High Court defers Fakhrul bail hearing

The High Court has postponed the hearing on a rule related to the bail of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a case linked to the vandalism of the chief justice's residence on October 28. 

Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the bench consisting of Justice Md Salim and Justice Shahed Nuruddin decided to defer the hearing until the next week in response to a time petition submitted by Fakhrul's lawyer, Advocate Waliur Rahman.

No senior lawyer affiliated with the BNP was present in court during the proceedings, as pro-BNP lawyers were in the midst of a nationwide boycott of court activities demanding the government's resignation, according to media reports.

On December 7, the High Court issued a rule asking the state to explain within seven days why Fakhrul should not be granted bail in the case.

Before that, on December 3, Fakhrul filed a bail petition with the court through his lawyers, saying he had not been involved in the vandalism of the chief justice's residence in any manner.

Fakhrul landed in jail on October 29 in connection with the case filed at Ramna police station and has been behind bars since then.

Earlier on November 22, a Dhaka court rejected the bail petition of the BNP leader in the case.

The chief justice's residence was vandalized during violence following the BNP’s rally in the capital on October 28. 

The next day, the police filed a case at Ramna police station in this connection.

Apart from Fakhrul, many other party leaders and activists, including BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, are accused in the case.

Law enforcement detained the BNP secretary general on the morning of October 29 and officially arrested him around nine hours later. 

Later, a bail petition was filed with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka.

The court ordered him to be sent to jail rejecting the bail petition.