Why still no narcotics tribunals?
The High Court yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the authorities concerned for not setting up separate tribunals to try narcotics cases even though the law was formulated eight months ago.
“The prime minister has directed for showing zero tolerance against the narcotics. But the gazette notification has not been issued for setting up the tribunals in all districts as per the Narcotics Control Act-2018 to try the narcotics cases, which is unfortunate and regretting,” the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman said.
The court ordered the home and law ministries to inform this court by October 13 on the progress of issuing the gazette notification and giving responsibility to the additional district judge or the sessions judge to hold trials of such cases.
It passed the order while hearing a bail petition filed by Masudul Haque, an accused of a narcotics case. He was arrested with yaba tablets and heroin in the capital’s Bangshal area on December 27 last year.
The court, while hearing the same bail petition earlier, had asked the government to inform it on the progress of issuing the gazette notification.
Yesterday, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the HC that he already talked to the law ministry about issuing the notification.
The ministry is positive in this regard, he said, adding that he would now talk to the home ministry and then inform the court of the progress.
Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappy told The Daily Star that the HC had granted bail to Masud in the case against him.
Al Faisal Siddiqui appeared for the accused petitioner.
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