Akhtaruzzaman granted bail by High Court

Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman has secured ad interim bail in a case filed over allegations of creating disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka amid a shortage of luggage trolleys and obstructing government work. A High Court bench comprising Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Md Zakir Hossain issued the order along with a rule today, Sunday, after hearing a bail petition filed by Akhtaruzzaman. After failing to secure bail from the lower court, Akhtaruzzaman filed a petition with the High Court last week seeking bail. Senior lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir represented him at the hearing, assisted by lawyer Mohammad Saddam Hossain. Deputy Attorney General Md Monzurul Alam (Sujan) represented the state. On 2 October, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Akhtaruzzaman from his residence in the Dhaka Cantonment's DOHS area. On the night of 1 October, police filed a case against Akhtaruzzaman at Airport police station over allegations of creating disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport amid a shortage of luggage trolleys, obstructing government work and harassing a security official on duty. Following his arrest, police produced him before a court, which granted a one-day remand for interrogation. Akhtaruzzaman subsequently approached the High Court for bail after failing to secure it from the lower court. Akhtaruzzaman is from Katiadi in Kishoreganj. He was elected as a member of parliament from the Kishoreganj-2 constituency with the BNP's nomination in 1991 and 1996, serving two consecutive terms. He contested the disputed 11th parliamentary election from the same constituency with the BNP's electoral symbol, the sheaf of paddy, but lost. In 2024, he also contested the national election as an independent candidate but was defeated. Akhtaruzzaman previously served as president of the Kishoreganj district unit of the BNP. On 20 February 2022, the party expelled him for the fifth time over allegations of involvement in activities that violated party discipline. He subsequently remained in the public spotlight by commenting on contemporary issues on television talk shows and social media platforms. Amid these developments, Akhtaruzzaman joined Jamaat-e-Islami on 13 December last year, ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.