Dhaka: The High Court (HC) on Wednesday wanted to know what initiatives have been taken to rehabilitate the evicted Santal people in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha.

A two‐member HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza‐Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah directed the Deputy Commissioner of Gaibandha and Gobindaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer ﴾UNO﴿ to submit a report in this regard within 30 days.

The court also issued a suo motto rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why it will not be directed to take steps to rehabilitate the evicted Santal people.

The Land secretary, the Social Welfare secretary, the Rangpur Suger Mill Managing Director and the Gobindaganj UNO were made respondents to the rule.

The court came up with the rule after the hearing of another rule issued on 8 January on the same incident, said Supreme Court lawyer Suprakash Datta.

On 8 January, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the reluctance to take action against Managing Director of Rangpur Sugar Mills Abdul Awal for destroying the evidence of attack on Santals would not be declared illegal.

The HC rule came as Suprokash filed a writ petition after Rangpur Sugar Mill authorities burnt the houses of the Santals on 6 November last year to destroy the evidence.

On that day, three Santal men were killed and 30 people, including nine policemen, injured in a clash with law enforcers and workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gobindaganj upazila.

The clash broke out when workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills along with police went to Bagda Farm area to reclaim the land of the sugar mill allegedly occupied by the Santal community.