The High Court has granted six months’ interim bail to retired army personnel Hafizur Rahman, an accused arrested in the murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu in Cumilla.
However, some law officers representing the state were unaware of the bail order issued on 2 August.
The matter came to light after Hafizur was released from jail on Tuesday evening.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Sathika Hossain passed the order after hearing the bail petition.
The court also issued a rule asking why Hafizur Rahman should not be granted permanent bail. The concerned respondents have been asked to reply to the rule within four weeks.
Deputy Attorney General Shiuli Khanam, Assistant Attorneys General Sabbir Hossain, Md Mizanur Rahman, Rezaul Karim and Mir Moniruzzaman represented the state during the hearing. Lawyer Moslem Uddin Bhuiyan appeared for Hafizur.
Asked about the bail order, Deputy Attorney General Shiuli Khanam told journalists, “She was unaware of the matter.” She said eight state law officers were assigned to the court and she did not know who had the case file or who was responsible for handling the case.
Assistant Attorney General Sabbir Hossain told journalists, “He had learned about the bail order only on Tuesday.” He said they had not met the attorney general yet and added that necessary steps would be taken to seek a stay on the bail order after such a meeting.
The bail of an accused in a widely discussed case like the Tonu murder case also did not reach court reporters in time. Arafat Munna, general secretary of the Law Reporters Forum, said the issue was linked to restricted access for journalists to courtrooms.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, he said journalists had been unable to enter some courtrooms of the High Court Division, including those of the Appellate Division, since 7 January. As a result, even when accused persons in sensitive cases are granted bail, journalists often remain unaware and the media cannot immediately report the development. In many cases, the media learns about it only after the accused has been released.
He said reports published by the media often provide the state with an opportunity to take necessary legal steps against bail orders in cases. However, without media reports, the state is also unable to learn about such developments in time.
In the Tonu murder case, Hafizur Rahman was arrested by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) from his residence in Keraniganj, Dhaka, on 21 April. The 52-year-old is a former senior warrant officer of the army.
On the evening of 20 March 2016, Tonu went missing while she had gone to a house inside Cumilla Cantonment to give private tuition. She never returned home. After a search, her body was found in bushes near the Cantonment’s power house.
The murder case filed over her death has remained under investigation and legal proceedings for years. The arrest of Hafizur Rahman brought the case back into the spotlight.
