Quizzical vanishing from lower court

Four accused -- all former Chhatra League activists -- appeared before a Dhaka court yesterday to face trial for the murder of Jahangirnagar University student Zubair Ahmed more than two years ago.
On bail, they were listening to the case proceedings. Things, however, didn't go their way; the court cancelled their bail petitions.
At that, they looked around, and seeing no policemen nearby, they just sneaked out of the courtroom.
The unusual incident took place at Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4.
There were no law enforcers inside the courtroom, as the tribunal had not alerted the prosecution or the police beforehand about a possible cancellation of bail, said Special Public Prosecutor SM Rafiqul Islam.
The four accused are Khandaker Ashikul Islam alias Ashik, Khan Mohammad Rais, Ishtiaq Mehbub Arup and Mahabub Akram.
They are among the 13 former BCL activists, who were expelled from the JU unit of the pro-Awami League student body after being accused in the Zubair murder case.
Rafiqul said a court usually asks law enforcers to remain alert before it cancels bail or issues any such order.
But in this case, the judge didn't give any hint before cancelling the bail and issuing the order to send them to jail, he said.
Anisur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of Criminal Intelligence and Prosecution of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the court had not given them any instructions before cancelling bail.
"Therefore, there were no policemen at the courtroom to take them in custody," he told The Daily Star.
Judge ABM Nizamul Haque scrapped bail of six of the accused, including the four, and issued arrest warrants against them around two hours after the proceedings began around 12:00noon.
The other two accused whose bail was cancelled are Rashedul Islam and Zahidul Hasan. The duo didn't show up at the court yesterday.
The other seven accused were present at the tribunal.
Yesterday's court order came in response to a petition filed by Rafiqul on January 23.
The public prosecutor sought cancellation of bail of the six accused, saying they assaulted two activists of "Sontraser Biruddhe Jahangirnagar”, a platform of JU students, while the two were leaving the court premises after watching the proceedings on January 18.
The court heard the petition but didn't pass any order that day.
The tribunal yesterday issued arrest warrants against the six, and directed the officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station to submit a report on the execution of the warrants by February 27.
It also asked the PP and bench assistant Md Mostafizur Rahman to explain by today how the four fled.
The tribunal had framed charges against the 13 accused on September 8 last year.
Zubair, an honours final year student of English department and a Chhatra League activist, was allegedly tortured and stabbed by the accused on January 8, 2012. He died from wounds at a hospital in the capital the following day.    
Hamidur Rahman, former deputy registrar of the JU, filed the murder case with Ashulia Police Station the same day.