Police again take control of Proshika HQ
March 4, 2010
Pallabi police along with detective branch personnel took control of the head office of Proshika, country’s one of the largest non-government organisations (NGO), in the capital’s Mirpur area early Thursday, ousting its 60 staff.
The action of the police came when two appeal petitions have remained pending in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
On January 24, Qazi Faruque Ahmed, the former chairman of the NGO, filed a petition before a chamber judge of the SC seeking stay on the key hand over order issued by the High Court earlier.
The chamber judge later stayed the key handover order for seven days and asked Faruque to file a regular appeal before the full bench.
The Proshika authorities filed another appeal petition to vacate the order directing the police to stay the hand over of keys of Proshika for seven days.
On January 19, the HC issued a rule upon the government and Faruque to explain within four weeks why their actions in taking control of the office despite a status quo should not be declared illegal.
When asked about the higher court order Mirpur Zone Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir said, “We could not submit the explanation due to delay in getting the copy of the court order.”
“We have already prepared the explanation,” he added.
Proshika Director Nasir Uddin, who led the employees to guard the office building following the recent unrest in the organisation, told The Daily Star that a group of police in plain clothes headed by the officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station entered the Prohika Bhaban minutes after 2:00am and took position of it.
After a while, a team of DB police entered the bhaban and went up to 10th floor and drove out its 60 staff, who were both on guard and asleep.
Meanwhile, another group of around 100 policemen joined hands with their colleagues to drive out the staff forcibly, said Nasir Uddin.
“At one state, we requested the law enforcers to let us stay inside the office building till the dawn and not to drive us out at dead of night,” he said adding, “But they did not entertain our request.”
When contacted Mirpur Zone Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir, he told The Daily Star that he was in a meeting and would talk later.
On the other hand, The Daily Star correspondent could not reach Pallabi police chief Iqbal Hossain as he did not receive his cell phone.
Proshika Chief Executive Officer Mahbubul Karim told The Daily Star that he did not know on what legal basis the police stormed into Proshika Bhaban at dead of night, drove out the employees and took control of it.
On January 11, a gang of around 25 hired thugs of Proshika’s ousted chairman Qazi Faruque Ahmed broke in the head office and took control though the HC, in an order in August last year said that Faruque could enter Proshika Bhaban alone without any procession or rally.
Police took control of the NGO the next day after driving out the gang but refused to hand the office over to the authorities.
Proshika’s incumbent CEO Mahbubul Karim filed a writ petition with the HC on January 17 seeking directions upon the police to hand over the keys to him making respondents home secretary, inspector general of police, DMP commissioner, DC Mirpur zone, OC of Pallabi police station and Qazi Faruque Ahmed.
Directed by the High Court on January 19, Mirpur police handed over the keys of Proshika to its director Sirajul Islam in presence of local lawmaker Ilias Ali Mollah on January 22.
Source: thedailystar.net
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