Former Awami League lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan Rana walked out from Tangail District Jail after spending nearly 34 months behind bars for his involvement in two murder cases.
Tangail District Jailer Abul Bashar told Dhaka Tribune that Rana was released from prison around 9am yesterday after they received his bail documents.
Rana’s family and followers received him at the prison gate, where police had beefed up security.
From there, the former MP and his followers went to Dhaka and paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his mural in Dhanmondi.
“I will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina too. She is my leader … Politics in Tangail will follow Sheikh Hasina’s directives,” he told reporters at the prison gate before departing.
On Monday, the Supreme Court upheld a June 19 High Court order that granted permanent bail to Rana in a case filed for the killing of two Awami Juba League activists in 2012.
On April 1 this year, the apex court also upheld another March 6 High Court order granting him bail in another case filed for the murder of freedom fighter and ruling party leader Faruk Ahmed.
Following Monday’s order, Rana’s lawyer told reporters there was no legal bar to Rana’s release from jail.
Reacting to the development, Faruk’s wife and Awami League district unit’s Joint General Secretary Nahar Ahmed said: “I have faith in the judiciary … Even if the killers get bail from court, their names won’t be crossed off the list of killers.
“I trust the prime minister. Murderers will get exemplary punishment.”
Case details
On July 16, 2012, Juba League activists Shamim and Mamun of Sadar upazila’s Baghil union, went missing. The next day, Shamim’s mother Asya Khatun filed a general diary at Sadar police station.
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Mamun’s father Abdul Aziz lodged a murder case against 13 people on July 9, 2013.
Rana was linked to the murders after several arrested suspects confessed in court that Shamim and Mamun were murdered and their bodies dumped in a river upon Rana's orders.
Faruk Ahmed, an Awami League Tangail district unit committee member, was shot dead near his home in Collegepara on January 18, 2013.
His wife Nahar Ahmed filed a murder case with Tangail model police station three days later, accusing unknown assailants.
On February 3, 2016, Detective Branch of police filed a charge sheet against 14 people, including Rana and his three brothers. Several of the accused, following arrest and remand, said Rana and his brothers were involved in Faruk’s murder.
On September 18, 2016, Rana surrendered to a Tangail court and failed to secure bail.
All the accused were indicted in the case on September 6, 2017.
Since then, he has sought bail from lower and higher courts several times, but his pleas were rejected until March 6 this year.