Court Correspondent

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been granted bail in nine separate cases filed with Paltan and Ramna police stations in Dhaka.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sultan Sohag Uddin of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court passed the order on Wednesday granting him the bail.

Mirza Fakhrul’s counsel Asaduzzaman has said he (Mirza Fakhrul) got bail in nine cases. His bail petition was rejected at the High Court in another case. Another case against him is awaiting for hearing at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court. If he gets bail in these two cases, he will be able to come out of prison.

Earlier, while making arguments in favour of Mirza Fakhrul’s bail, his counsel Asaduzzaman told court that 76-year-old BNP secretary general is sick. His weight has fallen by 5kg in jail since his arrest on October 29 last. According to the Criminal Procedure (CrPC), any elderly and sick accused is entitled to receive bail. The BNP secretary general may be granted bail as he is an elderly and sick person.

Fakhrul’s counsel also said torture and repression on freedom of expression is still going on in Bangladesh. Opposition leaders and workers are sent to prison frequently being sued in politically false and fabricated cases. Terming the nine cases filed against Mirza Fakhrul as ‘politically motivated,’ he said there are no specific charges against the BNP secretary general in these cases. Even, newly-elected Awami League MP Barrister Shahjahan Omar is also an accused in one of those nine cases. Being freed on bail, he joined Awami League from BNP and participated in the election.

Opposing the bail by the state, additional public prosecutor Shah Alam presented his statement in the court. He said specific charge was brought against Mirza Fakhrul is each case. Those incidents had happened at his direct instructions. Investigation into these cases are going on. His bail ought to be rejected.

After hearing both sides, the court granted bail to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in nine cases.

Along with counsel Asaduzzaman, advocates Syed Zainul Abedin, Omar Faruque Faruqui and other were present at the court.