The High Court on Sunday directed the government to form a committee to investigate the arrest of nine children in connection with the recent violence in Gopalganj, which left five people dead during a National Citizen Party march on July 16.
The bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua issued the order after hearing a public interest writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyers Utpol Biswas and Abeda Gulrukh.
The bench set November 5 for further hearing.
The court questioned why the authorities failed to follow the Children Act, 2013 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when arresting the minors. It asked the government to explain within four weeks why such inaction should not be declared illegal.
The order was based on a newspaper report published on July 20, which stated that 277 people were arrested, including nine children.
The High Court also asked top officials, including the secretaries of the home, women and children affairs, and law ministries; the director general of the Department of Social Services; the inspector general of police; the Gopalganj superintendent of police; the Gopalganj jail superintendent; and the Jashore Juvenile Correction Centre superintendent鈥攖o respond to the rule.
The court gave the respondents three months to submit the investigation report.
