The High Court has constituted a committee of 12 members to manage seized evidence stored in court warehouses and police stations across the country. The committee is required to submit a report within two months.
On Wednesday, a High Court bench comprising justices Md Habibul Gani and Syed Mohammad Tazrul Hossain issued the order following the presentation of a police report.
The court had previously sought information through a writ petition regarding how seized materials in court warehouses and police stations are managed and preserved.
Advocate Shishir Manir, representing the writ, said the committee will be headed by the senior secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs. The members include representatives from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bangladesh Bank, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the coast guard.
The committee will feature two representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, the writ petitioner’s lawyer and a representative, an information technologist from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, a representative from the subordinate courts, and the public prosecutor of the Dhaka Court.
The committee is tasked with submitting its report in alignment with the evidence management report of India.
To ensure the rapid disposal of seized evidence, the court directed the IGP to issue a circular to all police stations nationwide and the registrar general to issue a similar circular to subordinate courts.
Shishir Manir said seized goods often lie neglected for years in courts and police stations, a level of mismanagement he described as unparalleled globally. He added that after such prolonged periods, these items become useless for both the state and the owners.
The legal action was initiated after the relevant authorities failed to respond to a legal notice. The writ was filed by the lawyers Mohammad Noab Ali, Md Mujahedul Islam, Mostafizur Rahman, GM Mujahidur Rahman (Munna), and Imrul Kayes.
