Dhaka: The High Court on Monday exempted the Lohagara UNO and three  police officers, including OC of Lahagara Police Station, from personal appearance before it upon seeking unconditional apology over sentencing a man to eight months’ imprisonment through a mobile court in October last year in Lohagara upazila in Chittagong while he was in jail custody.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Mohammad Ataur Rahman Khan passed the order. 

The court also asked authorities concerned to withdraw the officer-in-charge Shahjahan from the police station.

Lohagara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), also an executive magistrate Md Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge of Lohagara Police Station Shahjahan and its sub-inspectors Helal Khan and Wasim sought unconditional apology and gave an undertaking not to do such act in future.

Advocate Monjil Morshed said the rule which was issued earlier will be heard later.

Earlier on Sunday, the four persons appeared before the court as per summon order.

During the hearing, they argued in favor of the case instead of seeking unconditional apology that made the court anger.

On January 14, the court summoned Lohagara upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and three others to appear before it on January 28 to explain why the jail sentence handed down to Md Belal Uddin of Adhunagar Sardarnipara under Lohagara through a mobile court should not be cancelled and why legal action should not be taken against the officials responsible.

The court also issued a rule asking the UNO and three police officers to explain why they should not be directed to give Tk 20 lakh as compensation to Belal Uddin.

The home secretary, Lohagara UNO, OC and two sub-inspectors of the police station were made respondents to the rule.