The High Court (HC) on Thursday granted bail to three BNP leaders for six months in two criminal cases. The leaders are BNP joint secretaries general Aman Ullah Aman and M Shahjahan and BNP chairperson’s adviser Dr ZM Jahid Hossain. A single bench of the HC comprised Justice Nizamul Haque Nasim granted them bail after final disposal of their bail pleas. There is no legal bar for the three leaders to be released from jail following the HC order, concerned lawyers opined. Earlier, on April 18 a division bench of the HC passed split order over their bail petitions.
Senior judge of the HC bench Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui granted six months bail for the BNP leaders while junior judge of the bench Justice Sheikh Zakir Hossain issued a rule asking the government why the petitioners should not be granted bail in the cases.
Later, the Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain sent the petitions to Justice Nizamul Haque Nasim for final disposal. After hearing on the petitions, the single bench of the HC passed the order.
On March 11, police arrested more than 157 opposition leaders and activists, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, from their Naya Paltan central office. The police claimed that they had recovered 12 homemade bombs from the office during the raid.
Later, two cases were filed against the detained BNP leaders under the Speedy Trial Act and under Explosive Substances Act respectively.
However, most of the detained BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul, Moudud Ahmed, Sadek Hossain Khoka and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury were released on bail in the meantime.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed and advocate Zainul Abedin appeared for the petitioners during the bail hearing.
-With The Independent input
