The High Court has directed the Sylhet Deputy Commissioner and two other officials to explain why they should not be held in contempt for allegedly violating a court order related to the eviction and sealing of shops at the Collectorate Mosque Market in Sylhet city. The order was issued on Monday by a bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md Ashiq Hasan.

The dispute began on March 10 when the Collectorate Mosque Trust notified tenants that their contracts were canceled and asked them to vacate within three days. Following a writ petition by the traders, the court on March 12 ordered a two-month status quo, later extending the suspension of eviction notices for three months in two other petitions. Despite this, the shops were reportedly sealed on March 26 at night under the district administration’s initiative. Shop owners sent a contempt notice on April 1, but no action was taken.

After the traders filed a petition, the court heard the matter and ordered Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner Syeda Parveen, and NDC Kishore Kumar Pal to submit explanations within a specified time.