Barrister Shakila Farjana released on bail granted by Supreme Court

Barrister Shakila Farjana has been released from jail since the Supreme Court has upheld her bail after she was arrested under the anti-terrorism law on charges of financing militants in Chittagong.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 7 June 2016, 06:55 PM
Updated : 7 June 2016, 06:55 PM

She was released from Chittagong Central Jail at 5pm on Tuesday.

Jailer Mahbubul Islam told bdnews24.com that she was released soon after the court papers arrived in the prison offices.

Shakila, daughter of Chittagong BNP leader Syed Wahidul Alam, was arrested in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area on Aug 18 last year for allegedly supplying over Tk 10 million to Hamza Brigade, a terrorist organisation.

Also arrested along with her were two lawyers Hasanuzzaman Liton and Mahfuz Chowdhury Bapon.

They were shown arrested in anti-terrorism cases registered at Banshkhali and Hathazari police stations.

Shakila was granted bail by a trial court on Nov 28 last year. On Jan 12 this year, the High Court, on receiving a bail application and after a preliminary hearing, passed a rule asking why she should not be granted bail in the two cases. Respondents were asked to respond within two weeks.

After the hearing on that rule, the High Court granted Shakila bail on Feb 22.

Rejecting the High Court decision, the prosecution filed two leave-to-appeals with the Appellate Division on Sunday.

“But since the Supreme Court upheld the bail in both cases, there was no other obstacle to her release,” Shakila’s lawyer Sagir Hossain Leon explained.

Lawyers Liton and Bapon were already released last December.