SC upholds stay of Fakhrul’s trial

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court order that stayed the trial proceedings of a defamation case filed against BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in 2014.

Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, chamber judge of the Supreme Court Appellate Division, passed the “no order” on a government petition seeking stay on the HC order.

The “no order” passed by the apex court chamber judge means that the HC's stay order on the trial proceedings of the defamation case against Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will remain in force, Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for Mirza Fakhrul, told The Daily Star.

Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu represented the government.

On September 1 of 2014, Nur-e-Alam Siddique, vice-president of Awami Matsyajibi League, filed the case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

In the case, the complainant alleged that BNP Secretary General Fakhrul on August 24 that year at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters termed the ruling AL a “killer party” and its chief a “killer”, Advocate Leon said.

On July 9 this year, a Dhaka court framed charges against Fakhrul in the case. Following a petition filed by Fakhrul, the HC on August 23 this year stayed its trial proceedings.