Chattogram: A Chattogram court today granted bail to 63 lawyers who were accused in a case filed over clashes and vandalism on the court premises during a hearing on detained Sanatani Jagoron Manch leader Chinmoy Krinsa Das's bail petition on November 26 last year. Among the lawyers, two defendant lawyers of Chinmoy Krishna Das-advocates Subashis Sarma and Chandan Kumer Talukder-were also given bail today. Police earlier arrested Chinmoy, a former leader of ISKON, on charges of defaming the national flag.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Chattogram Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Sarker Hasan Shahriar approved their bail petition after the lawyers surrendered before the court seeking bail, confirmed advocate Mofizul Haque Bhuyian, Public Prosecutor of Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court. The PP advocate Haque stated that the court granted bail to 63 out of the 66 accused lawyers on a bond of Tk 1,000 each.
'The court heard both sides during the hearing on the bail petition. We argued before the court that the killing of advocate Alif is a tragic incident and those responsible for the killing must be punished but the lawyers accused in the case on charges of clash and vandalism were not involved in that incident, even their names were not mentioned in the murder case,' said defendant lawyer Sarvajit Chowdhury to BSS. Stringent security measures were taken in and around the court premises before and after the hearing, which lasted for an hour from 11:30 am.
However, a group of lawyers opposed the bail of the accused, stating supporters of Chinmoy dared to stage rowdy demonstrations and later murdered advocate Alif brutally following the provocation and instigation of the accused lawyers. Expressing dissatisfaction, member secretary of Ainjibi Oikko Parishad and lawyer of the plaintiff Md Shamsul Alam told BSS that the lawyers who were given bail today were the main mentors of the series of violent incidents that took place on November 26 last.
He further stated that persons accused in a case under the Explosive Act are not eligible to get bail from the lower court. Advocate Alam also demanded the arrest of all criminals involved in the gruesome killing of young lawyer Alif to expedite their trial and ensure maximum punishment.