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Published : 25 Jun 2025, 06:56 PM
A Dhaka court has granted bail to three members of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal in a case over the public harassment and assault of former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda.
The three are Mozammel Haque Dhali, a leader of the volunteer wing’s Dhaka North unit, Hanif Mia, general secretary of the Uttara West unit, and Kaiyum, joint convener of the Uttara East unit, who was identified by a single name.
They were released on bail on Wednesday following a hearing before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saiful Islam.
The case stems from a chaotic incident on Sunday, shortly after the BNP filed a case against three former chief election commissioners, accusing them of conducting elections “without the people’s mandate”.
A group of individuals stormed Huda’s residence in Uttara, forcibly dragged him out, and publicly humiliated him.
A widely circulated video on social media showed a man placing a garland of shoes around Huda’s neck while holding him by the collar while a uniformed police officer stood by.
Following the uproar, police took Huda into custody before a court granted four days of remand for his interrogation in connection with the BNP’s case the following day.
Public backlash over the video prompted condemnation, with the interim government issuing a statement promising action against those responsible.
On Tuesday, Uttara West Police Sub-Inspector Sajib Hasan filed a case naming six accused. Hanif had already been detained by the Army on Monday night and was later shown arrested in this case.
Hanif’s lawyer applied for bail on Tuesday, with the hearing scheduled for the next day. Mozammel and Kaiyum surrendered before the court on Wednesday and also sought bail.
Their lawyer, Advocate Enamul Haque, argued they were innocent and had been falsely implicated.
“They were present at the scene to protect the victim from further harm by an angry crowd. They had no involvement in the harassment,” the defence said.
“This case has been used to tarnish their political image.”
Advocate Abdul Farooq, representing Hanif, echoed the claim of innocence, saying his client tried to help rather than harm the former CEC.
After hearing both sides, the court granted bail to all three on a bond of Tk 500 each and scheduled the next hearing for Jul 28.
The remaining three accused in the case are Farid, president of Swechchhasebak Dal’s Dhaka North unit, Selim, convener of the Uttara West unit, and Dulal, president of the Turag unit -- all identified by single names as well.
