Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday upheld a bail granted to Barrister Shakila Farzana in two cases filed against her over charges on terror financing.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order rejecting leave to appeal filed by the state after hearing the petition. “Now, there is no legal bar to get release for Barrister Shakila Farzana, as the apex court has granted bail for her,” claimed her lawyers.
Advocate Khandoker Mahbub Hossain and Joynul Abedin moved for Barrister Shakila in the court, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
“The Appellate Division has granted bail for Shakila Farzana till pressing charges in the two cases filed against her,” said Khandoker Mahbub Hossain.
Earlier on February 22, the High Court granted bail to Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shakila Farzana in the terror financing cases until the framing of the charges against her.
On 23 February, the Appellate Division of Supreme Court stayed the bail till February 29, in response to a plea filed by the state seeking a stay order over the HC bail to Shakila Farzana, a day after the HC granted the bail.
On 18 August, 2015, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three lawyers — Advocate Mahfuz Chowdhury, Hasanuzzaman Liton and Barrister Shakila Farzana — on charges of financing militant outfit Hamza Brigade from Dhanmondi area in the capital.
They were also shown arrested in an arms case filed in connection with arms recovery from Banskhali Latmoni Hill on February 21.
Shakila Farzana, 39, is practicing lawyer at the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.
She is the incumbent joint general secretary of the Supreme Court wing of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ body.
Daughter of Syed Wahidul Alam, a former BNP whip and lawmaker from Chittagong during 2001-06 tenure, Shakila is also a member of the Dhaka District Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association.
Advocate Hasanuzzaman Liton and Advocate Mahfuz Chowdhury are the lawyers of Supreme Court and Dhaka Judge Court respectively.
RAB claimed that these lawyers deposited Tk. 1.8 crore in the account of Moniruzzaman Don in phases.
