BNP lawyers get bail in CJ residence attack case

The High Court (HC) granted anticipatory bail for three weeks to three pro-BNP lawyers in two cases filed with Ramna Police Station on charges of attacking the official residence of the Chief Justice and vandalizing during BNP's grand rally on October 28.

The three senior lawyers who have been granted anticipatory bail are former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and BNP Vice Chairman Zainul Abedin, BNP Vice Chairman Advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury, and former SCBA Secretary and also BNP Joint Secretary General Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan.

The HC bench, however, ordered them to surrender before the lower court concerned in three weeks in connection with the cases.
The HC bench comprising Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice Md Bashir Ullah passed the order after hearing separate bail petitions filed by the accused lawyers.

During the bail hearing, the High Court said that the attack on the residence of the Chief Justice is a heinous incident.

"The Chief Justice is the heart of the Judiciary. The attack on his residence meant striking at the heart of the Judiciary.

Judiciary is the last refuge of the people. Therefore, the attack on the residence of the Chief Justice cannot be accepted in any way," the HC bench noted.

Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Barrister Kayser Kamal, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman, and others appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the accused lawyers.

A clash started between the BNP leaders and activists and the police before the formal launch of the BNP grand rally on October 28. At one stage of the scuffle, the official residence of the Chief Justice also came under attack.