The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the arrests of workers during raids on hotels and restaurants in the capital following the Bailey Road fire, should not be declared illegal.

The HC asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide within the next 30 days a list of the total number of workers arrested during raids.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order following a writ petition.

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Secretaries to home, labour, employment and law ministries, and inspector general of police have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

Barrister Masud R Sobhan stood for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.

Earlier Monday, Barrister Masud R Sobhan and his wife Barrister Fatema S Chowdhury filed the writ petition.

Barrister Fatema S Chowdhury said according to media reports, law enforcers have arrested at least 800 workers.

“However, these workers do not own any building or restaurant. They are just employees. They used to get a salary of  TK 10,000 to TK15,000 per month. They are innocent. They were illegally detained and kept with the inmates in the jail. That's why I filed a writ challenging the legality of their arrest,” she said. 

On February 29, 46 people were killed in a devastating fire at Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road in the capital. Since then, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has been conducting drives in various restaurants.

A total of 872 people have been arrested and 20 cases filed so far during these drives. Disciplinary action was taken in 887 cases.

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The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is also conducting drives and closed some restaurants. Police are also allegedly detaining many people from small roadside food shops.

The Restaurant Owners' Association has criticised the raids conducted by government agencies on various restaurants in Dhaka, claiming it 'harassing'.

Earlier on Tuesday, the same bench of the High Court issued a rule in response to a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association. The High Court issued a rule asking why harassing hotels and restaurants in the name of raids in the capital is not illegal.