The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the authorities concerned to maintain a status quo for three months on a RAJUK mobile court order that imposed a fine of Tk 2 lakh on Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a leading rights organisation, and asked it to vacate its Lalmatia office in Dhaka. ASK counsel advocate ZI Khan Panna told reporters that there is no legal bar to ASK from running its office at Lalmatia following the HC order. The HC bench of Justices M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the RAJUK mobile court’s order to ASK to vacate its office should not be declared illegal. The government has to reply within four weeks. The HC bench came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by ASK challenging the legality of the mobile court’s order.

On November 15, ASK alleged that the RAJUK mobile court had forced them to sign a statement saying they have committed an offence. According to ASK, they have been carrying out human rights activities in Bangladesh since 1986 and their registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau has the Lalmatia office address.

“The mobile court fined us under the Building Construction Act 1952, which is directly related to the owner or construction firm of the building, but ASK is nothing but a tenant here. So, this law does not apply to us,” Sheepa Hafiza, ASK executive director, had said at a press conference at its Lalmatia office on that day.