The High Court yesterday directed the superintendent of police of Pirojpur to arrest within 48 hours the persons involved in occupying lands of Hindus in the district.
The court directed the SP and officer-in-charge of Mathbaria Police Station of the district to appear before the court on May 6 for explaining the incidents of land grabbing.
It also asked the inspector general of police to submit a report within 30 days to it after investigating into the incidents.
The court also issued a rule upon the government and the police authorities to explain within two weeks why they should not be directed to take legal action against the land grabbers and provide security to local Hindus.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Md Delwar Hossain came up with the rule and orders after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights organisation.
The petition was filed following a report published in the daily Jugantar on April 20 this year saying that the law enforcers did not come to the rescue although an influential group had occupied around 5,000 bighas of land of the Hindus in Pirojpur.
The law enforcers have assisted the land grabbers in occupying the land, the report adds.
The petitioner also said the law enforcers have failed to discharge their constitutional duties in protecting the properties of the community.
The home secretary, IGP, deputy inspector general of Barisal range, SP of Pirojpur and OC of Mathbaria Police Station have been made respondents in the rule.
Advocate Manzill Murshed appeared for the petitioner.
