HC verdict on ex-SC judge’s bail plea deferred again

The High Court today once again deferred the verdict on a bail petition filed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Md Joynul Abedin in connection with a notice issued in 2010 by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking his bank statements.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam, which was scheduled to deliver the verdict today, fixed July 31 for announcing the judgement on the bail petition filed by Justice Joynul.

The HC judges deferred the date after the petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Mainul Hosein placed some papers and arguments before them when they started delivering the verdict today on the petition.

The HC bench had earlier deferred the verdict for three times on separate reasons.

Justice Joynul Abedin, a retired judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, had headed the one-man judicial enquiry into the August 21, 2004, grenade attack on an Awami League rally at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue. His probe report had found “foreign enemy link” with the attack.

Earlier on July 10 last year, the HC granted anticipatory bail to Joynul Abedin in connection with the ACC notice and also issued a rule asking the government and ACC to explain why Justice Joynul should not be granted a permanent bail in connection with the notice.

The ACC sent a notice in July 2010 to the former apex court judge seeking his bank statements.

The court had passed the order and issued rule following the bail petition filed by Joynul saying that he might be arrested when he will submit the bank statements.

Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik and ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC has granted anticipatory bail to Justice Joynul Abedin although there is no specific case against him.

Joynul Abedin has not submitted any bank statement to the ACC, DAG Amin Uddin added.