The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (February 5) upheld a High Court’s (HC) order that earlier granted bail to Mamunul Haque, in two cases over vandalism of an Awami League office in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon three years back.

A six member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order.

The defendant’s counsel Advocate Joynul Abedin confirming the matter said the court upheld the HC order as his client has been in jail for the past three years in the two cases.

However police have not submitted chargesheets yet, he said.

Assistant Attorney General Saiful Alam represented the state in the court during the hearing.

On April 3 in 2021, local Chattra and Jubo League activists confined Mamunul Haque along with a woman to a room in a resort in Sonargaon, though the Hefazat leader claimed that the woman was his second wife.

Hearing this, supporters of the Hefazat-e-Islam rushed to the resort and went on a rampage and snatched away their leader from the clutches of police.

His supporters blocked Dhaka-Chattogram highway, vandalized a local AL office and some vehciles.

On April 18 of the same year, he was arrested from Mohammadpur Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasha and since then he has been in jail.

On April 30, 27-day after the resort incident, a woman posing herself as the wife of the former Hefazat leader filed a case under Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act with Sonargaon police station.

Moreover, several cases were filed against him over the vandalism of an AL office, a resort and other establishments.

On May 9 last year, a HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Goni and Justice Ahmed Sohel granted bail to the former Hefazat leader in two vandalism cases filed with Sonargaon police station.

On the following day, the Chamber Judge Court of the Appellate Division stayed the HC order after the prosecution submitted a petition challenging it.

Later, the petition was sent to the regular bench of the Appellate Division for hearing and finally the court upheld the HC order.

BDST: 1430 HRS, FEB 05, 2024
MSK