Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday fixed Thursday (today) to deliver the verdict on a rule issued by the court earlier following a bail petition filed by Aysha Siddika Minni in the case filed over her husband Rifat Sharif’s murder in Barguna. The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing the rule.
Advocate Z I Khan Panna appeared for Minni in the court while Deputy Attorney General Md Sarwar Hossain stood for the State. Senior Advocate Monsurul Hoque Chowdhury opined at the court as an amicus curie.
In the hearing Advocate ZI Khan Panna said, “Police is saying that the investigation of the case is in the last stage. So, if she is granted bail investigation of the case will not be motivated and she will not leave the country. Minni is a woman and sick person. So we are praying for her bail.”
Deputy Attorney General Md Sarwar Hossain opposed the bail saying that the case was a sensitive one and she is one of the masterminds of the murder.
Senior Advocate Monsurul Hoque Chowdhury placed his opinion before the court saying that there was no charge of direct attack on the deceased against Minni and she may be granted bail as she will not leave the country and she is a 19-year-old woman.
Meanwhile, complying with the HC’s earlier order the IO of the case appeared in the court yesterday with all documents.
On August 20 the same High Court Bench issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in one week as to why Aysha Siddika Minni should not be granted bail in the case.
At the same time the HC ordered the investigation officer (IO) of this case to appear in the court on August 28 with all the documents of the case and it ordered the Superintendent of Police of Barguna to submit a written explanation in this court over his statement, claiming Minni’s involvement in the murder, given in a press briefing before Minni’s confessional statement Under Section 164.
Earlier, the HC Bench of Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman, a vacation HC Bench on August 8 denied bail to Minni.
Before that a Barguna court also rejected Minni’s bail petition twice on July 22 and 30 respectively.
After being rejected in the trial court, Minni filed the bail petition with the HC through her lawyers on August 5.
Police arrested Minni on July 16 after a daylong interrogation and produced her in the court for remand the following day. No lawyer represented Minni during the remand hearing in the court.
Rifat Sharif, a 25-year-old Internet service provider, was indiscriminately hacked by a group of youths there.
In a video footage of the incident that went viral in the social media, Minni was seen screaming and trying in vain to save her husband from the assailants.
The victim’s father filed a murder case with Barguna Sadar Police Station against 12 people on the same day.
