A Dhaka court today rejected bail petition of five BNP leaders including Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Mia in three cases.
Two other BNP leaders are BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and her adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain.
Moudud, Anwar, Mia and Biswas were accused in two cases filed in connection with Hefajat-e Islam’s May 5 violence while Hossain in an “attempted murder” case.
One of the two cases filed against the four BNP leaders was lodged for killing sub-inspector Md Shahjahan in a clash between police and Hefajat men in the capital’s Motijheel on May 5 while the other for assaulting police and preventing them from discharging their duties.
Judge Md Zahirul Haque of the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge passed the order after their lawyers submitted separate bail petitions challenging the lower court rejection orders in two, out of the three, cases. A lower court rejected their bail petition on January 9.
Earlier, Moudud, Anwar, Mia and Biswas were shown arrested in the cases on January 6.
Moudud, Anwar and Mia were detained in front of the Hotel Sonargaon in the capital on November 8, while Biswas near BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence on November 9.
KHANDKER MAHBUB HOSSAIN
On January 8, Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Haque placed Hossain on a two-day remand over the case police filed on January 5 after miscreants hurled several crude bombs at the New Circular Road office of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna) Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar.
On January 9, another HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Ullah stayed the remand order and issued a rule upon the government to explain why it should not be declared illegal.
Yesterday, the court declared illegal his remand.
Detectives picked up Khandker, also vice chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, on January 7 when he came out of the capital’s Jatiya Press Club after a programme where he denounced the January 5 election.
