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HC issues split orders on BNP, its alliance leaders’ bail petitions
Dhaka, May 7 (UNB) – A High Court division bench on Monday delivered split orders on ad-interim anticipatory bail prayers sought by BNP and its alliance top leaders on their surrender before it in connection with two cases filed over violence during the recent hartal. After hearing arguments from both sides, presiding judge Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury granted all the accused, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, ad-interim anticipatory bails till the submission of police reports in connection with the two cases, and issued a rule upon the government to explain why the accused should not be granted regular bails.
Differing with the order of the presiding judge, co-judge M Nazrul Islam Talukder asked all the accused-petitioners to surrender to the trial court for seeking bails within a week and also asked the police not to harass the accused in the mean time.
The other accused political leaders surrendered before the High Court include MK Anwar, Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Brig (retd) Hannan Shah, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Ruhul Quddus Talukder, Nazim Uddin Alam, Habib Unnabi Sohel, Aman Ullah Aman, Fazlul Haque Milon, Abdus Salam, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, and Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia, Barrister Andalib Rahman Partha of BJP, Shafiul Alam Prodhan of Jagpa, Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu of PGS, Mokbul Hossain of Jamaat-e-Islami and Col (retd) Oli Ahmed of LDP.
Earlier on Sunday evening, a group of BNP leaders, including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, had taken shelter at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) building on the apex court precinct eschewing police surveillance with a view to surrendering before the High Court the following day for securing bails in connection with the two criminal cases they are facing.
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain appeared for the accused-petitioners, while Additional Attorney General MK Rahman with Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Sazu stood for the government.
Emerging from the court, Khandker Mahbub, the counsel for the BNP and others, told UNB that since the matter is unresolved following the split orders by the HC division bench, it needs a third judge to finally resolve the matter. “The Chief Justice will constitute the bench,” he added.
Tejgaon police filed a case against 44 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance for torching a vehicle near the Prime Minister's Office during hartal on April 29.
On the same day, Shahbagh police lodged another case against 28 opposition leaders in connection with the bomb blasts on the secretariat compound, making Mirza Fakhrul the principal accused.