Key accused gets bail

The High Court yesterday granted permanent bail to Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar, the prime accused in Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque killing case, clearing the way for his release from jail.

The court delivered the judgment after hearing a petition filed by Minar seeking bail in the case.

Ekramul Haque, 45, also the president of the upazila unit of Awami League, was shot and burnt to death in his car in the Academy area in Feni town on May 20 last year.

Rezaul Haque Jasim, brother of the slain upazila chairman, filed a murder case with Feni Model Police Station the same day, accusing Mahtab and 30 to 35 unnamed people.

A team of Detective Branch (DB) of police had arrested Mahtab, the lone named accused in the case, from a house in Kachukhet area near Dhaka Cantonment in the capital on May 27 last year.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told this correspondent that his office would move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for staying the HC verdict that granted bail to Minar.

Contacted, Minar's lawyer ZI Khan Panna said the HC court granted bail to Minar since the allegation brought against him in Ekramul murder case was not proved.

He said there was no legal bar to his client's release from jail following the HC verdict.