United News of Bangladesh

The High Court on Monday granted six-month bail to Jewel Hasan Saddam, Bagerhat Sadar upazila president of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), on humanitarian grounds following the death of his wife and nine-month-old son. The HC bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan passed the order after hearing a bail petition in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, said Saddam’s lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raja. Describing the matter as “highly humanitarian,” the lawyer said all parties present in the court spoke in favour of the bail plea, prompting the court to grant Saddam bail on humanitarian considerations. Read More: BNP’s Gafur Bhuiyan cannot contest Cumilla-10 as HC rejects writ Saddam has been in custody at Jashore Central Jail since his arrest in Gopalganj following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. On Saturday, jail authorities allowed him to bid farewell to his deceased wife and infant for five minutes at the jail gate, as his family failed to secure his release on parole. The incident triggered widespread discussion and criticism on social media, with many expressing the view that Saddam should have been granted parole to attend the funeral. It later turned out the family had applied to the wrong authority for parole. On Friday afternoon, police recovered the hanging body of Saddam’s wife, Kanij Subarna Swarnali, from their residence in Sabekdanga village of Bagerhat Sadar upazila. The body of their nine-month-old son, Nazim, was found beside her. Police and family members said Swarnali might have taken her own life after killing her infant son, due to depression.