Release Fakhrul for sake of democracy: Eminent citizens

Sixty prominent citizens of the country have urged the government to release BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to help strengthen the stance of moving forward along the path of democracy.

In a statement Thursday (29 December), the signatories including emeritus professor Serajul Islam Choudhury and former Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed stated that they came to know from family sources that Fakhrul has been quite ill and doctors advised him to go abroad for treatment.

Fakhrul was arrested from his residence without any arrest warrant at midnight on 8 December. He has not been granted bail so far, the statement added.

"Mirza Alamgir is doing politics with the aim of strengthening the democratic structure of this country. As his friends and well-wishers, we are concerned about his health," the signatories said, demanding his release.

The signatories mostly comprise current and former teachers of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University. 

They include: Political activist and writer Badruddin Umar, former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Anwarullah Chowdhury, Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, Professors of DU Bangla Department Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque and Saidur Rahman, Professor of DU Development Studies Department Mahbub Ullah, Professor of DU History Department Ahmed Kamal, emeritus professor ATM Nurul Amin, Professor DU English Department Sadrul Amin, Professor of DU Marketing Department Sayed Abul Kalam Azad, former DU professor of International Relations Department Akmal Hossain and Chowdhury Abrar, former DU professor of Physics Yusuf Haider, former DU professor of Chemistry Tazmeri Islam, former DU professor of Natural Sciences Tasneem Siddiqui, former professor of political science of Jahangirnagar University, Dilara Chowdhury, JU Professor of Geography Mohammad Nurul Islam, Professor of Physics of Rajshahi University F Nazrul Islam, Professor Md Rezaul Karim of Science, Engineering & Technology School of Khulna University.

A team of the Detective Branch of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas a day after the clash took place between police and BNP leaders who gathered in front of the party's central office in Naya Paltan to join the 10 December rally. 

Later in the day, a Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail petitions.

Jatiyatabadi Lawyers Forum, Supreme Court unit,  General Secretary Advocate Kazi Kamrul Islam Sajal said they are ready to go to the higher court if the trial court repeatedly denies bail to the BNP secretary general.

Barrister Akhtar Hossain, another leader of Lawyers Forum, said BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas have the right to get bail as soon as possible in the case in which they have been sent to jail.

Sources said Mirza Fakhrul was sued in 92 cases. Proceedings of 35 of the cases remained pending at the High Court and the Appellate Division and the trial is going on in the rest of the cases. Two days before his arrest, he had secured bail in a case over torching of a garbage truck. He got bail in 90 of the 92 cases on allegations of creating violence, carrying explosives, torching vehicles, obstructing police duty, and ordering violence.