Cox’s Bazar communal violence: SC upholds chamber judge’s order asking 4 accused to surrender

A full bench of the Appellate Division today upheld its chamber judge's order -- directing four accused in a case over vandalising puja mandap in Cox's Bazar -- to surrender to the lower court concerned in a week.

The apex court order means that the four accused in the case -- Cox's Bazar's Pekua union parishad chairman and local BNP leader Bahadur Shah and local Jubo Dal activists Kamran Zahid, Sajjad and Shahnewaz Azad -- must surrender to the trial court, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Bishwajit Debnath told The Daily Star.

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He said the trial court concerned will pass necessary order in accordance with the law after the accused surrender.

The five-member bench of the Supreme Court's Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by the accused, seeking modification of the chamber judges' order.

In the petition, the accused said they will participate in the upcoming union parishad election, DAG Bishwajit added.   

On October 31, chamber judge of the Appellate Division, Justice Obaidul Hassan, stayed a High Court order that granted the four accused anticipatory bail in the case and also directed them to surrender to the lower court concerned in a week.

Puja mandaps were vandalised and damaged at Pekua union in Cox's Bazar in continuation of the violence in Cumilla -- on the excuse of demeaning the Holy Quran on October 13.

The case was filed against the accused on October 15 and the HC granted them anticipatory bail, on October 28, till December 5 in the case.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for the state while lawyer Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal stood for the accused.