The High Court (HC) on Sunday extended by 30 days its deadline for Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gaibandha to submit a report on the alleged involvement of police in setting fire to the houses of Santal community during an eviction drive in Gobindaganj upazila.A two-member HC bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gaibandha to submit the report on January 31 as the magistrate failed to meet the previous deadline of December 31 last.
Earlier, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) filed a supplementary petition attaching some national and international media reports and images where police are seen to set fire on a house, seeking the court order to carry out an investigation to identify the arson attackers.
In another development, superintendent of Gaibandha police Ashraful Islam sought unconditional apology to the HC for using “Bengali miscreants” that he used in a report on the clash between Santals and police on November 6 last.
“I seek unconditional apology as I am feeling guilty for using such words in the report. I will not use these types of words in future”, the SP said after appearing before the bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath in the morning.
On January 4, HC summoned him for giving explanation of the words “Bengali Miscreants” in the report.
Two Santal men were killed and 30 people, including nine policemen, injured following a clash with law enforcers and workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gobindaganj upazila on November 6.
The clash broke out when workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills along with police went to Bagda Farm area to reclaim land of the sugar mill allegedly occupied by the Santal community.
