Court orders DMP official to explain obstruction in Khairul Haque hearing
The police official has been asked to explain his conduct by 30 July.
A Dhaka court has ordered Tarek Zubair, deputy commissioner of the DMP's Crime, Information and Prosecution Division, to submit an explanation for obstructing judicial proceedings during a hearing involving former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque.
The directive was issued by Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah. The police official has been asked to explain his conduct by 30 July. The information was confirmed by court sources today.
According to the court order, Khairul Haque was shown arrested on 24 July in a murder case filed at Jatrabari Police Station. The court had assigned Magistrate Sanaullah to conduct the hearing. That evening, around 6:20pm, DC Tarek Zubair called the judge from his mobile phone and insisted that the hearing be held while the accused remained inside the prison van parked below the court building.
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The judge rejected the proposal in order to maintain the dignity of the court and avoid any question over the judicial process.
Later, around 7:14pm, due to a delay in presenting the accused in court, the judge called Tarek Zubair to ask how much longer it would take. The DC replied that he could not say. When the judge requested an estimate, Zubair again refused and said he was not willing to provide any information or discuss the matter. He instead advised the judge to speak with the DMP's legal adviser or commissioner.
The order further states that although the DC is bound to cooperate with the Metropolitan Magistracy, he refused to provide information relating to the case and acted in a rude and defiant manner. This behaviour is in violation of police regulations and applicable laws, and constitutes clear obstruction under Sections 176, 179, and 228 of the Penal Code.
The court also noted that such obstruction of judicial proceedings is tantamount to contempt of court. The police official has been instructed to explain by 30 July why the court should not refer the matter to the Chief Justice through the Registrar General of the Bangladesh Supreme Court for contempt proceedings.
