Iqbal's bail prayer rejected, sent to jail
Former Awami League lawmaker Dr HBM Iqbal, an accused in connection with the Malibagh killings on February 13, 2001, was sent to the Dhaka Central Jail yesterday, after his bail petition was rejected.
Iqbal, along with his lawyers advocates Abdul Baset Majumder, Kamrul Islam, and Jahangir Hossain Selim, appeared before the Speedy Trial Tribunal, Dhaka Division at 10.30am yesterday and sought bail.
The lawyers stated that Iqbal obtained ad-interim bail from the High Court (HC) and he did not misuse the privilege of bail. Moreover, he was not an FIR-named accused in the case, and in the first charge sheet, submitted by the police on July 12, 2001, his name was not included. "So he should be enlarged on bail," the lawyers argued.
Special public prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder opposed the bail petition, stating that the accused petitioner was granted ad-interim bail by the HC following the incident, but he did not furnish the bail bond in support of it till yesterday. It was a violation of the HC order. He quoted newspaper reports to establish that Iqbal's petition for extension of the ad-interim bail had been rejected by the HC, as he did not furnish the bail bond. So, he prayed for rejection of the bail petition of Iqbal.
After hearing both the sides, judge Shahed Noor Uddin rejected the bail petition and sent Iqbal to the Dhaka Central Jail.
In its order, the court said the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case had earlier submitted a charge sheet against Iqbal and 23 others. He did not find any ground to grant bail to Iqbal at this stage. So he rejected the bail petition and sent him (Iqbal) to jail.
Five other accused, Kabir Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Nurunnabi Chowdhury, Himu alias Tareq Shams, Kamrul Morshed Khoka and Kamruzzaman were granted bail when they appeared in the court yesterday and sought bail, while the lawyers of two other accused, Abul Bashar and Shawkat Hossain Nannu, submitted two separate petitions seeking time. All the accused was on bail by the High Court.
Accused Kiron, Dulal alias Laundry Dulal, Imdadul Haq alias Bachchu, Moniruzzaman alias Liton, Monir Hossain and Pichchi Hannan are still at large, while Abdul Halim, Golam Mostafa alias Pappu, Babul alias Kala Babul, and Abdus Salam are now in jail custody.
Accused Liakat, GM Ziaul Haq Shameem, Mohammad Jasimuddin, SM Arman, Khorshed Alam and Kamrul Hannan alias Hannan were earlier granted bail by the HC, but they were absent from the trial court yesterday. The court issued summons upon the aforesaid accused to appear in the court on January 27.
The court also fixed January 27 for hearing on charge framing against the accused in the case.
In the case filed with the Motijheel Police Station, on February 13, 201, it was alleged that four persons, including a policeman were killed, and four others wounded when activists of the then ruling Awami League opened fire on an opposition procession in the city's Malibagh during a hartal. The four-party opposition alliance had called the hartal, demanding immediate resignation of the AL government.
The case was filed against more than 150 people, including Iqbal. But the then IO of the case had submitted a charge sheet against only five persons, excluding Iqbal on July 12, 2001.
When the four-party alliance came to power, the home ministry ordered further investigation into the case. Following the investigation, 19 more people, including Iqbal, were chargesheeted on December 31,2002.
It may be mentioned here that Iqbal was granted ad-interim bail by the HC on March 4, 2001 and his bail was extended a few times. But this time, his bail bond was not furnished to the District Magistrate, Dhaka.
Meanwhile, the HC on Monday rejected the petition seeking extension of Iqbal's ad-interim bail, as he did not follow the HC order. Moreover, his counsel Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud showed his apathy towards conducting the case on his behalf.
The HC also directed Iqbal to appear in the trial court.
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