Saddam, who lost his wife and children, gets bail High Court

The High Court has granted six-month interim bail on humanitarian grounds to Jewel Hasan Saddam, president of the banned Bagerhat Sadar Upazila unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), who recently lost his wife and infant son in a tragic incident.

The bench, comprising Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan, issued the order on Monday after hearing a petition. 

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raja confirmed to media outlets that the bail was approved primarily on humanitarian considerations. 

Saddam had already secured bail in six other cases, with this remaining case now addressed through the interim bail. 

The court also issued a rule asking relevant parties to explain why permanent bail should not be granted.

Saddam was arrested in Gopalganj on August 5, 2025, and has since faced multiple cases, leading to his detention in Jessore Central Jail.

The tragedy unfolded on Friday, January 23, 2026, when police recovered the body of his wife, 22-year-old Kaniz Suborna Swarnali, hanging at their home in Sabekdanga village, Bagerhat Sadar Upazila. 

Nearby, they found the body of their 9-month-old son, Shehzad Hasan Nazif. 

Authorities and family members believe Swarnali, overwhelmed by depression amid her husband's prolonged imprisonment, killed the child before taking her own life. A case has been filed regarding the deaths.

Saddam's request for parole to attend the funeral or spend time with the bodies was denied, drawing significant public criticism and sympathy on social media. 

Instead, on the evening of January 24, prison authorities allowed a brief, five-minute farewell at the jail gate. 

The bodies arrived by ambulance around 7:00 pm, and six close relatives were permitted inside briefly around 7:30 pm. 

Witnesses described a heartbreaking scene as 12–15 relatives waited outside in tears, arriving in two microbuses.