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The Appellate Division has stayed the High Court's decision to grant bail to Mahmudul Alam Babu, the ousted Union Council chairman and key suspect in the murder of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim in Jamalpur.
The order was issued by an appellate bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan on Thursday in response to the state's application requesting the suspension of Babu’s bail, as per bdnews24.com reports.
Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state in court, while Advocate SM Abul Hossain defended the accused.
On June 14, 2023, Nadim, a local correspondent for Bangla News 24 and Ekattor TV, was brutally attacked by a group of assailants on Babu's orders, allegedly in retaliation for the journalist's work criticising the then chairman of Sadhurpara Union Council.
Nadim suffered a fatal blow to the head and succumbed to his injuries the following day at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
His wife, Monira Begum, subsequently filed a murder case on June 17 against Babu and 21 others at Bakshiganj Police Station.
Police later arrested 17 suspects, including Babu, who was reportedly hiding in a relative's house and looking for an escape route to India.
On August 27, Jamalpur Additional District and Sessions Judge Sultan Mahmud denied bail to six of the accused, including Babu. However, the High Court later granted Babu six months of bail.
The decision was put on hold by the Supreme Court's chamber judge on September 20, following a petition by the state. The judge also directed the state to file an appeal to the appellate bench.