Fakhrul, Khasru denied bail, to be quizzed at jail gate

A Dhaka court has denied a 10-day remand plea for questioning BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury but permitted the police to interrogate them at the jail gate.

The court also rejected their bail petitions and allowed police to show them arrested in a case filed with Paltan Model Police Station on the allegation of attacking law enforcers during the party's rally on 28 October.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury today issued the orders after hearing a plea of the investigating officer of the case, confirmed Sub-Inspector Shah Alam, General Registration Wing Officer of Paltan police station.

Earlier on 14 December, Sub-Inspector Sumit Kumar Saha, the investigating officer, applied to the court to allow police to show the two opposition leaders arrested in the case and put them on a 10-day remand.

Abdullah Abu, public prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, represented the state during the hearing.

On the other hand, a team of lawyers including senior advocate Md Asaduzzaman, Mohsin Mia, and Omar Farooq represented the accused and presented a petition to cancel the remand plea.

According to the case statement, following directives of Fakhrul and Khasru, leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations gathered in front of the Paltan Model Police Station on 28 October.

They then blasted crude bombs, attacked the police station, assaulted police personnel, and prevented law enforcers from discharging their duties. The clash later spread to the Bijoyanagar water tank area and Shantinagar. 

A police official and a ward-level leader of Jubo Dal were killed in this clash and 41 police and 25 Ansar members were injured. Besides, at least 20 journalists were hurt.

Following the incident, police filed the case with Paltan police station  against Fakhrul, Amir Khasru, and 102 others. 

On 29 October, Mirza Fakhrul was arrested in connection with a case filed with Ramna Police Station over the attack on the residence of the chief justice  during the previous day's violence.

Around 10 hours after detaining him, police filed at least two cases against him.

Earlier on 3 November, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) detained Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury from his Gulshan residence. 

Later in the day, he was placed on a six-day remand in connection with a case filed over the death of a constable in a clash during the party's grand rally. He was later sent to jail.

Today, the accused were brought to the court from the jail for the hearing.

HC asks lower courts to hear Fakhrul's bail pleas

The High Court has ordered the lower courts concerned  to hear the bail petitions in nine cases against BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

At the same time, the court yesterday issued a ruling asking why not accepting the bail pleas should not be declared illegal.

Earlier on Sunday, Mirza Fakhrul filed a writ in the High Court challenging the validity of non-acceptance of bail application in the nine cases.