SC rejects plea to stay 4 Shibir men's bail

The Supreme Court chamber judge today rejected a government petition seeking stay on the High Court verdict that acquitted four Islami Chhatra Shibir activists in an eight-murder case in Chittagong.

Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique passed the order after hearing arguments on the petition.

Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Moniruzzaman Rubel told The Daily Star that the HC verdict will remain in force following the order of the country's apex court chamber judge.

Therefore, the core accused of the murder would now get released from jail, he said.

The DAG also said the government will file an appeal with the SC after getting the full text of the HC judgement.

The HC on April 17 acquitted Shibir men-- Sajjad Hossain Khan, Alamgir Kabir Manik, Azam and Md Solaiman, condemned to death by a Chittagong court for killing eight people, including six Chhatra League activists, in the port city about 14 years ago.

The four accused filed the petitions with the HC challenging the Chittagong Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court verdict that sentenced them to death on March 27, 2008.

According to the case statement, the accused Shibir activists, student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, sprayed bullets on a microbus carrying activists of Chhatra League, pro-Awami League student body.

Six BCL activists and two others were killed in the attack.