Cops pick up lawyer Tajul, release later

Police last night released Tajul Islam, a defence counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami leaders being tried for war crimes, more than two hours after picking him up from his chamber in the capital.

Shishir Manir, another member of the Jamaat defence team, said cops picked up Tajul, three other lawyers and three of his staff from his office at Nayapaltan around 7:45pm and took them to Paltan Police Station.

On information, other members of the defence team rushed to the station with a 2012 order of the International Crimes Tribunal-2, which directed law enforcers not to harass Tajul, said Manir.

Paltan police released him around 10:30pm, terming the incident “a misunderstanding,” said Manir, adding, “We have accepted their explanation.”

A police official of Motijheel division, which covers Paltan Police Station, claimed several people entered into Tajul's chamber after explosions of several crude bombs in the area last night.

When police picked up seven men from his chamber, Tajul went with them, the official added, requesting anonymity.

Following a defence petition, the Tribunal-2 on November 29, 2012, directed the police to ensure security of Tajul's chamber and to remain alert about the lawyer's chamber and avoid any untoward incident.

The defence counsel had filed the petition after some plainclothes law enforcers allegedly entered Tajul's office and interrogated the lawyers present there.