Don't get on campaign trail until bail decision

The High Court yesterday directed BNP-backed mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas not to conduct any election campaign and not to talk to the media until it passes orders on his two anticipatory bail petitions in two cases tomorrow.

The HC also asked Attorney General Mahbubey Alam to take steps so that Abbas is not harassed or arrested before passing the orders in the vandalism and arson cases.

The bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siqqique and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also dropped from its hearing list another bail petition of Abbas in a corruption case for disposing of it with a specific bench.

Additional Attorney General Momtaz Uddin Fakir told The Daily Star that law enforcers can arrest Abbas in the graft case but not in the two cases. However, Abbas's lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told reporters that police cannot arrest his client before the court's orders on his three bail petitions.

On Sunday, Abbas submitted the three petitions to the HC seeking anticipatory bail in the three cases. One was filed with Paltan Police Station on last December 29 while another with Motijheel Police Station on January 4 this year on the charge of vandalising vehicles. The Anti- Corruption Commission also filed a graft case on March 6 last year.

Citing a bail petition, Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star that Abbas was not accused in the corruption case, but he sought bail apprehending that he might be arrested in this case.