HC grants bail to ex-SP Babul Akter in case over wife Mitu’s murder

The High Court has granted bail to former superintendent of police Babul Akter in a case over the murder of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu.

The bench of Justice Md Ataur Rahman and Justice Ali Reza made the decision on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com. 

“We have learnt that the High Court has granted bail to Babul Akter,” said his lawyer Kafil Uddin.

The case is currently being tried by a court in Chattogram.

“Once the High Court’s order reaches the Chattogram court, Babul Akter will be released from jail.”

Mitu was hacked and shot dead near the GEC Intersection in Chattogram on the morning of Jun 5, 2016, while she was taking her son to school. It happened a few days after Babul, who had been promoted to the rank of superintendent, joined the Police Headquarters in Dhaka.

After the incident, Babul started a case against a few unnamed suspects with the port city's Panchlaish Police Station.

It had initially been suspected that Babul’s actions against militants led to the murder of Mitu, but the investigation took a sharp turn after her family pointed the finger at Babul.

After the PBI took charge of the investigation, it found Babul’s involvement in the murder of his wife. Later, Babul was arrested.

The PBI said Babul had an affair with another woman, a stormy issue that led to the murder of Mitu.

The investigators pressed formal charges against Babul and six other suspects on Sept 13, 2022. Babul was named as the mastermind.

On Oct 10 that year, the Chattogram Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court indicted Babul in the case.

On Apr 9, 2023, the trial began with the testimony of Mitu’s father Mosharraf Hossain. Several other major suspects, including Mitu’s mother Shaheda Mosharraf, have given their testimony to the court.

Of the 97 listed witnesses in the murder case, 52 have provided their testimonies.