SUNAMGANJ, Sept 9: Former planning minister and Sunamganj-3 lawmaker MA Mannan has been granted bail in a case filed over attacking people during the recent mass uprising.
Sunamganj District and Sessions Court Judge Hemayet Uddin accepted the bail petition by the defence on Wednesday afternoon, said Mannan's lawyer Shafiqul Islam.
A bail hearing for Mannan had previously been held at 11:00am but was interrupted when lawyers from both sides started a commotion. The judge then left the court amid the ruckus.
Another bail hearing was convened in the afternoon. After the hearing, the judge made the bail decision around 2:30pm.
The court set the bond at Tk 20,000 in consideration of Mannan's physical condition and age, he added.
Mannan was hospitalized on Wednesday following a checkup due to his ailing health. He was taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital from Sylhet Central Jail. Earlier, on October 5, Mannan was admitted to the same hospital after falling ill in jail.
Mannan was arrested from his home in Shantiganj upazila of Sunamganj on September 19, in connection with the case.
According to the case documents, student Zahoor Ahmad was injured n Sunamganj city on August 4 during the student movement.
Zahoor's brother Hafiz Ahmad, a resident of Dowarabazar upazila of the district, filed the case with Sadar Model Police Station on September 2 under the Speedy Trial Act accusing 99 people, including MA Mannan.
Asked about the commotion in court, Advocate Sherenur Ali, representing the plaintiff, said, "Just as the judge came to the court, there was a commotion. We said that this case was brought to this court through irregularities. The plaintiff side did not hear about it. We did not want a hearing on it today."
"As in other cases, we requested the court to set another date for the case at a later time. But the court did not listen to us."
MA Mannan's lawyer Shafiqul said, "Our client is elderly and sick. The court set the bond at Tk 20,000 in consideration of his physical condition."
