The High Court today (Thursday) directed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide security to presiding officer Shahjahan Ali of Kushtia's bheramara upazila and his family.

The High Court order passed fater the presiding officer claimed to the court that he was called to Daulatpur police station and was forced to sign on some papers.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order at a virtual proceeding.

Shahjahan appealed to the HC to "protect" him and his family members, the lawyer said.

“No one was called at the police station and no signature was taken from anyone,” Zahurul told.

The IGP was ordered to provide security to Shahjahan and his family members till January 25, as another HC bench is scheduled to hold a hearing on a contempt of court rule issued against SP Tanvir Arafath on that day.

Earlier on Wednesday, the High Court summoned to the Superintendent of Police over the allegation that he misbehaved with Kushtia senior Judicial Magistrate Mohsin Hasan during Bheramara municipality election on January 16.

Earlier, Mohsin Hasan lodged complaint of misconduct against the police superintendent on January 17.

A copy of the complaint lodged with the Election Commission was already sent to the Registrar General’s Office of the Supreme Court for necessary action, a copy of which has also been sent to the Law Ministry, Home Ministry and the office Inspector General (IG’s) office.

The complaint was filed by Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohsin Hasan of Kushtia judicial magistrate. The incident took place at a polling station on January 16 during election of Kushtia’s Bheramara municipality.

In the allegation, the Magistrate said “he was appointed as a first class judicial magistrate from January 14 to January 18 in Kushtia’s Bheramara municipality election. During the election, he then entered at Bheramara Pilot Model High School polling station over complain of a voter at 10 am on January 16. When he saw some people sitting on a long bench inside the polling booth with the polling agents, he asked them to show their identity cards.

The magistrate alleged that he called the concerned presiding officer outside the booth to discuss about the matter. As soon as he started talking, SP SM Tanvir Arafath and 40-50 forces entered the polling station. SP very loudly summoned the presiding officer. Then Additional Superintendent of Police Mostafizur Rahman with several forces appeared there and pressed the presiding officer to go with him disallowing the magistrate to speak. The magistrate introduced himself and said that he was talking to the presiding officer about a matter and asked to take him when the conversation was over. Even then, when ASP Mostafizur Rahman threatened to take the presiding officer away from him, then SP Tanvir Arafath approached him and asked, “Who are you ?” What are you doing here?

“When I introduced myself, but SP more furiously went on, ‘What are you doing here?' abusing as ‘undisciplined’ and said get out of here,” the magistrate said. He further said “ I stood there stunned and bewildered by the aggressive, extremely rude and deadly behavior of the SP and his forces. Then his fellow forces, including the SP, approached me and said more than once, “Who sends these people?” “Impudent boy, What is your job here? Get out of here.”

After they left the center, the magistrate informed the Bheramara Upazila Nirbahi Officer.

The petition states, the conduct of the SP and his allied forces is a direct violation of Rules 69, 70, 74, 80 and 81 of the Local Government Election Rules, 2010. Therefore, prayers have been made to take necessary action.

Judicial Magistrate Mohsin Hasan, when contacted, he told to this correspondent that he submitted allegation after the instruction of his higher authority as the matter found true.

Superintendent of Police SM Tanvir Arafath said he would not like to talk to the journalists about it as the matter was solved through discussion with his (judicial magistrate Mohsin Hasan) higher authority.