First Awami Reagime using its indian trained death squad to abduct opposition leader
---> Then explode crude bomb under close watch of layers of security.
---> Then blame opposotion and file case against 77 top opposition leadership.
--->Then use kangaroo judges not even hear the case.
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Judge feels embarrassed to hear BNP leaders’ bail pleas
Staff Correspondent
A High Court judge on Wednesday felt embarrassed to hear the petitions opposition alliance leaders, including the acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, filed seeking anticipatory bail in two cases lodged regarding the violence during the general strike on April 29.
Being refused, pro-BNP lawyers appeared in another High Court bench, which also refused to hear the petitions saying that it had no jurisdiction to hear any bail petition. In the afternoon, a two-member bench, passed split orders after hearing a petition filed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmaker AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also a Supreme Court lawyer, seeking bail in one of the two cases.
Senior judge of the bench Justice Md Anwarul Haque granted ad interim anticipatory bail to Mahbub till May 9 while the other member Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah summarily rejected the petition.
The senior judge later passed an order stating that the bail petition along with the split orders would be sent to the chief justice, Md Muzammel Hossain, for his decision on the constitution of a single-member bench to settle the matter.
In the morning, BNP lawyers, led by former law minister Moudud Ahmed, appeared in the bench of Justice M Siddiqur Rahman Mia and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq seeking bail for the alliance leaders.
The court told Moudud that it had already decided not to hear any matter on Wednesday which was not listed in the day’s cause list.
The court also asked Moudud to move the bail petitions on Sunday.Moudud argued that the court should hear the bail petitions on Wednesday considering them urgent matters as the petitioners, who are ranking leaders of the opposition alliance, were unable to stay in their houses since filing of the cases.
Justice AKM Shahidul Huq felt embarrassed and said, ‘I am sorry.’ It prompted pro-BNP lawyers to walk out of the courtroom and move the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain that also refused to hear the petitions saying that they were not authorised to hear ad interim bail pleas.
When Moudud informed the court that he had heard that the bench was given the authority to hear bail matters, Justice Enayetur Rahim said that they were unaware of the new jurisdiction.
After the two benches had refused to hear the bail petitions, the pro-BNP lawyers held a briefing at the Supreme Court Bar Association where Moudud, also a BNP standing committee member, told journalists that citizens’ right to move court and seek bail were being denied.
Law requires people to appear in court in person to seek anticipatory bail, said Moudud. ‘We think we are in a battlefield as the court premises have been filled with law enforcers both in uniform and in plain clothes.’There is no congenial atmosphere for appearance of BNP leaders in court in the current situation, Moudud added.
Immediately after the briefing, a group of lawyers, led Moudud, met the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, at her house at Gulshan. They discussed the issues for about 45 minutes and left the house.
In the afternoon, senior lawyer Rafique-ul Huq moved the petition filed by Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also a joint secretary general of the BNP, seeking anticipatory bail in the case filed with the Tejgaon police.
Mahbub was among the 44 prosecuted on charges of vandalising and setting on fire a bus near the Prime Minister’s Office during strike hours.After the hearing, the two member-bench, led by justice Md Anwarul Haque, passed split orders.The court also rejected Rafique’s verbal appeal for an order seeking that law enforcers should not arrest or harass Mahbub until the bail petition is settled.
The court, however, asked additional attorney general MK Rahman, who opposed Mahbub’s bail plea, to look into the defence plea until his bail petition is settled.‘I have never seen in the past judges delivering split orders on anticipatory bail matter. It is unfortunate for us,’ Rafique told reporters after the orders.
Rafique sought bail for Mahbub as he was a lawmaker and a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He also questioned the authenticity of the case as it was not filed by the driver of the vehicle that was burnt.‘The general strike ended at 6:00pm. Why would the bus be vandalised and burnt at 9:00pm?’ he argued.
Additional attorney general MK Rahman opposed the petition saying that the court should not open the gate to other accused in the case by allowing bail to one.
The police on Sunday night filed two cases — one with the Tejgaon police for setting fire to the vehicle near the Prime Minister’s Office and the other with the Shahbagh police in connection with the home-made bomb blasts at the secretariat during strike hours on April 29.
BNP leaders Fakhrul Islam, MK Anwar, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, ASM Hannan Shan and Mirza Abbas, the party’s joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, the Liberal Democratic Party chief, Oli Ahmed, and the Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman, Andaleeve Rahman Partha, among others, are accused in both the cases.
New Age | Newspaper