
ASK questions Rajuk mobile court drive on its office
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 16 Nov 2019 02:03 AM BdST Updated: 16 Nov 2019 02:03 AM BdST
There may be “something else” behind the fines a Rajuk mobile court slapped the Ain O Salish Kendra or ASK with for operating office in a residential building in Dhaka, the legal aid and human rights organisation suspects.
ASK questioned the drive of the capital’s development agency at a press conference on Friday, a day after the raid at Lalmatia.
The way the Rajuk conducted the drive was an “existential threat” to the non-profit groups related to the people’s welfare, development, and human rights, the organisation fears.
The ASK has been operating by renting four apartments in a five-storey building. Seven more organisations set up offices on different floors of the building.

Accusing the mobile court of “taking confession forcefully”, she said, "So it is reasonable to raise the question whether there was any ulterior motive behind the fines slapped on the ASK.”
On Thursday, the mobile court fined the organisations operating in the building total Tk 600,000, including ASK Tk 200,000. The owners were fined Tk 700,000 for renting out a residential building on official purposes.

“I’ve never heard that a mobile court asked an NGO why it is operating in a rented house. We tried to understand why we drew wrath. The law that is not applicable to us has been imposed on us. There may be some other reason,” Hafiza said.
The ASK also questioned the Rajuk mobile court’s attitude and behaviour.
ASK has long been saying that parts of the mobile court law are debatable.
“They only accept cash, but it is difficult for a small organisation to pay a large amount in cash all of a sudden. They threatened to arrest our staffers if they could not pay within 30 minutes,” Hafiza said.

ASK Secretary General Tahmina Rahman questioned the mobile court order and the process of its operation saying, "The decision of the Rajuk’s mobile court is unacceptable.”
More stories
WARNING:
Any unauthorised use or reproduction of bdnews24.com content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
- 19 Bangladeshi men return home after serving jail in India
- Woman arrested with 106kg of marijuana in Barishal
- Jute mill worker on hunger strike in Khulna dies in hospital
- EC plans to consider voter number besides population in demarcating constituencies
- Former Rooppur engineer, 12 others land in jail over pillow scam
- Bangladesh Foreign Minister Momen cancels visit to India amid protests over citizenship bill
- Compatriot starts case against unidentified assailants over murder of Chinese national
- Five more jute-mill workers fall sick in Rajshahi hunger strike
- Man killed in alleged shootout with police in Mymensingh
- Death toll from Keraniganj plastics factory fire rises to 10
Most Read
- After Bangladesh foreign minister, home minister cancels India visit amid citizenship protests
- Bangladesh Foreign Minister Momen cancels visit to India amid protests over citizenship bill
- Govt clears scrapped proposal to purchase machine-readable passports
- Britain Brexit bound as Johnson set for big parliamentary majority
- Myanmar's Suu Kyi urges World Court to drop genocide case
- Bangladesh mulls more underwater tunnels instead of bridges after Karnaphuli
- Winning big, Johnson on course to deliver swift Brexit
- Four women of Bangladeshi origin win the UK election
- Two dead, several wounded in India as protests escalate over citizenship law
- Japanese PM Abe cancels India visit amid Assam unrest