The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday directed a lower court to consider issuing bail to veteran journalist Shafik Rehman on his surrender in connection with a case filed for his alleged attempt to abduct and kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
The apex court also asked Shafik Rehman to surrender to the metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka and seek bail in the case. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order following a petition filed by Shafik Rehman seeking extension of the SC order that granted him bail in the case.
Earlier on August 31, the Supreme Court granted him bail for three months in the case.
The three-month period expired on November 30, his lawyer M Asaduzzaman said. He said Shafik Rehman will surrender to the lower court on December 14 and will remain on bail till then as per the SC order.
On April 27, a Dhaka court sent the journalist to jail on completion of his second remand in the case.
On 16 April, detectives arrested Shafik Rehman from his Eskaton Garden residence in the capital.
He was admitted to Birdem Hospital in the city after his release on bail from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on September 6.