In a development that has sent ripples through the law enforcement and judicial sectors, Sajjad Hossain alias Chhoto Sajjad, a notorious top gangster from Chittagong, and his wife Sharmin Akter Tamanna have secured bail from the High Court in four sensational murder cases within a week.
The couple, however, allegedly adopted various tactics to keep the news of their bail hidden from police, administration, and the media. The news finally broke after an attempt to delay the process for over two months was uncovered.
The Cases and Bail Details
Sajjad, who faces 19 cases including 10 murder charges—among them a double murder in Chittagong and the high-profile public killing of rival gangster Babla—was granted bail alongside his wife Tamanna, who is an accused in 8 cases including multiple murders.
The couple received bail in four separate murder cases on two days, a week apart, from the same High Court bench:
- September 15, 2024: Granted bail in two cases: the murder of shop employee Shahidul Islam (Chandgaon Police Station, Aug 19, 2024) and the murder of Wasim Akram (Panchlaish Police Station, Aug 18, 2024).
- September 22, 2024: Granted bail in two more cases: the murder of shop employee Md. Faruk (Panchlaish Police Station, Aug 28, 2024) and the murder of Aftab Uddin Tahsin (Panchlaish Police Station).
The bail was granted by the High Court Division Bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice Yusuf Abdullah Sumon, pending the disposal of the respective court rules.
The Strategy of Secrecy and Delay
Despite the bail being issued in September, the official bail orders, signed on September 18 and October 5 by the High Court’s Assistant Registrar Md. Yusuf Ali, only reached the Chittagong court on December 8—a delay of almost two and a half months.
Sources indicate that the three-month delay and subsequent secrecy were deliberate. The defense allegedly took steps to obscure Sajjad’s identity as a ‘top terrorist’ to avoid scrutiny. A key strategy involved placing Tamanna’s name first on the applications in all four cases, reportedly to gain sympathy as a female accused.
Furthermore, the delay in processing the bail was strategically linked to the murder of Sajjad’s rival, Sarwar Babla, who was publicly shot dead on November 5 shortly after the initial bail was granted. The murder created a major controversy and drew intense scrutiny from the administration. The defense intentionally stalled the submission of the bail bond until the atmosphere “normalized.”
Normally, a High Court bail order for an accused is delivered to the jail within a week. Additionally, for a known top criminal, the State often appeals to the Chamber Judge to suspend the bail, a step that was not taken in these cases.
Current Status and Jail Transfer
Sajjad’s lawyer, Abu Bakkar Siddique, confirmed the matter, stating, “Sajjad and Tamanna have received bail in four cases. The bail documents have been sent to the prison.” He, however, expressed ignorance regarding the reason for the significant delay in the documents reaching Chittagong.
Shah Syed Sharif, Jailer of Chittagong Central Jail, confirmed that bail documents for three cases against Sajjad Hossain and four cases against his wife Tamanna have been received.
The couple is currently separated and incarcerated in different facilities. Following allegations that Sajjad was controlling his criminal network from within the Chittagong Central Jail, which surfaced after Babla’s murder, Sajjad was transferred to Rajshahi Central Jail on November 14, and Tamanna was transferred to Feni District Jail on November 18.
