A High Court bench has said that the statements and counter-statements issued by some professional bodies over the Sunday’s heated altercation involving a physician, a magistrate and a policeman over movement pass during lockdown is unexpected.
The virtual High Court (HC) bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir made the comment on Tuesday (April 20) after Supreme Court lawyer Md Eunus Ali Akond placed some newspaper reports before the HC bench for passing a suo muto (voluntary) order for inquiry into the incident.
The court said, “All public servants of the republic must perform their professional duties properly. All are now under pressure due to Covid-19 pandemic. Somehow, an incident of heated altercation has taken place. Few professional bodies have issued statements and counter-statements over the incident. It is unexpected.”
The HC bench, however, refused to entertain the verbal prayer of Eunus Ali Akond, saying that the lawyer is not a person aggrieved with the incident and the court will look into the matter if any aggrieved person of the incident moves any petition.
The HC bench asked Attorney General AM Amin Uddin to look into the matter over the issuance of statements on the incident. The Attorney General told the HC that the incident of altercation involving a physician, a magistrate and a policeman is unfortunate. At the time, the High Court said that both the sides should refrain from blaming each other.
Dr Syeeda Showkat, an associate professor of the Radiology and Imaging Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), got involved in a heated argument with a magistrate and a policeman in Elephant Road area in the capital on Sunday, the fifth day of the ‘strict lockdown’. The incident took place when police intercepted a car carrying the BSMMU physician and asked to show her ID card and movement pass. An executive magistrate was also present at the time.
The video footage of the three-way altercation went viral instantly on social media. Many people including netizens expressed their reactions and made comments over the incident.
Bangladesh Medical Association, BSMMU unit of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad and Bangladesh Police Service Association on Monday (April 19) issued separate statements over the incident. The professional bodies of doctors and police have blamed each other over Sunday’s incident.
