Court Correspondent

The High Court (HC) on Monday ordered Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court to hold hearing of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s bail petitions in 10 cases filed with Ramana and Paltan police stations over October 28 violence.

The court also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why not disposing of his bail petitions should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order after hearing a petition.

Advocate Joynul Abedin accompanied by advocate Sagir Hossain Leon represented BNP leader Fakhul and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy stood for the state.

On Thursday, Fakhul submitted a writ petition seeking directives from the High Court to dispose of his 10 cases upon acceptance of bail petitions.

Of the cases, seven were filed with Paltan police station and the rest with Raman police station following the violence over the BNP’s grand rally in Dhaka on October 28.

The cases are under trial at the CMM court while Fakhul was also shown arrested in case after the writ petition was submitted.

Earlier on December 12, bail petitions were submitted to the CMM court in the 10 cases but the court rejected it.

Following this, the BNP leader moved the HC seeking directives in this regard.

On October 29, police filed a case with Ramna Police Station on charges of vandalism and attack on the Chief Justice's residence during a BNP rally on October 28.

Apart from Mirza Fakhrul, 59 BNP leaders and activists, including standing committee member Mirza Abbas, were accused in the case.

Fakhrul was arrested in the case on October 29 and has been in jail since then.

Later, he was made accused in nine more cases.