Don’t arrest Mintoo, Nasir until further orders: HC

The High Court today ordered the government to abstain from arresting or harassing BNP leaders Abdul Awal Mintoo and Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin in two cases until further orders.

Abdul Awal Mintoo is the joint convener of BNP’s Dhaka city unit and an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia while Nasir Uddin is a vice-chairman of the party.

Mintoo was accused in a vandalism case, filed by Shahbagh police, over the clash in Bakshibazar on December 24 during a graft case hearing of the party’s chief.

Nasir is an accused of a defamation suit, filed by Brahmanbaria unit Bangladesh Chhatra League President Masum Billah, because the BNP leader was present in at the programme where BNP Senior Vice-President Tarique Rahman termed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a top Razakar.

The two have been granted amnesty from arrest or harassment in respective cases until further orders after they appeared before the court today to seek anticipatory bail.

The High Court bench of Justice Md Abdul Hafiz and Justice Md Badruzzman passed the order after hearing on a petition filed by the accused.

The court fixed December 30 for further hearing on the petition.