Father deplores bail of accused

The father of one of two child torture victims yesterday broke down in tears and sought the prime minister's intervention seeking a “proper trial” after three more accused got anticipatory bail from a Rajshahi court in a case he filed against 13 persons.

“...police betrayed (me) filing the case using weak charges,” Emran Hossain told journalists on the court premises, adding that now his family was even more fearful over “threats of eviction” they received recently .

His son Zahid Hossain, 15, and orphan Emon Ali, 13, from Chowbaria village of Rajshahi's Poba upazila, were abducted and tortured for over seven hours on February 12.

They were confined in a house of an influential farmer, Fazlur Rahman, who accused the duo of stealing his son's cellphone. Although they protested their innocence and howled in pain, the tormentors, including an army soldier and a Rapid Action Battalion member, continued the beating.

Yesterday Fazlur, his son Rakib and their neighbour Komol got the bail from a juvenile court, granted by Judge Haider Ali Sarker of 2nd Additional Judge Court, said the victims' lawyer, Dil Sitara Begum Chuni.

On Tuesday, one Azizul Islam, who was under arrest, got bail while his son Uzzal got anticipatory bail from a lower court in violation of provisions stipulating that it must be granted by a juvenile court, she said.

Police used a bailable section and not ones for abduction and grievous injury, she added.