Mitu murder: Former SP Babul Akter granted bail

The High Court has granted bail to former superintendent of police (SP) Babul Akter in the murder case of his wife, Mahmuda Khanam Mitu.

The ruling came on Wednesday, after the court heard his bail petition. The bench, consisting of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Ali Reza, passed the order following a review of the case.

Babul Akter had initially applied for bail on August 14 in the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Chittagong.

However, the court rejected his application on August 18.

He subsequently appealed to the High Court for bail.

The murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu occurred on June 5, 2016, in Chittagong’s Nizam Road area.

Mitu was shot and stabbed while on her way to drop her son off at a school bus.

At the time of the incident, her husband, Babul Akter, was in Dhaka. After returning to Chittagong, Babul filed a case against unidentified perpetrators at Panchlaish police station. However, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later implicated him in the murder.

In May 2021, PBI submitted a final report in the original case, and on the same day, Mitu’s father, former police inspector Mosharraf Hossain, filed a second case against Babul, naming him as the primary suspect.

Babul Akter was arrested and sent to court and has remained in custody since then.

In October 2021, Babul’s lawyers filed a petition challenging the PBI’s final report in the first case.

In response, the court ordered further investigation, rejecting the petition and the report. The PBI continued its investigation into both cases.

Following the court’s directive, a final report was filed in the second case in January 2022, and a charge sheet was submitted in September 2022, accusing Babul Akter and six others.

In March 2023, the court framed charges against Babul Akter and six other accused in the case, officially beginning the trial process.