Law Minister finds large-scale bails to accused unusual
Friday, 4 December 2009
Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed Thursday said the recent High Court orders granting large-scale bails to various accused, including lifers, was quite unusual, reports UNB.
"I have found the High Court stance unusual," Barrister Shafique told the journalists referring to the statement by the Attorney General in this regard.
The Law Minister came up with the remark as the journalists sought his comments on a newspaper report about 'mass bail' granted to a large number of accused, including lifers, by a division bench of the High Court within a short period of time.
On November 18-19, the High Court Division bench comprising Justice AFM Abdur Rahman and Justice Emdadul Haque Azad granted the large-scale bail apparently in an unusual manner, prompting Prothom Alo, a leading vernacular daily, to publish the startling report in its Wednesday's issue.
"Usually", Barrister Shafique said, "both the state and the defence counsels need enough time to make their submissions properly for and against the applications seeking bails. But in this case this did not happen."
The minister said the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court would look into the matter of granting "mass bail" when the petitions for staying operation of the High Court orders would be placed before it by the state side.
Earlier, a delegation of the International Press Institute (IPI) met the Law Minister at his secretariat office.
After the meeting, the Law Minister told the journalists that the delegation wanted to know how much free the Bangladesh media are. "And I told them that Bangladesh Press is enjoying full freedom."
On another query, the Law Minister said a gazette notification regarding the Information Commission would be published soon, as the Commission is preparing its rules for its effective functioning.
"I have found the High Court stance unusual," Barrister Shafique told the journalists referring to the statement by the Attorney General in this regard.
The Law Minister came up with the remark as the journalists sought his comments on a newspaper report about 'mass bail' granted to a large number of accused, including lifers, by a division bench of the High Court within a short period of time.
On November 18-19, the High Court Division bench comprising Justice AFM Abdur Rahman and Justice Emdadul Haque Azad granted the large-scale bail apparently in an unusual manner, prompting Prothom Alo, a leading vernacular daily, to publish the startling report in its Wednesday's issue.
"Usually", Barrister Shafique said, "both the state and the defence counsels need enough time to make their submissions properly for and against the applications seeking bails. But in this case this did not happen."
The minister said the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court would look into the matter of granting "mass bail" when the petitions for staying operation of the High Court orders would be placed before it by the state side.
Earlier, a delegation of the International Press Institute (IPI) met the Law Minister at his secretariat office.
After the meeting, the Law Minister told the journalists that the delegation wanted to know how much free the Bangladesh media are. "And I told them that Bangladesh Press is enjoying full freedom."
On another query, the Law Minister said a gazette notification regarding the Information Commission would be published soon, as the Commission is preparing its rules for its effective functioning.