SC upholds stay on trial of six BNP leaders

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the High Court orders that stayed the trial proceedings against six BNP leaders including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in nine separate vandalism and arson cases filed in 2015.

Other five accused BNP leaders are Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Aman Ullah Aman and Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papiya.

The apex court, however, asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rules issued in connection with the cases. A full bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain came up with the orders after virtually hearing nine separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the state seeking a stay on the HC orders.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the state while lawyers AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon represented the accused BNP leaders during the virtual proceedings of the court.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star that the HC stay orders on the trial proceedings of the cases against the accused BNP leaders will remain in force following the apex court orders.

The HC will hold hearing on the rules for their disposals, he said, adding that the accused BNP leaders are on bail in these cases.

Following four separate petitions filed by the BNP leaders, the HC on different days in 2017 stayed the trial proceedings against them in nine vandalism and arson cases and also issued nine rules asking the state to explain as to why the proceedings of the cases should not be scrapped.

The state then filed separate leave to appeal petitions with the Supreme Court for staying the HC orders. The cases were filed with different police stations in Dhaka during the anti-government agitation enforced by BNP-led alliance in 2015.