Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has again promised to bring the Narayanganj murder culprits to justice but said ‘overenthusiastic’ actions by some were creating problems for the executive branch.
The head of the executive branch expressed resentment over frequent petitions to the court on every other matter.
“Some overenthusiastic people impede our work with their frequent writs. This is a job for the law-enforcing agencies and the executive,” she said.
“If the judiciary does everything, what are we supposed to do?”
Hasina was speaking at the beginning of a meeting of Awami League’s Central Working Committee on Wednesday evening at the Ganabhaban.
“It feels like they’re tying our hand and feet. These overenthusiastic actions make the criminals cautious and create problems for law enforcers.”
“The executive will do its duty,” she said.
The three branches of the government should not impede each other’s work, she remarked.
The prime minister reiterated her government’s tough position against the culprits behind the Narayanganj murders.
“I have never condoned a crime, and never will. People behind the seven murders have nowhere to run. We will find them and punish them,” she said.
“Whatever their political background, murderers will be brought to book,” she added.
Narayanganj City’s Ward-2 Councillor Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and five others were abducted on Apr 27.
Their bodies were retrieved from the Shitalakhyya River over two days on Apr 31 and May 1.
After hearing a petition, the High Court last Sunday ordered the inspector general of police to arrest the three former officers of RAB-11 in Narayanganj as soon as possible.
The three are former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, Maj Arif Hossain of the army and the navy’s Lt Commander MM Rana.
Mohammad, the former commanding officer of RAB-11, is the son-in-law of Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.
The trio was sacked after families of the victims alleged that they were involved in the abduction and murder of the seven.
The High Court in the order said the trio should be arrested under Section 54 even if no charges were found sticking against them under the penal code or other Acts.
The three former RAB officers are yet to be arrested even three days after the order, despite no legal barriers, because of apparent procedural complications between police and the army.
However, the delay in carrying out the court order will not be a contempt of court, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said on Wednesday.
Asked if the delay would be considered disrespect for the court, he said, “Why would it be? The court did not fix any timeframe to carry out its order.”
