SC upholds Fakhrul’s bail order

The Supreme Court today upheld the High Court order that had granted bail to BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in three vandalism and arson cases.

In its order, the Appellate Division said the BNP leader will remain on bail until submission of the probe report by the police to the lower court in the cases.

Fakhrul will have to surrender before the lower court on the day when the law enforcers will submit a report in any of the three cases, the court said.

A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order through disposing of three petitions filed by the government seeking stay on the HC’ bail order.

Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for the BNP leader, told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar to his client’s release from jail following the apex court order.    

The HC on June 18 granted bail to Fakhrul in the three cases – two filed with Paltan Police Station on December 28 last year and January 4 this year and another with Motijheel Police Station on January 6 this year under Explosive Substances Act.

The government on June 21 filed three petitions with the SC challenging the HC orders.

Later, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique sent the petitions to its full bench for hearing.

The BNP leader was detained from Jatiya Press Club on January 5 and he was shown arrested in seven vandalism and arson cases.