A court here on Sunday granted interim bail to national cricketer Rubel Hossain in a rape case filed by his fiancé. Responding to a fresh bail plea filed by the detained accused, acting Metropolitan Session’s Judge KM Imrul Kayes granted him the bail until submission of the police report on the case. Barrister Muniruzzaman Asad appeared for Rubel while Tuhin Hawlader, the counsel for complainant actress Naznin Akhtar Happy, opposed the bail petition. On January 8, a metropolitan magistrate court here sent the national cricketer to jail on his surrender, rejecting his bail plea in the rape case. Barely a month ago, (Dec 13), actress Happy filed the case against Rubel under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The High Court on December 15 last year, granted Rubel an anticipatory bail for four weeks as he surrendered to it seeking bail. On January 6, the HC summarily dismissed a writ petition filed by actress Happy seeking the removal of the pacer from the Bangladesh National Cricket team squad. According to the first information report (FIR), Rubel had been involved in physical relationship with the actress for eight months. It also said Rubel had promised to marry her and thus developed the physical relationship. As Rubel reportedly backtracked, Happy filed the case alleging that Rubel raped her several times at his flat. Rubel was first picked for the national team in late 2008 following his good performance in the Cricket Academy and he made his international debut in January 2009. The youngest boy of a seven-member family, the 25-year-old pacer from Bagerhat played 22 Tests, 53 ODIs and 11 T20Is in his cricket career.
