The chamber court of the Appellate Division yesterday stayed till March 31 the High Court (HC) order that granted bail to former lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan Rana in the freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed murder case. Now, Rana, a former Awami League (AL) lawmaker from the Tangail-3 constituency, will not be able to walk out on bail until further orders by the apex court, lawyers concerned said.

Appellate Division chamber judge Justice Hassan Foez Siddique gave order following a government petition seeking a stay on the HC order granting bail to Rana in the murder case.  The chamber judge also fixed March 31 for hearing on the government petition by the full bench of the apex court, said deputy attorney general Md Bashir Ullah.

Earlier, on March 14, the HC had granted six-month bail to Rana in a case filed in connection with the murder of freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed. According to the case records, on January 18, 2013, freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed was shot dead in front of his house in Tangail town. Later, police found evidence of the involvement of Rana and his three brothers in the killing.