Court summons public servant over penalising lawyer in mobile court

The High Court has summoned a government official over penalising a lawyer in Dinajpur following an argument over taking a seat in the public servant’s office.

On Dec 14, a newspaper reported that the northern district’s Birganj Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Biroda Rani Roy set up a mobile court and fined lawyer Nirod Bihari Tk 500 or spend a day behind bars.

The newspaper reported the incident citing a website, lawyersclubbangladesh.com.

On Sunday, Supreme Court lawyers Syed Mahidul Kabir and Kazi Helal Uddin brought it to the court’s attention.

Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice KM Kamrul Kader ordered Assistant Commissioner Roy to appear before it on Dec 27.

It has also ordered lawyer Bihari and the website’s Editor Badrul Hasan Kochi to be present in court that day.

“The court has also issued a rule asking why the sentencing of Nirod Bihari will not be declared illegal,” Supreme Court lawyer Kazi Helal Uddin told bdnews24.com.

Roy has been made a respondent to the rule.

According to media reports, Bihari was supposed to represent his client at the hearing in Roy’s office on Tuesday.

When Bihari arrived in the office, Roy was hearing another matter.

After Bihari identified himself and sought permission to take a seat, the public servant told him to go outside.

Another lawyer, who was in the office then, said counsels usually wait inside the office. Roy told him to ‘shut up’, according to media reports.

An argument broke out between Roy and Bihari over the matter, when the public servant hastily set up a mobile court and penalised the lawyer for obstructing a government official from performing duties.

The Dinajpur Bar Association immediately informed the district administration chief of the matter, following which Roy was transferred to an Upazila in Kurigram district.