Iron cages being removed from courtroom
“Following the decision from higher authorities, the iron cages are being removed from the courtrooms starting this Friday,” said an official of the CMM Court requesting anonymity
Iron cages installed in courts for taking testimonies of accused individuals. Photo: Collected
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Iron cages installed in courts for taking testimonies of accused individuals. Photo: Collected
The iron cages used to hold defendants were removed yesterday (16 August) from the courtrooms of two magistrates at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court, reports Prothom Alo.
Sources related to the court told the Bangla daily that the removal of the iron cages started last afternoon from one of the courtrooms (Magistrate Court 28) at the Dhaka CMM Court after receiving instructions from higher authorities.
“Following the decision from higher authorities, the iron cages are being removed from the courtrooms starting this Friday,” said an official of the CMM Court requesting anonymity.
“Personnel from the Public Works Department are dismantling and removing the cages,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday (13 August), former Law Minister Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman, former economic adviser to Sheikh Hasina, were seen held in iron cages at the Dhaka CMM Court.
Legal experts have been, for a long time, saying that placing defendants in iron cages inside the courtroom is “inhumane and unconstitutional.”
They said such practices should no longer continue.
Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government, also expressed dissatisfaction with the use of iron cages in courtrooms.
During the previous Awami League regime, Dr Yunus faced several lawsuits. He had to attend court many times for these cases.
“Today, we were inside the cage for a long time. I have raised the question before: is this fair? As far as I know, a defendant should be considered innocent as long as they are not proven guilty,” Dr Yunus said after appearing in a court in Old Dhaka on 12 June.
