Main accused gets bail

The High Court (HC) on Monday granted six-month bail to expelled union parishad chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu, the main accused in the murder case of Jamalpur journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim.

The HC bench comprising Justice Md Jahangir Hossain and Justice Mohammad Showkat Ali Chowdhury passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Mahmudul seeking bail in the case.

However, the government filed an appeal with the chamber judge of the Appellate Division for staying the operation of the High Court order. The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division may hold hearing on the stay petition on Wednesday.
Earlier, the court rejected the bail of six accused, including Mahmudul Alam Babu. Additional District and Sessions Judge Sultan Mahmud rejected their bail pleas.

Nadim, who was the Jamalpur District Correspondent of Banglanews24.com and also the Bakshiganj Upazila Correspondent of Ekattor TV, who was seriously injured in an attack allegedly by some supporters of Babu in the Pathati area of Bakshiganj upazila on June 14, died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital the next day.

Nadim's wife Monira Begum filed the case with Jamalpur's Bakshiganj Police Station on June 17 against 22 named and 20-25 unnamed persons. Mahmudul, the then Chairman of Sadhurpara Union Parishad in Bakshiganj Upazila, was named as the main accused in the case.

Members of law enforcing agencies have so far arrested a total of 16 persons in connection with the murder of journalist Nadim.

Deputy Attorney General Anwara Shahjahan, who opposed the bail petition of Mahmudul before the HC bench, said that the HC bench granted bail to Mahmudul on the ground that three accused of the case have made confessional statements before the Magistrate concerned, but they did not mention the name of Mahmudul as an offender in connection with the incident.