The High Court (HC) today issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why it should not order the digitisation of information on people convicted of criminal offences and make the information easily accessible to the public, reports BSS.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in this connection.
“The court asked respondents including home secretary and law secretary to reply to the rule within four weeks,” Barrister Fahmida Akter, who filed and moved the petition, said.
Fahmida said that as crime continued to rise, a publicly accessible online database of convicted criminals could serve two purposes: deterring repeat offences through social accountability and enabling background checks before hiring or employing people.
She filed the writ on July 30 and moved it before the court on Sunday.
FP/R
