Contempt of court: Security services secretary, inspector general of prisons summoned to Appellate Division

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday summoned the Secretary of the Security Services Division Md Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury and Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General ASM Anisul Huq to appear before it on December 4.

They have been summoned to explain why the Supreme Court's verdict on the promotion of six prison officers has not been implemented.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, passed the order following a separate petition filed for contempt of court.

The court also fixed December 4 for hearing five more separate petitions filed in contempt of court.

Advocate Ibrahim Khalil appeared for the petitioners in the court and Advocate Shafiqul Islam appeared for the jail authorities.

On April 22 last year, the Appellate Division ruled on a review petition filed by six prison officials regarding their promotion. The court directed the respondents to consider the promotion of applicants (six jail superintendents) at the earliest in the light of the Officers and Staff (Department of Prisons) Recruitment Rules, 1984.

On September 27 last year, five officials, including promotion aspirant Md Nurunnabi Bhuiyan, filed five separate petitions for contempt of court for not implementing the verdict's directive.