High Court again extends time for BNP leader Fakhrul’s surrender

The High Court has again extended time by more than three weeks for BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to surrender before trial court.

After hearing a petition, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Syed Mahmud Hossain on Tuesday gave Mirza Fakhrul time until Nov 2 to surrender in three cases over arson and vandalism.

The Appellate Division on July 13 upheld a previous High Court order to grant bail to the BNP leader for six weeks on “health ground” in the three cases filed at the Paltan Police Station.

He was then asked to surrender before the trial court at the end of the bail period.

But on the expiry of that bail period, Fakhrul’s lawyer Zainul Abedin filed a petition seeking eight more weeks time for his client to surrender.

The chamber judge sent the petition for hearing to the regular bench of the Appellate Division on Aug 24.

The Appellate Division on Aug 31 gave the BNP leader another six weeks to surrender.

The chamber judge issued the order on Tuesday after hearing another petition filed by the BNP leader’s lawyer seeking eight more weeks’ time to surrender.

In the petition, it was stated that an appointment of Mirza Fakhrul was fixed with a doctor in Singapore on Oct 19.

After his release on bail, Fakhrul went to Singapore for treatment on July 26. From there, he went to US on Aug 11. He returned to the country on Sept 21.

He was arrested after emerging from a press conference at National Press Club on Jan 6 amidst the BNP’s anti-government agitation.

The cases against him were filed over the violence unleashed during that period.