Saber freed from court’s prison cell two days after arrest

Former environment, forest and climate change minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury has been released from prison cell of the court two days after his arrest.

He was released from prison cell of the court at about 6:30pm on Tuesday (October 8).

The former minister was granted bail in six cases including four murder cases and two attempted murder cases, filed with Paltan Police Station and Khilgaon Police Station.

The bails were granted by the courts of Dhaka’s metropolitan magistrate Mehedi Hasan and additional chief metropolitan magistrate Ziaur Rahman following the hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

The officer-in-charge of the prison cell at the court verified the bail bonds and released Saber from custody around 6:30pm.

Soon after the bail order, pro-BNP lawyers demonstrated opposing the bail and chanted slogans using abusive language targeting the magistrate in the courtroom.

Earlier, Saber Hossain Chowdhury fell ill during his remand on Tuesday.

On Monday, police produced Saber Hossain Chowdhury at the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in connection with the murder case of BNP activist Makbul.

The investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Nazmul Hasan from the Paltan Police Station, pleaded to the court to place the accused on a 10-day remand.

At that time, his lawyer filed a petition for bail, seeking to cancel the remand. After hearing both sides, Dhaka’s Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque granted a five-day remand for Saber Hossain.

While being taken to the detention centre from the court, Saber Hossain was hit by rotten eggs thrown by BNP activists.

Some individuals made remarks about Saber and his lawyer, Ehsanul Haque Samaji. Besides, a few attempted to break through the police cordon and assault him.

Police officers intervened, pushing back the attackers and swiftly escorting Saber Chowdhury into the detention centre.

Saber Hossain was arrested from his Gulshan residence in Dhaka on Sunday evening. Later, a court placed him on a five-day remand for questioning in BNP activist Makbul Hossain murder case during a clash at Paltan Maidan in the capital two years ago.

Then the former minister was questioned in police custody. As a fell ill, he was produced before the court on Tuesday afternoon. After hearing both sides, the court granted him bail in all six cases.