The Supreme Court today extended its chamber judge's order that stayed the High Court bail for suspended UP chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu, the prime accused in Jamalpur's journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim murder case.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after disposing of a leave to appeal petition filed by the state, challenging the HC order that granted bail to Mahmudul.

Following the apex court order, Mahmudul cannot get released from jail, Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi told The Daily Star.

Nadim, who was the Jamalpur district correspondent of Banglanews24.com and also the Bakshiganj upazila correspondent of Ekattor TV, died on June 15 last year, a day after being attacked allegedly by supporters of Mahmudul.

Nadim's wife Monira Begum filed the case with Jamalpur's Bakshiganj Police Station on June 17 last year against 22 named and 20-25 unnamed persons.

Mahmudul, the then chairman of Sadhurpara Union Parishad in Bakshiganj upazila, was named as the main accused in the case.

On September 18 last year, the HC bench of Justice Md Jahangir Hossain and Justice Mohammad Showkat Ali Chowdhury granted bail to Mahmudul following a petition filed by the accused.

The SC chamber judge on September 20 last year stayed the HC's bail order till hearing of the leave to appeal petition of the state. Advocate SM Abul Hossain appeared for Mahmudul during hearing of the leave to appeal