The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday stayed until August 18 the High Court (HC) verdict declaring illegal the government's action restricting former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Delwar Hossain Saydee from going abroad.
The chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Muzammel Hossain passed the order after hearing a government petition seeking stay on the HC judgement.
The chamber judge also fixed August 18 as the date for hearing the petition at the regular bench of the appellate division.
During the hearing of the petition, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the court that there are allegations that Saydee committed crimes against humanity.
The government is preparing to hold the trial of war criminals and if Saydee is allowed to go aboard, he will launch a propaganda campaign against such trials, he added.
Saydee's counsel Barrister Abdur Razzaq countered the arguments of the attorney general, saying that the government could not prove any such allegations against his client at the High Court division.
Earlier on the day, an HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Borhan Uddin delivered the verdict disposing of a writ petition filed by Saydee challenging the legality of the government action restricting him from going abroad for treatment.
The HC also directed the government to allow Saydee to go abroad and return to the country.
On July 24, members of law enforcement agencies allegedly intercepted Saydee at Zia International Airport and prevented him from going abroad.