BCL leader Saddam granted 6-month bail

The High Court has granted six-month interim bail to Jewel Hasan, also known as Saddam, president of banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) unit in Bagerhat Sadar upazila, in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The order was issued on Monday, by a High Court bench comprising justice JBM Hasan and justice Aziz Ahmad Bhuiyan following a hearing on his bail petition.

Saddam is currently in custody at Jashore district jail. On Friday, 23 January, police recovered the hanging body of his wife, Kaniz Subarna, 22 and the lifeless body of their nine-month-old son, Sejad Hasan, from Sabekdanga village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila.

The next afternoon, both bodies were taken to Jashore Central Jail in a hearse. Saddam saw the bodies of his wife and child for the last time at the jail gate.

Following the circulation of videos of the incident, social media witnessed widespread criticism. Human rights organisations questioned why Saddam was not released on parole after the death of his wife and child.

Earlier, Saddam had obtained bail in six cases. After failing to secure bail in the lower court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he filed a petition in the High Court last week. The petition was listed as item 188 on Monday’s cause list.

Senior lawyer Saeed Ahmed Raja represented Saddam during the hearing. Deputy attorney general Sultana Akter Ruby and Mohammad Fazlul Karim Mondal appeared for the state.

NSA