Former Bagerhat Sadar upazila unit president of the banned Chhatra League, Jewel Hasan Saddam, has been granted bail by the High Court three days after the death of his wife and child.
The court on Monday, 26 January, granted him six months’ bail on humanitarian grounds.
The order was passed by a High Court bench comprising Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan.
Advocate Syed Ahmed Raja represented Saddam at the hearing.
Speaking to journalists, Raja said “The court granted bail on humanitarian grounds. Saddam faced seven cases. He had earlier secured bail in six cases and received bail in the final case on Monday.”
On Friday afternoon, police recovered the hanging body of Saddam’s wife Kaniz Subarna Swarnali from a house in Sabekdanga village, Karapara Union, Bagerhat Sadar. Her infant son, Nazim, was found lifeless beside her.
Police and family members said that, in a state of despair, Swarnali first killed her child and then took her own life. The family and local authorities completed the burial on Saturday evening.
At around 7.30 pm, jail authorities allowed the ambulance carrying the bodies to enter the prison compound along with six family members. Saddam was allowed around five minutes to see the bodies of his wife and child.
Meanwhile, criticism emerged on various platforms over not allowing Sadddam parole following the deaths.
Jessore Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Asheq Hasan told The Times that Saddam’s family did not submit any written application seeking parole to the Jessore district magistrate or the jail authorities.
Meanwhile, criticism emerged on various platforms over not allowing Sadddam parole following the deaths.
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs also issued a statement on Sunday, 25 January, clarifying its position.
The ministry said Sadddam’s family did not submit any application for parole to the Jashore district administration, the district magistrate, or the Jashore Central Jail authorities.
According to the family’s verbal request, the authorities decided to allow Sadddam to see the bodies of his wife and child at the Jashore jail gate.
The statement added that the Jashore district administration and the jail authorities extended maximum cooperation considering humanitarian aspects.
The ministry also clarified that reports published in some media outlets and on social media claiming that an application for parole had been submitted to the Jashore district administration or the central jail authorities were incorrect.
Saddam was arrested in Gopalganj after the fall of the Awami government on 5 August 2024. He was later sent to Jessore jail, where he remained in custody.
