The High Court has issued a rule asking why the inaction and failure of the government officials concerned to control hilsa prices, pushed up by illegal stockpiling and syndicates, should not be declared illegal and unlawful.

The rule also asks why the court should not order an investigation into those involved in the syndicate and action against them, and why steps should not be taken to control the price of hilsa.

The secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, the secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the chairman of the National Board of Revenue and the director general of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection have been asked to respond to the rule.

A High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mobina Asaf passed the order on Sunday (27 October) after a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed on the matter.

Lawyer Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, who filed the writ, argued for the petition in court and confirmed the order.

Supreme Court lawyer Sheikh Rafiqul Islam had earlier filed the writ with the relevant High Court section, seeking directions to control the price of hilsa set through stockpiling and syndicates. The court passed the order after hearing that writ.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.