SC upholds bail of SQ Chowdhury`s counsel in verdict leak case

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today upheld a High Court order, granting one-year interim bail to Barrister Fakhrul Islam, convicted for leaking draft verdict in the war crimes case against his client Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order, paving the way for Fakhrul`s release on bail.

The High Court on April 4 granted Fakhrul the bail, prompting the state to file an appeal with the apex court.

Accepting the plea, the apex court on April 6 had stayed the High Court order.

Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal on September 15, 2016, sentenced Barrister Fakhrul Islam to 10-year imprisonment and fined him Taka 10 lakh.

The court had sentenced Chowdhury`s manager KM Mahbubul Hasan, junior lawyer Mehedi Hasan, International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) staff Faruk Hossain and Nayan Ali to seven years imprisonment and fined them Taka 10 thousand each.

AKM Nasiruddin Mahmud, then Registrar of the ICT, filed a general diary with Shahbagh Police Station on October 2, 2013, over the leaking of a part of the draft verdict.

On October 4, 2013, DB inspector Fazlur Rahman filed a case with the same police station in this regard.

It was disclosed later that Salauddin`s personal staff and his lawyers leaked the part of the draft verdict by bribing two tribunal staff.

On August 28, 2014, DB filed charge sheet against seven, including Salauddin`s wife Farhat and son Hummam.

Source: BSS