High Court Grants Interim Bail Ivy

The High Court of Bangladesh has granted interim bail to former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy in connection with two separate murder cases filed at Siddhirganj Police Station.

The order was issued on Thursday by a High Court bench comprising Justice KM Jahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher following hearings on two distinct bail petitions submitted on behalf of the detained former mayor. The court also issued a rule alongside its interim directive, seeking explanations from the authorities concerned.

According to case records, the two murder cases were lodged on 11 September 2024 and 30 June 2025 respectively at Siddhirganj Police Station. In these cases, Ivy was shown as arrested on 2 March in one case and on 12 April in the other. After being denied bail in lower courts, she approached the High Court seeking relief.

Senior lawyers Sara Hossain and Motahar Hossain Saju appeared on behalf of Ivy, assisted by advocate SM Hridoy Rahman. Deputy Attorney General Syeda Sazia Sharmin represented the state.

This development adds to a complex and ongoing series of legal proceedings involving the former mayor. Ivy was first arrested in the early hours of 9 May last year from her residence in Deovog area of Narayanganj city. Following her arrest, she was shown as detained in connection with three murder cases and two attempted murder cases linked to an anti-discrimination student-public movement.

On 9 November last year, the High Court had previously granted her bail in those five cases. However, the state subsequently filed separate appeals in the Appellate Division challenging the bail orders. The Chamber Court stayed the High Court’s bail on 12 November and referred the matter for full hearing before the Appellate Division, where the appeals remain pending.

Her legal representatives further stated that after securing bail in those cases, she was implicated in five additional cases where her name was not originally included in the First Information Reports. She later received six months’ interim bail from the High Court on 26 February in those matters. That bail was also challenged by the state, which was subsequently stayed by the Chamber Court on 5 March and sent for hearing in the Appellate Division.

A hearing on the state’s appeals was held on 27 April, with the Appellate Division scheduling its order for 3 May.

In parallel, Ivy also filed a writ petition challenging the legality of her being shown as arrested in the two Siddhirganj cases despite already being in custody. The High Court’s rule now seeks clarification on whether such “shown arrest” procedures exceeded legal authority and violated fundamental rights.

Key Timeline of Proceedings

Selina Hayat Ivy served as mayor of Narayanganj Municipality from 2003 to 2011 and later secured three consecutive victories in elections to the newly formed Narayanganj City Corporation, establishing her as a prominent political figure in the region.