Jailed Former Minister Dipu Moni Receives Parole for Husband’s Funeral
Former Education Minister Dipu Moni has received a 12-hour parole. She will attend her husband’s funeral. Her husband, Tawfique Nawaz, passed away on Tuesday night. Ms. Moni is currently held in Munshiganj district jail. Her political activities are also currently banned.
Munshiganj District Magistrate Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi approved the parole. It allows Dipu Moni to be released from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 20. She faces several cases related to killings during the July mass uprising.
Dipu Moni’s lawyer, Gazi Faisal Islam, confirmed this information. He spoke to reporters outside the deputy commissioner’s office on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Islam said they had requested a four-day parole. However, the court granted only 12 hours.
The former minister has been in prison for two years. Her husband had been ill for a long time. She had applied many times to meet him outside prison. These requests were not granted before his death. This parole now gives her this opportunity.
Tawfique Nawaz died at 10:27 pm on Tuesday. He was undergoing treatment at Continental Hospital in Gulshan, Dhaka. Mr. Nawaz had been suffering from kidney and liver complications for a long time. His physical condition worsened a few days ago, leading to his hospital admission.
After Mr. Nawaz’s death, Dipu Moni’s daughter, Tani Dipaboli, and lawyer Gazi Faisal Islam sought her release. They went to Munshiganj District Jail on Wednesday morning. Tani Dipaboli met her mother there. Later, they submitted the parole application to the deputy commissioner’s office.
Dipu Moni will be taken from Munshiganj Jail under police escort. She will arrive at her residence in Kalabagan, Dhaka, on Thursday morning. She will see her husband’s body there for a final time.
The body will then be moved to Azad Mosque in Gulshan. Funeral prayers, known as janaza, will be held after the Zuhr prayer. Tawfique Nawaz will then be buried at Banani Graveyard.
Lawyer Faisal Islam explained the legal basis for the parole. Prison law and regulations allow a 12-hour parole during daylight hours. In such cases, the district magistrate has the authority to grant this release. He confirmed that they received the 12-hour parole under this specific provision. Mr. Islam also added that the government could have granted parole for a longer period if it wished.
