16 AL leaders get bail

A Division Bench of the HC comprising Justice Joynul Abedin and Justice AKM Fazlur Rahman heard bail petitions of the AL leaders and granted them anticipatory bail.

The AL leaders appeared in court.

The HC also asked the government to show cause why the petitioners should not be granted permanent bail in the cases, filed by leaders of the ruling alliance.

The other AL leaders, who got bail, are Abdus Samad Azad, Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, SAMS Kibria, ASHK Sadek, Obaidul Quader, Mukul Bose, Abdul Mannan, Abdur Rahman, Faruk Khan, ABM Mozammel Haque, Shafi Ahmed, Abdus Shahid and Abdul Mannan Chowdhury.

The cases were filed after the AL announced a list of 102 leaders of the ruling coalition branding them as godfathers.

A court in Natore on Wednesday issued warrant of arrest against 14 top leaders of the AL in a defamation case lodged by Deputy Minister for Land Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu.

Chief Whip Khondker Delwar Hossain filed a defamation case with the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka. The other cases were filed by Nazimuddin Alam in Bhola, Shahjahan Chowdhury and Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin in Chittagong, Gholam Sarwar in Khulna, Syed Abdullah Abu Taher in Comilla, Shahidul Haque Jamal in Pirojpur, Hannan Shah in Gazipur. Moreover two leaders of the BNP's youth front Jubo Dal filed two cases in Comilla and Tangail.

The alliance leaders alleged the AL had put them on its list of 'godfathers' for political gains by tarnishing their image.

The lawyers for the AL leaders told the HC the accused are prominent leaders of the main opposition party and the cases were filed to harass them politically.

Barrister M Amir-Ul-Islam and Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder moved the bail petitions. President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Rokanuddin Mahmud and Advocate Sudhangsu Sekhar Halder were present in the court.

Deputy Attorney General Advocate Golam Kibria represented the state.