The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld a High Court (HC) order that granted permanent bail to former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan Rana in a murder case, clearing his release from jail. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after dismissing an appeal filed by the government challenging the HC order.

Advocate Monsurul Haq Chowdhury, counsel for Rana, told reporters that there was now no legal bar to Rana’s release from jail following the apex court order as he had already secured bail in another case.

On June 19, the HC had given permanent bail to Rana in the murder case.

A day later, the SC stayed the HC order until July 1

following a government petition challenging the judgment of the HC. On July 1, the Appellate Division again stayed till yesterday (July 8) the bail granted by the HC to Rana. It also asked the state counsel to file a regular leave-to- appeal petition by July 8.

In July 2012, Jubo League activists Shamim and Mamun were killed on the orders of Rana and his brother Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon in Tangail, said the investigating officer of the case. Later, police arrested several suspects in connection with the incident when two of the arrestees—Shahadat Hossain, 16, and Hiron Mia, 27—revealed that both the Juba League leaders had been murdered at the behest of Rana. Rana surrendered to the Tangail additional district and sessions judge’s court on September 18, 2016, ending his 22-month fugitive run in another murder case.

He was shown arrested in the case in May last year.

Mamun’s father, Abdul Aziz, had lodged a murder case at a Tangail court on July 9, 2013, against 13 people, and Tangail model police station recorded the case on September 21 that year as per the Tangail court order.

Advocate Monsurul Haq Chowdhury stood for Rana, while attorney general Mahbubey Alam and deputy attorney general Md Bashir Ullah represented the state.