Manju gets bail in narcotics case

A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to Jatiya Party (Manju) Chairman and former communications minister Anwar Hossain Manju in a narcotics case in which he was earlier awarded five years' imprisonment in absentia.
Meanwhile, another Dhaka court rejected the bail petition of former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Joynal Hazari in a graft case in which he was earlier given 10 years' imprisonment in absentia.
Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order granting bail following an appeal submitted by Manju's lawyers against the conviction.
The High Court had earlier granted bail to Manju in two other cases.
On June 26 of 2007, Manju was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined Tk 10, 000 in his absence for possessing 21 bottles of contraband liquor at his Dhanmondi residence. Ha was also sentenced to 27 years' imprisonment in three separate graft cases.
Manju was sent to jail on May 6 when he surrendered before the trial court and sought bail in a graft case. Later, he was shown arrested in the narcotics case.
Manju's lawyers on May 18 filed an appeal with the Sessions Court seeking bail in the case.
CASE AGAINST HAZARI
Judge AK Roy of the Special Judge's Court-2 yesterday passed an order rejecting Hazari's bail which was submitted to the court on May 24 in the case.
His lawyers also submitted a petition for providing him with first class division in jail. After the hearing, the judge directed the jail authorities to provide Hazari with division in jail in accordance with the Jail Code.
Police produced Hazari before the court from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under tight security during the yesterday's bail hearing.
On November 27 last year, Hazari was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and fined Tk five lakh in his absence in a case filed against him for amassing wealth of Tk 1.13 crore through illegal means.
He was sent to jail after he surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court of Feni on April 15 this year.