Son’s bail prayer denied, mother dies in court

The court heard Rubel’s bail prayer. And rejected it.

Saleha – his mother and a widow – died inside a Dhaka court, hearing the court order.

For eight months and 17 days, Rubel (27) has been in custody, states his bail petition.

Saleha was in court to meet her son during the hearing on Tuesday. She made the journey from village Boroeikrani of Dohar thana – the southernmost part of Dhaka District.

For possessing 152.05 gram of heroin, Rubel is still ineligible for bail – the court explained to Saleha. To be eligible for bail, an accused has to be in custody for a certain period of time, based on the gravity of crime.

But she fell to pieces. In an ambulance, Saleha’s body was sent to her village. 

The accused’s lawyer Razzab Ali – who filed a bail petition earlier – claimed Rubel was not involved in the crime of drug peddling and the police had framed him in a false and fabricated incident.

Anwar Hossain – a prosecution witness – told the court that the accused was not in the spot during the drug recovery and that he was not a drug addict or a peddler.

“There was no drug raid that took place before my eyes,” Hossain told the court, adding that the police made him sign a blank paper to become a witness in the case.

On 5 October 2018, on-duty police of Koromalimor rounded-up Rubel, carrying heroin, near Haturpari mosque, according to Shimul Shaha – Dohar Police Station sub-inspector – as stated in the case statement.

The police filed a case with the Dohar Police Station against Rubel later. The investigation officer of the case brought formal charges against him on 21 October 2018. For trial, the case was later transferred to the present court.  

The court framed charge against the accused on 27 May 2019 and set 25 June to hear the prosecution witness.

The court’s public prosecutor Awlat Hossain Mollah confirmed the Business Standard that he opposed Rubel’s bail prayer.