ASK expresses grave concern on the declaration by the Home Minister to engage mobile courts during political programmes like hartal and torture on the Opposition Party Chief Whip by police during today’s hartal.

Different media reported that on July 5, 2011 the Home Minister, Advocate Sahara Khatun declared to engage mobile courts during hartal. From the earlier experience of engagement of mobile courts during the hartal of June 4-5, 2011, it has been observed that the accused have been denied of their right to self-defence as generated by the “Mobile Courts Act, 2009” in spot trials conducted by the mobile courts during the political programme like hartal. At the same time there is no scope to determine whether the person alleged is a political activist, or merely a passerby.

We think that the use of mobile courts in political activities deters the normal judicial process. There is every chance of common people being harassed because of this attempt. At the same time it puts a question mark on the transparency of the judicial system. We want to emphasize that in a democratic system, it is the duty of the government to ensure transparency of the judicial acts.

To our opinion, the indiscriminate attack by the police on the Chief Whip of the Opposition Party and the persons walking by will lead the political situation of the country to a greater degree of violence. We hope that the government will refrain from arbitrary use of the law enforcing mechanism and ensure maximum restraint on the part of the members of the law enforcing agencies.