DHAKA: A writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives on the government to rescue Bangladeshi migrants stranded at sea and those found in Thailand forests dead or alive.

The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Ijarul Haque Akand on Wednesday heard the public interest litigation partly.

State counsel will move for the hearing on Thursday.

Advocate Tajul Islam moved for the petition. Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim stood for the state.

The Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP) and Teknaf Thana officer-in-charge were made defendants in the petition.

Advocate Tajul Islam on behalf of a human rights organization, the National Forum for Protection of Human Rights, filed the writ petition in the department concerned of the High Court.

Later, Tajul Islam told reporters that the petitioner asked the court to issue a rule seeking explanation from the government ‘why its inaction to rescue trafficked people adrift at the sea and stranded at smugglers’ detention camp should not be declared illegal’.

At the same time, they sought a rule to know why measures would not be taken to rescue them.

They also sought its order to form tribunal to try the human traffickers.

BDST: 1716 HRS, MAY 27, 2015
RS/SMS