Attempt to kill 50 palm trees: HC orders AL leader to stand in court for hours

The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered an Awami League leader Shahriar Alam to remain standing on court premises till 6pm for attempting to kill 50 palm trees with pesticides in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi.

The HC bench of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hasan passed the order after hearing the accused's statements.

According to a report published in a national daily on 1 February, Shahriar Alam, the senior vice-president of the Suvodanga union unit Awami League, was involved in trying to kill the palm trees planted on the side of a public road in Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi.

A general diary (GD) was also filed with the Bagmara Police Station over the incident.

Taking the news report into cognizance, the court earlier summoned Shahriar Alam to appear before it on Sunday morning.

The court also directed the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and the upazila agriculture officer of Bagmara to submit a probe report on the incident on Sunday.

During Sunday's hearing, the upazila agriculture officer presented the probe report, which includes photos of the current condition of the trees, before the court.

But the accused Shahriar Alam refused to admit his involvement in the incident during the hearing. The court then ordered him to remain standing on the court premises till evening as a minor punishment.

In Sunday's hearing, the court also directed the national daily Prothom Alo's Bagmara correspondent to appear before it on 23 February, the next hearing date, with the record of conversations and other evidence related to palm trees news.

In addition, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Bagmara Police Station was directed to appear before the court on that day to inform it about what legal steps have been taken in view of the general diary (GD) lodged in this regard.   

The High Court also ordered the accused Shahriar Alam to appear before it again on 23 February and told him to plant at least two palm trees before making the appearance.