Petition seeks closure of courts, mandatory govt quarantine

A writ petition was filed on Wednesday for closing all courts, including the Supreme Court, and bringing the courts' vacation forward.

The petition also asks for making it mandatory to send returnees from abroad to government quarantine centers, and directives on forming a high powered committee to oversee the quarantine situation.

The secretaries of the law, health, foreign affairs, aviation and tourism ministries, the director general of health and Supreme Court registrar have been made respondents to the petition filed by Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab on behalf of the Law and Life Foundation.

Barrister Humayun said India's Supreme Court and lower courts have been closed because of the coronavirus. Some other countries have also taken up similar measures.

Earlier, the barrister had sent a legal notice to the authorities concerned to take steps on this issue. He filed the petition because there was no response to the legal notices.

"Hearing on this writ may be held in the vacation bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir," said Barrister Humayun.

On Wednesday, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain said a decision will be made soon on whether courts will be closed amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

The chief justice said he will hold a meeting with all other Justices on this issue. 

"Besides, we need to keep in mind the urgency of the litigants so that they do not face issues," said the chief justice while inaugurating a tree plantation programme on the Supreme Court premises to celebrate Mujib Year.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit more than 160 countries with more than 2 lakh confirmed cases. As many as 7,989 people have died from the virus as of Wednesday.    

More and more countries are joining the lockdown list while others have restricted public gatherings and travel. Bangladesh has also shut down educational institutions till March 31 and taken measures to put Bangladeshi returnees from abroad on 14-day home quarantine.