Saber's remand order stayed, bail granted

A division bench of the High Court yesterday granted an ad interim bail to Awami league leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury in the Mymensingh cinema blast case.

Also yesterday, another division bench of the court stayed for 15 days a magistrate's order that had placed the political secretary to AL president Sheikh Hasina on a seven-day remand.

While granting the bail, Justice Abdur Rashid and Justice Siddiqur Rahman Miah asked the government to show cause why Saber was shown arrested in a criminal case after his preventive detention order had been declared illegal.

The judges also ruled that the former deputy minister would be on bail until the government explains its actions.

Meanwhile, as they stayed the remand order, Justice Hamidul Haque and Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury asked the government to show cause in four weeks as to why it should not be declared illegal.

Soon after the ruling, the state prosecutor moved for a stay on the order with the same division bench, which was summarily rejected.

Earlier on Tuesday, a magistrate's court in Mymensingh put Saber on a seven-day remand for a case he was shown arrested in on December 28.

Saber's lawyer, Mahbubey Alam, told The Daily Star last night that, if not shown arrested in any other case, there was no reason why the AL leader should not be released immediately.

Saber was arrested on December 8 without any specific charge and later detained under the Special Powers Act (SPA).

Meanwhile, columnist Professor Muntasir Mamun was not released till yesterday as the Dinajpur jail officials did not receive his release order.

Barrister Amirul Islam yesterday notified the High Court that Muntasir's release order had not reached the jail authorities yet, prompting the division bench to instruct the authorities to send the order by a special messenger.

Muntasir was arrested on December 8 without any specific charge. Later he was sent on a month's detention under the Special Powers Act.

The High Court declared the order illegal on January 4.