Bangladesh’s Appellate Division has stayed a High Court order that barred the “shown arrest,” arrest, or harassment of individuals when no specific case existed against them. The order was issued on Wednesday morning by a bench led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury.

The Appellate Division also directed that the High Court rule connected to the matter be disposed of within four weeks. Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kajol represented the state during the hearing. Senior lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain and Advocate Syed Mamun Mahbub appeared for the applicants.

Earlier, the High Court had ruled in the cases of several individuals that the respondents could not subject them to shown arrest, arrest, or any other form of harassment if there was no case against them. The appellate court’s stay takes effect alongside its instruction for the High Court rule to be resolved within the stated four-week period.