2 SC lawyers request chief justice to operate activities of High Court online

Two Supreme Court lawyers wrote to the chief justice on Saturday requesting him to form a High Court bench that operates online. 

They also requested the court to issue a rule to deal with coronavirus and to issue some other interim orders. 

The letter was sent via the e-mail of the registrar general on behalf of the human rights organisation Children's Charity Bangladesh Foundation (CCB Foundation). The organisation's Chairman Barrister Md Abdul Halim and Director Advocate Ishrat Jahan sent the e-mail.

"We sent the letter via an e-mail to the Supreme Court's registrar general. We urged the court to issue necessary directives regarding the coronavirus situation. Our requests comply with the steps taken by the government," Abdul Halim told The Business Standard on Sunday. 

"The chief justice can consider this letter as an application, and form a High Court bench that can give orders online. We can join the proceedings using Skype or any other online tools," he added.

He further said that they have also requested the chief justice to issue directives for RAB, Police and the army to maintain social distancing while distributing medicines, food and relief items. Social distancing should also be maintained with the help of law enforcement agencies while distributing food through the OMS program. 

The letter also seeks the court's directives for people to avoid mass gatherings and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that are approved by the World Health Organisation.

The letter also requested directives on getting enough ambulances, residences for isolation and distributing necessary equipment; building institutional isolation and testing centres in all districts, and directives for banks to allow maximum amounts of transactions online to avoid public gatherings in branches.