The High Court has granted bail to former executive editor of The Daily Star Syed Ashfaqul Haque in a case filed over the death of domestic help Preeti Urang.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Rezaul Hasan and Justice Fahmida Quader passed the order after disposing of a rule issued in this regard.
Senior Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan, who stood for the petitioner in court, said that on April 22, the High Court granted interim bail to his wife Tania Khandaker.
The High Court also issued a rule asking the government to explain why Syed Ashfaqul Haque should not be granted bail. He settled the rule and granted him bail.
Fifteen-year-old Preeti Urang, daughter of Moulvibazar’s Lokesh Urang, used to work as domestic help at Ashfaqul Haque’s flat in the capital’s Mohammadpur.
She died allegedly by falling from the flat’s balcony on February 6.
Preeti had been working at Ashfaqul’s home for two years.
Preeti’s father Lokesh Urang filed the case under 304(A) of the Penal Code over the death due to negligence on February 7.
According to the case statement, Preeti fell from the apartment due to the absence of safety bars on the window of the flat's drawing space. Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.
Ashfaqul Haque, his wife, and four others from their residence were taken to the police station on February 6.
The next morning, a Dhaka court sent them to jail after rejecting their remand and bail petitions.
The Daily Star newspaper terminated Ashfaqul Haque on April 2.
The termination notice, published on its website did not mention any reasons for the decision.
Similar incident in August last year
A similar incident occurred in August last year in Ashfaqul’s flat, when another housekeeper sustained severe injuries after falling out of the same window.
The victim's family filed a case over the incident, but police submitted a final report to the effect that they did not find any evidence to bear out the charges in the case, filed under the Children Act 2013.