Human Trafficking Case: SC stays Azam Khan’s bail
The Supreme Court yesterday stayed for six weeks a High Court order that granted bail to Md Azam Khan, an alleged ringleader of a human trafficking gang, in a case filed for human trafficking to abroad.
Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order following a petition filed by the state seeking a stay on the HC bail.
The apex court judge also asked the state to file a leave to appeal petition with this court against the HC order in six months.
Deputy Attorney General Bishwajit Debnath told The Daily Star that the SC chamber judge stayed the HC bail order for Azam Khan on the ground that he that he gave a confessional statement to a magistrate, admitting his involvement in human trafficking.
Besides, few victims of human trafficking have given statements to magistrate about how they were trafficked by Azam and his accomplices, he said.
Azam Khan's lawyer Zainul Abedin told this correspondent that his client cannot get released from jail following the SC chamber judge's order.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for the state during virtual hearing of the stay petition yesterday.
Following a bail petition filed by Azam Khan, the HC on July 19 this year granted him bail in the human trafficking case.
CID on July 2 last year filed the case with Lalbagh Police Station against Azam Khan and several others. On July 13 last year, he reportedly confessed to a Dhaka magistrate that he, along with eight others, was involved in forcing 60 to 70 girls into sex work in Dubai.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shahidul Islam recorded his confessional statement after CID Sub-Inspector Md Kamruzzaman, also investigation officer of the case, brought him to his chamber in this connection.
After recording the statement, the magistrate sent Azam Khan to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.
Azam reportedly told the magistrate that he along with some brokers used to lure girls, aged between 18 and 20, promising them lucrative jobs in Dubai. He said they offered the girls the trip to Dubai for free and Tk 20,000 to 30,000 as advance. The brokers would also promise jobs paying up to Tk 50,000 per month and on their consent, Azam managed tourist visas for the girls and send them to Dubai, he added.
When they reached Dubai, the girls were first given jobs as receptionists or waitresses at three- or four-star hotels. Later, they were forced to work at dance clubs and then turned into sex workers. The girls were tortured with electric shocks if they refused to do so, he told the magistrate.
Another accused Alamin Hossain alias Diamond also gave a confessional statement before the same magistrate saying he helped Azam find girls in exchange for Tk 10,000 for each. He was also sent to the same jail.
Earlier, two victims gave judicial statements before magistrates describing their traumatic experiences.