HC stays probe against 83 Vietnam, Qatar returnees

The High Court (HC) on Thursday stayed the investigation for three months against 83 Bangladeshi workers, who returned from Vietnam and Qatar last month, now detained in jail.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Md Rahman, a returnee from Vietnam challenging the case proceedings.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the writ petition while Deputy Attorney General Md Sarwar Hossain represented the state.
Earlier on September 21, another HC bench issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to release the 83 Bangladeshi migrant workers returned from Vietnam and Qatar.
The HC had issued the rule after hearing on a public interest litigation filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Salah Uddin Reagan.The law enforcers quarantined the migrants for 14 days on their arrival and they were sent to the jail on September 1 after their arrest under Section 54 of CrPC, suspecting that they might become involved in criminal activities.
Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder passed the order after Sub-Inspector Md Anower Hossain of Turag police station produced them before the court seeking an order to keep them in jail until the investigation is completed.
According to the prayer placed by police before the court, the arrested migrant workers were involved in various criminal activities in Vietnam and were imprisoned there.
Of the total 83 migrants, 81 returned from Vietnam and two returned from Qatar and they were in quarantine for 14 days before they were arrested.
They returned to the country after they were given general mercy by the governments of Vietnam and Qatar. Therefore, they cannot be kept detained in jail without specific allegations, the lawyer argued.