Two bail orders all too quizzical

In a rare move, a Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to Hefajat-e Islam Secretary General Junaid Babunagari in all the three cases filed against him, including one for killing a police officer.
Usually a lower court does not grant bail to any accused in a murder case.
On the other hand, another Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail petitions of two joint secretaries general of the BNP -- Barkatullah Bulu MP and Salahuddin Ahmed -- in a case filed against them for "assaulting police" at Nayapaltan in the capital.
Hours later, the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, however, fixed June 2 for further hearing on Bulu's bail petition.
And Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan heard the three bail petitions of Babunagari only for three minutes and granted bail to the Hefajat leader upon a bond of Tk 10,000 with two guarantors. He gave the order considering the "health condition" of the accused.
Asked about the disposal of the bail petitions with such alacrity, the public prosecutor in the cases could not give any satisfactory answer.
The Hefajat leader had earlier made a confessional statement before a magistrate in the case of killing Sub-Inspector of Police Md Shahjahan on May 5 at Shapla Chattar in the capital.
Babunagari was shifted to Birdem hospital from Dhaka Central Jail  for treatment. He underwent an operation on his leg and is now doing fine, hospital sources said.
Contacted, the superintendent of the central jail, Md Farman Ali, said, "Police guard for Babunagari at the hospital was withdrawn around 3:30pm.”
Earlier, during the hearing of Babunagari's bail petitions, his counsel told the court that the Hefajat leader had been inhumanely tortured while on remand and he fell sick. And he is now fighting for his life at the hospital.
The prosecution did not oppose the bail petitions.
Apart from the case over the killing of the police officer, the two other cases were filed on charges of vandalism, torching and damaging public property, vehicles and attacking police.
Babunagari is the prime accused in 16 cases related to the May 5 mayhem. He was arrested on May 6 and the next day was placed on a 13-day remand in the murder case. Then he was remanded for 22 days in the three cases.
The Hefajat leader in his May 21 judicial confession said the Hefajat's May 5 Dhaka siege programme was designed to oust the Awami League-led alliance government.
BNP LEADERS
Police arrested Salahuddin at the Gulshan residence of BNP Vice-Chairman Morshed Khan on April 9.
He was released from jail in four cases filed against him for vandalism and assaulting police.
But the Detective Branch of police arrested him again at the jail gate on May 16. In the case he is a co-accused with Bulu.
The lawmaker was arrested on May 15 after he came out of the BNP's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.