HC denies bail to Fakhrul, but asks why he should not get bail

The High Court has refused to grant bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a vandalism case but issued a rule asking the state to explain why he should not be granted bail.

The HC bench of Justice Md Salim and Justice Shahed Nuruddin issued the rule after hearing a bail petition on Thursday. 

The court gave the state seven days to respond.

Mirza Fakhrul has been in jail for almost 40 days now in a case filed over vandalising the chief justice's residence on 28 October.

Fakhrul's lawyer Zainul Abedin argued for the bail petition during the hearing while Deputy Attorney General BM Rafel represented the state.

On 22 November, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court rejected the bail petition of the BNP leader in the same case.

The vandalism case was filed with Ramna Police Station against 59 leaders and activists of BNP, including Fakhrul, following the party's 28 October mass rally, marked by violent clashes. 

On 29 October, police first detained Mirza Fakhrul from his Gulshan residence. Around 10 hours later, police filed at least two cases against him.

Also, law enforcers picked up several hundred leaders and activists of the party in nationwide drives following the clashes on 28 October that left a police constable and a Jubo Dal man dead and scores injured.