“Why are biometric identification systems not being used in prisons to identify prisoners?” asks HC
The apex court issued the rule against the backdrop of an HC order to release an innocent woman named Minu Akter who was convicted and imprisoned for life under murder charges, instead of the actual accused
The High Court (HC) has issued a rule asking why the authorities concerned are not providing directives to introduce biometric identification systems such as fingerprints, thumbprints, and iris scanning to identify prisoners.
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selin and Justice Mohammad Ataur Rahman passed the order on Monday.
The HC bench has asked the home affairs Secretary, law Secretary, and the Inspector General of Prisons, to respond to the rule within the next two weeks.
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The apex court issued the rule against the backdrop of an HC order to release an innocent woman named Minu Akter who was convicted and imprisoned for life under murder charges, instead of the actual accused, in Chattogram.
Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir stood in court on behalf of the petitioner, and Deputy Attorney General Dr Mohammad Bashir Ullah represented the state.
Earlier on June 7, the High Court ordered the immediate release of Minu Akter, an innocent woman who was sentenced to life imprisonment under murder charges instead of the actual accused in the case, Kulsum Akter, alias Kulsumi.
At that time, the court asked Chattogram women and child abuse and repression tribunal-2 Special Public Prosecutor MA Naser, and lawyers Nurul Anwar, Vivekananda Chowdhury, and Saurabh, to appear in court and provide proper explanations for the case incident of mistaken identity. They appeared in court on Tuesday as directed.
At the time, lawyer Shishir Monir told the court that there had been 26 such incidents in the country in the last 2 years where innocent people were sent to prison instead of the people actually convicted in court.
To prevent such incidents, Shishir Monir urged the apex court to provide a formal order to the country's prisons to introduce biometric identification systems like in high security prisons abroad.
The court then heard the state's view on the matter and later issued the rule regarding biometric identification of prisoners.
