Shawdesh Desk:

The High Court on Tuesday banned use of bar-fetter of accused except top listed criminals and extremists while producing detained accused in courts from jails.

The court also asked the jail authorities to strictly follow a notification issued by the department of prisons on November 22, 2022, asking the superintendents of the jails across the country to use bar-fetters of top listed and heinous criminals, and extremists during their transportation from the jails to the courts and shifting from one jails to other jails.

The bench also asked the government and the prisons authorities to explain in four weeks why the arbitrary and unreasonably use of bar-fetter of detained accused would not be a violation of the constitution, the Prisoners Act and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Patuakhali unit Juba Dal leader Nazmul Mridha, who was seen participating in namaz-e-janaza of his father with shackles in his legs on January 13 while he was in jail.