The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld a decision to grant bail to the former Member of Parliament, Syed Sayedul Haque Suman, in a case involving an alleged murder attempt during the July uprising. A bench led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order on Monday while also directing the High Court to formally dispose of its rule regarding the bail matter.
Syed Sayedul Haque Suman, who represented the Habiganj-4 constituency as an independent candidate, was originally granted bail by the High Court on 3 May. The state subsequently sought a stay on this order, moving the petition through the chamber court before it reached the Appellate Division for a final hearing. Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state, while senior lawyer Md Monsurul Haque Chowdhury appeared for the defence.
The legal proceedings stem from a case filed on 23 September 2024 at Mirpur Model Police Station. The complainant, Hridoy Mia, a senior vice-president of the Jubo Dal in Habiganj, accused the former legislator of attempted murder by gunfire during the student-led mass protests. Syed Sayedul Haque Suman was later arrested in the Mirpur area of the capital in the early hours of 21 October 2024.
Despite the Supreme Court’s decision to maintain the bail order, the former lawmaker will remain in custody. His lawyer, M Liton Ahmed, confirmed to reporters after the hearing that his client faces a total of seven cases across Dhaka and Habiganj. Because bail has only been secured in one of these matters, there is no immediate possibility of his release from prison.
The arrest of the former member of parliament is part of a broader series of legal actions following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August 2024. More than 70 high-profile figures, including former ministers, government officials, and journalists, have been detained in connection with incidents occurring during the uprising. The Appellate Division has now disposed of the state’s petition, ensuring the bail in the Mirpur case remains in force while other legal challenges continue.
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