A Dhaka court has again denied bail to Syed Ashfaqul Haque, Executive Editor of The Daily Star, and his wife Tania Khondoker in a case involving the death of a teenage domestic help at their house in the capital's Mohammadpur.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Farah Diba Chanda issued the order after hearing a bail request today (20 February), according to the accused's lawyer, Advocate Ashraf Ul Alam.

Senior lawyer Ehsanul Haque Somaji and Ashraf Ul Alam filed the bail request. The bail request was opposed by the state.

Earlier on February 13, investigation officer of the case Sub-Inspector Nazmul Hasan, in-charge of Mohammadpur police outpost, produced the accused before the court and sought a 10-day remand.

Chaitanya Chandra Halder, Ashraful Alam filed a bail request after that.

It was opposed by the state and after hearing both sides, the court ordered a four-day remand.

Helal Uddin, sub-inspector of the general registration branch of Mohammadpur Police Station confirmed the development to UNB.

On February 6, the teenage domestic help died after falling from Ashfaq's 9th-floor flat at an apartment complex in Mohammadpur, early in the morning. The journalist's family was picked up right there and then for questioning by police.

On February 7, the court sent them to jail rejecting both remand and bail petitions. The court ordered them to be interrogated at the jail gate for three days. That same day, Preeti’s father Lukesh Urang filed the case against The Daily Star Executive Editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khandaker.

The case alleges death due to negligence not amounting to murder, as defined under Section 304 (A).