The Appellate Division’s chamber court on Thursday stayed the High Court's order granting interim bail to former army member Hafizur Rahman, an accused in the murder case of Comilla’s Sohagi Jahan Tonu, and ordered him to surrender within 24 hours.
If Hafizur fails to surrender within the stipulated time, police have been directed to arrest him, Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal said after the hearing.
The order came after the state challenged the High Court's August 2 decision granting Hafizur six months' interim bail.
The High Court bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Sathika Hossain had also issued a rule asking why he should not be granted permanent bail and directed the authorities concerned to respond within four weeks.
Following the High Court order, Hafizur was released from jail, prompting the state to move the Appellate Division seeking cancellation of the bail.
Deputy Attorney General Shiuli Khanam and Assistant Attorneys General Sabbir Hossain, Md Mizanur Rahman, Rezaul Karim and Mir Moniruzzaman represented the state, while lawyer Muslem Uddin Bhuiyan appeared for Hafizur.
Hafizur, 52, a former senior warrant officer of the Bangladesh Army, was arrested by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) from his residence in Keraniganj on April 21 in connection with the high-profile murder case.
Tonu, a student and private tutor, went missing on the evening of March 20, 2016, after going to a house inside Comilla Cantonment for a tutoring session. Her body was later recovered from a bush near the cantonment's power house area.
The murder has remained under investigation for years, drawing widespread public attention. Hafizur's arrest earlier this year renewed focus on the long-running case.
