SC pauses bail release of BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul and Abbas, hearing set on Jan 8

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today set January 8 for holding hearing on a state plea challenging the High Court order granting bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas.

Justice Jahangir Hossain, chamber judge of the Appellate Division set the date, as he sent the matter to the apex court full bench for hearing on that day. The apex court also ordered not to produce the bail bonds for the BNP leaders before the lower court concerned till January 8.

"As a result of this order, the two BNP leaders cannot be released from jail till January 8," their counsel Barrister Kaiser Kamal said.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Salim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan on January 3 granted six-month bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas in a case lodged over clashes between police and BNP men in front of Nayapaltan BNP office on December 7.

One person was killed and several others, including policemen, were injured in the clash in front of BNP central office in Nayapaltan on December 7. Police filed the case against 473 leaders and activists of BNP and another 1,500- 2,000 unnamed people, with the capital's Paltan Police Station.

Separate teams of detective branch (DB) of police arrested Fakhrul and Abbas from their respective homes on December 8 and showed them arrested in the case. Police brought charges of plotting to attack policemen and inciting violence against the law enforcers, against them.