Sylhet: A Sylhet court on Wednesday rejected the bail pleas of industrialist Ragib Ali and his son Abdul Hye in two cases filed over grabbing endowment property of Tarapur Tea Estate.

Judge of the District and Session’s Judge Court Monir Hossain Patwari passed the order after hearing a petition.

M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Ershadul Haque, Mainul Islam and Mohammad Muhammad Tajuddin argued for Rahib and his son while public prosecutor Misbah Uddin Siraj represented the state.

On 4 December, a court here framed charges against industrialist Ragib Ali in the cases.

The court also rejected the discharge petition of Ragib’s son Abdul Hye and Sebayet Pankaj Kumar Gupta.

Earlier on 24 November, Indian immigration police arrested Ragib Ali from Karimganj district of Assam for illegal stay and a court sent him to jail after he was handed over to Bangladesh authority.

On 10 August, a court here issued warrants for the arrest of six people, including Ragib Ali and three of his family members, in two cases filed over grabbing land of an endowment property.

The other accused are Pankaj Kumar Gupta, current caretaker of Tarapur Tea Estate, Ragib’s son Abdul Hye, his son-in-law Abdul Quadir and daughter Rozina Qaudir and Dewan Moshtaque Majid.

Ragib Ali and his family members fled to India hours after the arrest warrants were issued against them.

Police submitted the chargesheets in the two cases to Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court on 10 July last.

On 25 August, 1999, the authorities concerned of the then parliamentary watchdog on land affairs found that Tarapur Tea Estate captured a vast area of an endowment property and set up several establishments on the land illegally.

Later, the subcommittee of the parliamentary watchdog recommended taking legal action against illegal occupants.

SM Abdul Hye, land commissioner of Sylhet Sadar, filed two cases against six people, including Ragib Ali, with Sylhet Kotwali Police Station on 27 September, 2005.

On 19 January this year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court asked the authorities concerned to reclaim Tarapur Tea Estate. The SC also ordered reinvestigation into the cases.

Following the SC order, Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate court ordered the Police to Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the cases again. On 10 July, PBI submitted report accusing Ragib Ali and his son Hye.