Eight top leaders of BNP secure bail

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and seven other BNP leaders yesterday secured bail in an arson attack case, filed in October last year.

The other BNP leaders who got bail in the case are: Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Dr Moyeen Khan, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and Nazrul Islam Khan.

After they surrendered before the court seeking bail, Metropolitan Magistrate Sarafuzzaman Ansary granted their prayers on the grounds that they will appear before the court on every scheduled date.

The case was filed on October 1 last year with Hatirjheel Police Station against Mirza Fakhrul and 55 others.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that some party supporters blasted crude bombs, attacked police in an attempt to kill them, vandalised vehicles and obstructed police duties in Moghbazar area around 8:15pm on September 30 last year.

The leaders delivered “provocative and anti-government speeches” at the rally in Suhrawardy Udyan on that date, and party supporters committed the offences while returning from the programme. 

Following the case, Fakhrul and seven others surrendered before the High Court, seeking bail.

After the hearing, the HC then granted them anticipatory bail and directed them to appear before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka after a month of submission of the police report.

But the state challenged the order with the Supreme Court. The apex court on August 18 this year directed Fakhrul and the seven BNP leaders to appear before the concerned court within two weeks from the date of receiving the copy of the lower court judgement, and to approach the respective courts for their regular bail.

The Supreme Court also directed the concerned court to dispose of the bail petitions in accordance with law.