Journalist Shakil Granted Bail in Five Cases, Farzana in Six

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A High Court bench granted interim bail to former 71 Television news chief Shakil Ahmed in five cases and former chief reporter and presenter Farzana Rupa in six cases.

The journalist couple, who are married, had filed separate petitions seeking bail. The bench of Justices K.M. Zahid Sarwar and Sheikh Abu Taher issued the bail orders on Monday, along with a rule pertaining to another murder case filed at Jatrabari Police Station involving Shakil and Farzana.

Prior to approaching the High Court, both Shakil and Farzana had unsuccessfully sought bail in lower courts. Shakil had filed bail pleas in six cases, and Farzana in seven. In total, the couple submitted 13 separate applications to the High Court.

According to sources, Shakil and Farzana are co-accused in six cases: four filed at Jatrabari Police Station, one at Mirpur Police Station, and one at Tejgaon Police Station. For these six cases, they jointly filed 12 separate bail applications. Additionally, Farzana filed an individual plea seeking bail in another case at Mohammadpur Police Station, which alleges attempted murder.

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After hearing the separate bail applications, the High Court had set May 11 for its order. Jytirmoy Barua represented Shakil and Farzana in court, while Additional Attorney General Anik R. Haque, accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Syeda Sazia Sharmin and Assistant Attorney General Md. Emdadul Haque, presented the state’s position.

Lawyer Jytirmoy Barua informed the press that while 13 bail applications were submitted for Shakil and Farzana, they have secured bail in six out of seven cases where Farzana is listed as an accused, and five out of six cases where Shakil is an accused. A rule has been issued regarding their bail in the Jatrabari Police Station case where both are named as defendants. Their release from custody is contingent on the outcome of this and other pending legal matters.

Shakil previously served as the head of news, and Farzana as the chief reporter, at 71 Television. They were removed from their positions on August 8, 2024, and subsequently arrested by police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on August 21. They were later implicated in a murder case related to the death of an individual named Fazlul Karim in Uttara, Dhaka, during the student-led discrimination protest movement. Following their arrest, they underwent several rounds of police remand and are currently in detention.