Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Friday directed an investigation into the prolonged detention of Shukur Ali, a man from Munshiganj who has been languishing in Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur despite being acquitted by the High Court in 2012.
Although Friday was a court holiday, the chief justice took the action after going through a 抖阴精品 report titled 鈥楳an in jail for 12 years after acquittal鈥�, published on November 5, and an editorial titled 鈥楾oo costly an oversight in justice administration鈥�, published on November 8.
High Court Division Assistant Registrar MA Sayeed Shuvo was appointed to conduct the investigation.
鈥楾he Chief Justice, after going through the report, expressed surprise and asked me to investigate how this could happen and submit a report to him,鈥� Sayeed told 抖阴精品.
According to the 抖阴精品 report, the prison authorities have kept Shukur imprisoned for 12 years after his acquittal as they were unable to secure a copy of the court鈥檚 decision.
The case surfaced when Supreme Court lawyer Hasan Mohammad Abdul Fattah discovered Shukur鈥檚 plight.
Shukur approached Fattah in December 2023 by the telephone from the jail and sought assistance to secure his release.
Shukur鈥檚 voice reportedly cracked with despair, recounting how he had surrendered to the authorities in 2006 following a death sentence handed down for the murder of his wife, sister-in-law, and the latter鈥� child in 2001.
Though the High Court acquitted Shukur in 2012 after reviewing his appeal and accepting another petition filed by the jail authorities against the death sentence, he has been in jail due to administrative oversight.
Fattah uncovered the fact that the High Court decision acquitting Shukur was sent to the Munshiganj Additional District and Sessions Judge鈥檚 Court on October 23, 2017.
Jail superintendent Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun said that Shukur鈥檚 case had been brought to his attention but emphasised that the prison couldn鈥檛 release him without a formal acquittal order.
The jail authorities reportedly reached out to the Munshiganj court in 2023 to confirm Shukur鈥檚 acquittal but they were told that the case file was still with the High Court.
鈥楽hukur is just one of many poor inmates who are trapped in the system without family or legal support,鈥� the report quoted Mamun as saying.
Many of these forgotten prisoners remain confined simply due to the lack of legal advocates, the report quoted the jail superintendent.
Fattah has recently provided the prison officials with documents confirming Shukur鈥檚 acquittal and hoped to expedite his release.
The report quoted the lawyer that he was now preparing to file a writ petition to demand Shukur鈥檚 immediate release.
The editorial highlighted that Shukur Ali鈥檚 12-year detention after acquittal appeared to stem from severe administrative oversight, at worst, or significant flaws within the justice system.
It argued that such a situation should never have occurred and urged a thorough examination of the justice dispensation process.
The editorial also warned that Shukur Ali鈥檚 case might not be unique, suggesting the possibility of other individuals similarly trapped without legal support or recourse, languishing in jail through no fault of their own.
It called for Shukur Ali鈥檚 immediate release, along with compensation for the years he had unjustly spent in prison, attributing the responsibility to lapses within the justice administration.
