HC finds ‘conflicting’ info on MP’s bail

The High Court has asked for the records of two bail petitions of Nizam Uddin Hazari MP to see why there is ‘conflicting information’ on his bail and subsequent release from jail.

The bench of Justices Mirza Hussain Haider and Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar issued the order on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court registrar will have to submit the records of the two petitions to the bench within Aug 31.

The order came on a petition by Shawkat Hossain Bhuiyan, former Feni Juba League joint convener. Advocate Manzill Murshid was attorney for the petitioner while Advocate Nurul Islam Sujon represented MP Nizam.

According to information submitted by the petitioner, a Chittagong court on Aug 16, 2000 sentenced Nizam for illegal possession of a weapon. He was supposed to spend 10 years in jail.

The MP appealed against the verdict in May 2001 but the High Court rejected it. Another appeal in April 2002 was also rejected. And then a review petition was also rejected.

On the other hand, information submitted by the DIG prisons and Chittagong superintendent of jail say Nizam was released on June 1, 2006 on bail following a bail from High Court on May 27 the same year.

The release order said the High Court approved his bail in a case of possession of a dagger after accepting an appeal against the verdict.

Again, in an affidavit submitted by the Daily Prothom Alo with a record from the Chittagong jail showed that he was released on Dec 1, 2005 at the end of his jail term.

Hazari, a first-time MP, allegedly hid the information of his jail term in his affidavit to the EC.

“All of these information contradict each other,” Munzill Murshid told the court.

“They cannot be all correct at the same time. Jail authorities said he was released on bail in a dagger possession case. But he was arrested with a rifle.”

“Maybe they did make an appeal where they said it was a dagger, and the court granted bail on that. Or maybe the release order is fake,” he said.

The court asked to see the documents of the two appeals in the Supreme Court, which the registrar will have to submit within Aug 31. It also asked jail authorities to explain the release order.

The High Court on June 8 issued a rule asking authorities why it should not order the removal of Hazari from Parliament. It also asked to see all documents pertaining to his sentence.

Hazari has been accused of involvement in the killing of Phulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekramul Haque by his own party men.