Monday, March 4, 2013

Legal notice to clear Shahbag within 24 hrs

A legal notice has been served by a lawyer at the Supreme Court to the government to facilitate the opening of Shahbag Square for the general public. The notice has asked the government to clear Shahbag Square for the movement of general people within 24 hours of receiving it. The legal notice also informed that failure to do so would result in seeking the help of law at the highest court. It has been mentioned that in event of disruption of public movement, such a legal notice has been served to the Interior ministry, secretary of Interior Affairs, Secretary of Communications, IG of Police, Director General of RAB, Administrator of Dhaka City Corporation South, Commissioner of DMP and the OC of Shahbag Police Station

This notice was served by Supreme Court Lawyer Advocate Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan on the 4th of March. The notice mentioned that since February 5th, the sit-in procession at Shahbagh has closed off the important roads leading to this intersection. Unrestricted public movement is a right bestowed by the constitution. Citing section 36 of the constitution, the notice said that ensuring normal movement of the general public is the constitutional duty of the state. Furthermore, holding a public procession hampering movement on public roads is contrary to the ordinance of 1976 of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The area surrounding Shahbag hosts a variety of important public institutions including the BIRDEM Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical College Hospital, the National Museum and the Central Public Library. The daily obstruction of of this important intersection has become a source of suffering for office goers and has prevented patients from getting their required medical attention. In light of such grievances, the legal notice has urged the government to clear the Shahbag intersection for general use of all sections of the public. Barring that , legal course would be followed to implement the above.