Mufti Amir Hamza Secures Permanent Bail After Surrender

Mufti Amir Hamza, a Member of Parliament for the Kushtia-3 constituency and a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, has been granted permanent bail by a court in Sirajganj. The bail relates to a defamation lawsuit filed against him for allegedly making derogatory remarks concerning the Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.

On Sunday, 14 June, at approximately 2:30 pm, Mufti Amir Hamza surrendered before the Sirajganj Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court and formally applied for bail. Following a legal hearing, the presiding judge approved the permanent bail application. Aminul Islam Mallick, an advocate of the Sirajganj District Judges’ Court, confirmed the judicial decision to the media.

Case Background and Allegations

According to the case statement, the lawsuit was initiated on 2 April by Humayun Kabir Colonel, the General Secretary of the Sirajganj District Bar Association. The complaint alleges that on 27 March, during a discussion preceding the Friday (Jummah) sermon at the Hatsh Haripur Boromashjid in Kushtia Sadar Upazila, Mufti Amir Hamza described the Power and Energy Minister, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, as an “atheist” and “anti-Islamic”.

The plaintiff asserted that a video recording of the speech subsequently circulated widely across various social media platforms and was broadcast by multiple media outlets. The complainant argued that these statements damaged the social and political reputation of the minister. Consequently, the case was filed under Sections 296, 500, and 504 of the Penal Code. The court took the charges into cognizance on the day of filing and issued a summons. However, because Mufti Amir Hamza failed to appear before the court on the designated date, an arrest warrant was issued against him on 21 April.

Procedural Timeline of the Case

Statements from the Plaintiff

Following the court proceedings on Sunday, the plaintiff, Humayun Kabir Colonel, reiterated his stance regarding the motivation behind the lawsuit. He stated that Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku belongs to a respected Muslim family, adheres to religious practices, and has established several mosques, madrasas, and orphanages within his constituency. He characterized the remarks made by Mufti Amir Hamza as entirely baseless and defamatory. He confirmed that the defendant had presented himself before the court on Sunday to surrender, after which the judge chose to grant the bail application.