Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the bail of Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shakila Farzana till 20 March in a case filed over charges of terror financing.

A five member bench led by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order after a hearing on Monday on a petition filed earlier on 23 February by the state counsel challenging the bail granted to Shakila by a High Court bench, reports UNB.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state during the hearing while Advocate Joynal Abedin and Sagir Hossain Lion conducted the hearing on behalf of Shakila Farzana.

The Supreme Court also fixed 20 March for the next hearing, said Shakila’s lawyer Sagir Hossain Lion.

Earlier on 22 February, the High Court granted bail to Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shakila Farzana in the case.

On 23 February, a day after the High Court (HC) granted bail to Barrister Shakila Farzana, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed it till 29 February in response to a plea filed by the state seeking a stay order over the HC bail to Shakila Farzana.

The court also fixed 29 February for hearing the petition in the regular bench of the Appellate Division.

On 18 August 2015, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested three lawyers, including Supreme Court (SC) lawyers Shakila and Hasanuzzaman Liton, on charge of financing militant outfit Sahed Hamza Brigade (SHB) from Dhanmondi area of the city.

They were shown arrested in an arms case filed in connection with arms recovery from Latmoni Hill in Banshkhali upazila on 21 February.

Shakila Farzana, 39, is a practising lawyer at the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. She is the incumbent joint general secretary of the Supreme Court wing of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ body.

Daughter of Syed Wahidul Alam, a former BNP whip and MP from Chittagong during 2001-06 tenure, Shakila is also a member of the Dhaka District Bar Association and the SC Bar Association.