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The government has filed a “departmental case” against suspended Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Sultana Pervin and three other officials in her office over the controversial jailing of a journalist by a mobile court, reports bdnews24.com.
They were also issued a notice asking why they will not be terminated from their jobs, said Public Administration Secretary Shaikh Yusuf Harun.
“The four officials are not getting any salary at present as they have been withdrawn from their posts and waiting for a new posting to be decided by the Ministry of Public Administration. They’ll get salary when they’re made OSD (officer on special duty),” he told bdnews24.com.
Journalist Ariful Islam, who works for the Bangla Tribune and the Dhaka Tribune, was detained and jailed by a mobile court on “flimsy” narcotics charges. The reporter also alleged that he was tortured in custody.
Ariful criticised the district administration in a report run by the Bangla Tribune on May 19, 2019. His report highlighted Sultana’s purported intention to name a government pond in the town after herself following its renovation.
Ten months after the publishing of the report, a mobile court in Kurigram jailed Ariful on drug possession charges after law enforcement detained him from his home in the middle of the night.
Executive Magistrate Rintu Bikash Chakma conducted the operation which came under severe criticism from various quarters.
The then Kurigram DC Sultana Pervin gave directive to the mobile court to punish Ariful, his family complained.
Ariful has alleged he was stripped of his clothes and beaten up severely after he was picked up from his home in a midnight raid.
Pictures on social media showed marks of injury on his body.
The authorities withdrew Senior Assistant Commissioner Najimuddin, Assistant Commissioners Rintu Chakma and SM Rahatul Islam on Mar 15 and assigned them to the Ministry of Public Administration.
Sultana was suspended on Mar 16 and placed under the ministry for her next posting.