Fakhrul, Abbas should have been given division from start: HC

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas should have been given the first-class division facilities in prison immediately after they were sent to jail as they are both former lawmakers and ministers, said the High Court on Wednesday.

After an unconventional delay, the two BNP veterans have been provided with division facilities as per the High Court's observation, and the hearing on a special bail is due today at a lower court. Two previous bail attempts, in a case over their alleged involvement in attacks on police in the capital on 7 December, have failed.

"The Magistrate Court on 9 December had asked prison authorities to ensure the division facilities [for the two BNP leaders] as per the jail code. Though it was granted four days later, the wait caused Fakhrul and Abbas quite a bit of suffering," said the High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Mohammad Ali on Wednesday.

In a subsequent order, the court disposed of the writ petition that sought prison division facilities for the two leaders. The writ was lodged on Tuesday on behalf of Mirza Fakhrul's wife Rahat Ara Begum and Mirza Abbas' wife Afroza Abbas.

Generally, a division ensures a higher living standard in jail providing a bed, a table, a chair, a mosquito net, a newspaper and better food.

Barrister Kayser Kamal moved in favour of the writ at the court while Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.

During the hearing of the writ on Tuesday, Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar orally informed the High Court that Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas had already been given division facilities in jail.

However, the High Court bench asked him to submit a written document to the court regarding this and fixed Wednesday to pass an order on this issue.

In the early hours of Friday, a team of the Detective Branch of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas from their residences in the capital. Later in the day, a Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail petitions.

Following a special bail plea on Monday, a Dhaka court rejected bail to 224 BNP activists and leaders including Fakhrul and Abbas.