Ivy gets bail but not release as new cases keep emerging

First, she was shown arrested in five cases. She secured bail in those cases. Then she was shown arrested in another five cases. Courts granted her bail in the second batch of cases as well. After that, she was shown arrested in two more cases. Bail was also granted in those two cases.

However, the High Court’s bail orders in the first 10 cases were later stayed. In the latest two cases, the state has sought suspension of the bail orders, and the petitions are awaiting hearing.

This has been the pattern surrounding the arrests and bail of former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy. Notably, her name does not appear in the FIRs of seven out of these 12 cases.

Police arrested her from her residence in Narayanganj city in the early hours of 9 May last year. Even after a year, investigations into the cases filed against her have not been completed.

Lawyers representing Ivy say the repeated practice of showing her arrested in one case after another is delaying her release process. Challenging the legality of showing her arrested in the latest two cases, Ivy filed a writ petition, following which the High Court on 26 April ordered authorities not to show her arrested or harass her in any unspecified cases.

Among the cases, nine are murder cases linked to the July 2024 uprising, two are attempted murder cases, while another concerns allegations of attacking police and obstructing government duties during her arrest last year.

After her arrest, police first showed Ivy arrested in three murder cases and two attempted murder cases. After failing to secure bail in lower courts, she moved the High Court.

On 9 November last year, the High Court granted her interim bail in those five cases. The state later filed separate appeals with the Appellate Division.

On 12 November, the chamber court stayed the High Court’s bail orders and sent the appeals to the regular bench of the Appellate Division for hearing. Those petitions are still awaiting hearing.

According to Ivy’s lawyers, on the very day the High Court granted her bail in the first five cases, police applied to show her arrested in five more cases. On 18 November last year, the Narayanganj Chief Judicial Magistrate Court approved the applications.

Among the new five cases, four are murder cases filed with Fatullah police station, while another concerns allegations of attack and obstruction of government work filed with Narayanganj Sadar police station. Ivy’s name does not appear in the FIRs of these cases either.

Ivy again failed to secure bail in lower courts and later moved to the High Court. On 26 February this year, the High Court granted her six months’ interim bail in those five cases.

The state also challenged these bail orders in the Appellate Division. On 5 March, the chamber court stayed the bail orders and referred the matter to the regular bench of the Appellate Division. Those hearings are also pending.

Meanwhile, after the High Court granted her bail in the previous cases, police sought to show Ivy arrested in two murder cases filed with Siddhirganj police station. One arrest application was approved on 2 March and the other on 12 April by the Narayanganj Chief Judicial Magistrate.

As lower courts again denied her bail, Ivy sought relief from the High Court. On 30 April, the High Court granted her interim bail in both cases. The state has also sought suspension of these bail orders, and the petitions are awaiting hearing.

Earlier, Ivy challenged the legality of showing her arrested in the two latest cases through a writ petition in the High Court. After a preliminary hearing, the court on 26 April issued a rule and an accompanying order.

In the rule, the court asked why repeatedly implicating the petitioner in allegedly false cases solely to harass and humiliate her should not be declared beyond legal authority. The court also asked why authorities should not be directed not to show her arrested or harass her in unspecified cases.

At the same time, the High Court directed authorities not to show Ivy arrested or harass her in any unspecified case.

The respondents in the writ include the law secretary, the Narayanganj chief judicial magistrate, the inspector general of police, the Narayanganj deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, and the officers-in-charge of Narayanganj Sadar, Siddhirganj and Fatullah police stations. They have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

Prothom Alo was able to contact three of the complainants in the first five cases in which Ivy was shown arrested. The phones of complainants in the other two cases were found switched off.

The three complainants who spoke said they did not mention anyone by name in the FIRs and did not know Ivy or the other accused persons. They alleged that some BNP activists and police officers inserted the names of the accused in the cases.

One of the first five cases involves the killing of garment worker Minarul, filed with Siddhirganj police station. The complainant is Minarul’s brother, Nazmul Haque, who works as a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver.

According to the FIR, Minarul joined the anti-discrimination movement in front of Mujib Fashion in Adamjee Nagar, Siddhirganj, on 20 July, 2024. It alleges that armed Awami League activists attacked protesters to suppress the movement, leaving Minarul fatally shot.

On 3 September, 2024, Nazmul filed the murder case against 132 named individuals, including then Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and Shamim Osman, along with 300 unnamed persons. Ivy’s name appears as accused 12 number.

Nazmul told Prothom Alo, “I do not know anyone. I do not even know what happened there. BNP people were at the police station, and they inserted the names.” Asked whether he knew Ivy, he replied, “Everyone knows her. I do not know whether she was there or not.”

Ivy’s lawyer Awlad Hossain told Prothom Alo that the cases against her are baseless and politically motivated, and that she has no involvement in the incidents.

Chand Mia, complainant in an attempted murder case, also told Prothom Alo over the phone that he had not named anyone as accused. He claimed he was persuaded to file the case with promises of receiving an allowance card and money. He said he did not know Ivy or the other accused persons.

According to Chand Mia, local BNP leaders and others in his area arranged the case through him. However, he later received no money and had to bear his own medical expenses. He also said he was unaware of the current status of the case.

Repeated attempts to contact Dulal Hossain, complainant in the Nadim murder case, and Aleya Akter, complainant in the auto-rickshaw driver Tuhin murder case, were unsuccessful as their phones remained switched off.

Asked about the complainants’ statements, Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman Munshi told Prothom Alo that if such allegations exist, the concerned persons may apply under the new law to have names removed. He said even without applications, individuals found uninvolved during investigation would be excluded from the cases. Investigations are still ongoing.

However, Ivy’s younger sister Minu Ahmed questioned the police role in repeatedly showing Ivy arrested in case after case.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, she said, “Although Ivy was involved in Awami League politics, she fought against godfather Shamim Osman and won elections. She worked for the welfare of Narayanganj residents regardless of political affiliation. Yet, after her arrest, she has been implicated in one case after another out of political vengeance, despite having no involvement in the incidents.”

Ivy served as mayor of Narayanganj municipality from 2003 to 2011. Later, she won three consecutive elections after the formation of Narayanganj City Corporation.