Dhaka: The High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities of Kashimpur Central Jail to produce seven prisoners, who have been languishing in jail for 11-13 years in separate cases without trial, before the court on January 26.

A two-member HC bench comprising Justice M Nuruzzaman and Justice SHM Nurul Huda Jaigirdar passed the order revising the previous date.

On December 15, in a sue moto move, a two-member HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan ordered the Kashimpur jail authorities to produce the prisoners on January 24.

However, the jail authorities could not follow the HC order as they did not get the copy of the court order, said Beheshti Marjan, lawyer of Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee.  

The court also sought the documents of the cases filed against the prisoners and issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the prisoners will not be granted bail.

On December 9, a private TV channel aired a report saying that the seven prisoners – Rasel Sheikh of Kushtia, Saidur Rahman, a resident of Badda in the capital, Razib Hossain, hailing from Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka district, M Parvez of Brahmanbaria district, Masud, a resident of Motijheel in the city, Garo young man Liton Chambu Gong, a resident of Netrakona district, and Babu, a resident of Dhaka -- have been in jail without trial.

Rasel Sheikh was sent to jail on December 11, 2004 while Saidur on September 6, 2005, Razib on December 6, 2003, Parvez on July 2, 2004, Masud on April 1, 2003, Chambu on January 23, 2005 and Babu landed in jail on December 11, 2003.

Although they were produced before the courts several times, they could neither secure bail nor the cases were disposed of.