6 BNP leaders get bail, 4 to be released

The High Court on Thursday granted six-month bail to six senior BNP leaders in several cases filed over Mar 2 and Mar 6 violence in the city.

The bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Jahangir Hossain passed the order after hearing bail petitions filed by the top BNP leaders.
Of the six leaders, BNP Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman secured bail in five cases, Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas in six, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy in five, and Joint Secretaries General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Amanullah Aman in one and six cases, respectively.

Juba Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal got bail in seven cases.
Of them, Rizvi and Aman will not be released since they are also accused in some other arson cases.

Counsel of the BNP leaders Barrister Ragib Rouf Chowdhury told reporters that there was no legal bar on the remaining four BNP leaders being released from jail following the High Court order, as they had secured bail in all cases filed against them.

Barrister Rafique-ul Haq, Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Advocate Nitai Chandra Roy Chowdhury appeared for the BNP leaders at the hearing.

Additional Attorney General Momtaz Uddin Fakir and Deputy Attorney General Khandaker Mohammad Diliruzzaman represented the state.

Six cases were filed at the Ramna, Paltan and Shahjahanpur police stations in connection with attack on law enforcers by pro-shutdown pickets, vandalism of cars and crude bomb explosions at Malibagh on Mar 2.

Police also filed two more cases over crude bomb explosions from a BNP rally in front of its Naya Paltan central office on Mar 6.

The BNP leaders moved the High Court after they were denied bail by the lower court.