TDS Desk:

Sixty-three lawyers secured bails Monday after surrendering before a Chattogram court in connection with a case filed over the killing of Advocate Saiful Islam in November last year.

Chattogram Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sarker Hasan Shahriar granted bail to total 65 individuals in two cases filed over the largely pro-Hindu violence. Those securing bails also include controversial Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das’ lawyer Shubhashish Sharma.

Defense lawyer Subrata Chowdhury told reporters the bails would be effective until the police submit charge sheet. He claimed that his clients were not involved with the violent clashes on court premises and the plaintiff could not provide any evidence to prove their alleged complicity.

Dulal Debnath, a former government lawyer, claimed many of the accused were not present at the court on the day of violence. Accusations have been trumped up against them, Dulal said.

Security was beefed up on the court premises during Monday’s hearing.

On 26 November 2024, Chinmoy’s supporters went on a rampage in and around the court demanding the Hindu monk be released in a sedition case. According to the sedition case’s statement, Chinmoy dishonoured the Bangladeshi flag by hoisting a saffron flag above it at a point in Chattogram city.

The rampage by Chinmoy’s Hindu supporters left the Chattogram court’s central mosque vandalised, and advocate Saiful dead.

Saiful’s brother filed a case over the murder and another case was filed over attacks on police. In total, 70 lawyers were accused in the cases.