Shawkat asked to appear before trial courts

8 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed BNP chairperson's adviser Shawkat Mahmud to surrender before the trial courts within eight weeks in connection with three defamation cases filed against him in Dhaka and Khulna. The court also asked the trial courts to consider bail prayers of Shawkat, also president of National Press Club, on his surrender and asked the government not to harass or arrest him within the eight weeks period in the cases. The HC bench of Justice MA Wahhab Miah and Justice Md Abdur Razzaque passed the orders after hearing three separate bail petitions by Shawkat. Advocate Moshiur Malek on March 25 and Advocate PK Abdur Rob on March 28, filed two cases with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court in Dhaka against him for making provocative statement about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and derogatory remarks about State Minister for Law Advocate Quamrul Islam.