A court in Sylhet has sought permission to file a case against District Commissioner Sarwar Alam for allegedly failing to cooperate with an investigation and ignoring court orders in a murder case linked to the anti-discrimination student movement.
On Sunday (March 1), the court directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration to obtain the necessary legal approval to initiate the case.
According to case documents, on August 4, 2024, protests related to the anti-discrimination movement were taking place in front of the Upazila Health Complex in the Dharabahor area of Golapganj Upazila. During the demonstration, a man named Taj Uddin was allegedly shot dead. His wife, Ruli Begum, later filed a murder case at Golapganj Police Station, accusing law enforcement personnel of being responsible for the shooting.
The investigation was assigned to Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Sylhet. Inspector Nur Mohammad requested information from the district administration and the Deputy Director General of BGB in Srimangal regarding the name of the executive magistrate on duty and who ordered the firing.
While BGB provided the required information and a list of personnel as directed by the court, the Sylhet District Magistrate Sarwar Alam allegedly did not provide the requested details. Despite repeated deadlines, the investigation officer reportedly did not receive the necessary information, causing the probe to stall.
Due to non-cooperation, the court issued a show-cause notice to the DC on February 8, asking him to respond within 15 working days. However, no response was submitted within the deadline, nor on the subsequent hearing dates of February 23 and March 1.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Sudipta Talukdar of Sylhet Judicial Magistrate Court No. 1 stated in his observation that repeatedly ignoring court orders by a high-ranking government official is not only illegal but also a serious obstacle to justice and the rule of law.
The court noted that such actions could constitute punishable offenses under sections 175, 179, and 217 of the Penal Code and section 485 of the Criminal Procedure Code. As per existing laws, prior government approval is required before initiating criminal proceedings against a public servant. The court has instructed the Public Administration Secretary to obtain the necessary legal permission and inform the court by April 15.
Responding to the allegations, DC Sarwar Alam said the required documents were submitted within the 15-day deadline given by the court. He also claimed there was a lack of coordination from the PBI side and alleged that unnecessary confusion is being created around the issue.
