A Dhaka court on Thursday rejected the bail petitions of five top
leaders of BNP including MK Anwar MP and Barrister Moudud Ahmed MP.
Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jahirul Haque passed the order
after a heated hearing.
Other three leaders are Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Standing
Committee member of the party, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advisor
Abdul Awal Mintoo and Special Assistant of the Chairperson- Advocate
Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas. MK Anwar and Moudud are also Standing
Committee members.
Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Advocate Sanaullah Mia, Masud Ahmed
Talukder and some other pro-BNP lawyers moved the bail petitions on
behalf of the opposition leaders. They told the court that the names
of the leaders are not included in the First Information Report (FIR)
of the case. Besides, the case was filed about a month back and many
accused of case already obtained bail the case. The top BNP leaders
were implicated in the case to take revenge for political reasons, the
lawyers added.
The court heard the arguments of prosecution and defence in the
morning. Additional Public Prosecutor Shah Alam Talukder opposed the
bail petitions. He said the Investigation Office (IO) of the case so
far partly interrogated only accused Shimul Biswas. He will have to
quiz the four leaders in the interest of enquiry and fair play. Public
Prosecutor Abdullah Abu was also present on the occasion.
The hearing on the bail petitions ended at about 10.30 while the judge
informed the lawyers about his order at about 4 pm through the Bench
Assistant of the court.
Earlier, on November 18, the petitions were filed challenging the
legality of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court’s bail rejection
order in the case filed with Motijheel Police Station of the capital.
Moreover, the investigators also submitted two separate petitions to
the court saying that they could not interrogate the five leaders due
to unavoidable circumstances.
Earlier on November 21, the court fixed (Thursday) November 28 for
further hearing on the petitions.
On November 14, a Metropolitan Magistrate rejected the BNP leaders
bail petitions and placed them on eight days’ remand to interrogate
each of them in two cases.
On November 17, the High Court stayed remand order against five top
leaders of opposition BNP. However, the apex court gave permission to
the IO to interrogate them at the jail gate.
The three other leaders are Rafiqul Islam Mia, Abdul Awal Mintoo and
Shimul Biswas.
The two cases were filed against them for attempted attack on cops and
creating violence in the capital.
Detective Branch (DB) of Police detained the top BNP high ups from
city’s Hotel Sonargoan and around the Chairperson’s Gulshan office in
the capital on November 8. – Court Correspondent
German envoy for release of BNP leaders
Urging the release of senior BNP leaders, German Ambassador in Dhaka
Albrecht Conze on Thursday hoped both the major political parties will
take responsible action to resolve the political crisis before the
arrival of UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco.
“I think it (Taranco’s visit) comes at the last moment, but maybe it
comes at the right moment. So, we all hope that with responsible
actions being taken by both sides before his (Taranco) arrival some
major progress can be achieved. My government will continue to work
for that,” he said hoping whole European Union will be working on
that. The forthcoming visit of UN Assistant Secretary-General for
Political Affairs Taranco is a very ‘encouraging event’, the German
diplomat said while making a short statement after his meeting with
Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali at the latter’s office. Conze
also mentioned that he urged the Foreign Minister to take steps for
the release of imprisoned senior opposition BNP leaders who have been
in prison now for quite some time. “I urged the Minister (Mahmud
Ali) to do everything for the release of the senior BNP leaders who
have been in prison now for quite a long time. Some of them are my
friends, and I know very well they would not do anything of the sort…”
he said. The German envoy assured the Foreign Minister that all the
European Union Ambassadors have been working intensely with both the
sides (AL-BNP) over the past weeks and months to find a space for
‘substantial dialogue’ and ‘compromise.’ “…that means for us that
we’re very clear on condemning any political violence that leads to
young boys burning rickshaws, other people not arriving on time in
hospitals and not being treated and having to die because of hartals
or similar political actions…that is unacceptable way of doing
election campaign.” He said if both sides take steps and bring down
political temperature then at the last moment, at the eleventh hour,
they could find a room for compromise that would make it possible
every party takes part in the election. Ambassador Conze assured the
Foreign Minister that the European Union like most of other trusted
friends of Bangladesh, such as Canada, China, Australia and many Asian
countries in this special period is totally impartial and keeps a
strict equidistance from the two major parties. “That is I believe how
a foreign country should act.” He said the Foreign Minister is an
old friend of Germany as he had been an Ambassador in Germany in 1990.
“We have talked about not just long-standing relations but also
current affairs.” UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political
Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco will arrive in the capital on December
6 on a five-day visit apparently to help the political parties to
break the standoff. On Monday, the Election Commission announced
that the country’s 10th parliamentary elections will be held on
January 5 next, prompting the main opposition BNP and its allies to
enforce a countrywide road and railway blockade till 5 pm on Friday. –
UNB
