also rejected the unconditional apology made by the OC, Ziaul Morshed, and SI, Md Mahtab Hossain, who appeared before the HC bench. 

Earlier on March 21, the HC directed the policemen to appear before the court on March 29 to explain their conduct.

Citing from reports of newspapers, Rana Kawser, the advocate who filed the writ petition, told reporters that SI Mahtab went to Lakkhiganj of Madaripur on March 12 to conduct an inquiry into a land-related case.

As part of the investigation, Mahtab asked for some information from Ponir Hossain, son of Khalek Bepari, but Ponir said he did not know about the issue.

Furious, SI Mahtab slapped Ponir, Rana Kawser said, adding that the SI had asked for additional police force over the phone and ransacked Ponir's house.

Police forcibly took wife of Ponir and his elder brother's wife to the police station leaving their kids -- one three months' old and another 18 months' old -- behind, which is inhumane and illegal, the lawyer said. After 13 hours of detention, police released them, the lawyer added.