Why no commission to probe Langadu arson attacks? HC asks govt

The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities why a commission would not be formed to investigate the arson attacks on houses of tribal people in Rangamati's Langadu in June.

Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah issued the rule on Monday following a writ petition filed by nine people including local students, lawyers and social welfare organisations of Rangamati.

Cabinet, law, home and Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs secretaries, and the inspector general of police will have to respond to the rule within eight weeks.

The cabinet secretary has been ordered to update the court on the progress in forming the commission within three months, lawyer Shahdeen Malik, who represented the petitioners, said.

The court will hear the matter again on Nov 3, he said.

Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas represented the State.

In a separate rule, the court asked why the commission should not work to assess the damage caused by the attackers, said Malik.

The body of Nurul Islam Nayan, a local leader of the ruling Awami League’s youth front Jubo League, was found near a local highway in Khagrhachharhi's Dighinala Upazila on Jun 1.

He used to transport passengers on his motorbike.

The following day, a protest march over his death in Rangamati's Langadu Upazila turned violent, leading to attacks on several hundred homes of the local ethnic minority community.

The police started a case naming 15 people and 400 unidentified others over the violence the following day.

On Jun 10, one of the victims, Kishore Chakma, initiated another case naming 98 as accused.

Nicolas Chakma, a lawyer of the Supreme Court, served a notice on the four secretaries and the IGP on Jun 12 demanding formation of a judicial commission to investigate the attacks.