Dhaka: The High Court (HC) today issued a directive requiring relevant authorities to justify their failure to publish the list of individuals who have been granted presidential clemency over the past 33 years. The order was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua following a hearing on a writ petition related to the matter.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Omar Faruk filed the writ petition, seeking a court order to make public the list of those whose sentences were either stayed or acquitted under presidential clemency as per Article 49 of the constitution. The period in question spans from 1991 to July 31, 2024. The petition named several officials as respondents, including the cabinet secretary, the home secretary, and the secretary of the Public Division of the President’s Office.