HC asks govt why NSI officials not be bailed

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The High Court (HC) has asked the government to explain why the former NSI director, retired wing commander Mohammad Shahabuddin, will not be granted bail in the Chittagong 10-truck arms haul case, a lawyer said, reports bdnews24.com.
The bench of Justice Syed Mohammad Dastgir Hossain and Justice Mohammad Raisuddin Monday gave the orders after hearing Shahabuddin's bail petition.
Hearing on the bail prayer of the former NSI director general Syed Rezzaqul Haider, detained in the same case, has also begun in the same court.
Shahabuddin submitted his prayer for bail on July 20, while Haider filed his in the same court a day earlier. Habibul Islam Bhuiyan will argue Shahabuddin's case on the hearing of the bail appeal.
Bhuiyan said at Monday's hearing that Shahabuddin deserved to be out on bail at this stage of investigation as his name was not in the case statement or the charge sheet. He was unlikely to abuse the bail if given, the lawyer told the court
After the court orders, he told reporters that the High Court has issued a rule on the government.
The court later heard Haider's bail prayer.
Former attorney general AJ Mohammad Ali in the hearing questioned Haider's detention on the basis of someone else's confessional statement implicating him.
Attorney general Mahbubey Alam opposed the two bail prayers. Additional attorney general AKM Jahirul Islam and deputy attorney general Jahid Sarwar Kajol assisted him.
Shahabuddin was arrested in Dhaka on May 3 and Haider on May 16.
On the night of April 1, 2004, 10 truckloads of sophisticated arms were seized at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited jetty.
On April 4, an arms haul and arms smuggling cases were filed with Karnafuli Police Station.