Trial proceedings of 7 cases against Fakhrul stayed

The High Court today stayed trial proceedings against BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in seven cases filed in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for vandalism and arson.

The court also issued seven rules asking the government to explain why the proceedings of the cases against Mirza Fakhrul should not be scrapped.

The stay orders will continue until disposal of the rules, according to the HC orders.

The bench of Justice Md Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice Zafar Ahmed came up with the orders and the rules after hearing seven separate petitions filed by Fakhrul seeking stay of the trial proceedings of the cases.

The cases were filed by the police with Ramna, Kadamtali, Sher-E-Banglanagar and Paltan in Dhaka on charges of vandalism of vehicles and setting them on fire during anti-government agitations on different days in, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Deputy Attorney General Shaikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir told The Daily Star that the trial proceedings of the cases were stayed on the ground that Mirza Fakhrul was not present on the spots during the incidents.

He also said the government will move appeals before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC’s stay orders.

DAG Moniruzzaman also said that the HC has so far stayed the trial proceedings of total 23 vandalism and arson cases filed against the BNP leader.

Advocate Zainul Abedin and Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon appeared for Mirza Fakhrul.