Former Supreme Court Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik has been granted bail in a case filed for attempting to illegally cross into India through the Kanaighat border in Sylhet.
Manik was brought to the court of Kanaighat Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Anjan Kanti Das around 9:30am on Tuesday. The police requested that he be formally recognised as arrested, which the court approved. However, Manik’s lawyer successfully applied for bail, which was granted by the court.
Despite this, Manik remains in Sylhet jail due to other pending cases against him, but he is expected to be transferred to Dhaka soon. Sylhet District Court Inspector Md Jamshaid Ali confirmed the matter.
Manik was initially detained on the night of August 23 as he attempted to flee to India through the Dhana border in Kanaighat Upazila. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) apprehended him with the assistance of local youths. The following morning, Manik was handed over to Kanaighat police station.
He was presented in court later that day, where he was ordered to be jailed under Section 54.
As of September 12, following improvement in his condition, Manik was discharged from Osmani Medical College Hospital. He was then transferred to Sylhet Central Jail under strict security. Manik has a history of heart issues, having undergone bypass surgery a decade ago, and he also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.