Fakhrul, Abbas given division facilities in jail

The attorney general's office yesterday informed the High Court that detained BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas have been given division facilities in jail.

Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar also placed a letter issued by the section concerned of the law ministry in the regard to the HC during hearing of two petitions seeking directives upon the prison authorities to give division facilities to Fakhrul and Abbas in jail.

He also told the HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali that the division facilities given to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas have been executed on December 13 (yesterday) and therefore, the writ petitions have become infructuous (ineffective).

The petitioners' lawyers requested the HC bench to order the government to produce necessary documents of execution of the decision facilities before the court.

The bench then fixed today (Wednesday) for hearing and passing order on this issue.

A section of pro-BNP lawyers including AJ Mohammad Ali, Zainul Abedin, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Bodruddoza Badal, Kayser Kamal and Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal appeared for the petitioners.

Earlier in the day, Fakhrul's wife Rahat Ara Begum and Abbas's wife Afroza Abbas submitted the petitions to the HC, saying their husbands deserve division facilities in jail under the jail code as they are former lawmakers and ministers.

A prisoner reportedly gets a separate room, a bed, a table, a newspaper and some other facilities in jail if he or she is granted division facilities under the jail code.

BNP Secretary General Fakhrul and the party's standing committee member Abbas are now in jail in a case filed over the December-7 clash between police and BNP men in the capital's Nayapaltan area.