Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the government to explain why the apparent inaction of government in rescuing migrants, who left country on boats to search jobs abroad, should not be declared unconstitutional.

In its series of rules upon a writ petition, an HC division bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo also asked the government to explain why the persons involved in smuggling people should not be tried under the Human Trafficking Deterrence and Suppression Act 2012.

HC asked the home secretary, foreign secretary, law secretary, inspector general of police, Cox’s Bazar district administrator and police superintendent, and Teknaf police officer-in-charge to respond the rule within next four weeks.

Human rights organisation National Forum for Protection of Human Rights filed the writ petition in the form of public interest litigation (PIL) on 26 May 2015.

Advocate Tajul Islam moved for the petition while Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim stood for the state.

Tajul Islam told NTV that state media reported that people smugglers were reportedly trapping people to make easy money. Many migrants died of starvation on boats and many had to drink urine to save their life. Migrants were often held hostages and smugglers push victim families for ransom. Government also failed to help the victims, said Tajul Islam.