HC recalls bail orders to 66 BNP leaders, activists

The High Court yesterday recalled its orders of bail to 66 BNP men, including its former lawmaker Ilias Ali, in six cases filed in Sylhet and Sirajganj on charges of vandalism and preventing police from discharging duties on December 18 last year.
The court “recalled” the orders, since the accused persons did not mention in their bail petitions that charge sheets have already been submitted in the cases against them, said Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Khondker Diliruzzaman.
He also said the HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Shahidul Karim yesterday fixed today for passing further orders on the bail petitions.
Earlier yesterday morning, the bench granted anticipatory bail to the accused BNP men for two months in the cases after hearing 10 separate bail petitions filed by them on January 1. The petitioners also appeared yesterday before it seeking bail in the cases.
In the afternoon, DAG Diliruzzaman told the court that the police have submitted charge sheets against the accused before the courts concerned, and now their bail petitions cannot be entertained at the HC.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, a lawyer for the accused persons, told the court that they did not know that the police have submitted the charge sheets against his clients before filing of the bail petitions.
The charge sheets have not yet been accepted by the court concerned, he said, adding that the HC can grant bail to his clients.
DAG Diliruzzaman told reporters that police of six police stations in Sylhet and Sirajganj have submitted charge sheets before the trial courts concerned against the accused BNP men on December 27 and 28 last year, and they filed the bail petitions on January 1 this year.