Conditional bail a 'dictated' order: Fakhrul

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
File photo

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the lower court has issued a 'dictated' order by granting a conditional interim bail to Prothom Alo’s senior correspondent Rozina Islam, reports news agency UNB.

"The law under which she (Rozina) was arrested is bailable. They have used an obsolete law on her enacted during the British period,” he said.

Prothom Alo senior reporter Rozina Islam, who was sent to jail on 18 May in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act, walked out of Kashimpur jail in the afternoon.

Earlier in the day, a Dhaka court granted an interim conditional bail to Rozina Islam until 15 July in the case. Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah granted the bail on a bond of Tk 5,000. The court also asked her to submit her passport to the court.

Fakhrul said BNP’s standing committee at a virtual meeting on Saturday strongly protested and condemned the arrest of Rozina Islam on charge of stealing information following the harassment of about six hours at secretariat.

The BNP leader also said they will not contest in the upcoming five by-elections in Lakshmipur-2, Sylhet-3, Dhaka-14 and Cumilla-5 constituencies as the government has broke down the election system and protesting at the "incompetency" of the election commission in ensuring free and fair election.